Help – The Will to Wake Up

You Can’t Save Yourself

Do you feel ready to give up on God and turn to yourself when life gets difficult?

I firmly believe you have immense value, you are loved, and we should do whatever we can to encourage each other. But one thing I will never stand behind is the false belief that we have the power to save ourselves.

Usually, this lie isn’t delivered this bluntly. It’s packaged in phrases like “I am my own hero” and “I am the only one I can rely on” and “The only one who can help me is me“.

When we first get tempted to believe this lie, we may feel refreshed, happier than we’ve ever been. But over time, we become even more drained than before, wondering what went wrong, and having even less self-confidence than before.

How do I know this is true? Because I’ve tried it, my friend, and it doesn’t do any good.

A few years ago, I was in a situation that left me feeling rejected and unimportant. So where did I go with my wounded pride? Social media.

Scrolling through positive self-confidence feeds until all I could repeat were those mantras. I believe repeating positive phrases is important, but not when they cause us to fixate on ourselves and rely on false strength.

At the end of it, I felt invigorated, ready to conquer the world and bash all those people who had hurt me. I’m a better version of me now, I thought. I can do anything!

As time went on, I began harboring more and more resentment towards the people who made me feel less-than. My focus wasn’t on helping myself; it was on seeking revenge.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The best revenge is living a life worth being jealous of?”

No–don’t live a good, fulfilling life that way. Why? Because you can’t live an honest, purposeful life while constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure others are admiring it!

Live a life you are thankful for and proud of so that you can know you’ve made a difference in the world for the greater good…for God’s good.

So what finally got me out of this resentful, self-consumed mindset? Actually spending time with the people who had hurt me.

After one conversation, my feelings fizzled away. I was humbly reminded that I wasn’t the only one going through tough things. That yes, my feelings mattered, but they don’t dictate everyone’s lives and they shouldn’t be the sole ruler of mine.

That night, I felt stripped of any false confidence and strength I possessed before. Instead, I was convicted of the bitter, awful feelings buried in my heart.

Those feelings weren’t pleasant. I’d prefer not to relive them, even though I have been convicted of these things since then. But you know, by the end of it, I felt even better than I had before.

I was finally at the root of my problems. It wasn’t really about trying to improve myself; it was about the hurt and rejection I had experienced that led me to believe I wasn’t worthy in the first place.

But that just isn’t true, for either of us.

After admitting the core of my problems to God, I felt clean. I felt made new. I felt like I was finally getting somewhere in life.

Ultimately, I felt like God was using me again.

The saddest part about believing we can save ourselves is how it influences our relationship with God. God is the only One who can save us. He’s the only One who could’ve created us to begin with! So how can we possibly take credit for the work only our Divine Savior can accomplish?

It’s tempting to believe we are our only saviors when life doesn’t go the way we hope. It’s tempting to turn to positive mantras, colorful reassurances, and all the things that give us a temporary confidence boost.

But God never promises that life will be easy or that our prayers will be answered the way we hoped or within our timetable. God gives us a greater promise: that His will is going to be done, that He is always with us, and that we have nothing to fear.

I’m urging you now, before you become somebody you are not, to release your wounds and deep feelings to God. Allow yourself to feel disappointed or scared or overwhelmed with grief. Once you admit how you feel and that you are only truly strong through God, you will begin to feel better knowing that you are not alone.

Though none of us can save ourselves, you do have the power to help yourself. So help yourself today by resting and being vulnerable with Jesus, as well as those who also love you. I know that you can get through this, one step at a time. Remember, you are worth what it takes to truly heal ❤

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10

More Than You Can Bear

Are you feeling overwhelmed, wondering where Jesus is in the midst of all you’re going through?

Sometimes, life just feels like too much. One thing after another, spiraling into a season of chaos. And when one stressful season ends, it feels as though another is just around the corner. During these times of uncertainty, you may only have the energy to ask God one simple thing: “Why?”.

To be honest, I’ve been asking God “why” a lot recently. Why this school, why these feelings, why don’t I understand?

What are some questions you have for God? Maybe they are related to your mental or physical health, or perhaps an important relationship in your life. There are countless things to question God about; the tough thing is waiting for an answer.

Yesterday, I was feeling overwhelmed by the burden of wanting to do whatever I can to help others, yet not knowing where to start. I was reading about how my generation, Gen Z, is considered a “lost generation” due to the high levels of anxiety, depression, and overall despair. Everyone feels…alone. All they want is to feel something, which leads to an assortment of harmful behaviors that take the place of being fully cared for and embraced.

Do you ever read Bible verses that make you frustrated? Often these are verses that are designed to make us feel better, yet when they don’t, they almost feel like a mockery of our pain. We read verses about Jesus carrying our burdens and our joy being complete through Him, but when we feel hopeless, heavy, and tired, these promises become empty words.

So often, we expect Jesus to be like another person: fallible. We avoid calling out to Him because we assume our emotions are too much for Him or that He won’t follow through in time, if ever. And when we do call out, sometimes nothing changes for a while.

All we have left is our weak, exhausted soul calling out for help and clarity.

When I hear about all the things people are struggling with, I want to scream at the top of my lungs, “Where are you, Jesus?”. But for some reason, that feels wrong. How can I scream at the One who is the source of my joy and peace? He literally saved me. Shouldn’t that be enough?

But here’s the thing: Jesus doesn’t expect us to be satisfied just with His earthly appearance and sacrifice thousands of years ago. That’s why He’s given us the Holy Spirit, called our Advocate, to speak on behalf of us.

Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit…they are all-powerful, incomparable, divine beings who want to be in relationship with you.

The Holy Spirit is inside you, feeling everything you’re feeling, enraged about everything that bothers you, and desperately fighting for you. And when you take the time to listen, really listen, and look for the ways Jesus is showing you He’s there, maybe this burden won’t feel so lonely.

Last night, I wrote in my prayer journal, as I always do, yet I couldn’t feel Jesus. I couldn’t really feel anything except frustration and fear. I asked Jesus what I should do, but I didn’t hear anything. A little while later, I opened up my Bible to continue reading Nehemiah.

In that chapter, Nehemiah was assigning tasks to those helping him do God’s work of restoring a city that had previously been oppressed. One particular character caught my eye, a “faithful person who feared God more than most”. This man was given an important task, a task that was clearly not for the faint of heart. However, Nehemiah, through the guidance of God, knew he could handle it because of his obedience and dedication to God.

Right in that moment, I felt Jesus speaking to me, reminding me that He has given me this life because He knows that I can make good use of it. He knows that it’s hard, but He has equipped me with everything I need to carry on.

I believe that Jesus is telling you the same thing. No matter what you are going through, Jesus is right beside you. He is waiting for you to call out to Him. He wants everything, even your toughest questions. He’s making a way for you, even if you can’t see it yet.

I encourage you to make the time to simply rest with Jesus. Allow yourself to step away from the world and let His Spirit of peace fill your mind and heart. You never know what may come out of it, perhaps even a change in perspective and a renewal of hope.

Jesus promises to never give us more than we can bear. He knows you, He loves you, and He is ready to transform you into the person you are meant to be.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

A song recommendation if you need encouragement: It’s Gonna Get Better, by The Young Escape: https://youtu.be/DDSNoibW41M

The Rescuer

A lot of times we want to be the one to save people. But how does that align with our mission from Jesus?

My favorite song is Rescue, by Lauren Daigle. The song is all about the love God has for us and how He will come to save us in our times of need. He is our rescuer.

A believer in Christ’s main goal would be to become more like Jesus, right? We watch the way He acted and spoke when He was on Earth. We try to become a disciple of Jesus.

The Holy Trinity– Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit– are the only perfect Ones in existence. Not even the disciples were perfect.

However, I think we can learn a lot from the disciples about how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

A lot of us want to go on mission trips in order to rescue people for Jesus. I think that mission trips, when taken for the right reasons, are wonderful. Sharing God’s love to people around the world is our mission from Jesus Himself right before He went back into Heaven. But the thing is, we are not supposed to be the rescuer. That job is for God, not us.

Something I’ve noticed while reading through Acts is that when the disciples healed people, they always brought the glory back to God. When they were preaching, it was all about how the people needed Jesus, not the disciples. The disciples made it their mission not to make the people dependent on them, but rather dependent on God. I think that’s an important thing to remember, whether we’re out on the mission field in a foreign country or right at home in our own community.

I was going to share a story about a person at our church who is such an amazing person and has done so much for us in her short time with us so far, yet has taken on perhaps too much because she wants to feel needed. She wants to be the rescuer.

But sharing that story would perhaps be hypocritical and not as perhaps impactful as sharing the story of when I tried to be the rescuer.

I think anyone with the “caretaker” personality has struggled with trying to take God’s role in being the one people need. I didn’t realize that I had this problem until a recent reflection over a few past relationships I’ve had with different people where I was so concerned about them getting on the right path that I didn’t focus on actually building the connection with them, but instead was focused on getting the task done of “fixing them”. (Another important thing to note for missions work: Don’t allow the task to come before the relationship. But that’s another topic for another time :))

Anyway, one friendship I had in particular has stuck out to me while thinking about the issue of trying to be the rescuer instead of God.

I felt pretty close to a friend in my life who was going through a difficult time. I felt like God had placed me in his life at just the right time so that I could help him deepen his relationship with God. We had one or two deep conversations about faith and he sporadically attended a Bible study that I had set up with some other friends of ours. I was so excited that I felt like I was making an impact on his life that, for lack of a better word, I got addicted to the feeling that I was changing his life. Keep in mind who I just said–me.

I went into the relationship thinking that I was being used by God, and I do believe that I was. However, I don’t think I ended up leaving the relationship with the same intentions.

This realization hit me when I was talking with him a few months after he had left the Bible study after moving away. He told me about how he was now a part of a Bible study in his new community. Later on, his mom told me all about how excited she was for him to have these new opportunities to grow closer to God.

My initial reaction should’ve been joy. This person that I’d grown to care a great deal about was now taking steps on his own to form a better relationship with God. That was the goal, right?

But instead, I was filled with disappointment that he didn’t need me anymore.

I think God caused this time of space between him and I for a reason. He wanted to show me that while I had done the right thing by encouraging this person’s faith journey, it was time to let go. It was time to see that none of that was done because of some special talent I had given myself. Rather, it was all done through the Holy Spirit working through me. So instead of being upset that now the Holy Spirit was working through other people in his life, I should be grateful for the time I did have.

The point I’m trying to make here is that yes, God does work through us in incredible ways. I want you to feel like you’re making a difference, because when God works through anybody, they are doing something great. But I want you to also learn through my story that we can’t get so attached to the mission that we forget who we’re working for. God puts people in our lives for a season. Granted, that season can take a variety of time frames, whether it be a day, a year, or decades. But God is the only One there for them forever.

So today, think about whether or not you are trying to be the rescuer instead of pointing people to the One who can truly rescue them. God is working powerfully through you, but it’s always important to remember who gave us our gifts to begin with.

We can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6

You are Never Alone

Whatever you’re going through, always remember that you are never alone.

“In her lowest place she found grace, the strength, the courage, the room, the space to move and live and breathe again.”
Morgan Harper Nichols

A lot of us find ourselves in a place where we truly believe we are alone. Forever alone.

Maybe a relationship ended. Maybe one never began. Maybe a longtime friendship fell apart. Maybe a loved one is gone. Or maybe the doubts are just seeping in more than usual.

Whatever place your in right now, I want you to close your eyes. Take a deep breath. You’re still here for a reason.

And it’s to touch others’ lives.

I know that right now that might be hard to believe. Some days feel just too difficult to get up, much less actually change the world.

What a large task, changing the world.

But the best news is, despite all that your mind is telling you, you’re never alone.

When I was first in that place where I needed to hear those words, I didn’t actually realize that it was a common phrase of encouragement. Sometimes when phrases become a second nature to us, we forget their true meaning.

So I feel fortunate that the time I heard it, I believed those words and felt like they were everything I needed to keep going.

Okay, maybe not everything. I still had doubts. I still felt alone sometimes.

But it gave me hope.

You may have heard the phrase “you are never alone” hundreds of times. Maybe they have lost their meaning for you. But I hope today that you can read them with fresh eyes. I wish I could say them to you in person.

I want you to feel them. Let them sink in.

You are never alone.

Now, you might think, Hannah, you don’t know what kind of situation I’m in!

That’s true, I don’t. I can’t pretend to understand what you are going through.

But I do know this. God will always be there waiting for you. He is the One who will not leave you alone in a pit of despair. He is the One who will lift you out and make you into His perfect creation.

I also know something else.

At least one person is praying for you. At least one person cares about you.

I am praying for you and I care about you. I don’t know anything about you, but I know that you are worthy of being cared about.

Nothing you did could ever separate you from the love of God. Absolutely nothing.

You are priceless. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Nothing about you can change that, either. Not your looks, your career, your quirks, your awkward moments, your mistakes.

Because those things aren’t going to last forever.

Love is the only thing that can truly bind us together, forever, with the One who gave us life in the first place.

So let love fill your heart. There is still hope. You will be able to love again. You will be loved again. And you are currently loved by the One who knows how to love the best.

And remember, no matter what you are facing, you are never alone.

The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
Jeremiah 31:3

Admit What You Need

Admit it when you need help in order to build better relationships– both with God and with loved ones.

A lot of times I hide how I feel or what I need because I don’t want to bother others. At least, that’s what I often tell myself when justifying not reaching out.

But another major reason why I’m hesitant to reach out to people with my desires is because I don’t want to admit that I’m weak, insufficient, and not completely capable of everything. I don’t want to crush this false illusion in my mind that I’ve somehow proven to others that I am basically inhuman in my abilities to be self-sufficient.

This only hurts my relationships with others, and this mindset of not wanting to be vulnerable hurts our relationship with God too.

Let’s be honest, some people truly don’t want to see our less-than-perfect side. They only want us when we can help them.

But God isn’t like that. Not one little bit.

He wants our ENTIRE heart. He wants the brokenness because only He can make it beautiful. He wants to comfort us. He wants to sustain us. He wants to give us strength.

But He isn’t going to arrive uninvited. We have to let Him in if we want His help.

The same goes for people. If we act like nothing is wrong, then people will assume we are fine. We need to be willing to be human in order to get the help that we need. We have to be vulnerable in order for others to feel truly comfortable with us.

Not only does this help us, but it strengthens our relationships, both with people and with God.

We show God that we are willing to allow Him to use all the areas of our life, including the things we’d rather leave unexposed.

So today, allow the people who really care about you into your life, both the good and bad. Tell them if you need something, and be willing to let them be vulnerable with you too.

In addition, think about the areas of your life where you’ve held back from showing your true self to God. Ask Him to show you the areas where you need to let go and allow Him to take over. God will help you through any struggle you are going through, as long as you let Him in.

More than anything, remember that you are never a burden. You don’t have to always be strong. Allow yourself to be immersed in the love and comfort that God and your loved ones want to give you.

You are enough.

For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
Psalm 22:24

Living in the Moment

Living in the moment is the way to find true satisfaction.

I talk about living without regrets all the time, but I just want to say that sometimes you might be called to do things that seem so strange. Not classy, not popular. But it’s what you are supposed to do in order to follow God’s plan for your life. You just have to go for it, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Take every opportunity you can because you never know what tomorrow might hold.

All the wonderful things that have happened in my life were not planned. All the terrible things that have happened in my life were unanticipated. No human can truly fathom the future God has made for us.

So it’s important to live in the moment. Don’t look back at the mistakes you can’t make up for. Don’t be anxious about the future, that’s what we are commanded to do. I know it’s hard and it’s okay to have those feelings, so long as we are actively fighting against them. We cannot let fear win. Fear is only dangerous when it is given power by us.

Today make the effort to go out of your way for someone else. You might be the only one who does.

Today do something you’ve always wanted to do. You may have found a new passion for life!

Today ask God what His plan is for your life instead of praying specific things. Ultimately, God’s plan is the best one, and it’s what’s going to happen. Might as well go with it willingly than be dragged along, right? After all, He does have our best interest in mind.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

The Message We Ignore

If you need a sign of confirmation that you are exactly where you need to be, this is it. God loves you so much. I encourage you to read this and realize you are not alone in your struggles.

I’m going to say something now that you may not want to hear. But believe it or not, it could also be a message that encourages you.

Our faith was never supposed to be easy. Following Jesus does not mean happiness on Earth or that every prayer is automatically going to be answered the way we want it to be.

A couple days ago, my pastor preached about Jesus calming the storm. She said something that really stuck with me, and I thought I’d share with you.

A common misconception is that when things go wrong for people, it’s because they are not following God’s call. That is completely a lie that the enemy wants you to believe in order to give up on your faith.

“The disciples weren’t going against God’s call. Rather, they were doing exactly what they were supposed to do. That storm was a part of their path, despite how difficult and frightening it was.” (paraphrased)

You may be struggling right now about how to make sense of your current situation. You may feel like God has turned His back on you because things are spiraling out of control.

First of all, I’m so sorry for whatever you are going through. But God has not abandoned you no matter how alone you feel. God loves you and He is bringing you through this in order to make you stronger.

It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to be disappointed with how things turned out. But you don’t have to just sit in those sorrows and isolate yourself from others or more importantly God. He is the one that can bring you back. He is the one that can heal you, restore you, sustain you. Even if you don’t receive immediate physical healing, turning to God will bring you peace.

God uses other people to speak into your life and encourage you, too. Listen to the ones who love you. Listen to the ones who want to encourage you. Let them support you when you can’t support yourself.

Because you are loved. You are needed. And you are cared about.

Every time I hit my personal rock bottom (it looks different for everyone and that’s okay), I realize that I have experienced this loneliness because God wanted to refocus my attention on what really matters.

I have been in one-sided relationships and it hurts so much. But we have to realize that when we ignore God, when we don’t allow His grace and love to be enough, we are that person in the relationship that isn’t doing their fair share. Who isn’t reciprocating the love. Who isn’t accepting the fact that they are unconditionally loved.

And obviously God has the most perfect love in the world that is so much greater than we can reciprocate. Than we have experienced. If you are reading this then you haven’t died for someone else. That is the ultimate sacrifice that God was willing to make for you because He loves you that much. You are worth saving. Repeat it after me: you. are. worth. saving.

Imagine that pain that I mentioned before about those one-sided relationships. You probably sacrificed a lot for that other person. You may have even given your heart to them, knowing that you wouldn’t get even an ounce of that love back.

But just realize that despite how much you cared about them, God cares about you a billion times more.

A lot of the advice we receive tells us to turn away from those relationships where the other person doesn’t reciprocate. But God will never turn away from our relationship with Him because He is unfailing and completely faithful.

You may have never experienced such loyalty before. That’s probably because as humans we have been taught to always put ourself first. But that’s not the way God works.

God puts His love for you above everything else. And I hope today that you can begin to put your relationship with God above everything else too.

Faith is scary. Faith is hard. But faith is the the thing that completes and establishes our relationship with God. There is no relationship on our end if there is no faith.

So today, even through all your painful struggles, remember that this is not the end. This is not a sign that you are doing the wrong thing.

Listen up. If you feel like God called you to be where you are right now, then you are doing the right thing. If you were looking for a sign saying that you are supposed to continue what you are doing, this is it.

You are beloved. You are treasured. You are loved.

Go out now and spread that message to the world.

You are never going to encounter a greater love than this.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, for whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16