No Turning Back Once You Start

Some people treat holiness like a diet.
They start strong.
They cut out a few bad habits.
They feel inspired.

Then temptation hits.
Old comforts start calling.
And before they know it, they’re back where they started.

Saints don’t live like that.

Because saints burn the bridges behind them—so there’s no way back.

1. The Day Elisha Burned His Old Life

When Elijah called Elisha to follow him, what did Elisha do?

He didn’t say, “Let me try this prophet thing out for a while and see if it works.”
He didn’t say, “I’ll keep my old life just in case.”

No. He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plow (1 Kings 19:21).

His oxen were his livelihood. His plow was his career.

He set it all on fire.

Why?

Because he was never going back.

He removed the option of retreat. He made sure there was nothing left to return to.

And that’s the difference between saints and ordinary people: saints don’t keep a backup plan.

2. The Saints Who Cut the Rope

• St. Francis of Assisi stripped himself naked in the public square, renouncing his inheritance so completely that he had nothing left but God.
• St. Anthony the Great gave away his family’s fortune and walked into the desert, cutting himself off from the distractions of the world.
• St. Thomas Aquinas’s family locked him in a tower and sent a prostitute to tempt him. He chased her away with a burning log—forever sealing his commitment to purity.
• St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Native American convert, was disowned and forced to flee her village to protect her faith.

Each one had a moment when they could have turned back—but they didn’t.

Because they had already cut the rope.

3. Why You Keep Falling Back

Maybe you’ve tried to follow Christ before.

You made a decision. You felt the fire. You tried to change.

But after a few days, weeks, or months, the old temptations came back, and you gave in.

Why?

Because you left a bridge standing.

• You didn’t delete that number.
• You didn’t get rid of that app.
• You didn’t walk away from that toxic friend group.
• You didn’t destroy access to that sin.

And because of that, when the fire faded, it was too easy to go back.

Saints don’t play that game.

They burn the bridge so completely that there is no way back.

4. The Rich Young Man Who Kept His Bridge

In the Gospel, a rich young man came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life.

Jesus told him: Sell everything. Follow Me.

And what did he do?

He walked away sad.

Because deep down, he wanted to keep his bridge standing—just in case.

He wanted God and his comfort.
He wanted holiness and security.
He wanted to follow Christ but not at full cost.

And that’s why he never became a saint.

5. The Point of No Return

Every saint has a moment when they reach the point of no return—when they cut off any possibility of going back.

This moment will come for you.

And when it does, you will have two choices:

1. Keep a lifeline to your past, holding onto your old ways, just in case.
2. Burn the bridge and make it impossible to return.

If you choose the first, you will fail.
If you choose the second, you will be free.

It’s that simple.

Meditative Challenge

Tonight, sit in silence before God and ask:

• What bridges have I left standing?
• What do I still run back to when I’m weak?
• What is keeping me from full commitment?

Then take radical action.

If it’s a toxic relationship, cut it off.
If it’s a hidden sin, expose it.
If it’s a source of temptation, eliminate it permanently.

Don’t just “try” to change. Burn the bridge so there’s no way back.

Prayer of No Return

Lord, I stand before You with no way back.
I burn every bridge to my old self.
I surrender every comfort, every attachment, and every excuse.
I choose You—not halfheartedly, but fully, finally, and forever.
Let me never look back. Let me never return.
Let my past be ashes, and my future be only You.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

🔥 No turning back. Walk the path. Become the saint. 🔥

Why saints must die before they truly live

Most people want to be saints.

Few are willing to die for it.

And no, I don’t just mean physical martyrdom. I mean something far harder—the death of self.

Because here’s the truth: No one becomes a saint until they first die.

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1. The Saint Who Dug His Own Grave

Let’s talk about St. Benedict Joseph Labre.

He wanted to be a monk. But every monastery rejected him. He was too weak. Too sickly. Too fragile.

So what did he do?

He became a beggar. He wandered from shrine to shrine, wearing rags, sleeping in the streets, living off scraps. People thought he was insane. But he wasn’t.

He had already died to the world.

By the time he physically died at 35, he was already long gone in spirit—buried in self-denial, resurrected only in Christ.

And that’s the secret. The ones who become saints are already dead before they leave this earth.

They no longer care about reputation.
They no longer fear suffering.
They no longer seek comfort.

They are dead men walking.

2. The Death of the Will

St. Catherine of Siena once prayed,

“Lord, take away my will, and give me Yours.”

And He did.

She lived in extreme fasting and self-denial, caring for the sick, rebuking corrupt leaders, and receiving divine visions. She wrote letters that shook the Church, influencing popes and kings.

But she had no life of her own.

She had given it up. Her will was dead.

This is what most people fear.

They want holiness, but they still want to hold the reins. They want sainthood, but they don’t want to crucify their desires.

It doesn’t work like that.

Saints aren’t people who merely “try” to be good. They are people whose wills have been shattered and replaced with God’s.

And until you die in this way, you will never truly live.

3. The Death of the Body

For many saints, the death of the will wasn’t enough.

They went further. They crucified their flesh.

• St. Rose of Lima rubbed pepper into her face to destroy her beauty and avoid vanity.
• St. Simeon Stylites lived on top of a pillar for 37 years, exposed to the elements.
• St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow to fight temptation.
• St. Padre Pio bore the stigmata—open wounds that never healed, mirroring Christ’s crucifixion.

Were they crazy? Maybe to the world.

But to them, the world was already dead.

They didn’t live for comfort. They lived for something greater. And because they chose to die, they found life in ways most of us never will.

4. The Death of Reputation

St. John of the Cross was imprisoned by his own fellow monks.

He had been trying to reform the Carmelite order, bringing them back to holiness. The others? They hated it. So they locked him in a tiny, dark cell, whipping him regularly.

But instead of breaking, he wrote poetry about God’s love in the darkness.

Instead of resenting, he embraced the suffering.

Instead of defending himself, he died to his reputation.

Most of us can’t stand being misunderstood. We want people to know our intentions, to think well of us.

Saints?

They let it go.

They let their reputation die, knowing that only God’s opinion matters.

5. The Death of Fear

St. Joan of Arc was 17 when she led an army.

She wasn’t trained. She wasn’t educated. She wasn’t a warrior.

But she wasn’t afraid.

Even when she was captured, even when she was on trial, even when they burned her at the stake—she stood firm.

Because she had already died.

She had died to fear. To self-preservation. To doubt.

And because of that, she lived more fully than most people ever will.

Meditative Challenge

Tonight, take some time to reflect. What still needs to die in you?

• Your will? Do you still insist on your own way?
• Your body? Are you too attached to comfort and ease?
• Your reputation? Are you afraid of what people think?
• Your fear? Are you holding back because of doubt?

Write it down. Then ask God to kill it.

Because until you die, you will never truly live.

The brutal truth about holiness

You admire the saints.

Maybe you’ve read about St. Francis of Assisi, who stripped himself naked in the town square, renouncing his wealth for a life of radical poverty.

Or St. Teresa of Ávila, who endured severe illness and visions of God while being scrutinized by the Inquisition.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Desert Fathers, who lived in the wilderness on barely anything but prayer and locusts.

And yet, here you are.

Still struggling. Still entangled in the mundane. Still caught between the world and the call.

So let’s be brutally honest: why aren’t you a saint yet?

1. You’re Comfortable

Ever heard of St. Ignatius of Loyola? Before he became a saint, he was a knight obsessed with worldly honor and glory. He wanted to be a legendary warrior. But then a cannonball shattered his leg.

God had to literally break him to get his attention.

While recovering, he had nothing to read except The Life of Christ and stories of saints. That was when he realized—he had wasted his life chasing shadows. His pain became his awakening. He gave up everything and started a life of radical spiritual discipline, founding the Jesuits, one of the most powerful missionary orders in history.

Most people never become saints because they refuse to be broken.

We avoid pain, suffering, and sacrifice at all costs. We pray for comfort, security, and success—but saints pray for transformation, no matter the cost.

So ask yourself: What are you clinging to? What comforts are keeping you from holiness?

2. You Love Your Will More Than God’s Will

St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute. Not just any prostitute—she was so addicted to pleasure that she seduced men for the thrill, not even for money. One day, out of curiosity, she tried to enter a church in Jerusalem.

She couldn’t.

An invisible force stopped her at the door. Again and again, she tried. That was when she realized—it was her sin blocking her. She broke down in tears, repented on the spot, and ran into the desert, where she lived for nearly 50 years in total solitude, battling the demons of her past and growing in intimacy with God.

You see, Mary of Egypt could have resisted. She could have justified herself, excused her past, and walked away. But she didn’t.

She surrendered.

Most people never become saints because they refuse to fully surrender their will. They still hold onto their preferences, their ambitions, their grudges, their own way of doing things. But saints let go. They let God have total control.

So ask yourself:

Are you still running your own life, or have you truly surrendered?

3. You’re Not Ruthless with Sin

St. Benedict of Nursia was once tempted with lust so strongly that he did something unthinkable—he threw himself into a thorn bush, rolling in it until his body was bleeding, just to kill the desire. Extreme? Maybe. But that’s why he became a saint, and most people don’t.

Saints don’t negotiate with sin. They don’t rationalize it. They don’t “work on it” slowly over time while still entertaining it in secret. They kill it. Immediately.

If you’re still coddling sinful habits, still making excuses, still compromising—you will never be a saint.

So ask yourself:

What sins are you allowing to live in you? How far are you willing to go to cut them out?

4. You Fear People More Than You Fear God

St. John Chrysostom was one of the greatest preachers of all time. His name literally means “Golden Mouth.” But you know what happened to him?

He was exiled. Twice.

Why? Because he refused to water down the truth. He called out corruption, immorality, and lukewarm Christianity—even when it meant standing alone. The Empress hated him. The Church authorities betrayed him. He died in exile. But today, the Church calls him a saint.

Most people will never be saints because they are too afraid of what others will think. They dilute the truth. They stay silent when they should speak. They compromise to fit in. But saints don’t care. They live for an audience of One.

So ask yourself:

Do you fear God enough to stand alone?

5. You Haven’t Reached the Point of No Return

There’s a moment in every saint’s life when they realize: there’s no turning back.

For St. Francis, it was the moment he stripped off his clothes and walked away from his father’s wealth.
For St. Paul, it was the moment he was blinded on the road to Damascus.
For St. Augustine, it was the moment he finally surrendered his desires and prayed, “Take and read,” leading him to Scripture.
For St. Joan of Arc, it was the moment she put on armor and led an army at 17 years old, knowing it would cost her everything.

Saints don’t leave themselves an escape route.

They don’t have a backup plan. They don’t “try” holiness—they commit to it completely.

So ask yourself:

Have you truly decided, once and for all, that you will be a saint? Or are you still leaving the door open for an easier life?

Meditative Challenge

Tonight, take some time in absolute silence. No phone. No distractions. Just you and God.

Ask Him:

1. What comforts are holding me back from holiness?
2. What sins am I still tolerating?
3. Where have I refused to surrender?
4. Who am I afraid of offending by living fully for God?
5. Have I truly reached the point of no return?

Then listen. Really listen.

If He shows you something—act on it immediately. Saints don’t delay.

The path is open. Walk it.