Dr. Velma Talks: Following Esther's Process: Each New Beginning Starts with Surrender

Season 3. Day 1—In this first episode of Dr. Velma Talks' third season, we launched an exciting new journey through Dr. Velma Bagby's book, Following Esther's Process to Purification, Restoration and Purpose in Thirty Days. Each Saturday, Dr. Velma walks us through one day of this powerful 30-day devotional journal — and if Day One is any indication, this season is going to change your life.

What Is Esther's Process — and Why Does It Matter for You?

Esther spent a full year preparing before she ever stood before the king — six months of purification and six months of restoration. Dr. Velma took that biblical framework and condensed it into a 30-day devotional: 15 days focused on purification and 15 days focused on restoration. But here's what's important to understand from the start:

Esther's process was never really about the human king. The symbolism points to something much greater — preparing ourselves for the King of Kings.

Every day in this journal challenges you to do the inner work necessary to strengthen your relationship with God. That means being honest. Brutally, uncomfortably, transparently honest — not with your followers, not with your friends, but with God.

Lightening the Load: What Purification Really Means

Purification isn't just a spiritual buzzword. It's a symbol for cleansing, forgiveness, overcoming your past, letting go, and healing. Paul's words in Hebrews 12:1 paint a vivid picture: "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Think about a runner. No serious runner steps up to the starting line carrying dead weight.

They lighten their load deliberately, intentionally, because they know the extra weight will cost them the race. Purification is about doing the same thing spiritually. It's time to let go of:

• Past mistakes and pain

• Bitterness you've been carrying around

• Poor self-worth and low self-value

• Bad habits and a lack of quality time with God

• Disobedience, lack of prayer, and going through your entire day without once acknowledging God

That last one hit hard in this session. Going through a whole day without mentioning God — not once — that's not a neutral act. That's what Dr. Velma calls ungodliness, and it may be the most overlooked sin in the church today.

The Subtle Sins We Don't Want to Talk About

Dr. Velma introduced a companion resource called Respectable Sins — a book that exposes the sins believers are most comfortable ignoring. We're quick to declare what we don't do.

"Oh, I don't do that." But what about the sins that are subtle? The ones nobody can see? God deals with those the same way He deals with the rest.

Here's what Dr. Velma brought to our attention on Day One:

1. Judging and disrespecting your parents. The Word makes a sobering promise about this one — life will not go well, and your days may be cut short. That's not something to brush off.

2. Ungodliness. This one is important because people confuse it with wickedness, but they are not the same thing. Wickedness is about sinful actions. Ungodliness, as Paul distinguishes in Romans 1, is about your attitude toward God. And the definition is sobering: ungodliness means living your everyday life with little or no thought of God. You can go to church, read your Bible, and still be functionally ungodly if God is absent from the rhythm of your day.

3. Anxiety and worry. Philippians 4 says be anxious for nothing. When we worry, we are declaring through our actions that we do not trust God. And Dr. Velma reminded us: anxiety doesn't just affect your spiritual life — it causes physical illness. God's instruction to release worry is also His prescription for your health.

4. Unthankfulness, impatience, irritability, judgmentalism, and criticism. These are the daily sins we scroll past. Dr. Velma shared her own testimony of watching an online church service and immediately criticizing a speaker for not doing it like the previous one. She was convicted on the spot. And rather than justify herself, she repented — and replaced criticism with prayer.

That's the model. Not just admit and repent, but change.

Facebook Is Not Your God

One moment in this session that clearly landed with the audience: the conversation about social media as a modern-day pagan practice. When we run to Facebook to vent, overshare, tell people off with a "cute" post, or air grievances we should be taking to God — we have made social media a small-g god. Exodus 20:3 says it plainly: thou shall have no other gods before me.

If Facebook knows your feelings before God does, something is out of order.

Day One: The Assignment

Day One in the devotional says this: Each new beginning starts with surrender. On this first day, you are invited to release every weight so you can move freely in God's will. Surrender is not weakness — it's submission to God's authority. It's letting go of the idea that you are in control.

Your prayer for Day One is simple and powerful: God, convict me of any sin I've overlooked — especially the subtle ones.

Dr. Velma was honest with us. When she first went through this exercise herself, her list was short — until she picked up Respectable Sins and God began to show her more. She went back to Day One and added to her list. Don't be surprised if He does the same for you.

Humble yourself. Let God show you what He needs to show you about yourself. That is where this season begins.

You can get the devotional on Amazon and follow along each week. And remember — God wants to bless you this year. Don't let the weight of what you're holding on to slow you down before the race even begins.