My daddy was a good-God man who gave solid advice, not only with his words but by the way he lived. Whenever I asked how to handle disappointment, hurt, or simply people being people, one of his responses was: “Bless them and keep on stepping.” When I was younger, I did not fully appreciate the wisdom tucked inside those words. I thought “bless them” was simply the Christian thing to say when what you really wanted to say probably was not very Christian. And “keep on stepping” sounded like Daddy’s way of saying, Don’t waste your energy arguing. Keep moving. But the older I get, the more beautiful his advice becomes.
Daddy was teaching me that I could choose grace and forward movement at the same time. Jesus said, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28). That teaching is not simply about how we treat difficult people. It is about who God is shaping us to become. Blessing someone frees my heart to remain tender. Praying for someone keeps me connected to God rather than connected to the offense. And continuing to step reminds me that one painful experience does not get to become the whole story of my life.
Blessing someone does not mean pretending nothing happened. It does not mean calling wrong right or remaining in situations that are unhealthy. Scripture tells us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). I can acknowledge that something hurt me and still choose healing. I can recognize disappointment and still choose joy. I can establish boundaries and still choose grace. I can tell the truth about yesterday without allowing yesterday to determine tomorrow. Paul writes, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14). There is tremendous freedom in those words. The behavior of another person does not have to determine my behavior. Their choices do not have to change my character. Their words do not have to become the soundtrack playing in my mind. God has given me something better to listen to.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3). I choose peace. Hebrews 12:15 warns us against allowing a “root of bitterness” to grow. I have lived long enough to know that bitterness takes up entirely too much room. It occupies spaces where joy could live. It consumes energy that could be invested in purpose. So I bless them. And in blessing them, I make room for something better.
When I pray for someone who has disappointed me, something begins to happen in me. My attention shifts. Instead of continually asking, Why did they do that? I can begin asking, God, what are You teaching me? Instead of rehearsing the conversation, I can rehearse God’s promises. Instead of carrying the offense into every new day, I can remember, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). I refuse to give yesterday permission to steal today. Jesus demonstrated this kind of grace even from the cross. Surrounded by people who had mocked, falsely accused, beaten, and crucified Him, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).
Their behavior did not change His character. That challenges me. I want to become so secure in who God has called me to be that someone else’s behavior cannot pull me away from it. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” What a wonderfully positive way to live. Good gets the final word Grace gets the final word. Love gets the final word. God gets the final word.
And then comes the second half of Daddy’s wisdom: Keep on stepping. I appreciate those words more with every passing year because they remind me that life is lived moving forward. There is still too much God has for me to spend my days standing in yesterday. Paul wrote, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13–14). That is keeping on stepping. Sometimes the next step is forgiveness. Sometimes it is setting a healthy boundary. Sometimes it is having an honest conversation. Sometimes it is accepting that a relationship has changed.
And sometimes the next step is simply waking up tomorrow morning with gratitude and discovering that what hurt yesterday does not hurt quite as much today. Keep stepping. Not angrily. Not bitterly. Not constantly looking over your shoulder. Step expectantly. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23, KJV). If God is ordering my steps, I want to see where He is taking me.
Daddy, I understand. Bless them and keep on stepping. Bless them because Jesus taught me to. Bless them because grace keeps my heart soft. Bless them because prayer redirects my attention toward God. Bless them because peace is far too precious to surrender. Bless them because God has blessed me with grace more times than I can count. And then, keep on stepping. Step toward peace. Step toward healing. Step toward joy. Step toward purpose. Step toward new relationships, new possibilities, new assignments, and new mercies. Because Scripture promises, “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Maybe that is what Daddy understood all along. “Keep on stepping” was never simply about leaving something behind. It was about trusting that God still has something ahead. So today, I am carrying Daddy’s wisdom with me: Bless them. Pray for them. Wish them well. Release what needs to be released. Thank God for what the experience taught you. And then lift your head, straighten your church hat, look toward the future God has prepared, and keep on stepping.
Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s devotion:
List three people that came to mind who you need to exercise the title of this devotion and intentionally pray for the ability to bless them.
Describe in less than 250 words how you can practice my daddy’s wisdom in your interactions.
List three things you need to release to make room for God’s joy and peace in your life.
In less than 250 words, describe how has God used a difficult experience to make you wiser, stronger, more discerning, or more compassionate.
Choose a passage from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.