Author: Aliyah Belen Dan

The God Who Can & Did

bible, christian, spiritual formation

“When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'” – Luke 5:12

There is a lot of disunity in our world because of the power people have allowed mistakes, disabilities, and differences to have over someone’s identity. When someone does or experiences something beyond what is considered acceptable or normal, judgement is passed on them and in result, changes their worth.

I have seen students shun others for not having material things that are “trendy”. I have heard rude comments mumbled by strangers aggravated at another person, solely because of their differences in race or social class. And I have witnessed some introduce their “friends” by highlighting their disability or disease.

It is as though who we are is strictly determined by what we endure or do. Got sick? Now you’re “that one guy or girl with the disease.” Got hurt? Oh, now you’re known as the limp or weak one. Got betrayed? Now everyone talks behind your back with pity or mockery. Messed up? All you are to others now is a let down.

It is as though we forever have a mark of our wounds or mistakes in life. And if you haven’t felt the weight of these things on your identity yet, then perhaps yours will come in the future or you have just missed the quiet whispers around you.

People have been on a pursuit of tearing others down since the fall in Eden. Why? Because of pride.

Pride causes friends to stab one another in the back. It’s lead families to cut ties off with members who “are too far gone”. It has resulted in crushed dreams of individuals who have been told they’ve hit their peak in life due to a new diagnosis or injury.

Pride hurts others. Sometimes, it even kills.

But pride doesn’t just degrade others. It stops us from becoming who we were made to be. We may assume that it is the route to maximum potential. When in reality, it is but a wrong and limited perspective of success, freedom, and value.

In Luke 5:12, we see a man who is sick. A man isolated, not by his own will, but because the community determined him as worthless. This man had a disease, and a contagious one at that. Knowing this, some today may use that as justification for rejecting him and stripping him of dignity. But as the God of all creation walks by him, we see a different response.

He looks at the man who calls on Him. He reaches out. And He says one of the most tough statements for us today to say to someone we consider unclean, worthless, or broken. He says, “I am willing.”

Willing to heal. To love. To speak to. To befriend. To forgive. To hear from. To spend time with. To perceive as one who is redeemed.

This man who was sick and crying out to Jesus had pride. Not in himself, but in the one he called “Lord”.

By falling at the feet of Jesus, he broke free from the binds his community put on him. He pushed past the identity everyone told him he had. He did not stay silent. He did not stay far away. He ran to God, believing there was a new identity, purpose, and hope for him. Not because of who he was, the life he lived, or the disease he had. He had pride in Jesus because he believed He was the God who could and the God who would.

How long have you believed the purpose for your life is but a pipe dream? How long have you stared in the mirror, seeing only the identity others gave you? How many people have you treated as worth less than the value God gave them, just because you cannot see it?

Jesus was willing to reach for us. And I am not just talking about this story in Luke 5. I am challenging you to consider the reach Jesus took from the throne in Heaven to the rugged, wooden cross.

Since man sinned, we have continued to run from God. We have sought out other loves. And we have rejected the reality of being one made in God’s image.

This man who was healed was told to keep his miracle rather quiet. But scripture tells us; “Yet the news about him spread all the more.” This individual saw the wonders of God. He saw the heart of Christ. And considering the pain he probably endured as a reject from society, it is incredibly shocking that he chose to speak of this new found hope to the same people who called him an outcast for so long.

Oh how beautiful this world would be if we saw one another through the loving eyes of Christ, with a heart burdened for every single persons salvation, even our enemies, like this man had.

When Jesus gave His life for you and I, it was without regret and in hope to impact everyone. John 3:16 tells us there is not one person God desires to perish. Not one. Yet we still find ourselves driven by pride and hurting others.

My dear friend, there is a God who has authority and power over everyone and everything. He is the One who determines your identity and purpose. And as justified as He would be to call you worthless and a let down, He chose to reach out in love and take the consequences of our actions. This God is named Jesus. No one else could do what He has done for you. So not only is He the One who could, but He is the willing One who did.

He did free you. He did redeem you. He did call you made new. He did take your penalty for every one of your sins. He did make a restored path to commune with Him. He did it all. And He did it all for you.

For. Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

I pray you learn to let go of the pride in yourself and begin seeing yourself, your neighbor, your family, your enemies, and everyone you pass by, through His eyes. Will you reflect His love and reach out, touching the untouchable?

Thoughts to Consider:

Do you struggle to see yourself the way God sees you? Consider the lengths He went through for you.

Who in your life is it hard to believe God redeemed too? Pray for them.

What is holding you back from believing the God who can, did in fact do everything to redeem us?

Consider the way others could see God’s willing heart for them if you began treating them with the value God speaks over them instead of what society calls them.

“When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'” – Luke 5:12

January Musings – The God of His Word

bible, christian, encouragement

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

I had a pitiful moment the other day. Just after I had done what some may consider an awesome thing, the same feeling of hopelessness flooded my mind that typically does after I teach others about God.

I cannot tell you what exactly sparks this feeling, but I can assure you that it always comes shortly after God has done something incredible in my life. It is a feeling of “this is far too good to be true”.

And I don’t mean in terms of what I am doing by my own power, but solely in regards to what God has done. Sometimes, if I am honest, it feels as though I have received something He intended for another. Perhaps someone who appreciates all things and can agree that “God is good” to them without a shadow of a doubt.

Unfortunately, as I much as I wish and aspire to be that person, I have yet to get there.

So, after I had taught a group of people about Jesus, I could not handle my thoughts. It was as though a flood of anxiety rushed over my whole body. Paralyzing my every attempt at distracting myself with mindless actions.

As I laid on my bed after work that day, I tried to force my body to get up and do something, anything, to stop the thinking. They were the kind of thoughts that I cannot even communicate into words. All I can describe it as was the very presence of anxiety. The same way I would describe experiencing God as the very presence of peace and hope. This was anything but that.

I raced through ideas of what I could possibly do to force myself – my whole being – to get out of this slump, and suddenly, like a small candle in a pitch black room, one thought containing some hope came to mind. That was to force myself into a posture of surrendering to God.

1 Peter 5:7 was spoken like a whisper breaking painful silence in my heart. So, I ran with it.

I grabbed a book about living for Jesus, put worship music in my air pods, got on my bike and ran out the door.

It was only about 2 songs in until I ran out of energy, as I am not the most fit person in the world, so I parked my bike at a random bench a few blocks from my house and sat down, staring at the grass. It was like the old days. The days in college, where blogs like “Finding Your Quiet Place” was written. It was a place of peace.

And I do not just mean the grassy patch I found, though that was nice. But more so, the space made clear in my heart. I ached for God. As much as I wanted to curl up in a ball and let my anxieties bring me to the place of hopelessness, that I know far too well, something in me knew that wasn’t the place I was in anymore, and it wasn’t a place I would give God room in.

After a couple minutes, I pulled out the book, “Practicing the Way”, (..that I definitely have not been “reading” for like the last year..) and I focused all I could on every word. John Mark Comer is a believer I greatly admire, and though I was intrigued by his writing, it had me pause a lot and realize the way God was moving. Not just in the past, but right now. In this place, on that bench, at that moment.

The suffocating feeling my soul felt from this inexplicable anxiety was slowly being relieved. Not completely gone, but definitely on its way.

I sat there some more, just looking around and realized the problem with our society. Well, if I am being real, the problem with me. Our culture is so loud. And as much as I have been disciplining my actions to stay a safe distance away from this world of distraction, I have hardly focused on my thoughts consistently. Only every so often would I consider the weight of my thoughts in regards to the distraction I experience from God.

There is more to a disciplined life seeking the quiet if your goal is to hear the whisper and experience the nearness of the Lord. It is more than setting restrictions on your social media, setting aside quiet time alone, or making boundaries with those around you. It is about the stillness you allow God to move through in your mind and heart as well. It is about the casting of your worries, your cares, your dreams, your hopes…dear believer, it is the casting of all things that run across your mind. The casting of them to God.

1 Peter 5:7-9 says this:

“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. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

I am only going to pull out verse 7 but I thought the surrounding words may be a blessing to read for some.

Verse 7 says that we ought to cast ALL our anxiety on Him. Not because we will die or be smote by Him if we don’t, but simply because He cares for you. And part of the humility spoken in verse 6 is understanding He is more powerful than your anxieties combined. And only when they are placed in His hands, will they be used to bring Him glory and us good.

This verse is intriguing to see in that context because this passage was written for the elders of the Church and their flock. Many would assume that the Christian walk brings you on a smoother path than others, but that is not true, and this verse reveals that. To the people pursuing God, they are told that rather than a smooth journey through life, they will receive the companionship of God Himself in every step of the way. As they walk through this chaotic life of many trials, He is close and He is caring. Hoping we see the beauty and blessing of casting all to Him.

I said I was only focusing on verse 7, but I feel that the one following it is relevant to this point.

In verse 8, it calls believers to be sober minded. This means something along the lines of being free from intoxicating influences. Though that could mean material things, I would argue the could cover internal toxic things as well, such as our thoughts.

Now I am no master at controlling my thoughts. I have grown from where I was, but still there remains a struggle. One of the most common toxic thoughts in my mind is that which I stated at the beginning, “this is far too good to be true”.

When I was growing up, I heard of how powerful and great God was. I heard that we were but sinners unable to do anything truly good without Him. So as I went through life and experienced things, there were moments I felt very uncomfortable. Those were moments of good things. At every award or opportunity received, I would feel good for a second and then hear this voice that weighed me down like a ball and chain…

…”You don’t deserve this. Someone better should be in your shoes. You are a sinner and only deserve Hell”.

This thought became my mindset towards every good thing I was a part of. But what I now know, is that is only half the truth.

Yes. We are all sinners. Technically, we all deserved Hell. That is true. But what is also true is that Jesus Christ paid the price of our sin, so we could run free with Him for eternity.

I had heard what Jesus did for me since I was in 5th grade. But it took believing God is a God of His Word for me to stop the toxic thoughts that the half truth stirred up in my mind. For until I did, my mind was fogged by lies born out of the only truth I believed – that I was a sinner and deserved nothing but Hell.

My dear friend, allowing those lies to grow does not equal a sober mind. For it just leads to the decaying of the hope in your heart and soul. It leads to a life where you think you can control what you cannot and a place of unnecessary hopelessness. Believing in the whole truth, God’s Word, that His sacrifice was enough, does not mean you now deserve goodness. It simply opens your heart up to accepting His grace and living by His will. It makes your whole being available to whatever He calls you to. Not because you deserve, are good enough, or worthy of anything. But simply because He is the God who cares. So take Him at His Word.

Thoughts to Consider:

How would you describe the state of your mind/thoughts/anxieties?

What are the things, in any of area of your life, that you need to cast to God? (Not meaning disregarding things, but giving control of them to God).

List the lies you have been believing, even if they are half-truths, and find scripture that combats them.

Consider the transformation you can have for God if you began believing He was a God of His Word.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

December Musings: On What Works

bible, christian, spiritual formation

“Every one of us needs to find our own unique way of reaching the universe of increased awareness. I have come to be quite certain that no one way is any better than another. Whatever leads each of us to our destination of relationship with the Divine Lover, with the central core of meaning in the universe, is the best one for us.” – Reaching by Morton Kelsey

For months, I have been collecting portions of practices from pastors, teachers, and writers on what is considered to be the right way to pray. To go to God in full surrender with a heart that seeks true communion. To come honestly, but never disregarding His authority and the reverence we ought to maintain for Him.

I have personally been seeking this out since I came to Christ, but much more practically recently for the sake of developing some sort of guidance for those just entering the faith.

What I thought was going to be a quick list of ten or so practical tips became an exhaustive journey. What I have found is that prayer is so very simple in terms of doing, yet so complex internally.

It goes far beyond spoken words. It is a practice that requires the attention of the mind, heart, and soul. A practice that prioritizes posture over knowledge. It is not about the fancy words but honesty and humility tied in with confidence in whom you are speaking to.

Perhaps in our pursuit of what is practically correct, we have lost the very point of seeking and have drowned out the sensation of our deep need for our Savior.

These thoughts have been running as I have been trying to form my new year resolutions. Some may scoff at these shallow promises so many make to themselves, but I find them rather important.

The end of things is something God works through. The end of something gives us the opportunity to reflect on why it is ending and why it lasted as long as it did. So as a year comes to an end, I find it to be the perfect time to reflect on the things God has chosen to teach us in the time frame He designed.

Good or bad, from our perspective, is still purposeful. Not to say we will understand or come to know that purpose right now, but to know that is to value each experience. It is to not disregard any moment as one God can’t be glorified in.

This is why I reflect and this is why I make new year resolutions.

That being said, prayer has been on my mind because for nearly the last year, I have written my prayers down each night. It is something I have not done before, or at least consistently. And now that close to a year has passed, I recognize the growth and benefit from it, but I see its limitations as well.

This then led me to seek out more. More practices I could add to my routine to form the perfect or best “quiet time with God”.

In my hunt for new disciplines, I struggled a lot. I came across so many that I either did not understand or could not do without feeling unlike myself.

Then I stumbled across this book. The quote is something similar to what I have heard in Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline. He warned prior to beginning the description of each spiritual discipline that if we are not careful, we risk becoming fools following routines rather than true seekers of the Lord.

That thought paired with the ideas of Morton Kelsey made me think of what it means to be a seeker of God. One who desires Him. Not just knowledge of or gifts from Him, but simply Him.

As we near the beginning of yet another cycle around the sun, perhaps it is not specific practices or routines we ought to be focused on. Rather, maybe it is about the perspective we have and the heart posture we uphold. One that seeks out God, no matter what that looks like.

Allow me to give you an example. I began writing my prayers in February of 2024. It began well, but a month or so in, I fell into the temptation of pride. Pride in my discipline.

I hadn’t noticed that until I missed a few days and recognized the anger and disappointment I had in myself. The loss of opportunity to communicate with God was not my reason for anger. It was my own failure.

That’s when I changed my approach. I began praying out loud first and once I was nearly done, I would write my prayers down. This was due to my struggle of being too tired or rushed. Some days I managed to verbally pray, but fell asleep before I could write anything down.

If anyone were to look at the dates of my prayer journal, they’d assume I missed a day, but I had not. I simply did what worked in that point in time. Not what was routinely scheduled.

This softened my heart to remember the point of it all. The point being to consistently be in communication with God, not to go through as many journals as I could in a year. It was to draw near to Him and slow down, forcing every one of my senses to focus on my time with Him; my hands wrote words to Him, my eyes envisioned each new word, my smell focused on the paper and ink I am using to communicate with Him, and my hearing dedicated to being sensitive to His quiet voice while I wrote in silence.

This one practice changed over the last year. Not in physical form, but internally. I still write in the same format, with the same type of black pen, in the same cursive, and in the same brand of notebooks as I started with in February. But my purpose for it and value in it has changed as I have stopped worrying about what is the “right” way and started considering what was the way that works.

Works: Not in tangible success, for I honestly don’t even know what that would look like, but in terms of spiritual awareness of who I am speaking to, His character, His heart for me, what His voice is like, and the need I have for Him in my soul.

My dear friend, there are a million different ways people will tell you your prayer life should look like. I have told you a small part of what mine looks like. But I want to remind you the love God has given me for words. The deep value I hold for capturing wild emotions and thoughts into orderly letters. This works for me because of the way God designed me. It may not be beneficial to you at all. And if that is the case, then now, at the end of this year and the beginning of the next, I encourage you to analyze what God has taught you and how you can discipline yourself in a way that grows you close to Him. Not doing a discipline because it is easy or simple or even popular by others. No, rather, doing it because it brings you into deeper communion with the Father. Practice what transforms your whole being into one that is more sensitive to the Spirit and more aware of your need for our savior.

Thoughts to Consider:

What brought growth in your spiritual life in the last year?

What stunted you from drawing closer to God in 2024?

How will you teach your mind to walk into 2025 with a new year perspective/heart posture?

Consider the way God has made you unique and imagine the deeper bond you could have with Him if you allowed Him to speak through the passions and personality He created you with?

“Every one of us needs to find our own unique way of reaching the universe of increased awareness. I have come to be quite certain that no one way is any better than another. Whatever leads each of us to our destination of relationship with the Divine Lover, with the central core of meaning in the universe, is the best one for us.” – Reaching by Morton Kelsey

November Musings – Reflections on Hebrews

bible, Christian lifestyle, spiritual formation

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” – Hebrews 11:39-40

In a world that demands immediate satisfaction, it can be difficult to be on the working end. Surely there are things we request from God, yet understand are shots in the dark, never promised to us in scripture but not irrational to desire. But then there is a kind of waiting to witness the fruit of your long-term tilling and watering after seeing a promise given. That my friend, requires a different kind of patience. One that isn’t based on results, rather, endured through by faith.

The people of the old testament show us the real beauty of faith. As I was reading Hebrews 11, I could not help but be overwhelmed with awe as I read how our God worked through person after person to show His goodness and the value of this thing we call “faith”.

Starting with Abel and moving all the way to the prophets, we see Paul describe the way these believers did more than just good motions. We see their heart for God and hope for His promise drive their every move. This faith gave them a perspective unlike any other group of people on earth. It was more than just wishful thinking. It was the “confidence in what [they] hoped for and assurance about what [they did] not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).

Many of these great followers of God were given promises they altered their whole lives around. Abraham, for example, left the land he knew for one he did not all because of a promise spoken over him. Noah, looked like a fool for a while and dedicated so much time and effort to build an ark all because of a promise he received. And Moses went to the highest in command in Egypt and persistently demanded freedom for his people all because of a promise God gave him.

God promised these broken people incredible things. Not because they themselves were great, but because they were willing. They had open hearts and availability for whatever direction God sought to turn them in.

Not by power, reputation, or perfection did these people follow God. No, strictly, by faith.

Faith that He who had made the promise was more than capable and willing to keep it. (Heb. 11:11).

Now let’s be honest. A part of me looks at that scripture and wants to argue their faith was easier to obtain because they lived in a time where God audibly spoke to people. But then, as I recall the cross, I realize the gift we have now. We have the fruit of a promise they could only hope of their entire lives.

I suppose we each have our own benefits in time. Nonetheless, the significance and meaning of faith does not decrease in either era.

Just past a week, I arrived home from Germany after spending nine or so days witnessing God do incredible things. In and through people, I saw hearts move in ways they didn’t know they could. I saw hope grow. I saw joy and desire for God increase. And in myself, I saw awe overwhelm me in deeper ways than ever as I thought of God and who He is.

I often struggle on trips focused around strictly sharing the Gospel. Not because I fear it, or don’t want to. But because I do not understand what progress or success looks like. And without a goal, the feeling of incompetence and inadequacy creeps its way into my mind rather quickly. Yet, on this last trip, I left with one expectation: to expect the unexpected.

This was a statement I heard long ago and it has eased my anxious thoughts previously, so I had hoped it would do the same on this trip. Surprisingly though, the worst of my days was near the beginning. Normally my battery was not that short, but it did not seem to be getting any better as the days went on.

A part of me was disappointed in myself as I thought of all the opportunities to share God’s love and how they would be stolen by my anxious thoughts…then I stumbled across Hebrews 11.

I encourage you to read the whole chapter, as the “by faith..” statements stir up an awe of God like no other, but for time sake, I wish to highlight the last portion.

Verses 39-40 state, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what they had been promised., since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Track with me for just a moment.

Each and every one of those old testament saints were spoken a promise to. And yet they, like us, only got to get a glimpse.

It is considered the reality of the “now, and not yet”.

In this broken world, we will see God’s glory, but only a portion. The fullness of who He is will only be revealed to us, and His redemption for us will only be made perfect (meaning complete; whole) over us, when we are finally home – in the presence of our God.

Hope is not out of reach though. This “now” just looks different for us than it did for the Hebrews. All the promises they were given were leading up to Jesus. When He came, He brought a new covenant. One that did not rely on rituals or animal sacrifices, but on faith that Jesus was indeed the Christ and all sufficient for us.

The “now” we live in is that which gives us the opportunity to have a personal relationship with the Lord and the “not yet” our hearts so desperately seek is the perfect eternity that will come on God’s timing.

This sounds easy to accept when you think about yourself. But when we look to the task of testifying to others but rejection or dismissal is the only result, our hearts can get understandably heavy.

When you have a cure for something others are dying from, any human with a heart would long to share it. But the burden of the “now” is that we still live in a broken world. We still live with people who are blinded to God’s goodness because of their pain, pride, or passions. We still live in a world where sometimes, we will only get the opportunity to move rocks for someone else to eventually plant a seed in the soil beneath.

But…the beauty of the “now” is that we still live in a world where God is being accepted into hearts daily. In a world where the Holy spirit is active. In a world where spiritual chains are capable of being broken. And my dear friend, in a world where promises are on their way towards fulfillment.

I want you to reflect on the last part of verse 40. It says, “so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

“Only together”.

Only with the “pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and as one body (Big C Church), can our work reveal the glory of who God is and show the value of our faith.

For hope has come. It is attainable. And by the grace of God, we can see many of His promises fulfilled with our every breath.

Once just a word (Messiah) promised to broken people, is now known as Jesus our savior. How true then is the promise that Savior spoke to us going to bring redemption, completion, and fullness to all of humanity when we reach eternity?

My dear friend, when I look at this world, my heart feels a lot. It feels burdened but also hopeful. And the nature we have that seeks immediate satisfaction does not help us grow a patience towards the timing of God. We often want good results and we often want them now. But who are we to demand fruit from seeds just barely sown? And who are we to expect results of a salvation we did not make happen? It is hard to accept, for what we want is a good desire. But may we never get confused about who does the saving in our hearts and our role as one body, who is made complete, only together.

We cannot do it all. And we cannot let our hope be found in that, for we were made to please God. To have faith in who He is and the plan He is unfolding. To hold a confidence in that hope and an assurance of what we cannot see. May we not grow weary in our pursuit of Jesus. Of holding onto a hope that has come and is coming again in the “not yet”. May we learn to let our hearts focus daily on the tasks God has set before us (Acts 20:24) and guard it from the hunger for our own idea of “good” results.

His timing is perfect. His plan is good. He is sufficient for you. And He has you in the place you are in now that you may continue living out the promise of redemption He gave so many generations ago.

You are the fruit of seeds your ancestors planted. You are a result of the family Abraham was promised. And you are the worker, together with every other believer, that is called to continue sowing…whether or not your human eyes will ever see the spring season.

Thoughts to Consider:

How are you involving yourself in “the body” (the church)?

Are you willing and available? What are some strongholds you have?

What is your mindset when sharing the Gospel? Do you struggle with a desire for a certain result?

Consider the way you respond to this broken world and the people living in it and imagine the difference the daily act of living out faith could change how you react.

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” – Hebrews 11:39-40

On Letting Go – Minimalism and Deepening Faith

bible, Christian lifestyle, spiritual formation

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23

I threw a lot away yesterday. Over the last two years, I have been trying to become a minimalist for mostly the sake of my faith.

If you know me, you know I love shopping and I love aesthetically pleasing things. So this was kind of hard to reduce all I had. But over time, I honestly thought of myself to be succeeding pretty well in this area of my life, and I even felt like I had become less materialistic because of this discipline.

But a couple of days ago, I was thinking about my future and accidentally went down a spiral of thoughts, regrets, and missing my past. I thought about how much more responsibilities I kept up with. I thought about the way I cared for my body better with how often I worked out. I thought about the way I maintained a sabbath. And I thought about the work I put into pursuing my dreams no matter what judgement I received from it.

It was hard, but I did it. And for years, I have taken pride in that season of my life. And since then, every failed attempt to maintain good stewardship of my time and work has been rationalized because of how “good I was in the past“. But what I noticed this week was the way the rationalizing only eased my mind for a moment.

I said it was okay to not be as disciplined as I used to be, but within the same hour, I realized the shame and hopelessness that mindset would lead me to.

I thought, “It was good while it was, but it is what it is now.”

That was, until the light bulb lit up two nights ago.

I looked in my car, and on the rear view mirror I saw the tassel from my high school graduation next to the school parking pass from my senior year (2020-’21). And hanging next to those was an air freshener from the church I attended in college, right beside my college graduation tassel.

It was a hanging mobile of my beloved memories. Now, that may sound cute, but all it stirred up inside of me was aching pain.

An aching for the freedom I had in high school, the endless possibilities of majors I could’ve studied in college, and the joy in serving my sweet group of youth students at my old church (even they are now on their way to college).

This was all wrapped around my rear view mirror with the air freshener that recited Colossians 3:23. And that’s when I noticed the point.

God has blessed me with so many new things. Some more exciting than others. But nonetheless, new. I graduated high school over 3 years ago and college 6 months ago. But after each milestone, I placed them in front of me again by hanging their mementos on my car mirror. A place I spend far too many hours in a week.

So two nights ago, I went on Amazon. I scrolled for a while and ended up buying a hanging yarn plant.

When it arrived (praise Jesus for Amazon prime) yesterday, I took off everything on my rear view mirror and replaced it with the yarn plant. The tassels, I kept, but the other things, I tossed.

And when I got in my car this morning to go to work, for the first time in a very long time, I actually thought about the verse that used to be hanging on my air freshener.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

I had practiced minimalism for so long. But I completely overlooked the deeper way it could be implemented into my life. For three years, I had been collecting good things that reminded me of God’s blessings, but turned it into something that stirred up anything but joy.

I wanted the past. And what that mentality does, is stiff arm God from allowing Him to show you what He has planned next.

The air freshener was given to me after a sermon about stewarding your work well, especially on the days you don’t want to. It had in big, bold letters on the back, “MONDAYS 🙂 You were made for this”. Because let’s be real, Mondays are dreadful and the joy from Sunday is tempted to be forgotten the moment your “get up for work” alarm goes off before the sun even rises.

It took me getting rid of the memento to appreciate it and actually consider how I can move on with my future while appreciating what I learned in my past.

As I write this, I find it even more interesting that those items were wrapped around my rear view mirror. A tool to help me see what is behind me so that if I need to switch lanes while moving forward, I can with peace in knowing I am clear of any obstacles. But that is just it, any time I look at what’s behind should be for the purpose of moving me more forward. Even if I have to back up a little, it is so that I can get around something and press on my journey even farther.

Those mementos are great to appreciate the past. But the purpose of minimalism in terms of growing your faith, is to get rid of the unnecessary things and keep my attention on what is needed and what brings me closer to God. Though I was maturing from my materialism problem, I had never noticed the way I held onto the past so tightly.

A simple task like relocating or getting rid of things from my past has allowed me to have a greater visual of the future and more freedom for God to use me for whatever it is He pleases.

May we not forget the purpose we have because we are so attached to the things we have known. For God’s plans and desires are beyond our imagination. We only limit ourselves to the life God made us for when we refuse to walk into the “Mondays”.

Not every season of life will be exciting. Some will feel tiresome, pointless, or painful, but God has a purpose for every minute you breathe, and you have a responsibility as one who claims to be His follower. You have the duty of good stewardship. Of giving your best, for what you have in front of you was given by the Lord, even if you cannot see how.

My dear friend, taking a step on the water is going to come with fear when you’ve only ever walked on land (credit to Chris Renzema for his sick song lyrics that say something similar). But how much longer will you live obstructing your own view of the future and what’s ahead because you can’t look past the past? God’s hand is reaching out to walk with you…will you take it even if you cannot see the next step?

Thoughts to Consider:

What are some material, or immaterial things from your past that you are enabling to block your view of the future? Bring them to the Lord in prayer.

Have you truly allowed God to use you in ANY way He desires, even if it is new or uncomfortable?

How can you work on developing the mentality and lifestyle described in Colossians 3:23?

Consider the growth you could experience and the deeper connection you could have with God if you took His hand in walking into the “Mondays” of your life, no matter what they entail.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23