Fixing What’s Broken to Build Back Better — A Word From Our Pastor as We Close 2025

Every Morning You Choose Your Altitude

Every single morning when you wake up, you have a choice. You have the power to rise above negativity. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today. Right now. This very moment.

Think about it—before you even check your phone, before you scroll through social media and see someone’s angry post, before you walk into that workplace where drama seems to follow you like a shadow, before you deal with that family member who always has something negative to say—you have a choice. You can choose your altitude.

We live in a world that’s constantly trying to drag us down. The news feeds us fear. Social media feeds us comparison and outrage. Coworkers feed us gossip and complaints. Even well-meaning family members sometimes feed us their anxieties and frustrations.

But here’s what I’ve learned as we close out 2025: we don’t have to live at ground level with all that noise.

You see, Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But child of God, you have the power to soar above his reach. Every morning, you choose whether you’re going to fly with eagles or scratch around with chickens. You choose whether you’re going to rise above the negativity or get pulled down into it.

A Lesson from the Schoolyard That Changed Everything

Now, I want to share something with you that I learned back in elementary school. It was just a simple fable, the kind of story teachers tell to help kids understand life lessons. But as I’ve gotten older, as I’ve faced real challenges and real negativity, this little story has become one of the most powerful truths I carry with me.

It’s funny how God works, isn’t it? He can use a children’s story to teach us profound spiritual truths. As we’re preparing to step into a new season, as we’re focusing on fixing what’s broken to build back better, this old fable keeps coming back to me. Because the truth is, we’re all going to face crows in our lives. The question isn’t whether they’ll come—it’s how we’ll respond when they do.

This story has stayed with me for decades because it perfectly illustrates what it means to stay focused, alert, and prayed up. It shows us exactly how to demonstrate the love of Christ even when people are trying to bring us down. And most importantly, it reveals a secret about our true identity as children of God.

So let me tell you about the eagle and the crow.

When the Crow Lands on Your Back

Picture this: A magnificent eagle is soaring through the sky, riding the wind currents, focused on its destination. Suddenly, a bold crow—known for its cunning and aggression—lands right on the eagle’s back. The crow starts pecking at the eagle’s neck, trying to provoke it, trying to get a reaction.

Now, what do you think the eagle does? Does it turn around and fight? Does it try to shake the crow off? Does it screech and complain about this unfair attack? No. The eagle does something completely unexpected.

Instead of fighting back, instead of wasting energy on this distraction, the powerful eagle simply spreads its magnificent wings wider and begins to climb. Higher and higher into the sky it soars. The crow keeps pecking, keeps trying to provoke, but the eagle just keeps ascending.

And here’s what happens next—this is the beautiful part. The higher they go, the thinner the air becomes. The crow, which was so bold and aggressive at ground level, starts to struggle. Its breathing becomes labored. The altitude that energizes the eagle begins to suffocate the crow.

Finally, unable to handle the thin air, unable to survive at the eagle’s altitude, the crow falls off. It tumbles back down to the ground where it belongs, while the eagle continues soaring toward its destination, completely unbothered, completely focused on its purpose.

The Eagle’s Secret Weapon Isn’t What You Think

Now here’s the revelation that changed my perspective on everything: The eagle’s strength wasn’t in fighting. The eagle’s power wasn’t in its talons or its beak or its ability to attack back. The eagle’s secret weapon was its ability to ignore the distraction and keep ascending.

You see, eagles are built for altitude. They’re designed to soar above the storms, not fight in them. Their strength is in their focus, their ability to rise above whatever tries to bring them down. They don’t waste energy on things that don’t deserve their attention.

And that’s exactly what it means to stay focused, alert, and prayed up. When you’re prayed up, you’re connected to your source of strength. When you’re alert, you recognize the crows for what they are—distractions trying to pull you off course. And when you’re focused, you keep your eyes on God’s purpose for your life, not on the noise around you.

The crow mentality says, “Fight back. Get even. Make them pay. Defend yourself. Prove your point.” But the eagle mentality says, “I know who I am. I know where I’m going. I’m not going to let anything or anyone pull me down to their level.”

This is how we show the love of Christ in all circumstances. Not by fighting every battle, but by rising above the battles that don’t deserve our energy. Not by proving we’re right, but by proving we’re different. Not by winning arguments, but by winning souls through our response.

Your Daily Flight Plan for 2026

So how do we live this out practically? How do we choose the eagle mentality every single day? Let me give you two key takeaways that will transform your next season.

1) Don’t Engage with Crow Mentality

When someone at work starts gossiping about the boss, you don’t have to join in. When family members start complaining about everything that’s wrong with their lives, you don’t have to fix it or fight it—you can listen with love and then redirect to something positive. When social media tries to pull you into political arguments or comparison games, you can simply scroll past or log off.

Remember, the eagle’s strength isn’t in fighting—it’s in ignoring distractions that don’t deserve its attention. You don’t have to defend yourself to people who are determined to misunderstand you. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply rise above it.

2) Adjust Your Focus to Keep Ascending

Your goal isn’t to win every argument or prove every point. Your goal is to keep climbing toward God’s purpose for your life. When someone tries to drag you into drama, ask yourself: “Will engaging in this help me soar higher, or will it pull me down to ground level?”

Focus on what builds you up, not what tears others down. Focus on solutions, not just problems. Focus on gratitude, not just grievances. Focus on where God is taking you, not on where others are trying to drag you.

Soar Into Your Next Season

As we close out 2025 and step into whatever God has next for us, I want to remind you of something powerful: You were not created to live at crow level. You are a child of the Most High God. You were designed to soar, not scavenge. You were built for the heights, not the ground.

The crows in your life—the negative people, the discouraging circumstances, the attacks on your peace—they’re not your problem to solve. They’re your opportunity to demonstrate who you really are. Every time you choose to rise above instead of fight back, you’re showing the world what it looks like to be transformed by the love of Christ.

Every time you refuse to engage with negativity, you’re creating space for positivity to grow. Every time you choose your altitude instead of accepting their attitude, you’re stepping into the fullness of who God created you to be.

So here’s my challenge for you as we move forward: When the crows land on your back—and they will—remember the eagle. Don’t waste your energy fighting battles that don’t deserve your attention. Instead, spread your wings, connect with your source of strength through prayer, and rise.

Rise above the workplace drama. Rise above the social media toxicity. Rise above the family conflicts and the general discouragement that tries to pull you down. Rise above it all, because that’s what eagles do.

And as you soar into your next season, remember this: The closer you get to God, the further you get from the things that used to bother you. The more you focus on your purpose, the less the distractions can distract you.

You have the power. You have the choice. You have the altitude. Now spread your wings and show this world what it looks like when a child of God decides to soar.

I pray that we can be part of your 2026, Friend. Plan your visit to Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, or watch online. Be blessed.