Advice – Page 29 – The Will to Wake Up

The Power of Vulnerability

Do you view being vulnerable as a strength or weakness?

In 2003, a young boy and his family experienced a life-altering event that would impact many lives around the world. Colton, the child, had an emergency surgery that doctors were amazed he survived through. While in surgery, he temporarily died and was able to be in Heaven. During the time when the doctors weren’t sure if he’d make it, Colton’s father, a pastor, poured his heart out to Jesus to save His son. He wept and he screamed and he demanded that life be restored.

In an interview with Colton and his dad, they were asked why Colton wanted to come back to Earth after having such a wonderful experience with Jesus in Heaven. Colton responded, “I knew that I was leaving Heaven because Jesus came to me and said, ‘Colton, you need to go back’…He said he was answering my dad’s prayer.” That prayer happened to be the outburst made when all hope was lost. When choice words were used, when hurt was exposed, when life seemed bleakest.

I so often wonder what we lose when we don’t expose our full selves to God. Obviously He knows every part of us, but He honors it when we trust Him enough to bring those parts to Him by our own will. Yet it’s so tempting to believe that because Jesus is our Lord and Savior, the all-knowing, perfect One, we must only bring the best parts of us to Him.

Yesterday, I was privileged enough to hear the testimony of a new pastor at our church. Despite having only been with us for three months and not evening knowing us in-person yet, she shared many trials and tragedies from her spiritual journey. She was open, vulnerable, and relatable. That was the beauty of her story. Not the wonderful articulation of it or even finding the perfect Bible passage to close, though those were also true. No, it was when she created a space of both healing and grief, of brokenness and restoration.

How often do we miss out on the opportunity of being a better leader or friend or family member because we feel the need to put on an act. Vulnerability is associated with being weak, but being vulnerable is actually a great strength. It requires conquering the fear of judgement first. We often believe we must “have it all together” in order to be accepted, right? Maybe, maybe not.

What if we enter all our relationships with a sense of vulnerability? Not naivety, not blind trust, but rather relatability? The willingness to allow the broken part of our lives inspire and touch others?

Interestingly, the reason I joined this meeting was because of the title, “New Beginnings”. This phrase has popped up in my life time and again over the last six months or so, a sign from God, I believe. I’ve often associated this phrase with the idea of starting with a clean slate, leaving behind the past.

But yesterday I was presented with a new idea. New beginnings doesn’t mean moving past the hurt before we’re ready. It means allowing God to restore and redeem the past, pondering our experiences in a new way.

The best way to accept God’s transformation in our lives is giving the all of ourselves to Him. The broken, the shattered, the weary. The hopeful, the curious, the eager. Everything.

I’m going to close with Psalm 103, which was read during my meeting yesterday. The pastor shared how this psalm means so much to her as it was shared by a friend fighting cancer. It reminds us all of God’s never ending love for us.

1 Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul.
Psalm 103

Source of introduction story: Historyvshollywood.com

Something a Little Different

Today’s Encouragement Thursday is a podcast episode! I hope you enjoy it!

Hey everyone! I have some *super exciting* news for you! I created a podcast a couple months ago, also called The Will to Wake Up. Today’s Encouragement Thursday post is a podcast episode called The Secret to Life. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Episode link: https://anchor.fm/hannah-chung4/episodes/The-Secret-to-Life-evfm07

Podcast link: https://anchor.fm/hannah-chung4

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words
Romans 8:26

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Does the past cling onto you? Do old memories resurface in your mind far too often? Here is some encouragement.

Are you ever going about your day, things are going alright, and then suddenly it hits you– a memory from the past. This memory, whether pleasant or embarrassing or painful, persistently pushes its way into your mind until you feel obligated to think about it. After a few minutes, you’ve stopped everything just to ruminate on the past. You start feeling discontent, uncomfortable, and perhaps even angry. Maybe something is haunting you or you miss the safety of the “known”.

Believe it or not, the Bible doesn’t kid around when it comes to warning us about getting “stuck in the past”. Take Lot’s wife. Her family was saved by God (with a little help from Abraham) from a terrible city just before its destruction. Yet she still looked back, and then poof, she became a pillar of salt!

I’ve often wondered why she was tempted to look back on such a horrible time in her life. Though don’t we often fixate on those moments we wish we could change? That one mistake that led us here. Or perhaps there’s a sense of safety, even in a painful past, that the unknown future doesn’t give us?

Yet I believe with my whole heart that looking back can destroy us. I don’t take this issue lightly, and it’s because I’ve been “destroyed” in this way. No, I haven’t become a pillar of salt, but I have missed out on enjoying the present by focusing on the past. I’ve also lost self-confidence, self-respect, and gratitude to God during these darker moments of my life.

Sometimes it seems harmless to allow those memories to fill our minds. But they tend to take over, an unwelcome guest, staying “rent free” in our heads. I’ll give you a recent example from my life, and perhaps you can think of your own.

A little less than a year ago, a relationship I had poured myself into began dwindling away. I deeply grieved this loss and spent much of the summer and fall wondering what I had done wrong. But over time, I was able to move past it and allow myself to let go. However, every so often, a memory will pop into my mind. Usually it’s an embarrassing one, and I start criticizing myself all over again.

Now, this isn’t constructive in the least bit. I’m just hurting myself all over again when there’s nothing more I can do to “make things right”. And I’ll bet these “mistakes” I made in conversations weren’t what caused our relationship to take a different turn than what I had hoped for. We like to blame the wrong things when life changes naturally, don’t we?

But you know what the saddest thing about this situation is? I’ve let these intrusive thoughts separate me from God. I’ve taken more time to relive a bad memory and secretly wish to be back there to reverse things than thank God for all He’s currently doing in my life. By going back to that unhealthy place, I’m not giving myself the respect that I deserve either. And you know what? It’s been proven that our memory changes with time. Who knows if what we remember is even the truth?

Just for the record, I’m not saying looking back on the past is a bad thing. And we shouldn’t sugarcoat the bad things that have happened in our lives just to please others or because we think we have to. But we also shouldn’t allow the past to control the present. In fact, it shouldn’t even be the biggest influencer in our present. God needs to be. Listening to the Holy Spirit needs to be. Noticing what makes you and those around you joyful needs to be.

There are so many things we can learn from the past. I mean, that’s why we have history class at school, right? But the bottom line is this: You will never miss out on what’s meant for you. When we focus on the past, we forget that vital truth. We stop trusting God and put our hopes and dreams into something that isn’t relevant anymore. And when we put our trust in God instead, we will begin to see the changes we were hoping for.

Next time you find yourself reminiscing, think about how God is using your past to help shape you for the future. Allow yourself to focus on what God is doing in the here and now. Remembering how God has proven Himself to you can encourage you. But so can paying attention to all the things God does on a daily basis! I hope and pray you are able to slowly let go and move onto the path God has laid out for you.

And that path, my friend, only leads forward.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19

(Normally I just end with Bible verses, but I found a few inspirational quotes that are encouraging too!)

Keep planting and sowing, living and knowing: beautiful things take time, and that is okay.
Morgan Harper Nichols

You are allowed to let go of all those that do not set you free anymore.
Dhiman

Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.
Elisabeth Elliot

“Skimming” Through the Hard Parts

Is it easy or difficult for you to confront your painful feelings? Here is some encouragement.

Growing up, I was always a fast reader. I’d love rereading my favorite stories, and one of the benefits of knowing the plot ahead of time was skipping or skimming through the parts I didn’t like. Those parts generally included descriptions of bodily harm, embarrassing moments (second-hand embarrassment is real!), and generally any time a character I liked got hurt.

It appears my method of “skimming through the hard parts” has stuck with me through the years. I’ve been journaling for several years now, during a time when I’ve changed a lot, and looking back at old entries makes me cringe! I used to enjoy going through old journals, but now I avoid it because I’d rather just ignore the embarrassing (or even painful) memories.

I’ve shared this before, but I’m not one who easily shares her feelings. I don’t like to admit something has hurt me. Perhaps I subconsciously think that admitting weakness makes me a weak person.

A wise mentor once told me that “the moment we admit something made us afraid, fear loses its power over us”. That will forever be one of my favorite quotes, and to think I heard it in person! Today my pastor tweaked this idea a little bit in a way that may help us both be willing to admit our wounds.

During my Easter series, one of the posts was focused on Thomas and how we can relate to him. Jesus welcomes our questions and our doubts; they aren’t signs of unbelief. Believe it or not, Jesus can handle whatever question we throw at Him!

In the service this morning, the pastor shared how Thomas was able to touch Jesus’ wounds for himself. They must have been healed in some way, right? Thomas wouldn’t have needed to even ask the question of where Jesus’ wounds were if Jesus had blood gushing out of His palms. But yet, there was still enough of a mark to show everyone that He was truly Jesus. And perhaps those wounds never went away until Jesus ascended into Heaven.

But did Jesus hide His wounds, these symbols of the pain and torture He endured? No, he opened conversation about them. He used them as ways to bring others into belief.

What kinds of wounds have you been carrying around with you? Perhaps it’s a painful loss, an abusive relationship, a childhood trauma. Or maybe it’s being rejected, not being seen, or feeling betrayed. Whatever you have been hiding, allow yourself to fully grieve.

You can only heal when you admit your pain and your loss. You can only heal when you allow yourself to feel what you’ve been avoiding, or “skimming”. You see, we can’t skip over the hard parts in life. We can’t speed up the grieving or healing process.

And in those moments of grief, if we turn to God, we can find belief. We can find answers. We can find unexplainable peace.

These wounds are always going to be a part of your story, but they don’t always have to be a painful part. They can lead others to Christ or bring you closer to God.

Today, ask yourself, “What am I running from? What about grief or loss makes me avoid it?” Allow God’s comfort to fill your heart.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Going Off-Course

Taking a lesson from Philip, we’ll be learning how to obey God when He calls us off-course.

As a society, we’ve made the mistake of putting people into categories based on a few personality traits. You’re either an introvert or an extrovert, a planner or a spontaneous person, chill or uptight. Now, obviously based off what my blog was originally created for (the Enneagram), I am not against personality quizzes. I love them! But something we have to keep in mind when categorizing people is making sure we aren’t making assumptions about them based on their “category”.

Now, we all probably can think of the assumptions that come with the most common “either/or” category: Extroverts v.s. Introverts. Technically, the only real difference between the two is that extroverts get their energy from being around people while introverts get it from being alone. But now we just assume extroverts are friendly while introverts are shy; extroverts enjoy late nights while introverts prefer to stay in…you get the idea.

Another common grouping is planners v.s. spontaneous people. Planners are known for being wise, thoughtful, observant. Spontaneous people are fun, flighty, and adventurous. You can’t be wise and spontaneous or fun and a planner, right?

Or can you?

And what should you be if you’re a follower of Christ? Well, the Bible says to be wise, so a planner, right?

Well, let me introduce you to a man named Philip, who may change your opinion on these stereotypes. We learn the most about him in Acts. His two defining characteristics are being wise and attentive to the Holy Spirit. (Getting planner vibes…)

Anyway, he’s on his way to work when the Holy Spirit leads him to go out of his way to approach a complete stranger and share his faith with him. There was probably some part of Philip that said, “Are you crazy? You’re going to be late! You don’t even know this man!” But you know what Philip did? He ran right up to the man and soon struck up a very meaningful conversation which resulted in the man getting baptized right there and then!

How often do your plans get interrupted? Do you react in a way that shows you’re attentive to what God’s trying to tell you? I’ll confess, when my life gets interrupted, I get frustrated. I don’t always immediately obey God. But I once heard that God isn’t interrupting our lives, He’s sending divine intervention.

I hate going into the “What If Zone” because there’s nothing we can do about the past now. But we’ll journey there for just a moment. Can you think of a time when God prompted you to do something that was out of your comfort zone or seemed strange? Did you do it? If not, do you think it would’ve made an impact had you done it?

Like I said, we can’t go back, and that’s okay. God uses wherever we are and whoever we are to make His plans happen. Just consider the amazing impact you could have on the world if you listen to God.

Anyway, back to the story. So, Philip has just baptized the man and suddenly he disappears. Now, why don’t we focus enough on that part of the story? Like, HELLO! Philip disappears?? Then he reappears right where God wanted him to be, back on track.

Obviously he didn’t do that vanishing act on his own. God honored Philip’s obedience and took care of his needs. Philip likely didn’t know that God would help him get there on time, but he trusted that whatever happened next would be okay.

Maybe your life will be okay if you don’t say yes to what God says. But will it be meaningful? Purposeful? Incredible? Probably not. You see, God has all these unfathomable blessings and surprises waiting for us, but we will never see them if we just carry on with our plan and are never open to going off-course for God.

There’s nothing wrong with planning or just letting life take its course. There’s a time for both approaches. Just don’t let either approach cause you to miss out on what God has in store for you.

Today, really listen to God and see what He might be calling you to do. Perhaps there’s been a gentle nudging all along and you’re finally taking the time to listen to it. Whatever your purpose is, I know with God, anything is possible.

Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Acts 8:38-40

I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:3

The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:1

The True Definition of Success

Do you feel like you’re living a successful life? Whether you are or not, here’s some advice and encouragement.

In a creative non-fiction course I’m taking, we watched a video where a professor argued that children are being stripped of their imagination and creative confidence by being taught they must strive to never make a single mistake and they have to follow the same career path. He shared a story of a young woman had trouble sitting still and focusing in class. Thanks to an understanding doctor, she was encouraged to pursue dance and eventually became an incredibly successful choreographer. But if no one had understood her unique abilities and appreciated her differences, she wouldn’t have been able to share her gifts with the world.

So often our society belittles the idea of being different from everyone else. We want to hide our secret love of childhood books or our talent for cooking because we’re told we should really be focused on “more important things” that will make us successful. While this hinders our enjoyment of life, it also harms our witness for Christ.

When children are mocked or disciplined for not being like their peers, the idea that they must please others becomes ingrained in their minds. As they grow up, they believe they can’t share their true feelings or beliefs if they differ from others’. We allow these invisible barriers to come between us and others.

The woman at the well surely understood those barriers. Besides being a Samaritan, a person despised by the other people groups, her conversation with Jesus revealed her less than pure past. She even went to the well at a time when no one else was around, and to a well that was less frequented by her neighbors, in order to avoid displeasing others.

But after one simple encounter with Jesus, her life and her legacy changed forever. Instead of hiding from others and following the status quo, she ran throughout the city, telling everyone about Jesus. And you know what? Instead of being known as the “girl who gets around”, she became known as the one who introduced people to Jesus and helped save their lives.

Sure, it was probably humbling to do what she did, especially at first. Her reputation didn’t change automatically. But she didn’t let that stop her anymore. Instead, she lived for Jesus.

I’d consider her a very successful person, but I know others at the time wouldn’t have. After all, she didn’t have a great status, a good job, and I doubt she had much money. She didn’t even succeed at love. But she did bring others to Christ, and that’s what’s most important. If you save even one person, I’d count that a successful life.

Now, I know sharing your faith is easier said than done. I’m one to talk, since I get nervous even posting a Bible verse at Easter. But here’s the thing: people don’t want to be preached at. They don’t want verses recited to them or flyers shoved in their faces. I doubt they even want to watch that motivational video that mentions Christianity every five seconds.They want to see how your life has changed. Once they see something different about you, they’ll want that same thing too. Maybe you’re more patient and loving. Perhaps you don’t have as much fear as you used to. Whatever it is, if you share that light with others, even when it isn’t popular (especially when it isn’t!), then you will have a successful life.

The big key here is to not spend all your time worrying if you’re being successful or not. Rather, just be willing to stand out from the crowd, be told things you don’t appreciate, or be humbled. The more you rely on God’s strength, the less those things will bother you. And someday, those moments won’t even matter. All that will matter is your relationship with Jesus. In fact, that’s all that really matters now, huh?

Now many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of what the woman saidwhen she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰Therefore, when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹Many more believed because of what He said.⁴²And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”
John 4:39-42

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:14

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

The Secret to Living a Satisfied Life

Do you feel satisfied with your life? Here is the key to making your life better.

Be honest with me (or really, with yourself)– Are you satisfied with your life right now?

If you said yes, then good for you!

But if not, and I’m guessing most of you aren’t completely satisfied with your life, then you are in good company. According to the World Happiness Report, “the pandemic’s toll on negative emotions is clear”. Many people in the world are very unhappy these days. Perhaps it’s due to searching for employment, struggling to be in good health, or just a genuine feeling of discouragement. Whatever is causing this your discontentment, I hope to bring you some encouragement.

Have you ever re-tried a food from your childhood and realized it didn’t taste anything like what you remembered? When I was a kid, I loved the white cheddar puff snack called Pirate’s Booty. (I still remember joking about the name with my friends). Years later, I tried the Trader Joe’s version of this snack, called more professionally “White Cheddar Puffs”. And let me tell you– there’s no going back. I tried Pirate’s Booty again and there wasn’t even a competition. While I could (confession time!) devour a bag of Trader Joe’s snack in a day or two, it took me weeks before the Pirate’s Booty was consumed. Once we know what’s better, there’s no going back, right? We only want the really good stuff.

A lot of times we tell ourselves that once we have ____, then we’ll be satisfied. Maybe you fill in the blank with being in a relationship, feeling represented, not falling into the same temptations, etc. Those things have deeper roots: love, justice, wisdom, joy. Love and justice are particularly longed for these days. And those are all good things, great things in fact. Things that are necessary for our lives.

But I stumbled upon this verse the other day that stopped me in my tracks.

But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always.
Hosea 12:6

Before we can have love and justice, and pretty much any other necessary aspect of life, we need God first. Until we seek God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will not feel content with our lives. We’ve been taught that it’s wrong to ache for something greater, but that’s just natural. Listen to that ache, and instead of turning to something temporary, turn to God. God is the only One who can fill that empty place in our lives.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Once you get that job, relationship, or whatever it is you currently desire, you aren’t going to feel content. You will just move on to the next need. Nothing on Earth can truly satisfy us. But when you place your entire life into God’s hands, no matter what you are going through, you won’t lack anything. And the best part of it is that we can turn to God at any time! We don’t have to wait for someone to approve of us or for the world to reform. God is ready and willing to love you right now. He already does. All He’s waiting for is you to accept His call.

And when you place God at the center of your life instead of worldly goals, there’s no going back. You won’t even want to go back, because you will finally feel that contentment and peace your heart’s been longing for. You know, the really good stuff.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37

The Empty Tomb

Happy Easter! He is risen!

Easter is the biggest holiday in the church calendar for many reasons. Our best reason to celebrate is that we are saved through Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus rising from the dead proved that He is holy and our Savior. Easter is a time for joyous delight.

But what if Easter doesn’t feel joyful this year? What if being stuck at home, living in a world of uncertainty, causes you to feel anything but celebratory today? Does that make you any less of a believer?

Absolutely not.

If you think about it, the women walking up to Jesus’ tomb likely weren’t joyful. They expected to find Jesus’ body in the tomb and be faced with the undeniable truth that their loved one was gone forever. They were full of grief, loneliness, and disappointment. They felt empty inside. They weren’t ashamed to bring their emptiness to Jesus as they approached His tomb.

But imagine their surprise when they were greeted with an empty tomb and an angel telling them unbelievable news! Jesus left an empty tomb behind so that He can fill the emptiness in our hearts. They traded all the feelings that come with emptiness–the grief, sadness, and uncertainty–and were filled with joy that only Jesus can bring.

You may not have all your questions answered today. But you can be filled with the joy that Jesus brings. Trade in your emptiness for Jesus’ love. Joy looks different in every season, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful or hopeful. Joy is allowing Jesus to make you feel peaceful and hopeful despite all you are going through.

Allow yourself to proclaim “He is risen!” with full confidence that by God’s grace, you have been saved.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ²And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but has risen.
Luke 24:1-6

Holy Week Series: When God Feels Far Away

Do you feel like God is silent? Are you struggling to believe in His promises for you? Here is some encouragement.

I once heard a pastor refer to Holy Saturday as the day when “everything was quiet”. The only events that are in the Bible that take place on Holy Saturday are the placement of the guards outside Jesus’ tomb, though I’d guess that the disciples are in hiding at this point and there is still a darkness and emptiness throughout the city. To those who loved Jesus, Holy Saturday probably felt like a terrifying, lonely time of confusion. Where was Jesus? How could He have possibly died this way? What does the future hold?

I’ve often wondered why Jesus rose on the third day. I’m sure someone with a Theology degree could explain all the reasons why the number 3 is important in the Bible, but it still puzzles me. Technically, Jesus could’ve been put in the tomb and suddenly sprung back to life on that same day. The Good Friday really would’ve been “good”, right? No waiting around, no anxious thoughts, no loss of hope.

But you know, I think the reason why Jesus waited three days was to test the faith of His followers. Did they believe that He would rise up again like He promised? Would they be waiting for His return? Or would they be disappointed, frustrated, and scared?

For us, knowing that Jesus did rise up again in a matter of mere days gives us hope. We didn’t have to live through those dark days of waiting. We already know that God had something better planned.

But still, we go through our own dark days where it feels like all hope is lost and God is silent. We cry out to God and wonder where He went. We feel abandoned, disappointed, and fearful. We forget about God’s promises.

The last time I felt this way was a few weeks ago. I felt stuck in my life and concerned about the future. I felt like I couldn’t hear God the way I used to. I lost perspective.

I once was given the wise advice that everything God is doing in the present moment is preparing us for the future. When we remember that God has a bigger plan, we don’t lose our hope when we feel alone. During those moments when we can’t hear God, it’s a test. God is testing us to see if we really do believe His promises. God promises to never leave us. God promises that He will make all things new. Do you believe that?

I’ve come to realize that after every dark season in my life, a wonderful, joyful season comes right after it. It’s like God was preparing me to enjoy and make the most of the season ahead by helping me persevere through the tough times.

Waiting feels like a long time for us because we don’t know when it will end. For us, three days is 72 hours. For the disciples, three days felt like eternity. But when we keep perspective during our times of waiting, we won’t lose our hope and faith. Nothing except eternal life with Jesus will last forever. This dark season will end, I promise. God has something wonderful planned for you. You are needed here.

I can’t tell you when the pain will stop or when you will finally be able to fully experience God’s love and grace. I don’t know what exactly will happen that will give you hope. But you can have that hope now by remembering that God always makes good on His promises. You don’t ever have to worry about God’s plan not working out. Trust me, or rather, trust God’s own words. He will always be victorious in the end. And when we are on His side, we will also win every battle against all the forms the enemy takes against us.

May you be filled with God’s strength and patience through every trial you are experiencing. Amen.

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Deuteronomy 4:31

Holy Week Series: A Renewed Spirit

How does it feel to know that Jesus sacrificed everything to save you?

Today in the church calendar is Maundy Thursday. During a normal year, you may have experienced a Passover seder meal and a foot washing to replicate what Jesus and His disciples did the last evening before Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified.

Now, you may not have thought too much about the foot washing element other than it’s a little awkward. If you’re the one getting your feet washed, you take off your shoes for the first time in church, pray your feet don’t stink, and feel uncomfortable as someone else from your church washes your feet. If you’re the one doing the washing, you may be wishing for the evening to be over soon since it’s gross touching everyone else’s feet. Or perhaps you have a tiny part of you that resents being the one who has to do the dirty work.

Of course, that’s just what I’d assume. Maybe you absolutely love this part of the Maundy Thursday service, and if so, then that’s wonderful! But I want us all to step into the shoes of a disciple for a moment and think about what it would’ve been like to have Jesus wash your feet.

Your feet are so dirty that you can no longer see your skin. Your sandals stick to your feet, glued on by sweat, as Jesus pries them off your feet. Sniffing the air, your face crinkles up as a pungent odor of dead fish mixed with donkey doo fills your nostrils. And yet Jesus takes a cold, wet cloth and gently drapes it over your feet, rubbing them tenderly until the repulsive smell and caked on dirt have vanished.

In a sense, that would feel incredible, right? Your physical body is getting a refreshing revival. But it comes at the cost of Jesus, your Lord and Savior, sacrificing His dignity and perhaps even His sense of smell before you can feel clean again. You might even feel a little guilty watching Him humbly serve you. I know I would!

Just as Jesus came to be a humble servant to others by refreshing their souls and cleaning their feet, His main goal, of course, was to sacrifice everything to give us a spiritual revival, everlasting life. And thinking about Jesus dying for us might make us feel more than a little guilty, huh? I mean, it’s one thing to think about Him cleaning our feet, but it’s entirely another to picture His agonizing, humiliating death. All because of our sin.

I used to think that the only way to fully appreciate Jesus’ gift of salvation was to feel guilty. But I’ve come to realize that Jesus came to save us from everything, including our feelings of worthlessness and shame. He didn’t come here to make us feel bad that He had to die. Rather, He came out of love for us.

Think about someone you love. If they did something that hurt your feelings or caused you grief, you might get upset in the moment, but your love for them never changes. And ultimately, you’d rather have them know your love rather than your anger. Because when we love someone, we put our relationship with them before anything else.

Of course it hurts Jesus when we sin. Of course we need to repent. Of course we should avoiding sinning as much as possible.

But even when we do make mistakes, Jesus will still love us. We don’t have to be forever burdened by our sin. Jesus came to restore, to renew, to give us life. He didn’t come to take it away.

And when we finally realize how great Jesus’ love for us is, we can extend that to others by being willing to sacrifice our reputation, ego, or even temporarily our sense of smell, so that they can witness Jesus’ love too.

This Easter season, don’t focus on how guilty you may feel for Jesus dying for you. Rather, let Jesus’ love sink into your heart and let that love pour into everything you do.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 John 4:16

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. …
John 15:9-17

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1