Category: God's love

Change

Normally I start out with a story, something I’ve learned that I hope encourages you, or a piece of advice. I’m not going to do that today.

I’m just going to be real with you. I’m exhausted.

I don’t know about you, but life has been pretty crazy, and it’s just super hard seeing all that’s going on in the world, not to mention our own personal battles or the ones those close to us are facing. For me, the hardest part is feeling guilty knowing that so many people out there are suffering much more than I am, yet even I am overwhelmed.

A lot has been going on in my life the past few months that has brought change. Some of my relationships have changed, there’s been loss, there’s been new adventures, and it’s just a pretty strange time to be living in the world right now.

I’ve seen a lot of posts and articles calling out the people who are resisting change right now. “Don’t get used to normal!” “Normal HURTS others!” “It’s time for growth!”

I agree with those statements, but I can also empathize with any of you who just feel confused about what to make of the new normal. We need to embrace these challenges to examine ourselves and see how we can be more accepting, more willing to do what’s right and just, and more concerned with others’ well-beings, especially the marginalized. But it’s okay to take a social media break and to just breathe.

I don’t have some super powerful solution to any of this. But I hope you know that you’re not the only one out there who is feeling tired, discouraged. I’ve seen a lot of encouraging things, such as protestors and police officers kneeling together in unity, counties opening up finally, people being there for each other.

All of this news intake needs to go through a filter, and that filter should determine whether or not you can do something about it. Yes, educate yourself. Yes, don’t support injustice. Yes, be there for people. Yes, serve in practical ways.

But don’t tear yourself apart and put the entire burden that our society needs to take as a whole onto your shoulders. God is your refuge. He is there when you need to pour out your heart about all your concerns. It worked for King David, and look, the Psalms came out of it! Those have been encouraging people for centuries.

You can use this time when you may be feeling at your lowest in order to inspire others later. You can use this time to be growing closer to God by supporting His way of treating others– as purposeful, equal, incredible human beings who are unconditionally loved. You can use this time to feel God’s presence as you journey through new seasons and experiences.

But just know that if there’s a little ache inside that misses comfort, stability, and hope, there will be a time for that, I promise. It’s not wrong to miss those things, but it is wrong to not make the most of the time we are living in.

I am praying for you, and I hope you know that you are never alone.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Filling Up From the Well

There is so much for us to think about as we grieve how our nation has treated people with injustice and without understanding. These days may feel dreary for you, whether you are personally affected or joining in the grieving. Today my pastor spoke on this issue, and how the most important thing we can do is listen to those who are hurting right now.

A lot of us are going through different seasons in our lives, whether we are dealing with issues related to what’s going on in the nation or not. I’m sure that you have people in your life that need to feel God’s unconditional love from you. But the hardest thing to do is give out that love when we have the wrong priorities.

Sometimes we give so much because we feel like we have to. God will equip us with everything we need, but we have to spend time praying, listening to God, and resting before we can give out that love to others. We need to drink from the well before we can give the living water to others.

There is so much I could say. There is so much I want to say. But instead I would like you to reflect on whether or not you are effectively showing God’s love to others. Have you been able to feel nourished too? Take care of yourself as well as others, but remember that everyone comes from different situations. Everyone has a different past. Everyone is a precious human being created in God’s image and deserves life and love. Whether or not you can relate to them doesn’t affect whether or not you can be an effective brother or sister in Christ to them. If you respect them and are there for them, then you can make them feel seen and loved.

The best thing you can do right now is to demonstrate God’s unfailing love without judgement. Listen, pray, and take time to just sit in God’s own love for you too.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

-1 John 4:16

The One or the Ninety-Nine

How often do you care about doing the “right” thing above all else?

I don’t know about you, but for most of my life, I’ve tried doing the “right” thing. And I have a lot of concern for the people who don’t seem to be doing the “right” thing. I spend a lot of time worrying about them and their relationship with God.

But over the last few days, I’ve been reminded of something so important. It’s often the people who stray away from God who have the best stories, who have that true commitment when they do believe. They are the ones who can later say without an ounce of doubt that Jesus forgives and Jesus saves.

Of course I’m not encouraging you to turn away from God in the hopes that He will call you back again and you’ll have an awesome story to share with people. I think it has to happen naturally, and God wants us to follow His commands and go after the lost sheep with Him.

But I think that remembering how God rejoices over the ones who had to be found in the painful thicket and how God is willing to fight for us can give us hope. We don’t have to feel shame when we have been forgiven. We don’t have to dwell on past mistakes because God uses those to draw us and others closer to Him. We can use our past or present sufferings in order to relate to others and make them realize that we aren’t some elitist group. And we don’t have to worry about the ones who have “gone astray”. We have to realize that it’s not our job telling them what to do or be. We just need to be there for them and pray for them and realize that we may have been one of them.

There are different points in our lives where we are either the “one” Jesus is hunting down or part of the righteous “ninety-nine”. It can be hard being in either category, because sometimes when we are the “one”, we are lost and desperate for something better. But once we are found, there is so much love and celebration!

When we are in the “ninety-nine”, we are growing and becoming the people we were made to be. But it can also feel like we’re stuck in a trap, sometimes it feels like Christianity is just a book of rules and not a real relationship. But if we are able to balance both the way we need to live and our fellowship with Jesus and other believers, we can celebrate no matter what part of the journey we are on.

So today, I hope you can have a little bit of the burden lifted off your shoulders, whether you are feeling as though you can’t get out of a lifestyle without God, or if you are worried about the lost sheep in your life. You can get through this. You can become the person you were made to be. But you need to trust that God has a plan for every one of His children, and it’s just up to you to follow Him and believe.

“And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'”

~Luke 15:5-6

What is Love?

Definitions of Love

I think that there are almost too many definitions of love out there. A lot of the time people think romantically, which was what automatically came up when I was trying to find an image to go with this post! Just out of curiosity, I looked up several definitions of love. Apparently “true love” is “a strong and lasting affection between spouses or lovers who are in a happy, passionate and fulfilling relationship” (Yourdictionary.com). Other examples were between family and friends, caring about one another, or in terms of couples, having attraction.

None of these definitions satisfy me.

A Different Meaning

I believe that those types of love are important, but if someone remains single their whole life, that does not mean that they haven’t experienced “true love”. If someone loves their relative or friend (not romantically obviously), that does not mean that they aren’t “truly loving” that person.

The perfect example of true love is what Jesus did for us on Good Friday. You are probably rolling your eyes, thinking about how this is the typical “Christian” response. But let me tell you something– it can be the most comforting thing in the world to realize that someone fully human and yet having the power of God was willing to give EVERYTHING up to pay for your poor choices. All because He loves you more than anyone else ever can.

Obviously we can’t love each other as much as Jesus loves us, but we can demonstrate His example of true love.

Of course I’m not telling you to run out in front of a car in the hopes that you’ll prove your love for someone. What I’m saying is that my main issue with the media’s definition of love is that it’s so selfish. We don’t have to give up anything. We are merely looking for someone that makes us feel good.

You need people in your life that reciprocate your love or make you happy, but you also have to be willing to love difficult people. Even those that you love with all your heart may be in situations that cause you to give up something for them. If you’re willing to be selfless, like Jesus, then you are showing true love.

So this Good Friday, think about all that Jesus gave up to be in such a horrific situation, being mocked and betrayed, poked and stabbed, nailed to a wooden cross after this torturing, just for you. All He asks is that you be willing to accept this gift of love and share it with others.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

Rusty Faith

A Rusting Flute

About three years ago, I gave up my aspirations of becoming a good flute player. I had started playing the flute in third grade, and continued through freshmen year, and the more I played it, the more I despised it. It wasn’t the actual playing of the flute that annoyed me, but the fact that I felt like everyone was better at playing it in Band than me, and I hated practicing. Anyway, today I pulled it out to practice it, and I probably haven’t cleaned it in at least six months to maybe even a year. I was still stunned though, when I saw the rust and the grime covering it’s used-to-be shiny silver. I was saddened as I thought about how I used to care for this flute and now it was left by the wayside as my passion and time for the flute slowly dwindled away.

However, as I picked it up, after spending a bit of time polishing it, I remembered almost every note as though no time had passed since I last played it. Of course, I definitely did not sound as good as I once had when I had given flute playing the energy and devotion it takes, but I still remembered something.

Thanks for the story…but how does this relate to me??

Well, believe it or not, when I was cleaning my rusting flute, the first thing I thought of was how our faith can become “rusty” when we do not take the time, energy, and devotion it takes to strengthen it.

I have personally had this happen to me before. I’ll complain about how God feels so far away or how I haven’t heard from Him lately, when really, He’s waiting all along. It was me who didn’t take the time to read my Bible, it was me who was “too tired” to pray when I had spent a few hours before bed doing other stuff. So really, is it God’s fault when He feels far away?

I think that sometimes we feel discouraged in our faith, and that causes us to spend less effort “maintaining” it.

For example, I have fallen into the trap of watching those super passionate Christians spreading God’s love around their community, and seeming like they know all the answers, and have a better relationship with God than I do.

The truth: no one can have a “better” relationship with God; God offers us all an equal relationship with Him. Unlike pretty much everyone on the planet, God doesn’t pick favorites. He wants you to get closer to Him; He doesn’t try to make it more difficult than it has to be.

That being said, growing your faith takes time and effort. Both of those can be in short supply in this day and age. However, anything that will bring you closer to the One who loves you and knows you the most, and who helps you become a better person is worth it.

Once you get in the habit of not doing something, it’s even harder going back to it than trying to break a habit in the first place. Just think about it. When you stop exercising, stop reaching out to your friend that you don’t see often, stop your daily journaling…it takes a while and a whole lot of effort going back to it.

But it’s worth it.

You start feeling better about yourself, feeling closer to others, feeling God’s presence again. And those “little things” make all of the difference.

So today, I want you to take intentional time to start or continue a habit of polishing your faith. Start journaling each day, and never stop. Start making intentional prayer time, and never stop. Start doing a Bible study, and continuing to read your Bible after it’s over.

Just do something. And that will make your faith stop rusting and start feeling fresh and new again.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Sharing God’s Love

So, a few days ago, God did something amazing. He inspired me to create this video that I shared, and it had been on my heart to create something like that for so long, and out of the blue, I suddenly found the time and inspiration. I felt fulfilled that I was able to share it, and although I was hesitant about being so vulnerable with people I am not always like that with, I feel like God was trying to use me to say something.

I still wasn’t sure if I did the right thing until I went to bed last night. And then something interesting happened.

I debated about whether or not to share this moment with you, but I think that I should, because I feel like God was trying to send me another message to share.

I was listening to some calming music, and suddenly, I was in this grassy field. It was a beautiful day, the grass was swaying in the breeze, and there was no one around. Now, I have a very vivid imagination, so it was easy for me to feel like I was there, but this time it felt even more real than usual.

Suddenly, I turned around, and there He was. Jesus was standing right there, with open arms. He gave me a hug, and suddenly I felt the most love that I have ever felt before.

One friend of mine once said randomly, “You know, I bet Jesus gives some pretty awesome hugs.” Well, now I definitely think He does.

As I lay there in my bed, I began to cry uncontrollably. I couldn’t remember the last time I had ever felt so much love. It was the most perfect gift I ever could have received. (And just so you know, I don’t cry very much, so it was kind of a big deal)

And Jesus was telling me, “I’m here. I’m waiting for you. I love you.”

And I think I’m supposed to share that message with all of you, too. You are LOVED. Someone is out there, always waiting, always there for you. You have something to look forward to. You can be with the One that loves you the most.

I honestly have no words to describe the type of love I felt. It was like a hug from every single person you love, all at once, but more. Your heart feels full, alive. You feel like maybe tomorrow is worth waking up to. And you know that you are not alone anymore.

I read a quote later today that said, “What comes out of your mouth is what’s in your heart.”

Let there be love flowing from your words. Let your heart receive the kind of love that God has for you, and that people who truly care about you have for you. Remember that NO MATTER WHAT you are a beloved child of God, and there will ALWAYS be arms stretched out, waiting for you, wanting you, ready to embrace you.

So my challenge for you is this: Spread some kind of love to as many people as possible. Maybe post something inspirational, text a friend that’s going through a hard time, text a friend that’s always been there for you, give some special people in your life a hug. You never know how long you’ll have them, but you do know that you can always spread more love.

“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

The Unseen

“The truth is, we all face hardships of some kind, and you never know the struggles a person is going through. Behind every smile, there’s a story of a personal struggle.”

Adrienne C. Moore

Quick Update!

Hey, first of all, sorry that it’s been a while. I’ve been incredibility busy and I know that there probably aren’t a lot of you readers out there, but I want to be committed to this blog, so I will be working harder on updating this.

The Unseen

So yesterday, I was reading my devotional for today, and the verse was about God seeing everything even when other people don’t see it. Last night, I read it the way I usually do, that God sees the good things we do even when we are not appreciated, which is very encouraging. But, as I thought about it more today, I think that this verse could also be interpreted in that God sees all of us who feel unnoticed or that our situation is not understood by others.

Have you ever read a book and then later saw the movie, only to understand the story much better after seeing with your own eyes what the author was picturing when she wrote the book? (Yes, I know you are probably not wanting an analogy right now, but hear me out) Well, I feel like seeing something for yourself rather than just hearing about it or seeing words explaining it makes that thing seem so much more real and relatable. Obviously Jesus has experienced all the pain and the joy that we have on Earth, but I think that just imagining Him watching and experiencing everything WITH us is pretty powerful.

Anyway, I guess my message is that for all of you who feel insignificant or like no one really gets what’s happening to you, God always will because He is present in every moment. And, a lot of people actually do understand or want to understand because they care about you.

On the flip side, when you see someone in the hallway tomorrow or at the grocery store, and you make an instant judgement about them (come on, we all do sometimes), just remember that you may not know the whole story. Even with friends, not everyone is a “sharer” and it can be easy to overlook the ones that don’t volunteer information frequently. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same kind of compassion and patience that everyone else does.

So, a challenge for today/tomorrow (since it’s pretty late now) is to try to understand other people, those you might not even know, in a new light. Everyone has their own story that is just as important as yours. Your story is important and the people that truly care about you will be willing to listen when you need it.

“You supported me because of my integrity and set me in Your presence forever.”

~Psalm 41:12