Tag: Life advice

What Does “Casting My Cares” Really Look Like?

Are you feeling stressed out and you’re unsure how to find the peace Jesus offers? Here is some advice and encouragement.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase (which stems from a verse), “Cast your cares on Jesus because He cares for you”. This verse can be incredibly reassuring, especially when we are dealing with anxious thoughts or troubled hearts. While this verse alone is completely true, we often miss out on a key part of the passage.

These two verses go, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). How can we fully cast our cares on Jesus? By being humble.

Now, it might be hard to see how these two things correlate. But the truth is, when we stop caring so much about whether or not we are pleasing others, being successful in the world’s eyes, or needing to be the best, a lot of our anxieties disappear.

Think about it. What’s been really stressing you out recently?

If it’s the division in our world, then humility is the answer. When we take a moment to be humble rather than shove our ideas and opinions in others’ faces, we can come together, despite our different convictions. Being a good listener takes humility, but isn’t unity worth it?

If it’s feeling upset by an argument, then perhaps the solution to your distress would be humbly apologizing or at least being willing to take the first step in mending the relationship. Even if it isn’t your fault, being the one to initiate reconciliation can bring you both deeper healing.

If it’s experiencing difficulty obtaining a goal, then ask yourself why you have this goal. Is it to “get ahead” in life, so that you can please others? Allow yourself to be immersed in God’s love for you instead and remember that He sees you as enough just by being who you are.

I’m sure there are countless other things you are stressing over, but as you list them down, think about whether or not you’d still be stressed about it if you didn’t care so much about your reputation. Does being right really matter that much? Does being in a higher status truly define your worth? I don’t think so.

Jesus offers us everything we could ever need. However, He does require us to do some work too. We have to be willing to be humble, like Jesus, in order to begin seeing change in our lives. We certainly don’t need to be perfect at humility, but Jesus honors our efforts, regardless of how others may react to them.

Today, allow yourself to be vulnerable and open minded to what others around you say. Remember that no matter how others treat you, Jesus loves you fully and intentionally. Once you let go of the belief that your worth depends on who others say you are, you will finally find peace.

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 3:8

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Changing Seasons

Is change difficult for you? As the leaves are changing color around us, may we also be ready and willing to embrace our changing circumstances.

As I sit here and write, my mind is whirling with thoughts, worries, and hopes for the next season of my life. Today will be the last day (for a while) of writing from my usual chair in my room. I have a clear view of a maple tree outside, a tree that has weathered many storms, watched its companion tree fall, and shaded our house during the heat of the summer. Though it has swayed and it has lost, it has remained tall and strong, growing each day.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not the biggest fan of change. It used to be worse, though. Even at the age of 9, I refused to admit I was turning 10 until much after my birthday. Based on all the posts I’ve written about letting go, you can probably tell my opinion of change has only gradually improved…

The past can make us both excited and fearful for the future. We can be excited because perhaps this current season is draining, and we long for a season of rest. Or maybe this is a slow season and we look forward to things getting a little more interesting.

But perhaps we are looking back at the past and thinking about all we’ve gone through. Though we’ve made it through every battle we’ve faced, we are still worried a harder one will follow.

God doesn’t lie to us about seasons. There will be seasons of growth, seasons of joy, seasons of trials, and seasons of loss. There will be so many seasons of your life that you won’t even be able to remember them all. But the one thing that doesn’t change, through every single season, is God.

God is for you. He is fighting for you when you don’t feel strong enough to fight for yourself. He is rooting for you and cheering you on. He is teaching you lovingly when you must learn from a mistake. He is waiting for you to turn to Him. No, He’s actually running to you even when you aren’t ready to run to Him yet. He is constantly loving you.

No matter what is changing in your life, remember that God is with you through it all. He will never change. He is faithful.

You are stronger than you think. Instead of fearing the future when thinking of the past, remember how you have grown with each new challenge. You have lost and you have gained. You have had to go through painful change, but you have become a better person out of it. You are just like the beautiful tree out my window. You have weathered many storms, yet you are still standing. And that, my friend, is worth celebrating.

For the embarrassing moments, look back and laugh. For the joyful moments, cherish them and thank God for them. For the moments of grief, allow God’s comfort to fill your heart as you remember that this is not the end of anyone’s journey. And for the moments of hardship, cling onto the hope that this season will eventually end.

You are loved far beyond your imagination. ❤

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Acts 1:7

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

God Cares

It’s easier to believe that God cares about our “big” needs, but does He really care about the little things that matter to us?

With every change in season comes a change in perspective. Though our seasons in life don’t always coincide with the annual seasons, there often is a change in our way of life as the weather grows chillier and bright yellow buses begin barreling their way down the road. And as summer is coming to an end, I’ve desperately tried to think of some sort of profound thing to share from this past season because God has taught me so much. But I suppose it all comes down to this: God cares.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. God cares? Sure, about the big stuff, like saving us from death and taking care of our needs. But when I say God cares, I mean He cares about everything. I’m talking the big stuff, the small stuff, and everything in between. The stuff we don’t even admit matter deeply to us.

I’m currently in a season of transition, and over the past week, I’ve had to say a lot of goodbyes. To be honest, though I am excited about what’s ahead, it deeply saddens me to say goodbye to people. Though the old proverb goes, “When one door closes, another one opens”, it still hurts when the door closes.

Anyway, two things that mattered a lot to me were finding closure and making sure I said goodbye to everyone I particularly care about. Though I didn’t even express these desires through prayer, God gave me three unexpected opportunities to say goodbye to the kids I taught, a friend, and even a special opportunity to honor those (both the two-legged and the four-legged) at the barn where I worked. Those seemingly small things meant the world to me and reminded me that even when life feels like it’s overlooking you, God never overlooks any of your needs.

I’m sure you’ve been in a group of people who haven’t made you feel heard. Perhaps they avoided making eye-contact with you when you spoke or interrupted you repeatedly. Or maybe you’ve felt overlooked when a close friend forgot your birthday or an anniversary that mattered a lot to you.

The truth is, people let us down. They let us down all the time. And that’s why they can’t be the sole source of our joy and contentment. However, even when life doesn’t go your way, God has a bigger plan for you and in the end, He will never let you down.

People come and go, but God is faithful. He will never leave you nor forsake you. You have probably heard those words a thousand times, but let them really sink in. God will never leave you. You are never alone. And your cares, your concerns, and your desires never burden God.

You are loved far beyond your imagination. Never lose hope in that truth. God will take care of you because you mean everything to Him ❤

As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11-13

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. 

Psalm 40:1-3

Also, just a site note! Due to all the transitions going on, I will be temporarily putting “Encouragement Thursdays” on pause. However, I will certainly be updating this site and I look forward to hopefully sending you more encouragement! ❤

Trusting God with Our Unknowns

Are you struggling to let go because you didn’t get the closure or answers you hoped for?

Growth can be painful. Change can be painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.

Charles Spurgeon

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Let go and let God”. People debated that phrase within the faith community because some interpreted it as a lack of effort on our part. When we simply let go and let God, they believe we aren’t taking ownership over our situations.

I don’t know if I’m particularly a fan of this phrase, but I do think it has some value to it. Yes, we need to be proactive and not expect God to just handle everything while we sit back and relax. But when we’ve done everything we can and we need to let go, that’s when it’s time to step back and remember that God is much more powerful and capable than we are.

I’ll even go one step further by saying we should go into every situation with the mindset that we are not in control and we are walking hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit, who is in control and can direct us to the right choices.

There’s a difference between being proactive and being controlling. When we are being proactive, we are listening to the Holy Spirit, not allowing our joy and contentment come from the outcome of our situations, and willing to do whatever God leads us to do. When we are struggling to be in control, we are grasping at any loose threads that bring us comfort, trying to find solace in whatever small victories may come, even at the expense of our own wellbeing. When we are working so hard at being in control, we miss the bigger picture. We forget why we are doing what we’re doing in the first place, even if it started out as a wonderful, beautiful thing.

To be honest, this summer, my actions have slowly morphed from being proactive to being controlling. The hardest time to “let God” take over is when we are faced with unknowns. These unknowns fill our hearts with anxiety, confusion, and panic. When we can’t see the end result, we are fixated on the limited view we have of the present.

God called me into a few different situations that required patience, dedication, and compassion. I believe I did everything I could to help. But then, God called me to step back, and that’s when I faltered. I didn’t want to step back. I didn’t want to let go. If I let go, I’d feel like a failure. “There’s always more I can do”, I thought.

Of course there’s always more we can do. But there isn’t always more we should do.

I’ll admit it, there’s a thrill that comes when people rely on me. It gives me a sense of purpose, which is good, but that can’t be where my purpose comes from. My purpose, and your purpose, has to come from God. Because while He doesn’t promise that the purposes found in people or careers will be fulfilled, He does promise that our purposes found in Him will flourish.

Sometimes God isn’t only calling us out of a situation for our benefit. While yes, the reason may be to renew your energy, it could also be because the person you’re helping is relying too heavily on you. They are turning to you as their crutch rather than turning to God for their healing.

Think about it this way. If you’ve ever broken a leg, or seen someone with a broken leg, you’ve realized how important crutches can be to help them be able to move. While crutches are helpful and necessary for a time, they still can’t do everything for the injured person. Eventually, the person will have to do the hard work of physical therapy in order to experience full healing. Though the therapy may be more painful, just like growing and turning to God during our difficulties can be harder than finding someone to rant to, it ultimately brings the lasting results.

It’s really hard, devastating even, to be faced with unknowns. I can’t tell you whether or not this person is still meant to be in your life. I can’t tell you why they left. I can’t, and shouldn’t, explain away all the feelings you are experiencing in this season of change.

What I can say, however, is that God loves both you and this person even more than anyone else ever could. Trust Him to take care of them. Trust Him to take care of you. There never would’ve been any of us without God. He created all of us for a reason and He won’t ever give up on us.

So, perhaps you should walk out in faith today and not give up on Him.

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.

Isaiah 55:11-12

He has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace.

2 Timothy 1:9

When the Burden Feels Heavy

Jesus promises that the burden of being a Christian is light. However, in a world full of so much darkness and pain, showing God’s love can feel anything but easy. So how can we move forward when being a Christian isn’t comfortable?

I’ve often been stumped by this verse, Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” In context, these words are spoken by Jesus, when He is encouraging His disciples. Not only does Jesus promise to give us an “easy” workload and a “light” burden, He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but these verses hit different these days. Our world is going through a lot. We’re going through a lot. A lot of heavy, difficult, and painful things. So when Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest, it’s an irresistible offer.

Nothing about this verse is confusing when it’s simply words on a page. Hearing about how delightful and refreshing being a Christian is sounds great, right? But then, when we’re on the battlefield for our faith, literally and figuratively, we begin to doubt the validity of these words. Is Jesus really right? If He is, then why is being a Christian so complicated?

Well…we make it complicated. We as in humanity as a whole. You see, my friends, Jesus is not telling us that life will be easy once we become Christian. In fact, these words are spoken in the same chapter as when Jesus’ own cousin, John the Baptist, is in prison. Jesus knows fully that John will be beheaded for his faith, and He also knows that most of the disciples He’s comforting will be persecuted and even killed because of their alliance to Him.

Jesus is no dummy. He knows exactly who He’s talking to, the incredible hardships they will face, and ultimately the end of everyone’s story. He isn’t saying these words to make light of difficulties or to give them false hope. Rather, He is reminding them that their faith gives them reason to always have peace, joy, and hope.

And how, you may ask, can we possibly have peace, joy, and hope during seasons of immense pain and fear? Well, because we can experience the kind of love that casts out all fear, pain, and guilt on a daily basis. Each day, when we spend time with God, we can allow His steady presence to give us rest. Even greater than that, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit–literally God!–living inside us. To clear up any confusion, this does NOT mean we are God. Rather, it means that God wants to be with us so much, He has chosen to live inside of us so that He will be with us always.

Some of the sweetest words to hear are “I miss you”. God went one step farther than saying “I miss you”. Rather, He realized that He’d miss us so much if He wasn’t with us 24/7, He made a way for us to be together always. He’s with you on the cold, dark nights. He’s with you during scary walks alone. He’s with you when you’re facing your giants, your triggers, and your greatest fears. He’s with you through it all.

Sometimes, though, this burden that gets placed on us as Christians can feel really heavy. We are called to care about everyone, especially those hurting. When we see news headlines of people being persecuted or children being harmed or rights being taken away, we may start to panic. When we are walking alongside someone going through indescribable heartache, we may feel drained as we absorb their pain. How can this burden possibly feel light?

Earlier this year, God placed someone in my life who I knew was directly from God. I didn’t know what this person was going through when we first got connected, yet I knew God wanted me to be especially intentional in my friendship with him. Over time, I started to learn what he was going through, and I did everything I could to be there for him. At first, I felt truly honored to be chosen to be a prayer warrior and friend to him. But after a while, things started to get increasingly difficult. I lost my enthusiasm for doing God’s will in this relationship, mostly because the “next right step” seemed less clear than before. When not hearing answers right away or knowing whether or not my efforts were appreciated, I struggled to keep my hope in God. Yet I knew I had to keep going, because the burden this person was carrying was too heavy for him to carry alone.

You may be in a similar situation right now, where you aren’t sure how God is using you, but you are feeling overloaded by another person’s burden. This work of God felt exciting for a time, but now merely feels heavy. You want to be motivated to do God’s work, yet it gets draining after a while. You may be called out of your comfort zone or faced with opposition, and you aren’t sure what to do next. This burden is anything but light.

As I’ve pondered these verses over and over again, a new revelation has come upon me. We, as Christians, cannot make the burden light on our own. Rather, the key to not feeling burned out by what we’re called to do is following Jesus’ example. Jesus actually says this quite clearly in these verses by reminding us of the importance of rest and seeing how gentle and humble His heart is.

You see, burdens often feel heavy when they require us to go out on a limb for someone. When we get embarrassed or when we must sacrifice something, we start wondering where the exit is. And when we pour everything into a situation or relationship, we don’t take the time to rest and spend time with God, we get tired. Jesus, despite coming here to save the entire world, took time to rest. He took time to be with His Father. He made sure to build that into His schedule.

There isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says Jesus was embarrassed. Yet Jesus is the literal definition of humility. He washed people’s feet. He dined with the “scum of civilization”. He chatted with people labeled as “extreme sinners”. Jesus went above and beyond the call of duty. He demonstrated true love.

And when we follow Jesus’ example, our hearts become more and more like His. We are no longer embarrassed by seemingly odd things God calls us to do. We are no longer afraid to reach out and be there for people who may not expect our help. We can feel free to be exactly who God wants us to be while still having time to rest and take care of ourselves as well.

Today, your heart might feel extremely heavy. Perhaps you just received news of a friend dealing with a tragic loss. Maybe your loved one is struggling with a problem so big, the best thing you can do is pray. Or possibly the person experiencing pain is you. Maybe the burden has been placed directly on your shoulders and you’re searching for God’s peace and comfort.

I want you to read Jesus’ words and feel comforted by them. Realize that when we allow Jesus to carry the burden alongside us, the burden is light. When we see every call to help someone as an opportunity rather than an irritating interruption, the work will feel easy. We aren’t called to stay in our comfort zones. Rather, we’re called to be comforted by Jesus as we walk through the fire together.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.

Numbers 11:17

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

Refocusing Our Conversations with God

Are you frustrated by your prayer times, feeling as though you’re having a one-sided conversation? Here’s some advice and encouragement for your conversations with God.

Were you the type of student who raised your hand the second an idea popped into your head? It didn’t matter when the idea emerged–it just had to be shared! Whether you were that student or not, I’m sure you can remember your teacher’s response. If you had a good teacher, they likely politely told you to patiently wait and put your hand down until it was time for sharing responses. Teachers don’t want their students wildly waving their arms during instruction time because they know that the students aren’t listening when they are focused only on what they want to say.

Looking back, I’m sure you can agree that what you had to say wasn’t quite as important as what the teacher had to say. Growing up with a parent as a preschool teacher, I’ve heard my fair share of random circle time stories. Usually they are completely off-topic, and while interesting, don’t contribute much to the lesson time. Whether a student is giving an answer or sharing a story, the teacher likely doesn’t learn anything from what the student says . Rather, they allow the student to share for the student’s benefit.

Students come to school in order to hear what their teacher has to say. Their teacher has years of wisdom and are designed to prioritize their students’ needs, while students, particularly younger ones, only have their own interests in mind. Teachers can see the long road of learning ahead of their students, while the students can merely focus on their daily course work.

Though it’s easy to laugh at our younger selves in this scenario, the truth is, our conversations with God often mimic the way teachers interact with their students. We, the students, often run to God with whatever new desire or need comes up, usually right when God is trying to teach us something. He wants to hear what we have to say, but more importantly He wants us to listen and focus on what He’s trying to tell us.

God is the only one who can see the future and know what course is best for us to take. So naturally, it would make sense to follow His leading rather than going with whatever brilliant idea pops into our heads first.

However, we get so fixated on what we want, especially during our prayer time, that we forget to keep our hearts and minds open to God’s leading. What percentage of your prayer time is talking to God? You probably would say 100%, right? Well, what if it was 50/50, spending at least half the time listening to God rather than just talking? Or, what if most of your time with God was listening to Him rather than speaking?

That can be hard because listening feels less productive than talking. We are required to be still and patient when we are listening to God. Listening requires trusting God enough to believe He knows what we need more than we do. Yet listening is a verb, an action word. We must be proactive in order to listen by reading the Bible, noticing what the Holy Spirit is causing us to feel passionately about, and hearing from wise biblical counsel.

There are many different ways to hear from God. There isn’t exactly one “better” way than another, though I will say reading the Bible is a key part in knowing what God desires for you. The most important thing is always being on alert to what God is trying to tell you. You don’t have to be in a church or on a mountain top or at a retreat in order to feel God’s presence. Rather, you can be sitting in your car, waiting for someone, or laying awake at night. God can meet you everywhere.

Today, instead of going about your prayer time the way you normally do, take time to listen to what God is teaching you. Reflect on what He is doing in your life, what promises He has revealed to you, and where He is leading you next. Perhaps He will place a particular person on your heart who needs your love. Maybe He wishes to fill your heart with peace and give you rest from all the things stressing you out.

No matter where you’re coming from today, God will meet you exactly where you’re at.

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. 

John 8:47

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

In God’s Hands

Are you burdened by a situation that you know you should place in God’s hands, yet you aren’t sure how to trust God with it? Here is advice and encouragement.

Have you ever felt out of control in either a situation or relationship, and someone gave you the advice, “Just put it in God’s hands” ? It can be really frustrating to get this advice because while it’s well-meaning, it’s hard to know how to put it in God’s hands. And once we figure out how, letting go is extremely difficult as well.

So what does putting something in God’s hands even mean?

This phrase goes hand in hand with the definition of surrender. When we surrender something, we are no longer in control of it. And when it comes to our lives, especially the people in our lives, we are never really in control of them in the first place. Yet we are giving that feeling of being in control to God and trusting Him with it. Sometimes, that process of surrender comes in taking a risk, being proactive in a situation. Other times, it means stepping back and being patient, maybe even letting go and moving on.

Last year, I struggled with giving God a friendship that was burdening my heart. This friend was going through a lot, yet I was unable to communicate with her. I went through seasons of bitterness and anger over what felt unfair, cruel even. I went through times of grief and longing for what used to be. But I wouldn’t–couldn’t–give up. I was determined.

If you know me, you know I’m (in the positive description) perseverant, and (in the negative description) stubborn. Sometimes, that can be a really good thing. But often it makes letting go extremely difficult. Perhaps you can relate to the feeling of failure that comes with letting go. That overwhelming ache of loss.

Yet, in this situation, I felt God beside me, telling me to put this person, who I cared so deeply about, into His hands. And finally, I released her. I put her in His hands and tried to trust that whatever came next would be from God.

Do you ever pray for God to take hold of a situation, and instead of feeling at peace with whatever happens next, you wait for what you want to happen to finally happen? I’ll admit to experiencing this. Sometimes, we’re tempted to just say the right words so that our plan can come into play rather than God’s. Of course, life doesn’t work like that. God knows what’s really going on in our hearts. But it can be awfully disappointing when things don’t go the way we want.

At this point in my story, I was ready to fully surrender my friend. When I prayed those words, I truly meant them. And guess what? For a few short weeks, it felt like it worked. I was miraculously able to get back in touch with her and we picked up right where we left off. We were even going to see each other again. I praised God and thought, “Wow, putting things in God’s hands really does work!”.

But then a painful thing happened between us (which I will spare you the details of) which devastated me. I felt even worse and confused as this person was taken away from me once again. I was upset at God and doubted that putting things in His hands was the right thing to do after all.

And this is where putting something in God’s hands really comes to the test. The key to putting something or someone in God’s hands is trusting Him fully with it. It means when things don’t go the way we want, and even if we are left with disappointing results, we still know that God is in control. We are still trusting that God knows what’s best and that He still cares about everyone involved.

It’s taken me more than a month to come to terms with this. It’s not something that can be done overnight. Putting our lives in God’s hands is a daily process. It starts with dedicating the day to God in the morning, checking in with Him throughout the day, and reflecting with Him at night. It means living out “Thy will be done”, even when things don’t go the way we hope.

And that’s really hard. It’s really hard when it feels like nothing is going right. It’s really hard when we trust God, and it feels like He’s let us down. It’s really hard to know that He’s still here and He still cares when everything is falling apart around us.

But I can promise you one thing–God never changes. The God who has given you everything you have and sacrificed everything out of His love for you is the same God who is waiting to pick up the pieces after you go through the storms of life. God doesn’t want to hurt you, but He wants to help you grow closer to Him. Sometimes that means letting go of people. Sometimes that means stepping out of a situation. Sometimes that means even feeling alone for a season.

However, you are never alone. The reason we can trust God with whatever we’re going through is because He has proven Himself over and over again. Just think, the things that were burdening you a year ago have changed. Perhaps they are even resolved, or on the road to healing. You are growing and changing and developing godly characteristics. We often can only see the single step ahead of us, but God is focused on both the past, the present, and the future.

When we fix our eyes on the end, we can trust God with the steps it takes to get there. So today, give God whatever is burdening you. Allow yourself to rest and find peace in the here and now. And remember that no matter what, what’s ahead is better than what is gone. Don’t give up. ❤

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:25

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Our Need for Light

We will grow from all our experiences, but how can we make sure that growth produces good things?

I’ve had my fair share of experiences with mold, my most recent involving my electric toothbrush. There’s a little divot in the plastic where the bottom of the toothbrush rests when I’m not using it, and over time, the darkness and the dampness in that spot has created an orangish gook (yes, I’m definitely using the technical terms here). I must say, it’s rather disconcerting seeing this gook on the bottom of the instrument that’s meant to clean my mouth. When the gook first appeared, I wiped it and it went away. But the lazier I got about cleaning it, the worse the gook became.

None of us would want to be compared to mold. Come on, it’s disgusting, a super nauseating color, and such an odd, disturbing texture. Yet sometimes, the fruit from our lives takes the form of mold rather than beautiful flowers or delicious fruit.

You may be wondering what I mean by the “fruit of our lives”. Well, Jesus actually uses fruit when describing how people will know we are Christians. He says, “By their fruits, you will know them.” (Matthew 7:20) Our fruits are essentially our legacy. Are we helping others? Are we making a difference? It doesn’t have to be changing the whole world, but are we at least making a difference in the lives of people around us? Are we known for being kind, generous, and patient? What kinds of fruits are we producing through our growth?

Growth. There’s the key word. The only way any fruit can be produced is when we grow. Now, God can certainly work through pleasant situations as well as painful ones, but if you look back on your life, you can probably see how memorable the painful lessons were. It was when you were lonely that God revealed you are never alone. It was when you were grieving that the verse “And Jesus wept” suddenly meant something to you as you realized that Jesus was crying alongside you. It was when you were broken that you searched for healing from the ultimate Healer. Jesus is the one who can light our path and cultivate good fruit from all of our experiences.

The thing is, we can technically grow in both the light and the dark. But when we grow in the dark, away from God’s counsel, away from people who care about us, away from wisdom, we end up producing mold. When we huddle in our own messes, unwilling to cleanse ourselves, unwilling to do the difficult work it takes to learn from our mistakes, we end up worse than how we started.

But when we grow in the light, we can produce beautiful fruit. We can become pops of color in a dismal, gray world. We can bloom like sunflowers, bringing joy to everyone we know. We can bring peace and comfort, like lilies, to those in need. We can bring nourishment and delight, like the fruit sitting in your fruit bowl right now.

When we allow the light to pour in, we begin to reflect the goodness of God.

You see, my friend, no matter what situation you’re in, you will grow. Difficulties, stress, and pain are bound to change us. But wouldn’t you want something good to come from those things? Wouldn’t you rather be a source of hope rather than wallow in self-pity?

But only you get to choose which path you’ll take. Will you allow God to move through you, shaping you into the person you are meant to be? It will take time. It may even take additional pain before you can see what God’s doing. But isn’t the good fruit worth it?

Today, ask yourself whether you’re growing in light or in darkness. It’s not too late to remove the moldy parts of your life and start over. God has the divine cleaning tools of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. He is more than ready to be the light you desperately crave.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

James 1:18

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Ephesians 5:8-14

What Does Justice Truly Look Like?

You may be unsure how to look at justice, especially in light of recent events and controversies. Yet, through Jonah’s story from the Old Testament, we can learn how to go about achieving justice in the way God intended.

Justice. A word that’s been thrown around a lot recently, and for good reason. Between recognizing the need for racial reconciliation, the attacks on democracy and freedom in many countries, and most recently, the devastating acts taken against innocent people in Afghanistan.

Yet, within the church, there’s much division over the idea of justice. Some argue that we shouldn’t fight for justice because that’s not our place. Others think that if people don’t do everything within their power to achieve equity, they are not Christian. Lots of arguments have been made, but very few healthy discussions.

You may be wondering where you should stand on the justice issue. Is it wrong to fight for justice when we’re supposed to trust God? Should justice be our number one priority?

Well, I can’t give you an exact, step-by-step answer. The amount of effort you should make in any situation should depend on what God tells you through prayer, reading the Bible, and trusted people in your life who understand the situation fully. However, in this space here, I want to have an open discussion about justice. I’ve been thinking about it in light of current events, and after reading the books of Jonah and Nahum.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, justice is “the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments”.

Sometimes, just looking at what a word actually means can help us understand an issue better. The word that stands out to me is “impartial”. Often, when we stake a claim on an issue, we refuse to see the other side. “What’s there to see,” we rationalize. “My side is the only humane side! If I expose myself to the other side, I’ll get brainwashed!”

The main issue when we get fixated on the way we see the world is that when people don’t receive the punishment we believe they deserve, we get angry at God. It doesn’t seem fair for them to get away so easily! If only we were in charge…

And, in certain issues, that would really make sense, wouldn’t it? Especially when innocent people are getting hurt.

God wants us to care about those who are weak, marginalized, and oppressed. In fact, Jesus calls us to do exactly that, by following His example. He demonstrated this unconditional love countless times, particularly when He came to Earth and spent time with the outcasts in society.

But as much as He wants us to care about others, He wants us to care about our relationship with Him. And one of the biggest keys to a healthy relationship is building it on trust. Trusting God is not passive; it requires active participation and listening to what God is calling us to do. Yet it isn’t easy when God is calling us to love our enemies rather than punish them.

Take Jonah’s situation for example. Jonah often gets a bad rap, and for good reason, right? On the surface, his story is all about the consequences of disobeying God, acting selfishly, and without grace. I was even more furious at him when I learned the real reason why he didn’t want to go to Ninevah. He knew that God would save those people. He hated them so much that he didn’t want them to be saved!

However, as I took a deeper look into Jonah’s story, I realized something that’s a little painful. The reason many of us, or at least I, tend to look down on Jonah is because I’m guilty of being similar to him in certain situations.

Just think about it: Jonah’s desires weren’t all that crazy. He hated the Ninevites for good reason. They were the enemy of his people. They were known to be violent and haters of God. God doesn’t take destroying a city lightly, so the fact that this was a viable threat to them shows the seriousness of the situation. Jonah saw injustice and he wanted justice to be served.

And, I’ll go so far to say, justice was served. Just…not in the way Jonah expected.

Jonah does everything he can to achieve justice his way. His act of running away may have looked like an act of fear, yet it was really strategic on his part. He was doing what he felt was right to keep his own people safe. But after his rather “fishy” experience of being saved by God’s grace, Jonah goes on to do exactly as God commanded him to do. Afterwards, he sits up on a hill in the scorching sun, where God provides him a tree, and waits for God to do His “justice thing”.

But nope. No raining fire down from Heaven or giant explosion. Nothing. Oh, except for the tree withering, which causes Jonah to have a meltdown. I always used to look down on Jonah for acting so childishly, yet when everything seems to be going wrong, it’s easy to break down and protest over the tiniest inconvenience.

To us, God’s justice seems to be the best option in this situation. People’s hearts were changed by Jonah’s words, which saves more lives than if God had destroyed the city. Then, in Nahum, we learn that when God knew the later generations of Ninevites wouldn’t have soft hearts, He ended up destroying the city, which is exactly what Jonah had wanted. Yet only God knew which hearts would change, and because of His never-ending grace, He gave the people the time they needed to grow.

But to Jonah, who could only see a sliver of what God could see, the situation was dire. Nothing seemed fair, and that’s the thing about God’s grace, it isn’t fair. But the unfairness doesn’t happen to us, necessarily. It happens to God. It isn’t fair to God to send His only Son to die for us. It isn’t fair to God to save Jonah after he disobeyed and disrespected Him. It isn’t fair to God to rescue violent people and give them a second chance. Yet it’s through His love and knowledge that’s distributed equally to us that He allows unfairness to exist. And through that wisdom, His justice is served.

The unrepentant people will be punished, even if not on Earth. But the ones whose hearts accept Jesus will be saved. And we should simply be thankful for that.

Yet, though we call for equal rights, we are often angry by God’s equal love. We don’t like that God loves people on the other side as much as He loves us. We don’t like that God gives second chances. We don’t like that our enemy has the same opportunities that we have to God’s mercy and forgiveness.

We, my friends, are like Jonah. We have received God’s grace. We have received numerous chances. We are given more than what we can possibly ask for, yet we often focus our eyes on what seems unfair to us.

I am extremely guilty of only paying attention to the present trials. I often forget that our God is a God of the future, the present, and the past. God has proven Himself time and time again. He wants us to understand that justice will be served, but not in our way, in His way. And His way is always right.

Why, you may ask, is His way always right? Because He is the only one who can comprehend the bigger picture. It’s honestly a wonderful thing to not have to be burdened with the knowledge of everything. God is freeing us from that burden and allowing us to simply be present in the lives of those around us. He wants us to continue calling out to Him, to yearn for justice, but for that justice to be out of His love and grace and discernment.

I don’t want you to stop seeking justice. I don’t want you to stop caring about people in need. That wouldn’t be biblical at all.

What I want, however, is for us to long for what God wants. I don’t want us to waste our lives second-guessing God’s choices. God knows exactly what He’s doing, and it’s for the greater good. I am praying for us to have peace as we do as much as we can to show others God’s love and realize that’s enough.

God is a God of justice and He will never fail.

When my life was ebbing away,

    I remembered you, Lord,

and my prayer rose to you,

    to your holy temple.

Jonah 2:7

I knew that you are a graciousand compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 

Jonah 4:2

The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;

    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.

Nahum 1:3

When Life’s Just Plain Mean

Are you feeling tired, burned out by all that’s going on around you? Take the time to rest and nourish yourself.

            I started off writing a post about life’s interruptions. I have had my share of interruptions recently, and though things haven’t exactly made sense, all my experiences seemed to tie together for that post. I was really excited about it, feeling God’s hand on the piece, and then when I went to post it, half the article got deleted.

            I collapsed in my chair, tears streaming down my face, about ready to throw my computer out the window. Yes, things get deleted a lot, but, as I’ll share in that post (which I am definitely going to finish–the enemy can’t win that easily!!!), a lot has been going on in my life that hasn’t made sense. In fact, these things have drained me, shaken me, broken my heart, and have resulted in poorer mental and physical health this summer. This felt like the last straw. If at least one good thing could come out of the situation, I thought, then maybe things would begin to make sense.

            But you know what? Life doesn’t always make sense. I often try to put meaning behind everything (which I still believe that everything is intentional), but sometimes we just have to allow ourselves the time to grieve. Grieve what was, grieve what is, grieve what might be to come. Letting go is hard. Change is hard. Acceptance is hard.

            I’m sure you know all these things by now. In fact, you’re probably waiting for me to finally tell you something you don’t know. Well…I don’t know if I can do that today.

            Here’s what I will tell you. Whatever you’re going through matters. No matter how small, no matter how big, no matter how many people it affects. As long as it affects someone (and yes, you are a someone) then it matters. If it matters to you, it matters to God.

            God promises to be with us through everything. That doesn’t mean we won’t have storms come our way, but it does mean we will never be alone. It’s okay to be angry and hurt and frustrated. But instead of lashing out at others or criticizing yourself or throwing your computer out the window, call out to God. He wants to hear from you during every single season of your life, including the painful, overwhelming ones. 

            And once you’ve done that, rest. Take time to breathe. Take time to listen to calming music or visit a place that brings you joy. Things won’t be solved overnight and you may not feel better that fast either. However, each day is brand new, full of an opportunity to be replenished by God’s peace and grace. Take however long you need to let your heart heal. You’re worth it.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30