Hannah Chung

Leaving the Past Behind Us

Do you have trouble letting go? Here is some encouragement.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten so much out of the “Luke Challenge” this year. If you haven’t heard of it, basically the goal is to read one chapter of Luke every day starting from December 1st until Christmas Eve, since there are 24 chapters in Luke. The point is to celebrate Jesus and learn more about His time on Earth. Jesus has a different message for each of us this year, and it’s important to spend time reflecting on His legacy and on what He’s taught us in 2020.

Anyway, I have felt very convicted multiple times during this challenge, and I’m only through chapter 9! But last night’s in particular stuck out to me. I’ll share the passage below. It’s titled in some translations “The Cost of Following Jesus”.

As they were traveling across the road someone said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow me.”
“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”
But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”
Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say goodbye to those at my house.”
But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62

Ok, first of all, let’s just take a pause for a moment and really let those words soak in.

Wow.

I will be the first to admit that I am horrible at letting go. Letting go of what, you might ask? Literally everything. People, possessions, dreams– even when I know something else is better for me. There are so many points made in this chapter, but I’m going to focus on the point Jesus makes about being willing to let go in order to follow Him.

When I first read this passage, I thought, “Wow, Jesus, you’re sure being harsh on them for not even letting them say goodbye to their families or even bury their loved ones.” But the more I thought about it, I think the point Jesus is trying to make is different than just our surface level assumptions.

Jesus is not necessarily (I’m not going to speak on His behalf of course) saying that you have to suddenly ditch everyone and be irresponsible. In fact, God is described as being faithful several times in the Bible, and we should be faithful as well. He is also not trying to tell us to not love others enough to even say goodbye or to not honor the dead.

Personally, I believe that Jesus is trying to emphasize that while we should love others and be loyal, nothing can come between Him and us. When we agree to follow Jesus, we change completely. We are a whole new person with a whole new life. And when we get so focused on our past lifestyle, then we can’t truly move forward with doing what Jesus commands us to do. We can’t have it both ways; we have to pick either our old way of living or follow Jesus and love Him with our entire heart.

I know how challenging it can be to let go of something, especially if we thought at one point that it was meant for us. But we can’t let our dreams, possessions, or even others come in between us and God. We simply cannot truly live for God with one foot in our old life and one foot in the new. It just doesn’t work like that, no matter how much we want it to.

Today, I challenge you to take a step back and reflect on the areas of your life where you may be living as your old self instead of your new self. Stop dwelling on the past, whether it’s mistakes you made long ago or dreams that didn’t come true for you. You are a whole new person now, and those chains do not have to hold you down any longer. Is there anything in your life coming between you and Jesus? A relationship? A job? A habit you simply can’t break?

This is one of the hardest things we can do– letting go. Not only that, but admitting we’ve done wrong in the first place can be difficult too. But it’s so important. Neglecting our need for growth is one of the biggest things that separates us from God.

I’ll be taking this challenge with you and checking in later to see where we’re at. For now, I pray that you can grow closer to God through this season.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

Lose Me to Love You

How has this year changed you and your relationship with God?

I don’t know about you, but a little something I’ve started looking forward to each year around this time is my Spotify Wrapped– basically a summery of what songs I listened to and who I listened to over the past year.

To my complete shock, the song that I apparently played the most in 2020 was Lose You to Love Me, by Selena Gomez. I mostly play contemporary Christian music, but I also dapple in pop and random other genres that people recommend. Yet this surprised me because I hadn’t listened to this song since sometime last spring. But reflecting on the title and the concept caused me to think for a minute.

I think that in many ways, one of the biggest things I learned in 2020 was summed up in the title “Lose You to Love Me”. Throughout the year, I realized that it’s okay to be misunderstood for my faith and my uniqueness. It’s okay to not be liked by everyone I meet. It’s okay to stand out sometimes. And most importantly, it’s okay to not live up to other people’s expectations. The only one who should define us is God. Ultimately, the only ones we will have at the end will be God and ourselves. We can’t fully love others until we invest that same energy in appreciating ourselves and recognizing how we are made in God’s image.

But an even more important lesson I learned was in the reverse of this title. I learned to lose me to love God. I have always wanted to be in control, but this year more than ever did I realize in order to fully trust God, I have to let go of my own plans in order to accept where He was leading me. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget that God has an even bigger plan for us. When we get fixated on just what we can see, we lose our faith. For faith is not in the seen, but is assurance of what we do not see.

I think 2020 is a year in which we’ve all needed a lot of faith. Whether it’s been having faith in a God that’s still good despite all the civil unrest, tragedies, and uncertainties, to wondering what is to come in the future. But before COVID and all that has defined 2020 for many of us, I wrote down as my word of the year a word that many may not associate with how this year’s been– hope.

My translation of the definition of faith that used the word assurance (which was taken from the Bible) in some translations is actually the word hope. Faith is not some wishful thinking type of hope. Faith is hoping with complete confidence that God will restore our lives and use us according to His purpose.

It’s definitely been a strange year. But I’ve noticed more than ever before that God is working in mysterious ways that we can’t even comprehend. So today, whether you are feeling discouraged by the weight of the world or how this year may have disappointed you, remember that we can still have faith. We can still have hope.

But we can only feel free of worry when we lose ourselves and our failures, disappointments, and concerns by focusing on what is never changing– our loving relationship with God.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

You Don’t Need Justification

Are you in a dark part of your life right now? Here’s a little hope.

For several months of my life a few years ago, I felt like the most lonely person in the world. I almost wanted to be diagnosed with something so that I could have justification for how I felt.

When talking about my experiences with loneliness, I often share with others the major life events that took place during that time, trying to explain the justification behind my feelings.

There are so many people out there feeling upset, discouraged, and utterly alone. Hopeless. They want an answer to why they are feeling the way they do, so they turn to online resources, personality tests, and their community. They want to feel like they have a reason for being who they are.

I want to say this right now, and I hope you can believe it. You don’t need to justify how you’re feeling to anyone. God made you the way you are for a reason– never doubt that. You are lovable. You are worthy. You have a purpose.

I feel like we often just need that reminder, no matter who we are or what we are struggling with. We need validation.

But the only one who should be allowed to validate us is God himself. God is the one who knows us, loves us unconditionally, and created us in the beginning.

No one else can say that. So then why do we give them power over our lives?

Just some thoughts on a day that has been a little extra tough for me. Maybe you’re going through one of those days too.

You’re not alone. God will always be with you, to the very end of the age. He promises that, and God has never broken a single promise.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

Can I be Upset AND a Christian?

If you’ve felt guilty for being anything but happy, then this post is for you.

I’m going to be honest with you, because I always am, and say that recently I haven’t really been feeling myself. It’s been off and on, and I’ve tried to avoid thinking about it.

But today I had something force me to think about it. I confronted my emotions and tried to figure out what had changed. I realized that perhaps I was hurt about something that I didn’t want to deal with and I was allowing that to come into other parts of my life.

Something not often discussed by Christians is how to confront our negative feelings. Often the verse “count it all joy” comes to mind and we decide that it’s best to not feel those uncomfortable things. If we are upset, then we aren’t Christian, right?

Wrong.

Being joyful all the time does not mean we have to be happy all the time. Joy does not equal happiness.

Being joyful means that while we can be upset, we do not have to give up on our hope in Jesus. We still believe that He is good no matter what. We are not as easily discouraged. However, it means we can and should cry when we need to and feel those difficult emotions when they arise.

If you are not feeling particularly happy today, that’s okay. But instead of allowing that sadness to flow into all the areas of your life, take some time to rest today and reflect on what exactly is causing you to feel this way. Is it someone that hurt you in the past? Is is a major stressor that you’ve been trying to ignore?

Take time to pray to God and ask Him how to combat these feelings in a healthy way. It’s okay if you need to call someone you can trust to seek help or if you don’t feel like talking about it.

I want you to remember that being upset does not mean you’re a “bad Christian”. Even Jesus wept and got upset. But He didn’t allow that to hurt His relationships or negatively impact His ministry. Instead, He used those feelings as a way to connect with His Father.

So today, if you aren’t feeling quite yourself, that’s okay. I want you to take some time to sit with those feelings and understand what is causing them. If you need to make some changes, then make those changes!

Ultimately, God is in control of your life and He will be there for you whether you’re angry, sad, heartbroken, happy, or anything in between. God loves you so much.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Psalm 34:17-20

The Unexpected Ways God Works

Have you been discouraged by prayers not being answered the way you had hoped?

I’ve been reminded a lot throughout this past week, and even before, about how God truly gives us what we need. He knows what’s best for us more than anybody else ever will.

I want you to think back to the last time you prayed, whether it was this morning, yesterday, or months ago. If you can remember, write down what you asked God for.

Now, looking back at that list, think about whether what you asked God for was phrased like example A or example B.

A) “Dear God, I really want this job. I think it will be the best job possible for me. I have asked so many people to pray for this and I believe that it’s Your will for me to have this job because I can witness to people and because I worked so hard that I deserve it. Thank you in advance, God.”

B) “Dear God, a new job opportunity has arisen for me. I feel like it is a job that You have given me the talents for, but ultimately I want to follow Your lead. If this is a job where I can serve you and others and fulfill my potential, then I will be pleased, but if not, I will know that there is something better out there for me. If there is a different job I must pursue, please help me have the courage to pursue it. Let Your will be done.”

I bet you could see a difference between the two prayers. One acted like God was a magical genie that would grant wishes while the other recognized how God is the One in control no matter what.

I think a lot of times we forget how much God knows about us. If you think about it, God created you. He had you in mind since the beginning of time. If you think your parents or anyone who has known you for most of your life knows you well, then realize that God must know you even more than they do! He knows us even better than we know ourselves.

I have a friend who knows me so well, and sometimes I joke with her that she knows me better than I know myself, which is why I ask for her advice so often! I know that she has my best interest in mind and that she will help me make the right decisions.

God is like that, only so much better. He has everyone’s best interest in mind and He’s able to make everything happen the way that it is meant to be. I know that can be so hard to believe, but it’s true.

Now, I want you to think about what you were praying hardest for last month. Or maybe even last year. Some time that isn’t too recent.

How has God answered that prayer? If He didn’t answer it the way you wanted, then would you say He didn’t answer it? Or can you think of how God’s answer was even better than what you could’ve imagined?

If you can’t see what God’s doing yet, that’s okay. Sometimes it takes months or even years. But it’s important to reflect on the ways God is working unexpectedly in your life.

I prayed about two months ago for God to give me new opportunities. God blessed me with something even greater– more ways to express gratitude as well as contentment about things that I had been stressed about for a long time.

Maybe God didn’t answer my prayer the way I had wanted. But He answered it in a way that was so much better. And now, I don’t necessarily even want what I had originally been praying for because I have realized that by the way God answered my prayer, I have gotten closer to Him.

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have.

Today, I hope you can feel encouraged that despite your prayers not always getting answered the way you wanted, God is still working in your life for good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose
Romans 8:28

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20

Loving God Through Trusting Him

Is there something God’s placed on your heart that you are afraid to do?

I was watching a movie last night, a Christmas rom-com, which I would not recommend because it was pretty much a waste of time 🙂 However, I did get a lot out of one scene from it that inspired me for today’s Encouragement Thursday.

One of the main characters was trying to figure out if her coworker and best friend loved her, and she asked her father how he knew her mother was the one. He replied that she was willing to face her biggest fear for him. If you are willing to face your fears for someone else, then you love them.

This got me thinking. There are so many verses in the Bible about trusting God, but I don’t think we realize that it’s an act of worship. When we listen to God and do what He tells us to–acting on our faith–we are proving to God that we love Him.

So if we are too afraid to do what God tells us to, then do we truly love Him?

I’ve been thinking about that question a lot over the past couple days. I think we can certainly love God while having doubts. But I think the way to truly show God that we love Him is by doing what He commands. Sometimes God commands us to do things that we don’t want to do, or even worse, that we are afraid to do. But that doesn’t mean we have an excuse not to do them. It just means that we need to call out to God and ask for His peace and strength to overflow within us so that we can do what He asks.

God wants to help us. He wants us to become the people He created us to be. But that requires us to do our part, too. We need to ask God each day to help us listen to Him and to renew our faith. We also need to be willing to stop sitting around questioning whether or not we should do something and instead jump up and just do it.

I know that what I’m suggesting isn’t easy. I have a lot of trouble doing what God tells me to sometimes. But trusting God is vital for our spiritual growth. It helps us develop an even deeper love of God when we trust Him with EVERYTHING. Our relationships, our health, our finances, our future, our everything.

So today, think about something that God has been telling you to do, but you’ve been too afraid to do it. It’s not too late. God is patient and He knows that you may have needed some assurance before taking this leap of faith. Pray about it and allow God’s peace to fill you. Then, go out and do it. 🙂

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:17

You Are Here for a Reason

In case no one’s told you today, you are here for a reason.

You’re here for a reason.

No matter what anybody’s told you, no matter what you’ve been through, no matter how the past may hold you.

You’re here for a reason.

Despite all the failures, despite the dreams that have passed you by, despite the way you sometimes want to hide.

You’re here for a reason.

You were born at that specific time on that specific day in that specific location for a reason.

You were made with these amazing dreams, with these incredible talents, with those super deep feelings for a reason.

You look the way you do, you act the way you do, and you are who you are for a reason.

You are you because we need you. If you become like everyone else, then who will take your place? No one. Because you are irreplaceable.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

God of the Impossible

Are you in an impossible situation right now? Turn to God and He will take care of you. Nothing is impossible for God.

I am currently attempting to read the entire Bible (hopefully in a year, but we’ll see!) and for the last couple days, I’ve been reading the story of Abraham and Sarah. I think most of us learned about them and all God’s promises for them when we were kids in Sunday School, but I’ve really been thinking more deeply about their story during this particular rereading.

They were going through their own trials by being promised that their line would fill the nation and be God’s chosen people, yet they couldn’t have children. They even came face to face with the Lord when He and two angels visited them in human form, yet they couldn’t believe that God would fulfill His promises because they had been praying and hoping for so long with no success. Yet God continued to do His good work despite all their mistakes and in the end the impossible happened.

Are you going through a season of life where many things feel impossible? Perhaps a person you care about is ill, you are in a difficult financial situation, or a relationship isn’t working out. Whatever you do, don’t give up on God.

Sometimes it feels like the entire world is crashing around us and we have no hope, no future. We feel like shutting down and trying to hold on tightly to what we do have. We feel like our hopes and dreams will never been fulfilled.

Well, I have some amazing news for you. If you line up your desires with God, then He promises to do the impossible and give you a purpose. That doesn’t mean that God is your servant and you can demand things from Him or that you should be disappointed if things don’t go the way you want. Rather, you can have hope when life gets difficult because God can turn any situation around into something incredible.

Nothing comes between God and His love for us. He is ultimately in control of the entire world and all that happens. Your impossible situation isn’t impossible for God. He’s holding you and this situation in the palms of His hands. He is in control.

So today, if you are feeling weighted down by all that is going on in your life, remember that the One we serve and love is taking care of us. God won’t let anything come between you and what’s meant for you.

“The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
Luke 18:27

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:14

Expendable

Taking a short trip down memory lane for an important reminder about how God uses every season of our lives!

For today’s Encouragement Thursday, I couldn’t decide what to write about. So I went through some old journals a few days ago, and I found a rather insightful entry from sixteen-year-old me. Hope it lifts your spirits the way it did for me!

A lot of times, we think situations or people are expendable. We think “ugh, we could have been just the same without that” or “that person has done nothing helpful for me”. But you know, every situation changes us. Every interaction changes us. Every person put in our lives has a purpose and maybe if you actually let them change you (for the better) or help you grow, you can see how even the most difficult people teach us things. (Like patience, haha) Same goes for situations. A lot of times, the ones we want to erase from our minds are the ones that have made us who we are today. They are painful, not expendable. Not replaceable.

But most importantly, we are not expendable. We are vital, made for a purpose, and even when others see us as just another useless piece of trash, God sees us as His perfect creation. His loved creation.

Okay, I may have been slightly irritated or something with a person when I wrote that. I was probably frustrated with a situation I couldn’t control or something. But I think it’s so helpful to look back and see how God was moving in our lives even when we least expected it.

I have gotten so much from rereading old journals and thinking about the past. It’s important to not get stuck there, but it’s good to reflect on how far we’ve come. We aren’t the same person we once were. But we can take those amazing attributes from our younger years and combine that with the wisdom we obtain as we get older. Think about your own history. How have you grown as a person? How is God using this particular season in your life? What can you learn from how God has worked through you and for you in the past? God uses every age, every season of our lives. All we have to do is let go and trust His mighty plan for us.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8

What You Already Have

Are you struggling to make sense of the season of life you are in right now?

I know that I talk about this a lot, but in a world full of fear, anxiety, stress, and comparison, it’s important to put life in perspective for a moment.

Don’t forget about what you already have. Don’t waste the season that you are in right now.

I’m currently towards the end of a Bible study about trusting God through different seasons of life. One key topic really stuck out to me. The best part of the journey is not the end destination, but rather how you are growing closer to God and as a person on your way to that destination. (Terkeurst)

The thing is, we are always so focused on the next best thing. We hear about a social gathering and we start fretting over whether or not we will be invited. We get a new job and already start wondering if we will get a promotion. We meet a new person and suddenly wonder what they can do to better our lives.

But the issue with that kind of thinking is that we are too focused on two things.

Our plan over God’s plan
Not appreciating what we already have

Our Plan Over God’s Plan Will Lead to Heartbreak

When we think that we know better than the One who created the entire world with everyone’s best interests in mind, we start believing that we are better than God.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. When you prayed last night that God would give you that new job, new relationship, or magically make everything work out the way you wanted it to, you were not actively thinking that you were better than God. But the truth is, that’s what we are telling God when we want Him to go along with our plans instead of us trusting what He has already planned for us.

You see, regardless of our attitudes, God’s plan will happen. But if we think positively and work through these seasons willingly, we will have so much more fulfillment than if we drag our feet through the whole process. And who knows, if you start wondering how God will use this season of your life instead of just dreading every part of it, you may find new opportunities that are even better than what you hoped for.

Two beings are harmed when we go along with our own plan instead of God’s.

That would be you and God.

Your heart will be so much more fragile if you only feel loved by the people you accept and if you only feel satisfied when things go your way. But if you keep an open mind when God tells you “no”, and actually celebrate God thinking ahead and closing a door for you so that you don’t travel down the wrong path, then you won’t ever have to experience that dark place that we can so often find ourselves in when relying on our own strength.

But you will not only break your own heart when you follow your own plan. God’s heart will break too. He loves you so much that He died for you, and when you don’t trust Him even after all He has done for you, then how do you think that makes Him feel? Like you don’t love Him or trust Him despite how He believes that you handle whatever comes your way.

The Penalty for Not Having Gratitude

You might have read that title and thought…huh? I don’t want to feel guilty today! I’m not ruining someone else’s life by not feeling grateful!

And you’re right, in some respects. This isn’t to make you feel guilty. We all struggle with complaining and having trouble seeing life in the “big picture”.

But the one you are hurting, my friend, is yourself, when you don’t appreciate the season of life you are in right now. You will miss out on so many opportunities that God is placing in your heart if you are only focused on the future. When you look back years later, wouldn’t you like to think that you made the most of every season of life you’re in? And who knows, this season may end up being more fruitful than you expect.

Best of all, if this feels like a season of waiting for you, then you have the opportunity to really focus on your relationship with God. You never have to wait to do that! Spend some time with Him today and think about where He might be guiding you.

Today, I hope that you can feel encouraged that God has an amazing plan for you, no matter what the world tells you. God wants to use you in incredible ways, you just have to listen and trust. Every day is a fresh start, so mark today as a new beginning for you. A new path that will take you closer to God and will help you remember that no matter what life throws at you, you are not in this alone.

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26