Tag: jesus

God’s Voices

What are some ways you’ve heard God? Maybe you feel like you never have. Here’s some advice related to that!

There are two descriptions (to my knowledge…) of God’s voice in the Bible. I don’t mean description in the sense that someone recorded hearing God (there are way more than two examples of that!!), but two main descriptions of what His voice sounds like.

The first is powerful. After all, God’s voice is what spoke everything into being! And when He’s announcing His Son to the world at Jesus’ baptism, I picture a booming, authoritative voice.

The second one is a still, small voice, like a whisper in the wind. That description comes from 1 Kings, when God is speaking to Elijah. I picture a rusting of leaves, a small gust of wind causing water to ripple.

I’m going to be perfectly honest with you right now. I believe that I’ve heard God speak to me directly with both of those voices. Now, not *exactly* audibly, but in a way that I knew was God.

But let me make this clear: it’s totally okay if you haven’t heard God in the ways I’ve described. It all happens when it needs to happen, you know? God will speak to us in His own different ways.

Where I live, we don’t often get snow, or if we do, it’s only a few inches that melt within a day or two. We rarely get an actual snow storm. But this weekend, a snow storm hit us on Friday night. I was awake long after many went to sleep, just looking out the window and listening to the roaring winds tear across the street. It was as though the wind had had enough and was changing everything around, exhibiting all it could do.

That sound and image will forever be what I think of when picturing God’s “powerful voice”.

That next morning, I went outside before most people were awake and watched the snow fall all around me. There was a gentle breeze that played with my hair as it blew by. Everything felt peaceful, serene. That’s what I think of when I picture God’s still, small voice.

I hope you can think of your own personalized image/sound of what God’s voice means to you. That will help you identify it when God’s speaking to you.

There are always seasons where it feels like God’s message is being loudly proclaimed from the rooftops at every twist and turn we take. Other times, it will feel like we are all alone in our struggles, with no direction.

But the truth is, God is speaking through every moment in our lives. God never leaves us. It’s just that His voice sounds different for each of us.

I’m going to make a Frozen 2 reference here, so hopefully you’ve seen this movie! Towards the beginning of the movie, Elsa hears this voice during the night. As she ventures out of her comfort zone, she starts feeling led towards it and the voice becomes stronger.

When explaining it to her sister, Anna, who can’t exactly figure out why her sister would want to ruin their newly restored life, Elsa has a priceless answer. (At least to me)

She explains that she hears a voice calling her. She can feel that the voice is good and it’s trying to guide her.

Okay, that may not sound profound at first, but hear me out.

Elsa is the only one who can hear that voice. That doesn’t mean that she’s more special than Anna or any of the other characters (despite what little kids might tell you). That just means that that’s the way the “voices” knew they could reach her. Anna still has her own journey, but she is guided by others who are better suited to her personality. Anna goes to the trolls or Kristoff, basically any person she is somewhat close to, for help.

The thing that’s similar between the two of them is that the way they were reached out to was a way that they knew they could trust. Anna trusts people; Elsa trusts…pretty much no one but the voices, so I guess it’s a good thing they spoke out :).

Now you’re probably wondering what magical voices have to do with God, but here’s where we can apply this to our own lives. You see, God is much greater than those fantasy voices. God is in control of our lives and He wants us to pay attention to all that He’s doing. He reaches out to us in ways that will be meaningful to us personally.

So when you’re trying to hear God, here are a few tips:

  1. Don’t miss the obvious. God might be screaming something to you and you just won’t admit that that’s God because A) it seems too obvious or B) maybe it’s something you don’t want to hear. But don’t miss these opportunities to listen to God and perhaps make some changes in you life.
  2. Realize that God’s way of talking to you will be different than the way He speaks to others. God has spoken to me through dreams, which I know He’s done for some people, but not many I’m close to. He’s also spoken to me through specific Bible verses, which is a more common way (in my opinion) of hearing from God.
  3. The best way to hear from God is to spend more time with Him. You’re never going to know what God thinks until you take that intentional time out of your day to be with Him. Pray, read the Bible, reflect on all God’s done for you. Then you’ll start hearing Him.

I know it can be stressful when we feel like God is silent. But I promise you, He’s not. He’s always there. To finish up my Frozen 2 references (don’t worry, I doubt it will expand past this post), I want to use Anna as an example.

At the beginning, Anna tells Elsa that she will always have her. Then she proves it by trying to fight a fire (without powers I might add) and chases off giants in an attempt to find her sister.

God has proven His faithfulness time and time again. We often neglect to think about that during the times when we feel distant from God. But I’d encourage you to reread His promises and think about all the ways He’s truly been there for you in the past. God never changes. He loves you and will fight for you.

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Outside vs. Inside

What do you focus on more, your physical or spiritual health?

I got inspiration for today’s Encouragement Thursday while I was brushing my teeth this morning. But don’t let that scare you away! I’m not going to be giving a lecture on flossing or explain the dangers of not brushing thoroughly.

I was actually thinking about how when we go to the dentist, they often have to scrap the backs of our teeth really thoroughly, but the part that the world sees is usually barely touched. We often overlook the part that other people don’t see and focus on making the outside shine.

But of course the day before we visit the dentist, we floss, scrub, and inspect every inch of our teeth, even the back. We want to impress the dentist, or at least avoid a lecture, right?

Okay, back to the regularly scheduled program with inspirational messages instead of expository ones 🙂

A lot of times we hear the reminder that we shouldn’t focus on the outward appearance as much as our personality and passions. And that’s a really good message. Right now, though, you might be thinking, “Hannah, I’ve heard that one before”. But that’s not the one I’m going to be focusing on today.

I have a question for you: How long is your morning routine? Nightly? That includes picking out your outfit, doing your hair, showering…brushing your teeth. All that jazz.

If you really think about it, it’s got to be at least an hour, right? Maybe longer?

So how long do you spend with God every day? That’s not just reading the Bible verse of the day or saying a quick prayer before eating. That’s going into the Word and finding out what God wants you to know. That’s praying from the heart for others you care about. That’s telling God how you feel at the beginning and end of each day.

I’ve got to admit, often I spend more time getting ready than being with God. If you were to cut one thing from your schedule and it was a choice between showering and reading the Bible, which would be your choice? Or how about brushing your teeth or doing your hair before leaving the house?

You might say, “It’s not realistic to expect me to not do my hair just to pray!”

But listen to me. If you really believe that your relationship with God is the most important thing in your life, then you’re going to need that daily connection just as much, actually more, than a shower. You’re going to not be able to live fully, to feel ready for the day, until you spend time with God.

And maybe you are just super rushed in the morning because of your job or kids, or you’re just not a morning person. So maybe all you have time for is a prayer, and that’s okay. Spend time with God at night.

God just wants your time, whether that’s in the morning, at night, or sometime in between. Just make that time for Him. Invest in Him. And you will start seeing your life change for the better. Maybe things don’t physically change, but your mindset will start to change, and you’ll begin to realize that God’s been talking to you all along.

for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

The Past Me: A Different Look at Comparison

Do you struggle to live up to your own standards? Do you feel like you don’t have the freedom to change?

So last post, we were talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves with others. When we fixate ourselves on other people’s accomplishments and thus feel insignificant and incapable, then we lose sight of our worth and our joy. You may have heard similar teaching in the past, but I hope it was an encouraging reminder.

Today, though, we will be talking about a different sort of comparison that I have struggled with a lot recently.

Have you been through a life-altering event?

When I asked that question, some of you may have immediately thought, “Yes”, and proceeded to think of the story related to your answer. Others of you may have thought, “Nothing that significant”. But let me tell you something, any event, even something that might be meaningless to another person, can be life-altering.

Your mindset affects much of your life, yes? They say 10% of how you feel is related to the actual event and the 90% is how you react to it. (Don’t quote me on that, but it’s pretty mind-blowing to think how much our attitude affects our life.)

Anything that has changed the way you view a person, situation, or life in general is a life-altering event. It has changed how you see the world.

Okay, back to the comparison thing. Stay with me here, and it will all make sense!

Last time I talked about how I was comparing myself to my riding partners and how that stole my joy and excitement about riding. Well, I eventually realized what it was doing to my self-esteem and enjoyment of one of my favorite hobbies. I slowly began to regain my appreciation for the sport and felt more fulfilled. But then, about a month ago, I fell off of a horse who I had previously trusted. I know that happens to every rider, and I’ve fallen off under worse circumstances before, but it still caused me to build up this fear towards riding again.

And as the past month has gone by, I’ve struggled with being disappointment in my regression in riding. I’ve taken on some poor habits that I had worked through and I’ve lost my excitement about riding again.

I’ve been so angry at myself. So frustrated. I keep comparing myself to how I used to ride and how I’ve changed since then.

And you might be thinking, Hannah, it’s not that big of a deal. You’re fine. Or, it makes sense that you are afraid. You shouldn’t be mad about that.

But haven’t you ever had a life-altering event change your perspective, and suddenly you can’t enter a situation, activity, or relationship the same way?

We all think that change is such a bad thing. But the issue is not the change in us. It’s how we try to enter these spaces as the same people we used to be.

I heard a message on the radio that really spoke to me. When we walk into a room, sometimes we get a weird vibe that makes us want to leave and re-enter. Sometimes, we have to re-enter the rooms of our relationships, situations, and activities. We need a fresh start now that we are not the same as we used to be. We should have different expectations for ourselves.

We need to stop comparing ourselves to a past version that no longer exists. We often get told to not judge others based on how they used to be. But now we need to extend that same grace to ourselves.

The reason these life-altering experiences happened may not be known to you yet. But they all have a purpose. God is shaping us into the people we are meant to be, and we have to trust that.

No matter how we change, we will always be loved by God. That never changes.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

The Comparison Trap

Do you struggle with comparing yourself to others? Here is some encouragement.

My word of the year, which I may have shared earlier, is joy. A quote I saw this week, simple but important, was this: Comparison steals joy.

Comparison is a trap we all have or will step into at one point or another. I’ve had a difficult time with comparison, and I didn’t recognize my current struggle with it until seeing this quote and thinking about how it truly has taken away my joy.

I think there’s the common way of thinking of comparison– comparing ourselves with another person.

But we also can have difficulties with comparing ourselves to a past version of us and with a false standard others hold of us.

I’m going to be doing a short series on comparison, starting with comparing ourselves to other people, and I’ll touch on what I mean by the other ways of comparison in another post.

I am a horse rider. I think I have shared that on here, and it’s become a big part of my identity, especially now that I work at a barn. Last year, I rode with two newer riders and was the “most knowledgeable in the ring”. But in the fall, I started doubting my abilities when comparing myself to the two new people I started riding with. I lost my enjoyment of horse riding. I lost my sense of motivation. I just became frustrated with myself.

Now, there’s more to that story, but that ties into next post. For now, let’s stay here a moment.

When have you felt like you excelled at something, just to get that feeling taken away from you?

That feeling is pride. And sometimes when God knows we need a lesson in humility, He allows for that pride to get ripped out from underneath us.

Because, let’s face it, there’s always going to be someone better. A better rider, a better writer, a better teacher, a better ______.

The reason why comparison hurts us is because we lose confidence in ourselves.

But you see, confidence is a good thing while pride is not.

God wants us to be confident where He’s placed us. We need to have faith even when we feel like the least knowledgeable person.

And chances are, we aren’t quite as “bad” at whatever, whether it be a sport, hobby, job, or physical trait, as the negative voice in our heads make us believe.

We are just in a different stage. We are in a different season. And trust me, you won’t be the least experienced forever. Someday, you might even be the most experienced. So learn what you can and don’t waste the season you’re in right now.

I know it’s hard when we think other people are better than us. I know it’s hard when other people confirm the lies we repeat to ourselves, the lies that say oru worth is based on what we can do and not who we are.

But I’m going to combat those lies for you– for both of us– right now.

You are valuable no matter what you accomplish, whether it’s a little or a lot. You are making a difference in other people’s lives, whether or not you get appreciated. And you have a future, even when other people say you aren’t going to change. Because you are going to change. We all are. And that’s a good thing, because the more we change, the stronger we become.

You are strong enough to combat those feelings of insecurity. Those doubts. You are enough.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:12

But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.

Galatians 6:4

One Story’s Villain is Another Story’s Hero

Are there villains in your life’s story that are hard to forgive?

I absolutely love writing. Everyone who knows me even a little bit can probably guess that. Clearly you know it, since I’m a blogger!

Anyway, I have recently been fascinated by YouTube videos about character development. Only a fellow fiction writer can relate to that sentence haha.

Here is a piece of advice I received a while back: Every character has their own plot going on. Each character needs to have their own goals, desires, and beliefs. That’s the only way to make them believable. Because, let’s face it, we are the protagonists in our life story, but we are not in other people’s.

Going even deeper than that, I had this sudden realization:

The villain in your story is the protagonist in another story.

Read that again.

The villain in your story is the protagonist in another story.

Not in your made-up story. In your everyday life. The person who gets under your skin. The person who has hurt you in the past.

They don’t see themselves the way you see them, as arrogant, hurtful, or mean.

And it’s important to realize that other people don’t see themselves the way we see them. In psychology, there’s a phenomenon known as Biases in Attribution. Basically, when we make a mistake, we are more inclined to blame it on outside reasons, such as having a hard day, getting over a loss, or not feeling well. But when someone else makes a mistake, we blame it on internal things, and we are more likely to think they are inherently bad or insensitive because we don’t know what’s going on in their minds.

I’m not saying that there aren’t evil people in the world. The person who hurt you does need to apologize. You have a right to be upset. But if you never hear the words “I’m sorry”, you still need to forgive them. Because if you don’t, then you must believe that what they did is unforgivable.

And as believers in Christ, we need to completely realize that nothing is truly unforgivable. The second we repent, Jesus forgives us. He died for us because of His never-ending love and grace. His heart breaks for us. We hurt Him the most, the One who did nothing wrong.

So if He can forgive us, certainly we can forgive the “villains” in our lives too, huh? That doesn’t mean we need to allow them to manipulate or hurt us again. But it does mean we need to let go of our bitter feelings and extend God’s grace towards them.

After all, if you are unintentionally being the villain in someone else’s story, wouldn’t you want them to forgive you too?

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:25

Live Like There is a Tomorrow

Are you more inclined to live like there’s no tomorrow or like every decision will affect the rest of your life?

A phrase that gets thrown around a lot these days is “live like there isn’t a tomorrow”. The intention behind that phrase is to remind us that we need to take risks and not count on there being some “better” time to do something that we’ve been putting off.

Living without fear of the future and without regrets is super important. I completely support the idea of living that way. But I think we are ignoring other vital truths by acting like we have to do everything RIGHT THIS MINUTE. We forget what it means to be patient.

Now being patient and procrastinating are two very different things.

An example of being patient is when you remain single because you know in your heart that you haven’t met the one God has for you yet and you trust that you’ll meet that person eventually, but for now you are content.

An example of procrastinating is refusing to get into a relationship with someone who feels right because you are afraid of commitment or you want to continue playing the field when you need to be more responsible.

The problem with living too much in one lifestyle, not having that balance of “no regrets living” and “oh let’s wait living”, is that then we cannot fully live life the way God intends for us. If we get so caught up in the moment, we don’t think about how our present actions might negatively affect things in the future. But if we are stuck overanalyzing everything and never make a decision, then we can’t appreciate the joys of spontaneity and trusting God through whatever we end up deciding to do.

Today I want you to think about why you are where you are and why you are doing what you are doing.

Are you going for that promotion because you have worked long and hard, and you know that’s the next step to take in your career? Or is it because you feel like you just have to have the next best thing in order to be the greatest?

Are you in a relationship with this person because you feel like they are who God has given you for this stage of your life and you love them? Or is it because you think you will never find anyone better?

You could fill in the blanks of those questions for whatever you’re doing right now. For me, I’m trying to figure out if the reason I’ve slowed down in my college preparation process is because I’m nervous about making the wrong decisions or if it’s because I want more clarity from God.

Everyone has a different answer to the question of whether or not they are making decisions off of fear of the future happening vs fear of the future never coming. But my overall point is to realize that yes, there may not be a tomorrow. But you do have to think long term and realize that God tells us to both wait and act in the Bible.

Never wait to deepen your relationship with God or to say the words you know someone needs to hear. But perhaps there are other things in your life that need to slow down.

I’m not speaking on God’s behalf. Like with everything else, listen to God and figure out what He’s telling you through everything you’re going through. He understands the best.

Therefore, return to your God,
Observe kindness and justice,
And wait for your God continually.

Hosea 12:6

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Fresh Start

Are you trying to start fresh but having difficulties along the way?

Sometimes we all just need a fresh start.

Maybe we have to let go of something or someone that wasn’t right for us. Maybe we’re in a really bad place mentally and we have to just get a new outlook on life. Maybe we are just tired of being tired of…everything.

You get this great idea to clear out the clutter, to become a brand new person, and to not have to hold onto the past.

So it’s going well, until…

You suddenly feel like maybe you aren’t making progress. You feel just as bad as you once were. You don’t know what to do.

I know this sounds cliché, but the path to true healing isn’t a straight line. The path to becoming who you are meant to be isn’t going to just feel like it’s getting better and better.

Okay, that’s where the key word “feel” comes in. The truth is, all those steps backwards you feel like you’re taking are actually just tests, preparing you for the end result.

But it’s not going to be easy. It’s not easy for anyone who is actively trying to become who they’re meant to be.

But we can’t let these setbacks hinder us or discourage us from pursuing the life God has called us to. We have to go into the unknown with the knowledge that things won’t be easy, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t working the way they are meant to.

It just means it’s different from what we expect.

Speaking of new beginnings, fresh starts, I am in the process of starting fresh too. I went through some soul searching in the fall and I have come to a better place now. It hasn’t been easy and at times I’ve wanted to give up, but then I remember how God has been there for me in the past and how He has things planned out better than what I can ever imagine or hope for. (See, remembering the goodness of God is a benefit of remember the past!)

Anyway, one of the steps I’ve taken to start fresh is starting a new blog. I haven’t gotten it completely ready yet, but I’ve posted a couple articles. I will still be posting on here too, but I’d love for you to check out this blog as well. In time, I may transition to one or the other only, but for now I’ll be posting on both. I hope you enjoy it and find my posts encouraging and meaningful!

Here’s the link: https://hannahhobi.wixsite.com/mysite

Wherever you’re at in your faith journey, know that you’re not alone in what you’re going through.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

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

The Thing That Hurts Us

Are you really angry at someone right now? Did someone hurt you deeply? Here is some advice and encouragement as to how to heal your heart.

I was recently doing a Bible study with some friends, and the message for that week was about how important our thoughts are to our well-being. Not only that, but to our relationship with God.

If you’ve ever struggled with loneliness, anxiety, depression, or stress, I’m sure you can agree that those intrusive thoughts that bombard our minds seem to take over our lives.

But I think something that people don’t often associate with our mental health is anger. Anger can easily take over our lives and destroy our relationships. Not only that, but it can destroy our mental well-being too.

I think it’s interesting, in a sad way, that our society seems to glorify being angry.

“Oh, you’re angry at that side? Excellent, that means that you are the best supporter for us.”

“You’re mad that this person won? Go fight for your beliefs!”

People often support their anger with the story of how Jesus turned tables over in the temple. “If Jesus was angry, then we can be angry too!”

Being angry is natural. But it doesn’t mean we should stay angry, and it does mean that we need to pay attention to what we are doing with our anger. When Jesus expressed His anger over the injustices going on in His city, He did not hurt people with His anger. I think that’s a good question to check ourselves with. When we are doing ____ because we are angry, does that hurt anyone?

The next thing to think about is, where is the root cause of this anger? Is it hurt? Frustration? Something unrelated to the thing you’re fueling your angry energy towards?

Jesus spoke against the rulers that were harming people’s relationship with God. Jesus was frustrated by the unfairness and lies being spread. He was standing up for truth.

I’m going to admit something to you right now. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been very angry at a couple people in my life. I didn’t want to feel hurt, so instead I fueled my energy towards thinking negative thoughts about them. I wanted to feel powerful, powerful enough to be in charge of my feelings.

But then I came across this verse, and it frightened me.

“In your anger, do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Ephesians 4:26-27

Whoa. Okay, just take a moment with me here to think about this. When we are angry, we allow the devil to work through us. That is certainly frightening, isn’t it? That means that instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to be the One guiding us, we are allowing our enemy to take over. That’s such an incredible loss. That means we gave over to our real permanent enemy, not just the temporary one we’ve found in a friend, relative, or random internet stranger.

Then, as I kept reading, I was struck by this additional verse.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirt of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Ephesians 4:30

When we are angry, we hurt God.

I know a lot of times we think we are just hurting the other person when we think angry thoughts about them or when we seek revenge. But the thing is, we are hurting everyone involved– ourselves, the other person, and God. God is involved in our daily lives, which means He knows when we are upset. He understands when we are hurt, but instead of letting our pride get in the way, we need to come to Him and express the deep pain we are feeling.

Because, let’s face it. We are angry because we allowed ourselves to become vulnerable enough to trust someone, and they blew it. They might’ve betrayed your trust in numerous ways. It could be taking the opposite side on an issue you’re passionate about. Maybe they told someone something personal about you that ruined your reputation. Perhaps they didn’t show up in your life the way you thought they would–maybe even in a way they previously promised they would.

Friend, it’s totally normal and okay to be upset when someone does terrible things to us. Or even not-so-terrible things that still hurt us.

But we can’t stay stuck in those feelings. We have to forgive them.

Because if we don’t forgive them, we are losing our battle against the evil in this world. We are allowing our lives to be run by our anger instead of our love.

So today, if there’s someone you need to forgive, even if it’s just in your heart, please do it. It will change your life.

When I took that step to forgive those people, my life didn’t change over night. But I did feel an overwhelming sense of peace and a burden lifted off my shoulders. And the next time I am hurt by someone, I will have to remind myself that no matter how hard it is, I shouldn’t make the hurt worse by allowing resentment to take over.

Instead, let us both place those feelings in God’s hands and move on with our lives.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James 1:19-20

Forward

Having trouble letting go of someone? Here is some advice and encouragement.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but…

It’s okay to move forward. It’s okay to move on. It’s not mean.

If you needed to hear that, then someone probably came to mind. Perhaps an old friend, an ex, a person from your past that hurt you. But you were close, and you don’t want to let go.

Maybe everyone close to you has told you that you need to let go. That it would be the best thing for your mental health. That you deserve better.

And if you’re at the stage where you know that letting go is better for you, then you agree. You know that you are a child of God, born to love and to be loved back.

But something is stopping you. Something is in your path, denying you the chance to move on.

Perhaps you didn’t get the closure that you needed.

Let me tell you, I lived with the lie–that false belief that plagues our media obsessed society– that we have to get closure in order to move on. Then, literally a couple days ago, a post by a psychology expert changed my life.

To paraphrase, her post went something like this: I don’t know who gave you the idea that you have to get closure in order to move on. Maybe it was all those romance movies or books, the way the media likes to make us feel like we’re the anomaly…but the thing is, so many of us don’t get closure. And if we do, then we still have questions afterwards. There’s never going to be that moment that the other person makes for us where we suddenly lose that love and feel as free as a bird soaring through the sky. But the thing the media doesn’t tell us is that those movies are all fiction. Our lives are our own. We are the only ones who can give ourselves the freedom to move on and enjoy life again.

To add to that, from a Christian perspective, yes, we are the only ones who can bring closure. Except, we can’t do it alone. Jesus is there and He knows what it’s like to feel rejected, abandoned, and betrayed–by His own loved ones! His disciples! He does completely understand how we feel and He is the only one who will never leave us.

Here’s some tough love. You’re not going to get closure.

You’re not.

Not in the way you expect, anyway. Oh sure, you might have a good long talk. You might even part ways as the sun is setting behind the mountains as joyful tears fall from your face. But that’s never going to be enough.

The only way to feel fully content is to find your joy and satisfaction in Jesus. The only way to not be lonely is to surround yourself with God’s love, by praying continually and reading the Bible, not to mention staying in close contact with others who encourage and support you.

You might feel like a mean person for moving on, and I get that. I get all of these feelings.

But the thing is, you are making the choice to move on from this person because they hurt you. Because they weren’t good for you. Because you know deep down in your heart that the Holy Spirit (plus your best friends) told you that it’s time to let go.

So, if you feel like moving on means that you’re still in contact, but just not relying on them, then fine. If moving on means that you’re blocking them for your own sanity, then alright. If moving on means simply having that freeing feeling in your heart and not thinking about them anyone, then good.

Moving on isn’t the same for everyone. But ultimately it means that this person isn’t your whole world anymore. They aren’t going to be consuming your thoughts, bogging you down, or making you feel less than who God says you are.

Moving on means that you’re free. You can finally be who God created you to be without other people getting in the way of that.

I know it’s hard, but I also know you can do it.

Don’t give up.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that tis to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3