Trust – Page 7 – The Will to Wake Up

The God of Feelings

Do you ever worry about your feelings being too big for God? Here’s some advice and encouragement!

I’ve often spoken of how God isn’t a “God of feelings”. He’s so much bigger than that, loyal, faithful, honest, and never-changing. His love is so different from the fleeting love we experience in many relationships.

While all of that is true and important to recognize, I’ve realized I may have done an incredible disservice to you. By speaking so joyfully about God in this way, I may have misled you into believing that He doesn’t have feelings, that feelings don’t have a place in our world. But believe me, feelings do have an important place, and God does have feelings too.

I’ve seen the consequences of not “believing in feelings” firsthand within my own family. I used to think it was just my family, but during the recent spread of awareness about the issues Asian Americans have faced, I’m beginning to realize it’s cultural. It’s a known fact that there’s a stigma around mental health in the Asian American community, often because our mental health has not been seen as important in the past. For my dad’s side of the family, expressing any kind of feeling (other than indifference) is seen as a weakness.

Both my dad and my grandma, whenever they mention a loss or a difficulty, laugh it off to prove they are okay. I’ve never seen either of them cry. They literally live out the line from Let it Go, “Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know.” Whenever I share a hardship with them, they merely shrug and act like I’m an idiot for being the least bit concerned.

But I know those feelings are deep within them. When our dog passed away last year, my dad clung onto compulsive actions in an attempt to unknowingly cope. The stress lines and the frown on his face indicate his anxiety. Yet if asked, it will be received with harsh reprimands for ever assuming anything’s not fine. It deeply saddens me to see them suffering like this. The negative feelings won’t dissipate simply because we choose to ignore them. Rather, they continue to bubble up until we are forced to confront them, often by this point in an unhealthy way.

I think Christians often fall into the trap of making everyone think they have to be fine in order to be a Christian. “You must not trust God if you are sad or disappointed,” they often say. “Everything happens for a reason, and if you don’t believe that fully at every given moment, then you must not be saved!”

But that’s not true. If our faith was dependent on never having a single doubt or wavering moment, then our faith wouldn’t be much of anything. Our faith is built on God’s grace and forgiveness. When we get out on the water with Him and falter, He will stretch out His hand and rescue us. And those moments of truly needing His saving is what strengthens our faith the most.

When we’re close to God, we know His character. He isn’t going to turn away from us when we have tear stains on our cheeks. He isn’t going to laugh at us when we come to Him in bits and pieces after our heart’s been broken. He isn’t going to mock us when we are asking for forgiveness.

Rather, He is going to be there waiting for us, excited when we turn to Him through everything we’re feeling.

It’s when we don’t know God’s character that we fear coming to Him as anything less than perfect. Well, let me tell you, God knows darn well that we aren’t perfect! He knows our every thought and feeling. He hears every whispered cry and every quiet call for help.

But guess what? God isn’t afraid of what you’re feeling.

God is so much more powerful than what we’re feeling. He has given us this life, and these feelings, in order to bring us closer to Him and to each other. So don’t deny the fact that you have feelings. Rather, see how these feelings may be prompting you to show other’s God’s love.

One of the greatest marks of a follower of Christ is compassion. I once read in a Bible study that compassion is “love in action”. It requires stepping into another person’s shoes and feeling what they are feeling. We can’t show compassion if we deny ourselves our right to feel.

We can’t control how we feel, but we can control what we do with those feelings. If you are worried about your feelings taking over your life, then remember that you can allow God to use those feelings for good.

No matter how you’re feeling today, your feelings are valid. They matter. But they certainly won’t ever define who you are in Christ.

Lord, you have examined me
    and know all about me.
²You know when I sit down and when I get up.
    You know my thoughts before I think them.
³You know where I go and where I lie down.
    You know everything I do.
⁴Lord, even before I say a word,
    you already know it.
Psalm 139:1-4

Song Recommendation: Broken Prayers, by Riley Clemmons: https://youtu.be/cBDt_-tIfLI

Running the Right Race

With all the terrible things in our world, it can be easy to lose hope. Here is some encouragement when running the race called “life”.

My dog, Rocky, is something else, let me tell you! I’ve only had him a little over a year, yet I could fill a book with stories about him. From the time he broke into the bathroom to get to my aunt (who happened to be showering and thought he was a murderer…and who hasn’t stayed with us since) to yesterday’s shenanigans of ripping open a new tissue box and taking large chomps out of each tissue, he’s quite the character. He’s got boundless energy…unless he’s napping, in which he would prefer to not be disturbed 🙂

Recently, he’s figured out where our house is in perspective to the other parts of the neighborhood. Take him anywhere, and he can lead you home. In fact, if you try taking him anywhere, he will lead you home. Apparently he believes once around the block is enough exercise for him.

Today, as we were turning the corner and our house was in view, his little legs stretched out as he fast-walked. His tail was in the air, his tongue hanging out, and his eyes fixed on the prize: home. I called out his name a few times, but nothing could distract him. He knew where he was going and nothing could get in his way.

The apostle Paul compares our lives to a race. In multiple letters, he commands us to “run the good race” by following God’s truth, exercising self-control, and most of all, fixing our eyes on the prize. And that prize is eternal, nothing we can even comprehend down here.

It’s easy to get distracted from the prize, life with God, when we are in the world, doing the day-to-day things. Our anxieties, relationships, and work can make us forget that there is more to us than this life. We can feel bogged down by the weight of this world when we see our climate declining, families in desperate situations, and people being discriminated against.

It’s important to fight for justice and help those in need. In fact, Jesus commands us to do just that. However, when it feels like nothing will get better, we must remember that this world is only temporary. We can only do the best we can, and then we have to trust that Jesus knows what He’s doing.

God can seem cruel by allowing evil to take place in the world. But He knows the future. He knows that while there are certainly present suffering, it is nothing in comparison to the wonderful things He has in store for us. We must not blame Him for the bad things that happen, and instead focus on what good He may be bringing from it.

We just have to keep running the good race and remember that God is in control. I believe in you. Don’t give up.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

In For a Dollar

What keeps you from having a deep relationship with God?

At the end of every speech, Christian writer Max Lucado tests his audience by offering a dollar bill to anyone who wants it. Usually, he’s met by silence, a confused crowd. After a little while, one nervous or daring audience member stands up and claims it.

He concluded that there are a few reasons why people don’t race each other to the stage. First, for simply a dollar, it might not seem worth the humiliation of going up there. Second, they may think someone else needs the dollar more than them. And third, they may think it’s a trick.

Lucado compares this example to salvation. There’s nothing we can do to earn God’s forgiveness, it’s simply there for us. We may not believe it will benefit our life, even though it certainly will. We may think others need it more than we do.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s two things separating us from God: fear and pride.

Fear tells us that salvation isn’t “really” free. It makes us doubt God and His plan, and even His existence. It causes us to hide our beliefs or ignore our convictions.

Pride makes us think we don’t need God. We allow self-sufficiency take the place of our need of our rescuer–God. We do whatever we can to avoid humiliation.

In order to have a deep and honest relationship with God, we need to trade our fear and pride in for two things: trust and humility. When we trust God, we are willing to do whatever He asks us to, even if the world thinks it’s strange. When we are humble, we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us by showing us where we need to grow and allowing us to demonstrate God’s love to everyone in our path.

We can be confident without being prideful by remembering we are made in God’s image and everything we have comes from Him. We can be logical without being fearful, by taking necessary precautions to be safe while not allowing them to come between us and God’s call.

Sometimes it feels like a long, endless journey towards becoming who God has created us to be. But don’t lose hope. Each day, by striving to know Him and become more like Him, you are growing. God is not wasting this season of learning. He’s shaping you into exactly the person you need to be.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4

Our Reunion with Jesus

Are you worried about Jesus’ return? Here’s some encouragement!

I’ll always remember one “Truth or Dare” game I played with my close friend in middle school. We both always picked truth since we were afraid of the dares, and we ended up learning a lot about each other that way. Once, she asked me, “What’s your biggest fear?”

I was ashamed to admit (because you can’t lie in Truth or Dare, right?) that my biggest fear was Jesus’ return. I told her I remembered a part in the Bible about no one knowing when Jesus would come back, so I’d constantly think “Jesus is coming today” in the hopes that He wouldn’t come back.

You might laugh, as I currently am, at my logic. However, I’m sure many of us have been worried about the end of the world, and thus Jesus’ return, before. It makes sense to be afraid of the tribulation and even what the rapture will be like. But there’s one thing that we shouldn’t be scared of, and that’s meeting Jesus.

I like to think about it in this way (if you have any long distance relationships/friendships, you’ll understand):

It’s sort of like a long distance friendship. You can get to know each other over the screen, through calls and Facetime. You will grow to love them and care about them. You can even get a sense for what they are like, really like, and can share deep things.

But nothing compares to when you finally get to be together in person. You are a little nervous, but mostly excited, and it’s like the love, care, and affection has multiplied exponentially when you finally get to hug, hear each other’s laughter in person, and spend time together.

I’ll always remember the two times I’ve been able to meet up with online friends. Two of my closest friends, in fact, live far away from me.

The first time I drove to Pennsylvania while on a trip in Michigan visiting family. The car ride felt forever, but when we finally pulled up to her driveway, there she was, in the flesh, waving at me with a big smile on her face. We only had a few hours together, but we cherished each and every moment, and I left wanting more time.

The second time was last summer, when my friend flew from Colorado to visit me. She risked a lot coming, since it was during the pandemic, but we had planned the trip in advance and we both knew she just had to still come. I wandered through the airport looking for her, and I nearly screamed when I finally found her. I remember her turning around and seeing her eyes light up. We embraced, and for a moment, it was like time had stopped.

If it was that awesome meeting friends, it will be even more amazing meeting Jesus.

Just think, the One who loves you the most, died for you, and calls you His chosen creation, is waiting for you. It will be like seeing all your loved ones embodied in one being, only without their flaws and with an infinite amount of love.

So don’t be afraid for when Jesus comes. Instead, get to know Him. The reason I can have confidence now is because I’ve spent the years between that Truth or Dare game and now reading the Bible, praying, and seeing Jesus work in many lives, including mine. It’s always awkward and nerve-wracking meeting a stranger, so don’t make Jesus one. Instead, remember that He loves you more than words can ever describe.

The end is coming. Every second that passes brings it closer to now. So don’t waste this precious time we’ve been given to build relationships with others to bring them closer to Jesus and show them His love.

Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Revelation 22:12-13

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17

Losing Sight of Beauty

Are you currently in a season of waiting? Here is some encouragement for the times when it feels like God isn’t working.

Do you ever get super excited about something? It might be a new opportunity or a relationship. But then, you find out you have to wait for it. You might be willing to wait a while, but the waiting grows longer…and longer. You’re tired of waiting. You’re tired of being patient. You begin to wonder why you were ever excited in the first place, even if the thing you’re excited about hasn’t changed.

I’ve had this happen to me countless times. Most recently, I got the opportunity to partner with a brand through my photography. I was so excited! This is what many photographers in my “line of work” (more like hobby) hope for, and essentially what I’ve been working towards for over four years.

When the company first reached out to me, I was ecstatic! I called my close friends, I barely resisted the urge to text everyone in my contacts. I was truly overjoyed.

But then…it took weeks for them to respond to me. Once they finally did, it took even longer before we could work out the details of the deal. They were kind and thoughtful, but it was still frustrating having to wait for everything to work out, not knowing if everything would eventually go through.

Then, when they shipped out the package with the merchandise for me to photograph, the package kept getting delayed. The latest it was supposed to come was 7 p.m. and it came close to 6:30 p.m.

But when I opened the front door, there were five GINORMOUS (I do mean that in the most literal sense) packages. I was so touched…and embarrassed I had been annoyed at the wait.

To be honest, during the waiting process, I struggled to find joy in the project. I no longer wanted to tell everyone and their neighbor. When my friends asked how things were going, I mumbled something about things probably not working out.

But then, it did. It worked out even better than I could’ve imagined. To say I was overwhelmed by their generosity is an understatement.

Seasons of waiting (often when they are for even bigger things than photography partnerships) can feel like the toughest times to draw close to God. We’re often impatient with Him, wondering why He isn’t “following through” with His promises. But the truth is, He is always working, even when we can’t see it. He has something much bigger in store for us if we can only wait. Often, His answers come in different shaped packages than we imagined, but they are better, more profound than anything we could ever hope for.

It’s easy to give up hoping when things aren’t happening at the speed we want them to. We lose sight of the beauty. The beauty in what we’re waiting for, the beauty in the world around us, in the little things. But most of all, the beauty that comes in a season of waiting.

God doesn’t waste the waiting, and He doesn’t want us to either. God often meets us in these uncomfortable places and teaches us everything we need for the next season of life. Often, the reason we have to wait is because we aren’t ready for what’s next. But if we allow God to work through every season, He will help us become ready for the things He has planned for us. He doesn’t promise to give us all we wish for, but rather what He desires for us.

You may wonder, “Why go through waiting periods if God isn’t planning on giving me what I want?”. Well, when we align our hearts with God’s, our deepest desire is for His will to be done. When we keep ourselves open to the unexpected opportunities God places in our path, we won’t feel quite so stuck. Instead, we will always have things to do for God’s kingdom.

Today, I hope you can revisit the part of your life you feel stuck in. I hope you can see that God is working through this season of waiting. And most of all, I pray that you can see the beauty in everything God is doing in you and through you.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Lamentations 3:25

But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Micah 7:7

My “Origin” Story

Thank you for being a vital part of the Will to Wake Up community! Here is the story behind my blog!

As you might have noticed, The Will to Wake Up went through a few renovations this weekend! I’m hoping this new format makes it more user-friendly and inviting! Though this blog is reaching its two-year anniversary, I know many of you may be new! That’s why I’ve decided to share the origin story behind The Will to Wake Up.

As you can tell from the website link, I’m slightly obsessed with the Enneagram 🙂 I originally wanted to have a blog dedicated to writing about the Enneagram, but after about two posts, I ran out of things to talk about! That’s when I decided a faith/encouragement blog would be more inspirational.

Sure enough, it has been, after 143 posts, I still have more to say and learn with all of you!

The truth is, I was in a really bad place at the time of when I created this blog. I was in a season of loss, trials, and instability. I knew that I should draw closer to God through the hardships, yet I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I wanted to do more with my life than sit around and hope for things to get better. I wanted to make a difference–I still want to!–but I didn’t know how.

I prayed and listened to what people around me were saying: “You should make a blog!”, “You should do more with your writing!” ,”Share your writing with a bigger audience!”.

So, the morning after one of the hardest days of my life, I flipped open my laptop and decided to just do it. No more waiting around, no more feeling sorry for myself, no more wishing for a close relationship with God without doing anything about it.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions surrounding the name of this blog. To be honest, it just sort of came to me, as most inspiration does. I needed a wake-up call in my life, something or someone to motivate me. Then it hit me–God’s my will to wake up. He’s the reason I am given a second chance every morning. He’s the One who gives my life a purpose.

God filled me with an overwhelming amount of peace and joy as I learned to spend more time with Him when life gets difficult. I knew I had to share that with others.

Though I may not have hundreds of readers, I know that God is using this blog for amazing things. Every single comment reminds me that God works through everything. Every person is important and even if this blog only touches one life, that will make it all worth it.

I hope that you have and will find encouragement and love here. I am so, so grateful for you. ❤

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
John 4:7

Children of God

Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when He compared believers to children of God? Here is some encouragement for when you aren’t sure if God loves you.

I love children, I promise you I do. I spend more than half my week teaching them, taking care of them, and being humbled by them. All my previous and current jobs and volunteering opportunities have involved kids. They have such a unique way of viewing the world. It’s still mysterious and exciting to them. I love the spark in their eyes when you tell them something they’ve never heard before. They aren’t so quick to defend their former ways of thinking. They are willing to embrace the surprises in life.

But, if you’ve spent any time at all with kids, you know that they aren’t always easy to be around. They are demanding and impatient. They often believe they know what’s best for them even when they don’t, they change their minds frequently, and they are experts at whining.

When I think about Jesus commanding us to be like children, I’ve always assumed He was referring to the positive qualities I shared: curiosity, innocence, anticipation for the future. But today, as I spent time with three very precious children who ran in three different directions and expected me to be at their beck and call, I’ve found a new insight about being God’s children.

Yes, Jesus included children in His ministry to remind us to embrace the surprises in life and see the world through a child’s lens. But He’s also comparing us to children (regardless of our age) because we are His children. I don’t just mean He made us, I mean our relationship with Him is very much like a child’s is with a parent or guardian.

Just think about it for a minute. When we pray, are we listening to what God has to say, or are we demanding that He do what we ask?

He’s the only one who knows what’s best for us, yet we often like to give Him a piece of our mind the second things don’t seem to be working out.

When kids get in trouble, they often claim that they never knew what the rules were. They were never warned, therefore it’s not their fault. It’s yours. Yet, you distinctly remember telling them what would happen if they broke the rules moments earlier.

It’s easy to blame God when life doesn’t go the way we want. We claim the consequences of our actions are His fault, when really, all God wants to do is help us have a fulfilling life. But do we always want to follow His instructions to have that life?

Despite my comparisons to children being mostly negative, I actually think this relationship is beautiful. Just think about it: when a kid whines to you or demands that you do something for them, it doesn’t make you love them any less. When they don’t obey you and they get the consequence for their action, you don’t think “haha, glad they’re hurt”, you feel sympathy for them. When you make rules, it’s because you love them, not because you look forward to punishing them.

And most of all, you want them to know that no matter what they do, you will never love them less. They can’t do anything to earn that love. You love them just because of who they are.

That’s how God sees us. He doesn’t want us to get hurt. He doesn’t want us to feel heartbroken. But He allows things in our life to happen so that we can learn to run to Him. He teaches us through both the good and bad experiences. And most of all, nothing you can do can make God love you less. He loves you because of who you are, not what you accomplish.

And that, my friend, is true love.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:9-11

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39

Is it Wrong to be Afraid?

We’ve all struggled with fear, and it’s mentioned many times in the Bible to not be afraid. But is the feeling of fear actually wrong?

Whether it’s standing in front of a judgmental crowd, peering over the side of a mountain, or asking someone we like out, we all have struggled with fear before. I’m sure if I asked you to list out five things you’re afraid of, you could list double that. Fear is something I’ve been trying to combat for years. When we’re fearful, we certainly don’t feel good, right? The clammy palms, racing heart, and fitful sleep aren’t particularly pleasant. But does that make fear a sin?

Technically, anything that separates us from God is a sin. That means that perfectly good things, like our careers or loved ones, can become a problem when we place them above God. However, that doesn’t mean they’re inherently sinful or that they will always be a sin once we put God first again.

But there is nothing good about fear. Yes, fear can protect us from things, but I’d like to think of that as intuition more than fear. Intuition, or rather the Holy Spirit’s leading, is what keeps us away from harmful situations such as back alleyways at night or wild parties.

Fear, on the other hand, is the sole culprit when it comes to keeping us from fulfilling our purpose. We don’t reach out to people because we’re afraid of their opinion or reaction. We don’t apply for the more difficult job because we’re afraid we won’t do it well. We don’t share our faith because we’re worried we’ll be seen as weak or part of the stereotypes surrounding Christians.

However, I once heard a quote that said, “A true act of bravery is when we are afraid but do it anyway”. I don’t believe that feeling fear is sinful at all. It’s just a part of how we’re wired. We can’t control when our mind races with doubt or we start picturing the worst case scenarios. But we can control whether or not we allow fear to stop us from doing what we have to do.

That’s when fear becomes a sin: when we use it as an excuse to not do what God is prompting us to do.

This is something I personally struggle with on a regular basis. I allow other people’s opinions, fear of failure, and many other fears that surface at “just the right time” to keep me from believing that God has a perfect plan for me. God will call us to do things that are sacrificial, humbling, embarrassing even, but in the long run, it’s worth it. God promises to use us mightily; He doesn’t promise that it will go the way we want or that it will be easy.

Ask yourself the tough question, how is God calling you out of your comfort zone? Is there someone you need to reach out to? An opportunity to be had? A possession donated?

Sometimes, a lot of times actually, God’s plan doesn’t make much sense to us. But no matter where you are in life, I promise that God is working in you and through you to make a difference. Keep on hoping.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Psalm 94:19

Song Recommendations:

Keep On Hoping, by Riley Clemmons: https://youtu.be/_GKqi4pFGoM

Same Stars, by Xander Sallows: https://youtu.be/Yyf1iedjWQQ

Love Letters to God

Do you struggle going to God after it feels like He hasn’t heard you? Here’s some encouragement.

If I were to describe love letters in three words, they would probably be vulnerable, humiliating, and bold. Now, I know it might seem like a cop-out to write a letter rather than share romantic feelings in person, but I think it’s just as brave, and possibly more meaningful. It takes more patience, because you have to actually wait for a response. Plus, it takes a ton more effort.

As person who has written (and sent) a love letter before, I can testify that it changes your life. Maybe not in the way you want or the way you expect. For me, I didn’t suddenly have the “relationship of my dreams”. Instead, I was given a new sense of confidence and appreciation. The life I wanted wasn’t what was best for me, and now I’m glad I didn’t get what I wanted at the time.

But I’m not here today to talk about romantic love. I’m here to talk about a love that is just as important–actually, more important–and can feel just as painful sometimes. Our loving relationship with God, which sometimes doesn’t feel “loving”.

Have you ever poured your heart out to God and ended up feeling exposed, even humiliated? That usually happens when A) we mistake God as a critical, angry God or B) we don’t get the results we want.

I’m not sure what you’ve been told, but God is not ashamed of you. He loves you and He welcomes you with open arms, even after you’ve made mistakes. It takes a long time to realize this, especially after making devastating mistakes. However, it’s nevertheless true.

As for not getting what we want, I’m sure we’ve all been there. I’ve shared about my long-distanced friendship with one of my best friends and how we haven’t been able to be in communication for months due to technology issues we have no control over. The day before the last time we talked, I poured my heart out to God, tears streaming down my face, bitter words on my tongue. Then, I heard from her. I thought God heard me (which He did), and that was always going to be His answer.

Well, turns out He has something else in store for us, though I’m not sure what yet. At the moment, He’s teaching me to place my beloved friend in His hands and to trust Him. But I won’t lie, at first, when I poured my heart out to Him again and again with different results, I was frustrated. I wondered if I was doing something wrong, or worse, that God didn’t care anymore.

But here’s the thing: God isn’t a magic genie who grants our wishes. When we pour our heart out to God, we won’t always get the answer that we want. But we will get the answer that’s best for us.

I don’t say that lightly. What’s meant to be will happen. When we place our difficulties into His hands, we aren’t guaranteed answers, but we are guaranteed peace. The moment I let go of the situation, I felt an inner peace. Sure, I’m still worried sometimes or frustrated, and I go to God when I feel that way. But I also know that He will always love me and do what’s best for all of us.

I never want you to stop running to God. He wants us to come to Him because He’s the only one who can truly heal our wounds and give us peace. But when you go to Him, go because you want to be in His presence rather than hoping your wishes will get granted. No one can manipulate God, which is really good, because if everyone was in control, our world would be way more chaotic than it already is.

Perhaps today you can write a love letter to God, confessing what’s on your heart and seeking healing. Love letters are often a way to find closure. Maybe when you write about what’s bothering you, you will be able to understand it better.

I’m sorry for whatever you are going through. You are allowed to feel the pain. You are valid. You belong here. And you will get through this. I promise.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35, 37-39

What Counts as a Sin, Anyway?

Do you often worry about pleasing God with your actions? Here is some advice and encouragement.

In a world where truth is often undermined, it’s difficult to find answers to society’s toughest questions, especially the ones from within the church. There’s so much debate over whether or not certain actions or attitudes are actually “sins” or should be accepted.

Before I delve into my thoughts on the subject, I want to remind us (including myself) that God is the ultimate and only Judge. What makes Him a good judge is that He cannot sin. He is perfect.

We, on the other hand, are in need of His grace daily. It’s easy to be distracted by the speck in another’s eye when we have a log in our own. If we don’t struggle with lying, then we will have an easier time looking down on liars. If we don’t struggle with gossip, then we feel the liberty to guilt those who do. But God doesn’t see us as liars, thieves, gossips, or even sinners. He sees us as who we can be, and are–His precious children.

That doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want, though. Because of His great love for us, Jesus came as an atonement for our sins. If we never sinned, He never would’ve had to come. And if you think about all the evil and pain in the world, you’ll be uncomfortably reminded that sin is very prevalent in our world.

All sins are weighted the same. No sin is worse than another, and no sin is better than another. They all require the same price–death. But when asking myself whether or not an action or idea is a sin, I think of sin in two categories:

Very Obvious
The “Grey Area”

I’m sure we could list out the very obvious sins, such as murder, adultery, idol worship…so I’m not going to focus on that part. You can find all those things spelled out in the Bible, especially in the Ten Commandments.

The “Grey Area”, though, is tricky. A lot of things can fall into the grey area, and sometimes the Bible doesn’t give word-for-word definitions of these actions. That doesn’t mean we should continue doing these things, though, which is why I’m sharing the three things that help me decide whether or not something is a sin.

It Comes Between Us and God

This is the biggest factor for me. Whenever something comes between us and God, it is an idol. Idols aren’t just little wooden statues that we bow down to every day. They often take the form of our ambitions, careers, and even loved ones.

Now, that doesn’t mean those things are bad. God wants us to love others, have dreams, and do honest work. But we always have to put God first.

Some questions to ask yourself if you think you’re putting something before God are:

Am I spending more time thinking about this than God?
Would I deny my faith to get this thing?
Is this taking away my time with God?
Does this thing make me more reliant on myself than God?
Am I trusting this more than I’m trusting God?

Now, I totally get that you have to put food on the table, which means spending more time in the office than at church. But think about whether or not this activity or person is interfering with your relationship with God. Has God felt more distant since it came into your life?

It Hurts Others

One of Jesus’ most important commands was to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus clearly demonstrated that over and over again by sacrificing His time, status, and ultimately His life for others. It hurts God when we get hurt because He loves us so much. So I’m sure you can understand that when you do something to hurt others, God isn’t thrilled. In fact, it breaks His heart.

Now, as I shared in my post about boundaries, we aren’t supposed to be doormats for others. However, when given the opportunity, we should do whatever we can to show God’s love to people.

Here are a few things to stay away from when you are trying to not to hurt people:

Gossip

Let’s be honest, we’ve all done it, we may or may not have had to suffer the consequences of it. But gossip truly does destroy relationships and causes deep wounds within others. If you are conscious about what you’re saying, you’ll find yourself gossiping less and less.

2. Lying

Honesty shows others that you respect them, but also that you respect yourself. You are not ashamed for who you are and what you believe. Even if you have to say something that others don’t want to hear, in the long run, they will be glad that you didn’t keep anything from them.

3. Brashness

I’m disappointed by the negative connotation the adjective “sensitive” has taken. I believe that sensitivity is actually a strength. It means taking the time to think about what you will say, especially on a touchy subject, before speaking. Sensitivity can mend wounds instead of digging them in deeper.

You Have a Certain Feeling About It

When we spend time in the Bible, with wise mentors, and in prayer, we are able to sense the Holy Spirit and where it’s leading us. Paul actually shares in his letters of when the Holy Spirit told him not to go to certain places and where he should go next.

It’s actually incredible how part of the Holy Trinity is inside us. We shouldn’t take this gift for granted.

Much like a conscience, the Holy Spirit often gives us a sense of right and wrong. It’s not always good to rely solely on our feelings, but when we have an instinctive feeling about something or someone, it is often the Holy Spirit.

Once you get that feeling, go back to the Bible and what you know about God. Does it go against God’s character? Have others been pulled away from God by this activity or situation?

God gives us wisdom generously when we ask for it. So if you are ever confused, simply ask, and listen.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23-24

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God.
Isaiah 59: 1-2