Hope – Page 3 – The Will to Wake Up

Walking Through Holy Week in Peter’s Sandals

Let’s reflect on Jesus’ final days leading up to Easter, focusing on Peter’s passionate yet often misguided devotion that reveals his struggle between earthly concerns and Jesus’ humble sacrifice.

As we reflect on and celebrate the gift of Jesus’ sacrificial love this week, let’s journey through the days leading up to His death and resurrection. There are many characters and perspectives shared throughout the gospels, so let’s hone in on one of Jesus’ disciples, a passionate and out-spoken man named Peter.

A Little Backstory

Peter’s known for being the first to declare Jesus is the Messiah (Matthew 16:16).
But also he made bold statements that Jesus rebuked (Matt. 16:22-23).
Jesus selected a few of His disciples to whom to show His full glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, and Peter was one of those blessed individuals (Matt. 17:1).
Peter is one of the most named disciples in the gospels to interact with Jesus, answering His questions and participating in His ministry.

Today’s Scripture:

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and head as well!”

-Matthew 13:6-9 (NIV)

I love this interaction between Peter and Jesus because it shows the deep love they have for one another. Of course, Jesus’ love is perfect while Peter still doesn’t quite understand what’s going on. But it’s clear even when Peter addresses Jesus as “Lord” that he wants to respect and honor Him.

Peter felt it wasn’t right for his teacher–much less his Lord–to take on the form of a servant and wash his stinky, dirty feet. He didn’t understand that this action was a metaphor for Jesus accepting the burden of our filthy sin, dying on the cross, and washing us clean with the sacrifice of His life.

As we will continue to witness Peter and Jesus’ interactions throughout Holy Week, Peter struggles to fathom the idea of a humble God when his understanding of the Messiah was likely a warrior king.

In fact, the first time Peter is rebuked, it was because he refused to accept the price Jesus was willing to pay in order to save us from our sins.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

-Matthew 16:21-23

Even though Peter’s concern for Jesus likely came out of a place of love and admiration, he wasn’t willing to surrender to God’s will because the cost felt too great. Peter was fixated on fleeting, earthly things rather than considering that God had a greater plan.

Reflection Questions:

Think back to a time when God might’ve been saying to you, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
What might you need to surrender in order to trust God with the unknown?
What worries or burdens are you carrying today?
How might fixing your eyes on Jesus and remembering that God is in control help you to have peace, even through the storms of life?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for taking on the form of a humble servant and washing us clean of our sins. We are in need of you each day, for when we are weak, then you are strong. Help us to surrender our earthly desires, dreams, and fears to you, exchanging them for your peace.

Amen.

Is God Still Using Me?

A reflection on my journey from stepping back from corporate ministry to finding peace and purpose in serving God with purer motives.

My greatest realization after stepping back from corporate ministry was uncovering the unhealthy motives for why I served.

As a teen, I felt invisible at church. I struggled to belong at youth group, I was scared to participate in mission trips, and it felt like the only way to be part of the community was to serve.

Then I started my official ministry position during a very vulnerable period of my life when it seemed like everything else was falling apart. I sought a sense of purpose, and the church was more than happy to make me useful. Watching the number of students grow and receiving praise for my spiritual gifts was addicting…and exhausting because deep down, I knew that wasn’t what church was supposed to be about.

Through my position as Children’s Ministry Resident, I served multiple times a week, developed curriculum, spoke regularly in front of my congregation–and if there was anything going on at church, I was there.

I didn’t only serve for selfish or insecure reasons. I deeply cared about the congregation, especially the kids, and I believe God called me to that position for a season.

But after burning out, I started listening to God’s nudge for me to leave that church and explore new pastures with Him. Upon coming home from my last day of work, I was overwhelmed with peace. The lyrics to the worship song, “I Surrender,” flowed from my heart.

Yet it took months to truly transition out of my old mindset, a mindset so fixated on producing quality programs and pleasing the congregants that I put my personal relationship with God on the back-burner.

The phrase, “it was the difference between night and day,” understates what transitioning from being on church leadership to being a regular congregant felt like. One minute, everybody knew my name and expected so much of me. The next, I was wandering into different churches and leaving without a trace.

I kept pushing away the fear (rather than bringing it to God), “Does anyone still need me anymore? Do I have a place in ministry without working for a church?”

After a couple months of searching, I landed on a new church, ironically three minutes away from my house. There were two things that confirmed God wanted me to be there: I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me through the sermons, and they sang “I Surrender” my first time worshipping with them.

Surrendering my work duties wasn’t hard–it was honestly a relief. At last, I could actually pay attention during service instead of running around meeting everybody’s needs.

But surrendering my pride and my desire to feel needed? That required much more faith and humility.

When observing how this new church operated, I certainly had moments of thinking, “If I were in charge, I’d do this differently,” and “Ouch, they still don’t remember my name?”.

God didn’t allow my pride or past pain prevent me from growing. Stepping back to rest and focus on how God wanted to refine me was crucial in preparing me for the challenges and opportunities to come.

Over the past year and a half, God’s placed me in situations that have required tremendous faith. I wouldn’t have been able to trust in Him this deeply–and cry out to Him for help when I struggle to trust–had I not spent this time growing in my understanding of God’s character and dwelling in His presence.

Resting in God doesn’t mean we can’t serve at all. Participating in the body of Christ by sharing our gifts is a valuable part of the Christian walk. But we can’t serve well if we are relying on our own strength and motivated by anything other than a love and appreciation for God and His people.

Our heart motives change when we realize that:

We aren’t needed by God, but we are wanted by Him. Not wanted in the way a child begs for a new toy that they’ll forget about in seconds, but deeply desired, as one might long for their significant other.
We are not capable on our own. The success of our ministry stems from our reliance on God.
Rest is an act of worship…and faith. When we take the time to rest, we are admitting we cannot do anything on our own strength and we need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Just because God isn’t using you in the same way He did before doesn’t mean He isn’t using you at all. When you surrender your life to Him, there will always be opportunities for ministry, perhaps in more organic ways.

This past school year, God’s guided me toward getting more involved in my new church by teaching children again and serving in other background roles, all with much better boundaries. And you know what? I don’t miss having congregants come up to praise my public speaking skills or seeing my name on the wall of leaders.

By not investing as much time in church-specific ministries, I’ve also had more capacity to invest in the lives of my friends and Bible study partners, pray intentionally for them, and reflect on how I can grow in my relationships.

There might be a season where God calls me to serve in a larger capacity in corporate ministry again, but for now, I have peace trusting that God will use me wherever I’m at. No ministry is too small to be used by Him to do amazing things.

If you are doubting your purpose or value, remember who you are in Christ:

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:16-17 (NIV)

“Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

Our purpose? To be God’s daughter or son.

Our value? Immeasurable. We are worth everything to God, who loved us enough to send His son to die for us so that we may have everlasting life with Him.

Trust that God loves you so much that He has a perfect plan for you. ❤

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

An Ink-Stained Journey

Learning to trust God through the process of becoming an author.

I was scared to pursue becoming an author. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love writing. Feeling inspired to create is one of my favorite ways to connect with God.

But when I entered high school, I worried that my passion for writing wasn’t enough. Writing is a competitive business, and it would require both confidence in my skills and humility to take rejection in order to succeed. And most importantly, immense faith in God’s calling.

So I explored other viable career paths–only to hit dead ends. When it was time to choose a university, only one of my options had a creative writing program. As I prayed over my decision, I knew God wanted me to pursue writing. While the thought of becoming a professional writer gave me joy, I soon realized God led me to the decision that required the greatest amount of faith.

Then this choice was posed to me again after I graduated. Even with the awareness of the costs and challenges to come, I chose to continue pursuing writing with the desire to witness God reveal more of His purposes for me.

Over the last six months, I’ve been growing as a writer through participating in a faith-based writing and business program called The Author Conservatory. Through this program, I’ve received mentorship from Christian writers, encouragement and feedback from my peers (fellow aspiring authors), and entrepreneurship training.

The Author Conservatory focuses on building the foundational components of a story so that we can approach both simple and complex topics with grace, respect, and wisdom. One challenge with this has been learning how to plot out the main details of a story rather than beginning the process by drafting. (For my fellow writers out there, I’m more of a pantser! But plotting is growing on me…)

Each novel undergoes four stages of planning: Concept, Character Arc, Synopsis, and Outline. And within those stages are weeks of revising, brainstorming, and rewriting. By the time we’re allowed to draft, it feels like such a reward!

Another aspect that has required humility is receiving an abundance of feedback, particularly from industry professionals, and needing to make changes–sometimes drastic ones–in response to it. But accepting constructive criticism has transformed my work and my perspective.

While the process may feel slow at times, every rewrite, every training, and every bit of new insight draws us closer to becoming professional writers.

Though choosing to pursue writing has come with sacrifices and challenges, I am so thankful God led me to Author. As a writer, I feel like I’ve grown more in the last 6 months than I would’ve in 6 years on my own. This community has encouraged me to dedicate my writing–both fiction and non-fiction–to God, and invite Him into the process.

Perhaps you’re finding yourself in a situation where you aren’t sure what the next step should be. Consider bringing your options to God in prayer and seeking His direction.

Every decision comes with costs–but also blessings. The most blessed path, even if it requires patience and sacrifice, is the one in which God is leading you.

In fact, making sacrifices for something shows commitment to it. Sometimes the blessing that comes with sacrifice is recognizing how much you love something–or someone.

I used to be scared of making choices that would disrupt God’s plans for me. But none of us have the power to thwart God’s plans for us. We may take some detours along the way, but we will always end up exactly where He wants us to be. The smoothest way to get there (even if the road appears bumpy) is listening for His voice with each next step.

And often God’s path is lined with unexpected blessings: godly friendships, opportunities to trust Him deeper, patches of peace. Even laughter is a gift from God.

Celebrate the ways God has blessed the journey you’re on. Ask Him to meet you in the moments that feel difficult and discouraging. And trust that He is leading you to trust in Him more deeply with each passing season.

Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Job 42:1-2 (NIV)

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:26-28 (NIV)

Unlocked Article: Friendship Friction

Check out my article for the Christian teen devotional, Unlocked!

Friendship Friction

This month, I had the privilege of writing an article for the inspiring Christian teen devotional and podcast, Unlocked! You can listen on their website, or request a free paper copy of their quarterly devotional.

Check out my article, “Friendship Friction,” which was released yesterday.

I hope it brings encouragement to you!

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.

Proverbs 27:9

God Knows What’s Best for You

Do you trust Him when His plans don’t align with yours?

Who can fathom the Spirit* of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

Isaiah 40:13 (NIV)

Let’s be honest here: raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to tell God what to do.

I know my hand is raised. (Well, metaphorically–I’m using both hands to type!)

When we’re experiencing a difficult situation or struggling to reconcile with a frustrating person, it’s easy to go to God in prayer and request that He fix our problems using our methods.

But who are we to instruct God?

Telling God how to solve our problems insinuates that we know better than God, the one who created us, who redeems and restores us, and who is perfect.

Wouldn’t you rather receive the perfect solution of the one who loves you unconditionally and knows everything, than the solution you’ve concocted through limited understanding?

Before I continue, I need to make it clear that God loves hearing from you, broken prayers included. Our earthly prayers will never be perfect because we are all broken people, and that’s okay. The Holy Spirit translates our prayers to our heavenly Father so that He knows what we need.

And even though we will never grasp the fullness of God while on earth–that would literally blow our minds!–there is hope that the longer we walk with Him, the more we may notice God working.

Paul references our intro verse, Isaiah 40:13, in a letter to the church of Corinth:

The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”**

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16

We can have hope that because God’s Spirit dwells in us, we may begin to understand how God works the longer we know Him.

This does not mean we can manipulate Him or guess His every next move. Rather, when we value what God values–which drastically differs from earthly values–we will have peace even when our plans fail because we trust that God’s plans are far better.

But what does trusting God’s plan look like on a day-to-day basis?

It might mean not comparing yourself to a friend who has a higher paying job than you, because you trust that God will meet all your needs.

Or perhaps it means finding joy in your singleness while you wait on God to provide the right person for you, having peace that you are never alone.

Maybe it’s even extending grace to someone who has hurt you because you recognize how much grace you’ve already received through the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins.

Lately, God’s been challenging me to trust Him through my job search process. I crave the security that having another job would provide, but God’s been nudging me to remember that He has and will always meet all my needs. The only job worth pursuing is the one He has called me to pursue…even if it takes experiencing multiple rejections to get there.

How is God calling you to trust Him today?

Remember that God is faithful, even when He might feel far away or situations seem too big for Him to handle. Everything will come together according to His wonderful plans and purposes for us.

In the waiting, God promises His love and peace, which will never fade away. ❤

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:28-30

The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Footnotes:

*or “mind”

**reference to Isaiah 40:13

All Scripture is in NIV.

What Were We Made For?

Out of His great love, God created us to be in relationship with Him.

Deep down inside each of us, there’s a desire to understand our purpose.

Throughout the years, I’ve often been told that our purpose is to become more like Christ. But as we examine Jesus’ life, it wasn’t particularly pleasurable–at least by earthly standards. After all, His journey reached its climax with His death on the cross. The ultimate form of pain, betrayal, and injustice.

On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He cried out to God and expressed His distress over His impending suffering. Yet God continued to call Jesus to sacrifice.

[Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

Luke 22:41-43 (NIV)

When we are going through suffering, this passage may feel both comforting and alarming. Witnessing God direct Jesus straight into a deadly situation may stir panic in our hearts. Does this mean God wants us to go through pain too?

And as we consider God’s divinity, we may find ourselves wondering, “Why doesn’t God use His power to stop all suffering?”

What if I told you that God is using His power to stop all suffering?

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:3-5 (NIV)

Right now, God is already preparing the way for His new kingdom to come where we will no longer live our fractured existences, marred by brokenness and sin. It is out of His mercy that we are given a chance to repent and develop a relationship with Him while this broken world still exists.

But we don’t have to wait to experience God’s kingdom. When we live according to God’s calling and Jesus’ example, we can shed God’s light and love on even the darkest situations.

So what was God’s purpose in creating us?

Consider God’s original design for the world back in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve didn’t go through pain or suffering, until they allowed sin into the world. Their purpose was to be in relationship with God and tend to the world God created for them.

That is our purpose too.

God still longs for this because He loves us so deeply. He did not create us for suffering. He does not take pleasure in our pain. He cries alongside us. And then, out of His mercy, He redeems our suffering.

For no one is cast off
    by the Lord forever.
³²Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love.
³³For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.

Lamentations 3:31-33 (NIV)

If you are struggling to find hope today, remember how Jesus’ earthly journey ended. Not with death, but with new life. God redeemed Jesus’ suffering by using it as a catalyst for us to have relationship with Him again.

God’s ultimate goal is to be in relationship with us. But due to the broken situation of the world, we cannot have a perfect relationship with God–or with anybody–until there is full restoration in Heaven and Earth.

Today, we are called to seek God’s kingdom, setting aside our own aspirations in order to pursue His purposes for us. Often, God places desires in our hearts that we are meant to pursue and other times He leads us in a totally different direction than what we planned.

But through it all, God has a perfect plan for us, cultivated out of His unconditional love. Trust in God’s plan today with the hope that no matter what happens next, God is with you through it all and He will never let go of His precious child. ❤

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²²Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
²⁶it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:19-26 (NIV)

Releasing Ourselves Into God’s Hands

As we are called to let go of former things, let’s embrace God’s hand in the process as He remains faithful through it all.

At the beginning of 2024, my work-in-progress was titled “Don’t Let Go”. And yet the theme of my life in 2024 was “it’s time to let go”.

While my novel’s title was inspired by a scene where my main character dangled on the edge of a cliff before accepting the helping hand that saved her life–and God certainly wasn’t telling me to jump off a cliff or refuse support–I can’t help but laugh at the irony in God’s plan for my growth over the last twelve months.

Letting go of unhealthy relationships, underutilized belongings, and even unrealistic dreams and expectations has always been particularly challenging for me. It’s heartbreaking to admit that it’s time to let go of someone who was once a dear friend or of a dream that isn’t part of God’s plan for this season of life.

Yet we must release what God calls us to release in order to be open handed, ready to embrace what God has in store for us.

You may be finding yourself in a season of needing to let go. Letting go is painful. It’s a loss, after all, and it comes with its own grieving process.

But there is hope. We have someone we must never let go of, our helping hand when we find ourselves dangling at the edge of (hopefully a metaphorical) cliff. That Someone is Jesus.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to trust that Jesus will always be there to save us when we’ve experienced disappointment from others.

But those experiences often remind us to turn to Jesus for our fulfillment. One time, I experienced deep healing after a conversation with a close friend. But in a following interaction, I was reminded of her humanness and felt discouraged, wondering why God would allow me to experience both rich blessing and slivers of pain from the same person.

That’s when the Spirit gently reminded me that it was out of God’s grace that I had experienced healing from this friend. As amazing as she is, it wasn’t her personality or words or even love that blessed me. It was God working through her, showing His love for me.

Though it still hurts when loved ones act insensitively or don’t follow through, perhaps those moments are opportunities to praise God for being the one who loves us perfectly. He does everything with intention and always remains faithful. We will never be asked to let go of Him.

In fact, as I imagine worldly things disappearing from my fingers into the air like dust, I find my hands waiting, palms up, for someone to fill them. And sure enough, God’s great big fatherly hands embrace mine in an instant. He is everything I need. He is everything you need.

As we step into 2025, join with me in God’s call to release what doesn’t belong to us anymore in order to hold tightly to His goodness, grace, and love.

Who knows? When you let go of what isn’t meant for you, God may very well surprise you with wonderful things you didn’t even imagine were possible.

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

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 (NIV)

Eternal Hope

Reflecting on 2024 as we anticipate the coming year.

I’ll be honest with you: 2024 has been a rough year.

Globally, division, violence, and injustice seem never ending. Personally, it’s been a year of loss, disappointment, and uncertainty.

But it’s also been a year where I’ve witnessed God’s presence and divine intervention like never before.

My word of the year was imagine. And boy, so many things–both good and bad–have happened this year that I never could’ve imagined. But through it all, God has been faithful. His love never changes, even when our circumstances do.

I’ve often struggled with placing my peace, joy, and hope in my circumstances even though in mere seconds, all that can change. So how can we remain hopeful–even having the faith to imagine brighter days–when life is uncertain?

By rooting our hope in the One who does not change–God.

There are many promises in the Bible that remind us of God’s everlasting qualities. Here are a few from the Psalms that will hopefully bring you hope as we enter a new year:

God has always existed and will always exist

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

As we go through life, we view things with our limited perception of the world and what could lie ahead. But God, who always was and always will be, has seen it all! Nothing can faze Him. When we take His hand and allow Him to lead us through life, we can walk with more confident strides.

God’s love never fades

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–

with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103:17-18 (NIV)

When we experience rejection or loss, we may begin to fear that someday others in our lives will leave and/or stop loving us. While we can’t control how others might hurt us, we can find peace knowing that our perfect Father will always love us. And as His children, we can love Him back by following in His ways.

God’s word remains holy

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

Psalm 119:142 (NIV)

In a world where truth is treated as subjective, it can be overwhelming to read the news or decipher tricky conversations. Sometimes it’s hard to even know what’s real! But thankfully, God’s word is alive and active, always there to guide us and never outdated. We can turn to it for answers, and ask the Spirit to direct our reading of the Bible.

God’s kingdom will last forever

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Psalm 145:13 (NIV)

As the earth groans and crumbles, as people come and go, and as we desperately search for security, we can have courage knowing that we are part of a kingdom that will last forever. A perfect kingdom without brokenness, pain, or heartbreak. While we may not be able to see this kingdom fully on Earth, we can participate in God’s holy work by blessing others with His love and acting on His truth.

You may be scared of where God is leading you in the coming year, but take heart knowing that He who promised is faithful. God will never let you out of His sight. Converse with Him through every step you take, and soon you may start to see where the path leads.

Our light will never be extinguished when its source is our faithful God, who takes such wonderful care of us.

If you doubt this, call out to God. Express your feelings and fears. Trust that He listens to you, and nothing is out of His control.

No matter what 2025 brings, I pray that we may all experience God’s grace, peace, and love through every season.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

The Gift of an Understanding God

No matter what this Christmas brings, we can find joy in knowing that Jesus intentionally chose the path that draws Him closest to us.

After a difficult day in middle school, I came home and flopped on the couch. My mom wandered over and asked what was wrong. I crossed my arms and turned my back to her.

Nobody understands! I shouted.

Nobody? she mused.

NOBODY!

We often assume our problems are very unique. I thought I was the only one who ever felt left out and unseen in band class, when that certainly wasn’t the case.

Then in high school, I found myself in a similar situation when none of my friends had the same lunch schedule as me. I spent eight months out of that school year sitting alone, feeling like the loneliest person in the world.

And then one day, through divine intervention, I discovered that one of my peers had also spent the school year eating by herself. We’re still friends to this day, bonded by enjoying the last month of lunches together. And we often remorse over how we wish we would’ve reached out to each other sooner.

Because despite previous belief, somebody truly understood!

When we’re experiencing difficulties, we may believe God couldn’t possibly understand what we are going through. But consider this: Jesus intentionally came to earth as a human baby. He allowed Himself to be vulnerable. He didn’t skip the awkward puberty years. He immersed Himself in community, which came with both companionship and rejection.

While Jesus didn’t get ghosted over text or flunk a chemistry class, He experienced the core hardships and heartbreaks we also struggle with.

Bullying? Check.

False accusassions? Affirmative.

Poverty? Yes.

Physical pain? Certainly.

Grief and loss? So deeply.

Rejection? Without a doubt.

Betrayal? Definitely.

Whatever you are experiencing now, Jesus has gone through. But get this: He went through it out of His own free will. He chose to undergo the human experience in order to relate to us because He loves us that much.

Christmastime can be a season of feeling misunderstood, especially if you are wrapping up a difficult year. In fact, all the traditions and decorations–the general fluff and hype of the holiday–feel exhausting in light of personal pain.

Perhaps you don’t feel happy this Christmas, and that’s okay. You have permission to sing a little quieter, to skip the festive parties, and to express your true feelings.

But I pray that you may experience hope and peace in place of the cheaper promises of the season. The true promise, God’s promise, isn’t of temporary comfort or instant gratification.

We can have hope because He promises to be in relationship with us through all seasons, no matter how we feel or what we can offer. We can have peace because Jesus has already conquered sin, so we have nothing to be afraid of.

And you know what? We can even have joy because joy doesn’t depend on our present circumstances. Our joy comes from knowing that Jesus loves us perfectly and that love can never be broken.

Merry Christmas! ❤

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Luke 2:8-15 (NIV)

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Philippians 5:5-8

Jesus: The Gift of Unconditional Love

How is our deepest need met through the promise of our Savior?

Deep down, every single one of us longs for unconditional love.

That’s why the sting of rejection or unsatisfying interactions cause us to grieve. When we experience conditional love–when people only show us love when we perform well or please them–we may feel tempted to walk away from relationships altogether.

And while we can strive to love others unconditionally, we will never be able to love perfectly on this side of Heaven. So how can our deepest need be met? How can these two opposing forces be reconciled?

Through Jesus.

But before you roll your eyes at the standard Sunday school answer, bear with me through a few ponderings. As someone who grew up in the church, it’s been ingrained in my brain that only Jesus loves us perfectly because He is God and God is Love.

But what does that really mean? How can this incredible promise come to life for us this season?

Consider these verses with me:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:16-18 (NIV)

What does unconditional love mean?

For God, it meant giving up His very own Son in order to save us and be with us.

Reflect on that for a moment: Through Jesus, God gave up His very self–His very life–in order to demonstrate His love for us.

And the gift doesn’t end there.

Consider this passage with me, titled in my Bible as “Jesus Prays for All Believers”:

“My prayer is not for [my disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

²⁴“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

²⁵“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

John 17:20-25 (NIV)

Through this passage, we learn that God loves us so much, He wants to be with us all the time. That’s why we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that even after Jesus returned to Heaven, the Spirit resides in us to remind us of God’s love and promises. When we invite the Spirit into our lives, we are guided on the right path, comforted in affliction, and refined in godly character.

This verse in particular really stands out to me:

Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

God loves us as much as He loves Jesus–as much as He loves His very own self.

There is truly no greater sacrifice than to die to yourself so that another may live.

No matter what mistakes you’ve made, what regrets plague your mind, what dreams you wish to pursue–God is offering you the gift of unconditional love.

You don’t have to change before receiving this love. You simply need to open your heart and accept it–and the transformative work that will follow.

Because once you receive Jesus’ love, you won’t want to stay the same. You will want to grow in the fruits of His Spirit, especially in how you love others.

When you fully recognize the unmeasurable gift of Jesus’ love, your heart’s new longing will be to worship Him.

And how do we worship Jesus?

³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:36-39

As we strive to worship Jesus with our whole selves, we must also have grace for the journey.

It’s okay if you mess up. It’s okay that you can’t love others perfectly. But take every opportunity you can to love others–not out of obligation or guilt, but because you are satisfied in Jesus’ perfect love for you.

If you’re struggling to find something to celebrate this Advent season, take a moment to experience the joy that comes in knowing that you, in whatever state you find yourself in today, are fully known and fully loved by the wonderful God who created you.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8