When God Knocks You Off Your High Horse -

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” — James 4:6 (NIV)

Have you ever had one of those moments when God lovingly opened your eyes to something about yourself that you had never seen before?

Not to shame or condemn you, but because He loved you too much to leave you where you were.

Those moments can be uncomfortable–yet I’ve discovered they are often the very places where we experience God’s grace most deeply.

Watch the Replay of the Zoom Book Party Below!

Recently, I had the joy and privilege of interviewing my mom Linda Gordon about her newly released memoir, Knocked Off My High Horse: An Unexpected Journey to Divine Love. As I listened to her share the story behind the book, I found myself once again amazed by God’s patience, His timing, and His incredible love!

Her story reminded me that sometimes the greatest transformation doesn’t happen when God changes our circumstances—it happens when He changes our hearts.

A Book That Was Decades in the Making

My mom’s memoir wasn’t something she decided to write overnight.

In fact, she first started writing it more than twenty-five years ago.

She wanted to tell the story of God’s faithfulness through one of the hardest seasons our family had ever experienced. She had the manuscript started, shared it with friends, and fully expected to publish it.

But then life happened.

Family responsibilities.

Unexpected hardships.

New seasons that demanded her attention.

The manuscript was carefully tucked away.

At the time, it probably felt like a disappointment.

Looking back now, it was simply God’s perfect timing.

Before the memoir could be written, God wanted to write something even deeper on my mom’s heart.

During those years, she wrote another book—a devotional called 9 Months to Spiritual Maturity. Through an intentional study of the fruit of the Spirit, the Lord began transforming her from the inside out.

Through that journey, she learned to receive God’s love–and that changed everything.

“Dig Deeper”

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing how the title of her book came to be.

Originally, the manuscript was called Life of a Good Girl.

That title made perfect sense.

After all, she had spent most of her life trying to be exactly that.

She followed the rules.

She went to church.

She tried to do all the “right things”.

Then she attended a writers conference and met with a literary agent.

After listening to her describe the book, the agent asked one simple question:

“What did this book do for you?”

My mom answered.

The agent looked at her and simply said,

“Dig deeper!”

Those two words stayed with her.

When she returned home, she began praying and reflecting over each chapter of her manuscript. As she summarized every chapter into a single phrase, something unexpected emerged.

A pattern.

Again and again, she saw the same themes.

Pride.

Self-righteousness.

Selfishness.

The subtle belief that because she had been a “good girl,” she somehow didn’t need God’s grace as desperately as everyone else.

And in that moment, the Lord gently revealed what had been hidden in plain sight.

He had lovingly knocked her off her high horse–the new book title suddenly emerged!

The Older Brother in All of Us

Another powerful insight from our conversation was of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Most of us naturally focus on the younger brother.

He was the obvious sinner.

He was one who wandered.

He was the one who came home.

But what about the older brother?

He never left home.

He worked hard.

He obeyed.

He looked faithful on the outside.

But his heart was filled with resentment, comparison, pride, and self-righteousness.

If we’re honest…

I think many of us relate to the older brother more than we’d like to admit.

We may not be living reckless lives, but pride can quietly grow in our hearts.

We compare.

We judge.

We become frustrated when God seems to bless someone else.

We assume we’re “doing everything right,” yet we miss the Father’s invitation to simply enjoy His presence.

The older brother wasn’t outside the house–but he was outside the celebration.

How often do we do the same?

God’s Love Meets Us Right Where We Are

One of the sweetest moments during our interview came when my mom talked about babysitting her granddaughter (my niece).

Like every curious toddler, she reaches for things she shouldn’t touch, puts random objects in her mouth, and ignores instructions more often than not.

Yet nothing she does changes how deeply she’s loved.

Her parents don’t stop loving her when she disobeys.

They protect her because they love her.

They correct her because they love her.

They delight in her because she belongs to them.

As my mom shared that story, I couldn’t help but think…

Isn’t that exactly how our Heavenly Father loves us?

He sees our every weakness.

Every failure, selfish motive, or moment of pride.

And still He says,

“That’s My child.”

What would happen if we truly believed that today?

Not just in our heads, but deep in our hearts.

What if we really believed that God’s love for us isn’t based on our performance?

That He isn’t waiting for us to become “good enough” before He delights in us?

Because the truth is…

He already delights in each of us.

Not because we’ve earned it.

But because we belong to Him!

Your Story Is Still Being Written

Perhaps you’re walking through a season of waiting.

Maybe you’ve experienced disappointment.

Maybe a dream has been delayed, and you’re wondering why God hasn’t answered your prayers the way you hoped.

Take heart–God is never late!

Sometimes what feels like a delay is actually divine preparation.

If my mom had published her memoir twenty-five years ago, it would have been a very different book.

It wouldn’t have carried the same depth, or the same understanding of God’s unconditional love.

God wasn’t withholding something good. He was preparing something better.

Maybe He’s doing the same in your life.

The chapter you’re living today isn’t the end of your story.

God is still writing.

He’s still healing.

Still refining.

Still revealing His love in ways you never imagined.

And if He lovingly knocks you off your own “high horse” along the way, don’t be discouraged.

It may be the very place where you discover what you’ve been searching for all along–a deeper understanding of the Father’s amazing, unconditional, life-changing love.