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What does a monument represent? The reminder has to be raw and real. It needs to cut through emotions so that no matter how strong the temptation, we remember why we are running the race God has put us in.

Continuing on from yesterday’s Bible verse from Joshua, let's look at how we can set monuments up in our lives to help us keep moving forward in life.

1. Tell your story. Keep a clear memory of what God did for you.

For Joshua, every time these people saw this pile of stones it reminded them of the memories: What God did, what they did, how things used to be.

For you, what's the clear memory? Is it a photo of your small group, reminding you of the people God wants you to help? Is it a journal full of your thoughts; a reminder for who you used to be? It's important to have something clear.

2. The memorial stones were to be a basis of sharing faith with their children.

Joshua didn't want the next generation to not understand that God is with them through the good and the bad (like not being in the Promised Land for 40 years).

What we forget we are destined to repeat. God did something big and people should not forget that!

How can you share your memorial with others? Do people see your Instagram and see a passion for God? Are you sharing joy and uplifting others?

Do they see the music you listen to, the entertainment you consume, the moments at parties you say no to? Do they see the way you care for people, no matter what they've done?

The way you forgive someone when the world says you shouldn't?

Do they wonder why? Our faith should never stop at us. The story is there to share.

3. It's a time of rolling away old defeats

It is significant that this happened on the tenth day of the first month because that is exactly 40 years to the day since Israel marched out of Egypt. Leaving the edge of the river, the Israelites went to a place called Gilgal to make their camp. Gilgal was “on the eastern border of Jericho". Gilgal means “the reproach has been rolled away.” Forty years of spiritual defeat and failure had been rolled away. It was the dawn of a great new beginning in a new land. The days of selfish refusal to respond to God under Moses were gone. Complaining had ended. Hopeless wandering in the wilderness was behind them. They were now a people with a powerful new sense of purpose, determined to take new territory with God.

What defeats do you need to roll away? For instance:

• Addiction is not my identity
• Depression does not define me
• I am a child of God
• I am loved

What do you need to not forget? What have you overcome? What have you battled through? When have you come out through the other side and decided you don’t want to fail again? We've learned the hard way once. Let's lead the best way next time.

"When God is for us, who can stand against us?”