encouragement

God, Turn It Around

Christian lifestyle, encouragement

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

In complete honesty, this week has been one of the most frustrating weeks in a long time. With my anxiety through the roof and getting extremely tempted to resort back to numbing my emotions, this section of scripture became more real to me than ever before.

Maybe you’re an overthinker. Or perhaps a perfectionist in a severely imperfect situation. Or maybe you are just stuck on the fence with your mind and heart telling you two completely different things. This world is flooded with battles far beyond the physical realm. And I am sorry to tell you my dear friend, but you are not and you will never be strong enough on your own to win them over. But I do have a life-giving secret to tell you.

Where you let go, God is let in.

There is a reason behind the excitement of the persecuted disciples in scripture. I am sure it was not in their hopes to be imprisoned or scolded by society for Christ’s sake. But they endured and continued to follow where the Lord lead them, even if it was to their enemies. Not because they were naive, but because they knew what mattered more than anything. They knew that before their feelings came the desperate need for restoration of the soul in themselves and those around them. The emotions that their flesh probably attempted to magnify had to be handled with deep consideration in their pursuit of Christ.

When the enemy cannot pull you to directly worship him, he hides himself in the unsteady emotions and feelings that make us push away, lose trust, or feel too ashamed to get closer to Jesus. That is all it is. A mission to focus your heart on anything besides the truth of Christ. But thank heavens for a God who pursues us even more.

The passage of scripture above talks about how the weapons in which a follower of Christ acquires through the building of their faith has the divine power to demolish strongholds and pretensions (claims) against what God says and who He is. Reread that. With a faith set on an undefeatble God, nothing against Him or the peace, hope, love, and purpose He instills in us will prevail. Now remember when I said you will never have the strength to claim victory over the attacks of the enemy on your own? That’s just it. You don’t have to do it on your own. When you set your heart and trust in the God who even death bows to, there is not a worry in the world about your inadequate strength. Jesus is will carry you.

This may be silly, but like a snapping turtle stuck in the road because the curb between him and the lake is too high to climb, he must stop snapping at the good fellow trying to pick him up and over to safety or he will remain behind that stronghold forever. My dear friend, it is not good for your soul to worship Jesus on Sundays and then withhold the other 6 days from Him. If you desire to have a chance against the spiritual warfare over your heart, you must let go and let God in.

What I realized lately is how badly it is my own pride and emotions that prevent me from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In my shame and anxiety, I quiet the voice of God and let my heart make it’s bed among the depths of the weary as if I am sparing God from being disappointed. But that could not be more wrong.

This scripture above emphasizes the dire need to gently, but boldly take hold of the unsteady emotions the enemy shouts in our times of trouble. In fact, it goes so far to say that we MUST take captive of those thoughts and claims against the truth of God and FORCE them to become obedient to Him. I say gently because I never want to undermine the power and authentic effects of our emotions. But I follow it with boldness because though our emotions are real, they are meant to be healed by God, not magnified and empowered by the enemy and flesh. We have to boldly trust and build a confidence in the goodness of God and in His ability to turn things around for His glory.

There is a song that I believe reflects the transparency of spiritual warfare between our soul and mind. I usually bring up Psalm 42 and 43 where the writer portrays the reality of a conflicting heart and soul but as I was writing this, the song “Spirit Lead Me” by Influence Music and Michael Ketterer came on and I thought it perfectly captured the picture of what a life of taking ones thoughts and feelings captive and making them obedient to Christ actually looks like. The lyrics read:

“And even in suffering, I have to believe it

If You say, “It’s wrong, ” then I’ll say, “No”
If You say “Release, ” I’m letting go
If You’re in it with me, I’ll begin
And when You say to jump, I’m diving in
If You say, “Be still, ” then I will wait
If You say to trust, I will obey
I don’t wanna follow my own ways
I’m done chasing feelings, Spirit lead me”

This process is not an easy one. There will be nights where you have to keep yourself from playing that one sad playlist that you know will make you become numb again because you know that being dormant will never produce any good fruit. There will be days where you have to force yourself to get out of bed and attend that church service when coming before God as broken as you feel is that LAST thing you want to do. And there will be times where you have to repeat the same Bible verse over and over just so that your mind does not mistake your hopelessness for truth.

Oh dear Christian, the life God calls us to is not because He needs our praise. Rather, He longs to reveal His love for us even amidst this broken world. May you stand confident in His power and will. And may the emotions you feel become renewed and brought to life as you live in obedience. I am a proud witness of the faithfulness of God and I pray in the next moment you feel the weight of the warfare between your own heart and soul, you are reminded of who already claimed victory over the grave. I pray with my whole heart that you seek desperately to witness God turn it all around.

Realign me, oh Lord

bible, christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

Living in a society that pushes us to “follow whatever your heart desires” can be exciting but oh so very dangerous. As followers of Jesus, we claim to have made the decision to give up the world and follow the God who gave up His son. But often times, we only truly follow that claim to an extent…

With a heart longing for excitement, we let our spiritual boundaries get stepped on, tip toed next to, and even sometimes crossed behind the excuse of “it wasn’t that bad”. But that is not how God called us to live. He didn’t design safety rails in life so that we could hang off the edges. As He is the literal embodiment of all things good, joyful, loving, kind, forgiving, compassionate, etc. We can bet on His boundaries having something to do with His desire for us to stay close to Him and away from everything evil, manipulative, vengeful, and so on.

Though sometimes intriguing and easy to fall into, the “harmless sins” in life are honestly anything but harmless. The one command He emphasized in the new testament was to love God and love people. A life spent loving God cannot be truly lived while intentionally flirting with sin.

So in this new year, may this be our prayer. May we long for a heart so hungry for God that we feel uneasy at just the thought of splitting our attention between Him and the world. May we humbly ask the Holy Spirit to rid our hearts of anything and everything that does not glorify God as we desperately thirst for Him to fill us up. May we look at every part of scripture for what it is; the living, breathing word of God and may it enrich our souls so much so that we feel weak after just a day spent away from it. The enemy may be no match for our Lord, but on our own, we stand no chance against the things he throws at us. We need revival. We need redemption. We need a spirit made new. So my dear friend, please never forget amidst the pleasure of life…we NEED Jesus. And I mean ALL of Him, not just on Sundays, but in every second of every day. Consistently live for a soul that prays this over every step, breath, and thought throughout your life.

Made to Worship

christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

Towards the end of 2022, I began this infatuation with a few phrases. I forced myself to memorize them in an attempt to prevent myself from falling back into my old ways when I would feel upset. And one of those phrases was “Made to Worship”. This phrase caught my attention when I first saw it printed on a sweater while scrolling through instagram. And after that, I have run into signs, stickers, and other posts stating those very same 3 words.

As I contemplate the kind of changes I hope to make this year in order to accomplish my “new years resolutions”, I find this phrase running laps in my head. Made. To. Worship. So simple yet so powerful. It is a phrase that gives us identity, purpose, and hope.

Aiming to pursue a Christ-like character while trying to balance the responsibilities God has given me, I have often found it easy to stumble into seeking my identity through my success or status in things like my blog, school, or social life. But this phrase, I would argue, captures the message of WHO we are to God and why things like our successes, failures, titles, or awards have no place in determining our value. We were simply made to worship. Not to become rich, or have the best family, or be the valedictorian, or have the most friends. Not to say those are wrong, but that’s not who we are. We are children of the one true God who sees us as free, loved, chosen, cherished, and beautiful. Who we are ought to be based on the identity our Creator gives us. And honestly, I believe that can be described as a beloved worshiper in every circumstance and every new day God brings us into.

Yet our identity is not where God stops. He proceeds to go deeper in our value so that we may see ourselves through His same lens. He gives us purpose. A reason to keep going. To keep cultivating life. Though our individual journeys can be completely different, we collectively have the same thing driving us. We have been given the purpose of worshiping God in all we do. Through every season, we have the responsibility to praise Him and bring glory to His name. When we begin living with the mindset of “how can I fulfill my purpose by glorifying God today?”, we begin living in the most prosperous way. It no longer remains all about you or the goods you can store here on earth, rather, it becomes truly Christ-centered. This kingdom mindset is not just a great lifestyle, it is essential to living in the way you were designed. You were made to bring glory and worship. It is your purpose and embedded in the very core of who you were made to become.

What a beautiful life it is to live humble yet confident in the fruit that you produce simply because you rest assured in the faithfulness of your Creator. There is an overflowing well of peace that floods the hearts of those who live a life dedicated to following their purpose because of their identity. In 2022, life felt like it went up, down, and even in some spirals. To say the least, my circumstances changed an unimaginable amount of times. But one thing that remained the same was who God was to me and who I was to Him. The consistency behind His character and design allowed me to collect these random phrases I would find, like “made to worship”, and be confident that their meaning was timeless. Meditating on the word of God is a spiritual discipline EVERY Christian ought to implement in their lives. These day-to-day reminders may seem a bit agitating and in some cases, the last thing you want to hear during a trial, but my dear friend, it is worth everything. As we begin to see the world and ourselves more and more like God sees it all, His beautiful plan becomes so much more exciting to follow and reliable in the hard times. It is just the beginning of His limitless hope.

In the new year, people tend to seem most inspired. This is the time where journals, planners, and anything related to working out is at its peak selling point. Why? Because to most, having something to live for is important. It gives value, joy, and peace in knowing we have reason behind our breath. So as you enter into the first few weeks of this fresh start, hunger for spiritual growth. Seek to develop the habits and mindset to praise in every scenario. Dear Christian, you are made to worship. May you see that as an honor instead of a responsibility this new year.

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 2

bible, christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

When God speaks, how confidently do you listen?

This past week I spent my time in a foreign land. Though incredible, my heart faced one of the most spiritually refining moments it has had in a while. Time after time, I stumbled into situations that called for a new perspective and humble obedience. These scenarios required genuine listening. The kind of listening that you not only seek understanding for and prayerfully discern, but the kind that you feel compelled to follow through with in faith-driven confidence.

The trip I went on was one that required a lot of flexibility. The daily plans were not extremely clear until the day before and the stories we heard from others were unimaginable. To say the least, this was a trip full of the unexpected. I knew that very well before I ever signed up for it, and before going, I even prayed God would keep it unpredictable. But when each new day arose, I struggled to properly get my heart prepared.

As you may know, I am a heavy-duty planner. I thrive in routine and consistency. But as I was on the first flight, I heard this song called, “When you walk into the room” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt. The lyrics go a little like this:

When You walk into the room
Everything changes
Darkness starts to tremble
At the light that You bring
And when You walk into the room
Every heart starts burning
And nothing matters more

When You walk into the room
Sickness starts to vanish
Every hopeless situation ceases to exist
And when You walk into the room
The dead begin to rise
‘Cause there is resurrection life in all You do

Moral of the message, when God enters a situation, the unexpected in bound to happen. But the good kind of unexpected. The kind that brings light and life in ways we could’ve never fathomed. But what I have come to realize on this trip is that we must hunger for the heart and perspective of the Father if we wish to see the same goodness He sees in the “unplanned”. We must live intentionally interruptible. Not only by our neighbors as I discussed in part 1 of this series, but also by God and the unpaved, yet beautiful, roads He wants to take us on.

There were many accounts in this week that left me in baffled positions. I didn’t know what to say, do, or how to turn something into a good and glorifying thing. But on the first flight to my destination, I challenged myself to pray through. Praying through is something Mark Batterson often promotes in his book “Circle Maker”. It is when one prays with a humility in their humanity and a strong confidence in their God. It is when you choose to praise God for His faithfulness in the past as well as the faithfulness He promises to hold in the future regardless of how long the waiting takes. So in each and every moment of anxiety, confusion, heartache, frustration, and impatience, I prayed through.

I refused to allow my circumstances cloud the miracles and wonders God was unraveling in the unexpected. This called for proper lamenting. To lament is to be completely honest in your feelings but never dismissing the authority of God. As I said before, I love good consistency, and thank heavens, God is just that. In His unchanging character, we are able to find rest and peace that even though the world may sprout out a million crazy scenarios, when we tune into the guidance of the Lord, He will help us see how He turns it for our good and His glory. But again, I emphasize the honesty of your feelings. Without this, there can be no change in the position or perspective of your heart because in an attempt to “have it all together”, you build walls between God and the most vulnerable parts of your heart. Vulnerability is what allows growth to occur. And with growth, comes peaceful availability as you begin to become more comfortable with your life laying fully in the hands of the Father.

But PLEASE understand I am not saying this is easy. I told you earlier that this week was a big spiritually refining moment in my life. And believe me when I say, refining is no easy or fun task. Like a sword being welded, the fire is always hot and the molding is always extremely uncomfortable. But the end result is nothing short of beautiful. This is the process I experienced, not once, twice, or even just three times, but probably around once every day on this trip. It was humbling, but also freeing.

To know that we do NOT have to have it all in our own control and to know that even in the unexpected, our God remains consistent in His character, there is a peace unlike any other that begins to cultivate in your heart. Making each new refinement, not always less painful, but most definitely more hopeful.

So my dear friend, as you challenge yourself to pray through, lament, and respond in a faithful confidence (again, in the Lord’s power, not your own), I assure you it will be a greater blessing than a hardship. We must not underestimate the power of responding to the voice of God with a genuinely listening heart and soul. Your mind can run a million miles an hour in times of anxiety, frustration, confusion, etc. Do not let that be what drives your actions.

We are called followers of Jesus for a reason. Followers obey. But to do so correctly, they must listen and trust. May hunger for the Father flood your heart and may it mold you in a way that establishes a life eager for the unexpected. I pray you come to a point where you can confidently predict God to be unpredictable in your every day life. So Christian, again I ask you, how confidently do you listen to God when He speaks? Are you willing to make the changes in your heart that turn your life into one that thrives in the interruptions of the Father?

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 1

bible, christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer

When looking into the lifestyle of Jesus, one of the most amazing characteristics of His is the way He is so compassionately open to those who “disrupt” His plans. Whether it’s by someone cutting a hole in the ceiling and dropping their friend at His feet to get healed (Luke 5:17-22), or two blind men shouting for just a second of Jesus’ time as He walks by (Matthew 20:29-34), or two women requesting Him to travel a days journey to heal their brother (John 11:1-44), in each circumstance, Jesus responds in love, intention, and compassion.

For the first time in a long time, I have free time. This past week, I found myself sitting in the Starbucks I frequently spend an average of 5 hours doing homework, but this time, I ran out of homework after just an hour and a half. So there I sat. Reconsidering my purchase of a venti as I was only a quarter finished, pretending to look up emails as I thought about what I could possibly spend the next two and a half hours doing there. Then it hit me. I missed the chance of being interrupted.

For the past few weeks, people have been asking to catch-up or get to know me over coffee, a meal, or even just a call. And every time, I answered with the same, “I would love to but I will have to get back to you after I finish all of the work I need to get done.” To say the least, disruption was not my cup of tea. I had things to do and I refused to let time with people take away from my responsibilities. But isn’t it just dandy that the most important command of God includes loving people. And loving people can only be done when time is spent with people.

I had to drop this mindset that my to-do list was too jammed to squeeze in a few divine disruptions.

In the second half of Mark 5, as Jesus stepped off a boat and into a large crowd of people, He was met by a man falling at His feet. Jairus, a leader from the synagogue, let out a plea with the last bit of hope he had. His daughter was ill and near death. So in hopeful desperation, he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his child. And without hesitation, in the very next verse, “Jesus went with him.”

Jesus was faced with the opportunity to be a blessing to another person. And in a perfect display of a kingdom mindset, He made room for that “disruption” to be seen for what God intended. A divine appointment. Far too often, we think we need a moment to be specifically set up in order to result in a miracle. But my dear friend, that could not be more wrong. God is capable of turning every concern into a beautiful example of His glory. And luckily, we humans have a LOT of concerns.

Yet this was not the end of Mark 5. As Jesus went on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman suffering from a bleeding disease for the past twelve years, saw Jesus crossing her path and extended out her hand for not His time, but the power that came with His presence alone. After the woman was immediately healed, Jesus could have continued walking as though nothing happened. After all, she did nothing more but touch His cloak. But instead, He sought her out and insisted on recognizing her and her suffering even if it was simply for a moment.

Mind you, it was not as though Jesus was on a stroll. He was in the process of helping Jairus. So Christian, how open are you to the Jairus’ and bleeding women that cross your path? Both scenario’s carried a hurt far deeper than that which was revealed in their first encounter, but Jesus chose to make room without hesitation. As you step into each day, do you wait for people to uncover their severe brokenness or do you respond in immediate and intentional compassion?

I believe we live in a world far too broken to delay our help for when it crumbles. I would argue that Jesus lived a life of no interruption. As He allowed every moment to be used to glorify His Father, these encounters were nothing less than a divine appointment. However, as we see, they only resulted in a blessing when Jesus matched His perspective with the heart of the Father.

In other words, until we let go of our own schedules and endless lists of to-do’s we will continue to miss the divine disruptions that cross our paths day after day. To love God’s people is to spend time in deep fellowship with them. This is not to give up on your responsibilities, as Jesus continued His journey of saving Jairus’ daughter after encountering the sick woman. Rather, acknowledge the flexibility of the perfectly timed day God makes new every morning.

As someone who relies desperately on to-do lists and calendars marked three months in advance, living intentionally interruptible is no easy task. But as I once heard and often say, much like many other spiritual disciplines…it may not be comfortable, but it is biblical and necessary.

To make room is to make time. And to make time is to give up the one thing humanity often tries to make the most of as it is impossible to gain any more. But like every other aspect of this world, when chosen to be placed in the hands of God instead of oneself, the blessing received becomes far greater than one could have ever imagined.

Dear friend, may you allow your days to be open to “disruptions” and allow your heart to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice that you do not let another uncovered blessing pass in the name of “busy”.