![\"1011827_10151786589529809_1164959855_n\"](\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/1011827_10151786589529809_1164959855_n.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI have a confession to make.<\/p>\n
I’m not nearly as spiritual, righteous or holy as you might think. Over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at making things look \u00a0better on the outside than they are on the inside. The reality is that I still struggle with the basic ugly stuff of sin on the inside.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I’ve had times over the past year when I felt so lazy that I didn’t want to bother myself to get up and discipline the kids or help out with the dishes.<\/p>\n
There were a few times that I got angry when I should have remained calm and a few other times when I should have been angry but instead I remained apathetic.<\/p>\n
There were times when my selfishness got the best of me and instead of giving myself in ministry to others I found excuses so that I could do something for myself.<\/p>\n
There were other times when I replied to my family sharply in an unloving way instead of carefully listening and engaging them as a loving father.<\/p>\n
Often instead of turning to God in prayer to help in a difficult circumstance I simply put myself into the work and tried to figure it out with on my own.<\/p>\n
Because it’s the truth and it’s humbling.<\/p>\n
Looking back is always humbling. It’s humbling to see how God worked in us and through us. It’s humbling to recognize our failures and realize how God used them for his good. It’s humbling to know that we are a small part of God’s greater plan.<\/p>\n
As Christina and I reviewed 2013 we realized that there were many areas in our lives that needed improvement. We saw how often we had failed to meet others expectations, our own expectations and most importantly God’s expectations!<\/span><\/p>\n We also decided to take one word that we would focus our lives on throughout 2014.<\/p>\n We chose the word: Humility<\/strong><\/p>\n (If you want to choose a word for 2014 I recommend starting here<\/a>)<\/p>\n Yes, our mistakes and failures have humbled us but what humbled us even more is realizing that God used us despite our weakness. \u00a0Below is a short list with links of some pretty amazing things that God accomplished through us in 2013<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have a confession to make.<\/p>\n I’m not nearly as spiritual, righteous or holy as you might think.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[273],"class_list":["post-3599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-humility"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/1011827_10151786589529809_1164959855_n.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-W3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9835,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/should-i-use-the-sinners-prayer-in-evangelism\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":0},"title":"Should I Use the “Sinner’s Prayer” in Evangelism?","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"November 14, 2018","format":"video","excerpt":"If you grew up in an Evangelical Church, there's a good chance you are familiar with \"The Sinner's Prayer.\" This is a prayer that is often used in evangelical outreaches at the end the service.\u00a0 The evangelists usually invites anyone who would like to become a Christian to say a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4320,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/not-even-war-will-stop-the-church-in-ukraine\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":1},"title":"Not Even War Will Stop the Church in Ukraine!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I've never lived in a country that was at war with-in its own borders! Knowing that I could get in my car and be in a war zone in just a few hours somehow changes your perspective. Knowing that a foreign army is moving your direction causes certain priorities to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ministry"","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Women run from shelling in Donetsk, Ukraine. (AP Photo\/Mstislav Chernov)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/church-goes-on.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/church-goes-on.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/church-goes-on.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6896,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/5-ways-the-prosperity-gospel-short-circuits-your-spiritual-growth\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":2},"title":"7 Ways the Prosperity Gospel Short-circuits Your Spiritual Growth","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"October 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The peddlers of the prosperity gospel promise a short-cut to the joys of heaven that will bypass the trials of earthly life and deliver a near paradise on earth to the impatient Christian. What these slick sellers of sanctified success don't tell you is that their short-cuts really short-circuit your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/20121005-lifeclass-i-am-2-949x534-e1475490684408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/20121005-lifeclass-i-am-2-949x534-e1475490684408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/20121005-lifeclass-i-am-2-949x534-e1475490684408.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2254,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/how-to-use-audio-for-scripture-memory\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":3},"title":"How to Use Audio for Scripture Memory","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"February 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"God's Word spoken is powerful, Scripture memorized and then spoken has twice the effect. Listening to the Bible on audio is one of my favorite ways to consume God's thoughts, it is also quickly becoming my favorite way to memorize! I've been working on memorizing John chapter one, which is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DSC02852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DSC02852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DSC02852.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23324,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/what-is-forgiveness\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":4},"title":"What Is Forgiveness?","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"August 8, 2025","format":"video","excerpt":"Description:Forgiveness is one of the most powerful\u2014and most difficult\u2014acts we are called to as followers of Jesus. This episode explores the deep biblical roots of forgiveness, revealing how unforgiveness poisons relationships, breeds bitterness, and separates us from God. From the Old Testament sacrificial system to Jesus' words on the cross,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Gospel Today"","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3001,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/7-ways-to-fail-as-a-missionary\/","url_meta":{"origin":3599,"position":5},"title":"7 Ways to Fail as a Missionary","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Missionaries are not superheroes. If you're a missionary hopefully you know that by now! I've failed more than once as a missionary and that's why I want to share with you some common ways that missionaries can fail. Sometimes it's helpful to look at our mistakes so that we can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ministry"","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/photo-41.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/photo-41.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/photo-41.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3599"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3608,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3599\/revisions\/3608"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}One word<\/h4>\n
What God did despite the failures<\/h4>\n
\n
Question: How did God use your failures for his good in 2013? Do you have a word you are focusing on in 2014?<\/h4>\n