DON'T BE A PARROT IN LIFE—BE AN EAGLE

I love this quote:

“Don’t be a parrot in life, be an eagle. A parrot talks way too much and can’t fly high, but an eagle is silent and has the willpower to touch the sky.”

These two birds couldn't be more different, and I think there is a lesson for us in that.

Parrots can be funny and entertaining birds, especially depending on what their owners have taught them to say. They can repeat words, sounds, and even phrases they've heard from the people around them.

And isn't that sometimes what we do?

We repeat what we hear.

We repeat other people's opinions.
We repeat gossip.
We repeat negativity.
We repeat what everyone else is saying without ever taking the time to decide what we actually believe for ourselves.

We become parrots.

And sometimes, the more we talk, the less we actually accomplish.

BE LIKE THE EAGLE

Eagles have always fascinated me.

If you've ever had the opportunity to see one up close, you know just how much they capture your attention. In my opinion, they're the kings of the bird world.

Everything about an eagle is impressive—their strength, their beauty, their focus, and especially their ability to soar.

But one of the things I find most impressive about eagles is how quiet they can be.

They don't have to make a lot of noise to get noticed.

They don't have to announce what they're doing.

They don't have to prove themselves to anyone.

They simply soar.

And when they're preparing to go after their prey, they can be incredibly silent and focused. They aren't distracted by everything happening around them. They know what they're after, and they move with purpose.

There is something powerful about that.

Sometimes we need to stop talking so much and start listening more.

Sometimes we need to stop explaining ourselves to everyone and simply let our lives speak for us.

Sometimes we need to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and focus on where God is leading us.

DON'T BE A PARROT

Being a parrot means constantly repeating what everyone else says.

It means allowing the opinions of others to determine how you think, how you live, and sometimes even how you see yourself.

But God didn't call us to simply blend into the crowd and repeat what everyone else is saying.

He calls us to be transformed.

Romans 12:2 tells us:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

In other words, don't simply repeat the world around you.

Think differently.

Live differently.

Walk differently.

Let God renew your mind so that your life reflects His truth, not simply the noise around you.

EAGLES RISE ABOVE

One of the things I love most about watching an eagle is seeing it rise above everything below.

There is something beautiful about seeing an eagle soaring high in the sky, seemingly touching the clouds.

And that reminds me of something spiritually important:

Sometimes you have to rise above.

Rise above the gossip.

Rise above the drama.

Rise above the negativity.

Rise above the opinions of people who don't understand what God is doing in your life.

Rise above the need to constantly defend yourself.

Rise above the things that are trying to pull you down.

Not because you're better than anyone else, but because God has called you to a higher way of living.

GOD WILL GIVE YOU WINGS TO SOAR

One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 40:31:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

I love that God chose the eagle as the picture.

He didn't say we would crawl.

He didn't say we would barely survive.

He said we would soar.

That doesn't mean we will never face storms.

Eagles actually give us a beautiful picture of what it means to rise above them. Rather than being controlled by everything happening around them, they can use the conditions around them to rise higher.

And isn't that what God can do in our lives?

The very things that were meant to knock us down can become opportunities for God to strengthen us.

The storms may come.

The winds may blow.

The circumstances may be difficult.

But with God, we don't have to remain trapped at the level of the storm.

We can rise above it.

QUIET DOESN'T MEAN WEAK

Sometimes people mistake quietness for weakness.

But an eagle doesn't have to be loud to be powerful.

And neither do we.

You don't have to respond to every comment.

You don't have to participate in every argument.

You don't have to explain yourself to everyone.

You don't have to prove your worth.

You don't have to repeat everything you hear.

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is remain quiet, keep your focus, and continue moving in the direction God has called you.

Let other people make the noise.

You keep soaring.

DON'T BE A PARROT—BE AN EAGLE

Life is full of noise.

Everyone has an opinion.

Everyone has something to say.

Everyone seems to know what everyone else should be doing.

But we don't have to repeat all of it.

We don't have to allow the noise of the world to become the voice inside our heads.

Instead, let's be people who know who we are, know Whose we are, and know where we're going.

Let's listen more.

Let's speak with purpose.

Let's stop repeating what everyone else says and start living according to what God says.

Let's rise above the things that are trying to keep us down.

And when the storms come, let's remember Isaiah 40:31.

We may get weary, but God can renew our strength.

We may feel weak, but God can give us strength.

We may feel like we're falling, but God can teach us to soar.

So don't be a parrot in life.

Don't spend your life repeating the noise around you.

Be an eagle.

Be quiet when silence is needed.

Be strong when life gets hard.

Stay focused on where God is leading you.

And when the opportunity comes—

spread your wings, rise above, and soar.

Walking in the Light

There is something powerful about the words “walk in the light.”

John isn't simply talking about believing in Jesus. He's talking about how we live.

To walk in the light means choosing to live openly before God rather than hiding in darkness. It means allowing His truth to expose the things in our lives that need to be changed, surrendered, forgiven, and healed.

And there is something else I find especially interesting about this verse.

John connects walking in the light with having fellowship with one another.

In other words, our spiritual integrity doesn't just affect our relationship with God.

It affects the quality of the communities we create.

What We Do Privately Affects How We Live Publicly

John is one of the few New Testament writers who draws such a direct connection between our spiritual integrity and the quality of our relationships with one another.

That's important because we can sometimes compartmentalize our faith.

We can think our relationship with God is one thing and our relationships with people are something entirely different.

But Scripture doesn't really allow us to separate the two.

How we walk with God will eventually show up in how we treat people.

If we're walking in the light, it should affect the way we love.

It should affect the way we forgive.

It should affect the way we speak.

It should affect the way we handle conflict.

It should affect whether we're willing to admit when we're wrong.

It should affect whether we're willing to extend grace.

It should affect whether we hold grudges or choose forgiveness.

The condition of our hearts eventually becomes visible in the way we live with others.

Walking in the Light Doesn't Mean Being Perfect

Sometimes we hear the phrase “walk in the light” and think it means we have to have everything together.

It doesn't.

Walking in the light doesn't mean we never make mistakes.

It doesn't mean we never fail.

It doesn't mean we never struggle.

And it certainly doesn't mean we have to pretend we're perfect for the sake of appearances.

In fact, walking in the light requires the opposite.

It requires honesty.

It means we're willing to let God shine His light into the places we'd rather keep hidden.

The attitudes we don't want anyone to see.

The hurts we're carrying.

The sins we're struggling with.

The bitterness we've held onto.

The pride we don't want to admit.

The mistakes we wish we could erase.

Walking in the light means bringing those things before God instead of hiding them from Him.

And that's where grace comes in.

John doesn't say that those who walk in the light are never sinful.

He says that “the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”

That's the hope of the Gospel.

We don't have to hide because Jesus already knows.

We don't have to pretend because His grace is greater than our failures.

We don't have to remain trapped in shame because His blood cleanses us.

There Is Freedom in Being Honest With God

Walking in the light can be humbling.

Sometimes God's light reveals things about us that we don't want to see.

It can be uncomfortable to admit that we're wrong.

It's humbling to acknowledge that we need forgiveness.

It's humbling to realize that sometimes the problem isn't everyone else.

Sometimes the problem is us.

But humility isn't something we should fear.

Humility is often where healing begins.

When we stop defending ourselves and start surrendering ourselves to God, He can begin doing a work in us that we couldn't do on our own.

Walking in the light means saying:

“God, search my heart.”

“Show me what needs to change.”

“Forgive me where I've failed.”

“Heal the places in me that are broken.”

“Help me become more like You.”

That's not weakness.

That's surrender.

And there is incredible freedom in surrender.

Lives Knit Together by Forgiveness and Redemption

John says that when we walk in the light, “we have fellowship with one another.”

Think about that.

The people who walk in the light aren't people who have never failed one another.

They're people who understand forgiveness.

They're people who understand grace.

They're people who have experienced redemption.

They're people who know that they themselves have been forgiven and therefore learn to extend forgiveness to others.

When we walk in the light, our lives become knit together not by our perfection, but by God's forgiveness and redemption.

That's what makes Christian community so beautiful.

We don't gather because we've all gotten everything right.

We gather because we've all needed Jesus.

We are all people who have fallen short.

We are all people who have needed grace.

We are all people who have needed forgiveness.

And we are all people who can be made new through Christ.

The Light Doesn't Destroy Us—It Renews Us

Sometimes we are afraid of God's light because we think it will expose everything wrong with us.

But God's light isn't meant to destroy us.

It's meant to bring us to life.

His light exposes what needs to be healed so He can begin healing it.

It reveals what needs to be surrendered so we can finally let it go.

It shows us where we've wandered so He can lead us back.

It reveals the darkness not to condemn us, but to call us out of it.

That's why walking in the light can be humbling, but it can also be healing, renewing, and invigorating.

There is something refreshing about no longer having to hide.

There is freedom in being honest with God.

There is healing in receiving His forgiveness.

There is renewal in surrendering our old ways to Him.

And there is life in knowing that we don't have to walk through this journey alone.

Keep Walking in the Light

Walking in the light is a daily choice.

Every day we have opportunities to choose truth over deception, forgiveness over bitterness, humility over pride, grace over judgment, and obedience over self-will.

And when we fail—and we will—we don't run from the light.

We run toward it.

We take our failures to Jesus.

We confess them.

We receive His forgiveness.

We get back up.

And we keep walking.

Because the goal isn't to convince everyone that we're perfect.

The goal is to become more like Jesus.

And when we walk in His light, something beautiful happens.

We experience deeper fellowship with Him.

We experience deeper fellowship with one another.

We become people who understand grace because we've received grace.

We become people who can forgive because we've been forgiven.

We become people who can offer hope because we've experienced redemption.

And little by little, God creates communities where broken people don't have to pretend they're whole.

They can come into the light.

They can be honest.

They can heal.

They can grow.

They can forgive.

They can be renewed.

And they can discover what it means to walk together in the light of Christ.

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”

What a beautiful promise.

Walk in the light.

Not because you're perfect.

But because Jesus is.

Not because you never fail.

But because His grace is greater than your failures.

Not because you have everything figured out.

But because you know the One who does.

And when we walk in His light, we don't just discover a deeper relationship with God.

We discover lives knit together by His forgiveness, His grace, and His redemption.

(taken from the Bible App)

Do Not Become Weary in Doing Good

There are some verses in Scripture that seem to speak to us differently depending on the season of life we are in.

Galatians 6:9 is one of those verses for me.

I’ve read this verse many times before, but where I am in life right now, it makes me think about the harvest in a completely different way.

When I read, “Let us not become weary in doing good,” I think about continuing to live for Jesus, continuing to encourage others, continuing to speak about Him, continuing to love people, continuing to do what is right—even when we don't immediately see the results.

And then I think about the promise:

“For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

What does that harvest look like?

It doesn't necessarily mean financial blessings. It doesn't necessarily mean receiving something material in return for the good we have done.

Sometimes the greatest harvest is seeing someone come to know Jesus.

Sometimes it is seeing someone's life changed.

Sometimes it is watching someone who was hurting find hope.

Sometimes it is knowing that something you said, something you did, or simply the way you lived your life planted a seed in someone's heart that God will eventually bring to life.

People Hear What We Say, But They Watch What We Do

We can tell people about Jesus all day long, but people are also watching how we live.

Our actions often speak much louder than our words.

People watch how we respond when life doesn't go the way we planned.

They watch how we treat people who don't agree with us.

They watch what we do when we're disappointed.

They watch whether we forgive.

They watch whether we show grace.

They watch whether our faith remains when we're walking through difficult circumstances.

And perhaps most importantly, they watch whether we continue to follow Christ when we become weary.

It's easy to talk about faith when everything is going well.

It's another thing entirely to continue trusting God when you're tired, disappointed, hurt, or wondering when you will finally see the answer you've been praying for.

That's when our lives can become a testimony.

When we continue to do good even when we don't see immediate results, we're showing people something about Jesus.

When we refuse to give up, we're showing them what it looks like to have faith in a God who is faithful.

When we continue loving people who may not love us back, we're showing them the love of Christ.

When we keep serving, encouraging, praying, forgiving, and pointing people toward Jesus even when we are weary, we are planting seeds.

And we may not always get to see where those seeds land.

Don't Give Up Because You Don't See the Harvest Yet

One of the hardest things about planting seeds is that you don't immediately see the harvest.

You plant.

You water.

You wait.

And sometimes you wonder if anything is happening at all.

But just because you can't see something happening doesn't mean God isn't working.

That's true in our spiritual lives too.

You may have prayed for someone for years and still not see them turn toward God.

You may have shared your testimony and wondered if anyone was listening.

You may have encouraged someone, loved someone, prayed for someone, or simply tried to be an example of Christ—and wondered whether any of it made a difference.

Don't become weary. Don't give up.

God sees every act of obedience.

He sees every prayer.

He sees every tear.

He sees every time you chose grace instead of bitterness.

He sees every time you chose to keep going when you wanted to quit.

And Galatians 6:9 reminds us that there is a proper time for the harvest.

Our job is to remain faithful. God's job is to bring the harvest.

We don't get to decide when the harvest comes.

We don't always get to see the results of the seeds we've planted.

But we can trust the One who does.

Your Life May Be the Testimony Someone Needs

There may be someone watching you right now who will never tell you that you're influencing them.

They may not tell you that your faith encourages them.

They may not tell you that they noticed how you handled adversity.

They may not tell you that your kindness made a difference.

They may not tell you that your decision to keep trusting God made them wonder what it is about Jesus that gives you the strength to keep going.

But they may be watching.

And your consistency may be planting a seed.

That's why we can't afford to become weary in doing good.

We aren't just living for ourselves.

Our lives are a testimony.

Every day we have opportunities to show people what Jesus looks like through the way we live.

We may not always preach a sermon, but our lives are preaching something.

The question is: What are they hearing from the way we live?

Keep Going

If you're tired today, I want to encourage you with the same verse that is speaking to me:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Keep doing good.

Keep loving.

Keep praying.

Keep encouraging.

Keep forgiving.

Keep serving.

Keep telling people about Jesus.

Keep being the person God has called you to be.

And when you don't see results, don't assume that nothing is happening.

Some seeds take time.

Some prayers take time.

Some people take time.

And some harvests come much later than we expected.

But God's timing is always the right time.

Maybe the harvest God has promised isn't a bigger bank account, a bigger house, or more possessions.

Maybe it's a changed life.

Maybe it's a restored relationship.

Maybe it's someone finally surrendering their life to Jesus.

Maybe it's seeing someone who once had no hope discover the hope we have in Christ.

Maybe the harvest is knowing that your faithfulness helped point someone toward eternity.

And what could possibly be a greater harvest than that?

So don't give up.

Even when you're weary, keep going.

Even when you can't see the results, keep planting.

Even when you wonder if your efforts matter, remember that God sees what you cannot.

At the proper time, there will be a harvest—if we do not give up.

Keep planting.

Keep trusting.

Keep believing.

And most of all, keep showing people Jesus.

Empty Seats Are Better Than the Wrong Company

We’ve all been guilty at one point or another of keeping the wrong company. Sometimes we hold on to people because we’re afraid of being alone. Sometimes we settle for relationships that we know aren’t good for us because we’ve become comfortable with them. And sometimes, we simply don’t realize how much the wrong people are affecting the direction of our lives until we’ve already gone too far down the wrong road.

I learned the hard way many, many years ago that it is most definitely better to have empty seats than to fill them with the wrong people.

An empty seat may feel lonely for a season, but the wrong company can cost you far more than loneliness ever will.

The people we surround ourselves with matter.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

Wrong company can corrupt what God is trying to build in our lives. It can pull us in directions we were never meant to go. It can make us compromise things we once stood firmly on. It can cause us to accept things we never should have accepted and settle for things that are far less than what God intended for us.

Sometimes the wrong people don't just influence our decisions—they influence our vision.

They can taint our lives to the point that we can no longer clearly see what is right in front of our faces. We become so accustomed to what we've accepted and settled for that we don't recognize that there could be something better waiting for us.

And sometimes, what is right in front of us is so much better than what we've convinced ourselves we have to settle for.

That's why we have to be careful about who gets a seat at our table, who gets access to our hearts, and who gets to speak into our lives.

Not everyone who wants to walk beside you is meant to walk with you.

Not everyone who has been part of your past is supposed to be part of your future.

And sometimes, letting someone go isn't a failure. Sometimes it's obedience.

There may be seasons when God allows certain seats around us to become empty because He is making room for something better. He may be removing people, relationships, habits, or influences that have been keeping us from becoming who He created us to be.

We don't always understand the empty seats.

We may even grieve them.

But an empty seat is still better than giving the wrong person a place that belongs to someone—or something—God has chosen for our lives.

We need to be living our best lives with God by our side rather than living our worst lives with the wrong people by our side.

And here's what I've learned: what God has for us is so much better than anything this world can offer.

The peace He brings is like no other.

The comfort He gives is something no person can completely give us.

There is a security that comes from knowing that God is with you—even when you don't know what tomorrow holds. There is something incredibly comforting about finally letting go of the need to control everything and allowing God to take the wheel of your life.

That feeling of “I'm home” that comes from being where God wants you to be is better than anything I've ever experienced.

I've spent enough time going my own way to know that my way isn't better.

I've spent enough time with the wrong people to know that being surrounded by people doesn't mean you aren't lonely.

And I've learned that having an empty seat beside you is far better than having someone sitting there who is pulling you away from God and the life He has for you.

So if you find yourself in a season where some seats around you are empty, don't automatically assume something is wrong.

Maybe God is protecting you.

Maybe He's redirecting you.

Maybe He's making room.

Maybe He's teaching you that you don't have to fill every empty space just because you're afraid of being alone.

Sometimes empty seats are God's way of making room for better things.

And if you don't have that peace with God yet—if you haven't experienced what it feels like to truly surrender your life to Him—don't you want it too?

Because a life lived with God and for God is really living.

I mean really, truly living.

I've been more alive with God than I ever was without Him.

And I wouldn't trade that life for anything.

So be careful who you allow to fill the seats in your life.

Choose people who draw you closer to God, not further away from Him.

And if a seat has to remain empty for a while, let it.

An empty seat is better than the wrong company.

And sometimes, that empty seat is exactly where God wants it to be.

The God of All Comfort

The God of All Comfort

There is something incredibly comforting about knowing that God does not stand far away from us when we are hurting.

He doesn't look down on us from a distance and tell us to simply “get through it.” He doesn't become distant when our hearts are broken, when we're weary, when we're afraid, or when life doesn't turn out the way we hoped it would.

He comes near.

The tender love of God for His children is clearly displayed in the fact that He comforts us in our troubles. God is not distant and cold. He is loving, compassionate, and near to the brokenhearted and weary.

And Paul knew this firsthand.

Paul wasn't writing these words from a comfortable life where everything was going according to plan. He knew what it meant to suffer. In his mission to bring the message of Jesus to as many people as possible, Paul was mistreated, rejected, persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, and threatened.

Yet through all of it, Paul could still testify that God was the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”

Think about that for a moment.

Paul didn't say God comforts us in some of our troubles.

He didn't say God comforts us when our problems are small enough for us to handle.

He said “all our troubles.” 

That means there is no trouble too great for God's comfort to reach.

There is no heartbreak so deep that God cannot meet us there. There is no fear that He cannot calm. There is no season of loneliness in which He has abandoned us. There is no valley so dark that His presence cannot find us.

Paul knew plenty of trouble, but God's comfort was always near.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison. Their feet were fastened in stocks, and yet at midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God.

They worshiped while they were hurting.

Their circumstances had not changed yet. The prison doors were still closed. Their bodies were still hurting. They didn't know what was going to happen next.

But God was there.

And sometimes that is the greatest comfort we can receive—not necessarily that God immediately changes our circumstances, but that He reminds us that we are not facing those circumstances alone.

I think we sometimes have the misconception that if God is with us, life should be easy. But Scripture never promises that following Christ means we will never experience pain, disappointment, loss, rejection, sickness, fear, or hardship.

What Scripture does promise is that God will be with us in the middle of it.

Psalm 34:18 tells us:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Close.

I love that word.

God doesn't say, “I'll be close once you get yourself together.”

He is close to the brokenhearted.

He is close when we're crying.

He is close when we don't understand.

He is close when we're exhausted from trying to be strong.

He is close when we don't even know what to pray.

And sometimes God's comfort comes in ways we don't expect.

It may come through a Scripture that suddenly speaks directly to what we're going through. It may come through a song that brings tears to our eyes because the words seem to express exactly what our hearts are feeling.  It may come through a friend who calls at just the right moment, a hug when we desperately need one, or someone simply sitting beside us when there are no words that can make things better.

And sometimes, God's comfort is simply His quiet reminder:

“I am here. You are not alone. I have not forgotten you.”

I've experienced each and every one of these I just mentioned.

There is another beautiful truth hidden in these verses.

The same Greek word Paul uses for “comfort” is the root of the word Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit in John 14:16. Jesus promised His followers that He would send an Advocate and Comforter who would live within them.

Jesus knew that His followers would face difficult things.

He knew there would be times when they would feel afraid, discouraged, confused, and alone. So He didn't leave them to face this life on their own.

He gave them the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 tells us that the Spirit would live with believers and be in them.

Think about how incredible that is.

God doesn't simply comfort us from the outside. His Spirit lives within us.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher. He is our guide. He reminds us of God's truth. He strengthens us. And He is also our Comforter.

When the world around us feels uncertain, we have the presence of God within us.

When our hearts are hurting, He is there.

When we don't know what to do next, He is there.

When we don't have the words to pray, He is there.

When we feel like we can't take another step, He is there.

God Doesn't Waste Our Pain

But there is another part of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that I don't want us to overlook.

Paul says God comforts us in our troubles “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

God doesn't waste our pain.

The very places where we have been hurt can become places where God uses us to help someone else.

The tears we've cried may one day help us understand someone else's tears.

The prayers we've prayed in the middle of our own difficult seasons may give us words to pray for someone else.

The Scriptures that carried us through our darkest moments may become the very Scriptures we share with someone who is walking through their own valley.

The comfort we received from God was never meant to stop with us.

It is meant to overflow.

Maybe you've wondered why you had to walk through a particular difficult season.

Maybe you've asked God, “Why me?”

And while I don't believe we will always understand the reason behind our suffering, I do believe God can take what hurt us and use it for His purposes.

He can take our broken places and make them places where His love shines through.

He can use our experiences to remind someone else that they aren't alone.

Sometimes the greatest ministry we can offer someone isn't having all the answers. Sometimes it's simply being able to say,

“I've been there. I know what it feels like. But let me tell you what God did for me.”

That's testimony.

That's compassion.

That's comfort.

We Have a Father Who Cares

The Application Bible points out that God's comforting nature comes from His compassionate love for His children. Psalm 103:13 says:

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.”

What a beautiful picture of our Father.

God doesn't merely tolerate us.

He loves us.

He cares about what hurts us.

He sees the tears nobody else sees.

He knows the burdens we carry silently.

He knows the prayers we haven't been able to put into words.

And He cares.

Understanding God's comfort should produce more in us than simple obedience. It should produce gratitude, love, devotion, and praise.

When we truly understand that the God who created the heavens and the earth cares about the details of our lives and comes near when we're hurting, how can we not praise Him?

If You're Hurting Today...

Maybe you're reading this while walking through something you never expected.

Maybe your heart is broken.

Maybe you're exhausted.

Maybe you're waiting for an answer that hasn't come yet.

Maybe you're praying for a situation that seems impossible.

Maybe you're trying to hold everything together while secretly wondering how much longer you can keep going.

I want to remind you of what Paul knew firsthand:

You have a God of all comfort.

You may not know what tomorrow holds.

You may not understand why you're walking through this particular season.

You may not know when the circumstances will change.

But you can know this:

God is with you.

He has not left you.

He has not forgotten you.

And He is not standing at a distance watching you struggle alone.

He is near.

Let Him comfort you.

Let Him meet you in the middle of your pain. Let His Word remind you of what is true when your circumstances are telling you something different. Let the Holy Spirit strengthen you when you don't feel strong enough to keep going.

And then, when God carries you through this season, don't forget what He has done.

Because somewhere down the road, someone else may be hurting in the very place where you once hurt.

And you may be the person God uses to say,

“I understand. I've walked through a difficult season too. And I want you to know about the God who comforted me.”

The God who comforts us in our troubles can use our story to bring comfort to someone else's.

Our pain may become part of our testimony. Our comfort can become someone else's hope. And our story can point someone else to the One who never leaves us.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—

the God of all comfort. 

Church Hurt Is Real, But Don't Let It Keep You from Christ

"Church hurt" is real.

It has become a phrase we hear often, and for good reason. Many people have experienced deep wounds from those within the church—pastors, leaders, fellow believers, or people they trusted. Those wounds are not imaginary. They hurt, and sometimes they leave scars that last for years.

But while church hurt is real, allowing imperfect Christians to permanently separate you from Christ gives those people far too much power.

Our hope has never been in people.

Our hope is in Christ Jesus.

At one time or another, almost every believer has been hurt by someone in the church. Someone said something they shouldn't have. Someone acted in a way that didn't reflect Christ. Someone who was supposed to encourage you instead wounded you. Maybe someone in leadership disappointed you, betrayed your trust, or failed to live out the very truths they preached.

If that's happened to you, I'm truly sorry.

The pain is real.

The disappointment is real.

But those people are still human.

The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every pastor, elder, Sunday school teacher, worship leader, and church member is a sinner in need of God's grace. While they are called to represent Christ well, none of them are Christ.

Only Jesus is perfect.

Psalm 118:8 tells us, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."

That's an important reminder because it's easy to place people on pedestals. We expect them to always do the right thing, always say the right thing, and never let us down. When they fail—and eventually they will—we can become so disillusioned that we begin questioning God Himself.

But God didn't fail us.

People did.

There is a difference.

So why do we allow imperfect people to influence what should be our own personal relationship with the Lord?

That's a difficult question, and there isn't one easy answer. Pain has a way of clouding our perspective. Betrayal cuts deeply, especially when it comes from people who claim the name of Christ.

Yet while people will fail us—that's simply part of living in a fallen world—God never will.

Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to keep "our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Our faith was never meant to rest on the character of another person. It was always meant to rest on the character of Christ.

That's why we must seek Him for ourselves.

No pastor can build your relationship with Jesus for you.

No church can replace your personal walk with Him.

No Bible teacher can spend time in God's Word on your behalf.

We have to open the Scriptures ourselves. We have to pray. We have to pursue Him daily. As we read His Word, we discover who He truly is—not simply who others have portrayed Him to be.

I understand that church hurt cuts deeply. You are not alone. People you should have been able to trust may have been the very ones who caused the pain. People who were supposed to reflect Christ may have misrepresented Him.

I understand.

But if we allow those hurts to define how we see God, we only deepen the wound. We end up distancing ourselves from the One who never intended to hurt us in the first place.

The enemy would love nothing more than to convince us that because God's people failed us, God has failed us too.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus experienced betrayal Himself. One of His own disciples sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Him. The rest of the disciples fled in fear. Yet Jesus continued His mission because His purpose was rooted in the Father's will, not in the faithfulness of people.

There may be times when you need to leave an unhealthy church. There may be situations where boundaries are necessary. In cases of abuse, manipulation, or ongoing unrepentant sin, walking away from that environment can be wise and even necessary.

But don't walk away from Jesus.

When many disciples abandoned Him, Jesus asked the twelve if they wanted to leave as well. Peter answered in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

That's the question we all have to answer.

If not Jesus, then who?

The world around us is filled with hurting people. Every person you meet carries wounds of some kind. Many people allow those hurts to define their lives and shape every decision they make. If we're honest, we've all been there at one point or another.

I know I have.

But healing begins when we stop looking at imperfect people and start looking at our perfect Savior.

Church hurt may have been part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the end of your story.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

People may disappoint you.

Churches may fail you.

But Christ never will.

(taken from the Bible App)

Don't Be Anxious About Anything

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I heard this verse preached countless times while growing up. It was one of the first Scriptures I memorized as a child, and it has stayed with me throughout my life.

The truth is, anxiety comes naturally for many of us. It certainly did for me.

Growing up in a home with an alcoholic father and a mother who enabled him—mostly out of fear of what he might do to her or to us kids—I learned to live in a constant state of worry. I was always waiting for the next argument, the next disappointment, or the next crisis. Anxiety became my normal.

As I got older, that anxious way of living followed me. It clung to me like glue, trying to keep me in bondage to fear and worry.

But God never intended for us to live that way.

When Paul tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything," he isn't pretending life is easy. He's inviting us to do something different when anxiety comes. Instead of carrying every burden ourselves, we're invited to bring every concern, every fear, and every unanswered question to God through prayer—with thankful hearts, trusting that He hears us.

Notice that God doesn't always promise to remove the situation immediately. Instead, He promises something even greater—His peace.

Not just any peace, but "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding."

That kind of peace doesn't always make sense. It can settle over your heart while you're still walking through difficult circumstances. It isn't based on everything going right; it's based on knowing the One who is in control.

I especially love the promise that His peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. What an incredible picture! God's peace stands watch over us like a guard, protecting us from being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety as we continue to trust Him.

Every time I read those words, they bring a sense of calm that is hard to explain. It's almost as if His peace begins to bubble up inside of me, reminding me that I'm not carrying life's burdens alone. That peace is refreshing, especially considering everything I've walked through.

Jesus later echoed this same promise in John 14:27:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The peace Jesus offers isn't dependent on our circumstances. It's different from the temporary peace the world promises. His peace steadies us in the middle of uncertainty because it comes from His presence, not from our situation.

Living in a dysfunctional home isn't the way God intended anyone to live, but sadly, many people know that reality all too well. Looking back now, I can see God's hand on my life every step of the way. He walked with me through the pain, helped me heal from my past, and gently taught me to trust Him instead of my fears.

Today, He has blessed me with an amazing husband, a wonderful son, and a life filled with His faithfulness. I don't take any of it for granted.

More than anything, I simply want to keep walking with Him.

After all He's done for me, how could I not love Him with all my heart? I still fail Him at times because I'm human, but He has never failed me. Instead, He faithfully wraps me in His loving arms, reminds me of His grace, and gently brings me back into fellowship with Him. That's who He is.

Maybe you're carrying something today that's causing anxiety—a health concern, financial stress, family struggles, or simply uncertainty about what comes next. Whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone.

Take it to the Lord. Tell Him everything that's on your heart. Thank Him for His faithfulness, even before you see the answer. Then trust Him to do exactly what He promised.

His peace may not always change your circumstances immediately, but it will change you as you walk through them. And sometimes, that's the greatest miracle of all.

(taken from the Bible App)

Renewing Your Strength and Soaring

There are so many Bible verses that stop me in my tracks and make me think. Isaiah 40:31 is one of those verses, and it's one of my favorites. Let me tell you why...

If you back up to verse 29, it says:
        "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the                                   weak." (NIV)

So many times in my life I've been weary and felt like I couldn't go on any longer. I've felt defeated, exhausted, and beaten. But God...

God brought these verses to my attention so often that before long I had them memorized. He showed me that whether I was walking through hard seasons or easier ones, He was always with me. He was there to give me the strength I needed, exactly when I needed it.

What has always encouraged me is that He didn't just give me strength once—He renewed it. I didn't have to rely on yesterday's strength to get through today's struggles because my strength was renewed as I continued to hold on to Him.

He helped me soar on wings like eagles by lifting me above the challenges I faced. He helped me run my race of faith without growing weary. He gave me the strength to walk without fainting, no matter what came my way. I'm living by faith today because of everything He has brought me through and because of the strength He gave me to endure every step of the journey. He is faithful. He is so good. And I am incredibly thankful.

Back in verse 26, Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of God's power. We're told to lift up our eyes to the heavens and look at the stars. The One who created every one of them brings them out one by one and calls each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Think about that for a moment. If God knows every star by name and faithfully keeps each one exactly where it belongs, how much more does He know and care for us? The same God who holds the universe together is the God who holds us together. The same mighty strength that keeps every star in place is the strength He offers to us when we are weary.

That's what makes verses 28 through 31 so comforting to me. The God who never grows tired, whose power is beyond anything I can comprehend, is the very One who renews my strength when mine is gone.

Back in verse 28, Scripture reminds us that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows tired or weary. Knowing that has made all the difference in my life. Because He never grows weary, I could hold on to Him through every season. I knew He had the strength I lacked and that He would provide it right when I needed it.

His timing has always been perfect—even when it wasn't the timing I wanted. Looking back, I can see that He was never late. He always came through exactly when it mattered most, and that has taught me to trust Him more and more.

I love picturing verse 31 whenever I read it. There's such peace in knowing, deep in your soul, that God's promises are true. After so many years of walking with Him, I've seen His faithfulness over and over again. Every time I've stumbled, every time I've missed the mark, He has picked me up, strengthened me, and helped me keep going.

If you're in a season where you're tired, discouraged, or wondering if you can take another step, hold on to Him. The same God who has faithfully renewed my strength will renew yours. He is still in the business of lifting weary hearts, strengthening weak hands, and helping His children soar.

May you find your strength not in yourself, but in the One who never grows weary. As you wait on Him, trust that He is already at work, renewing your strength and preparing you to soar.

(taken from the Bible App)

God Is Already Working Beyond What You Can See

I wonder how many blessings we miss because we've unknowingly placed limits on what we believe God can do.

We pray for enough.

God is thinking abundance.

We pray for a way through.

God is preparing a brand-new path.

We ask Him to solve today's problem.

He is already working on tomorrow's victory.

So often our prayers are shaped by what we can see. We ask according to our own understanding, our own resources, and our own expectations. But God isn't limited by any of those things. His plans are not confined to our imagination or our ability to figure everything out.

When I look back over my own life, I can see countless examples of this. There were prayers that seemed unanswered at the time, only for me to realize later that God was protecting me from something I couldn't see. There were doors that closed because He had a better one waiting. There were seasons of waiting that felt long and difficult, but they produced a deeper faith and a greater dependence on Him.

If God had only given me what I asked for years ago, I would have settled for so much less than what He ultimately wanted to give.

That is the beauty of walking with Him.

God doesn't simply answer prayers—He transforms lives.

He doesn't just meet needs—He changes hearts.

He doesn't merely provide enough—He delights in showing His goodness in ways that leave us standing in awe.

The greatest miracles God performs are not always the ones everyone can see. Sometimes His greatest work is changing us from the inside out. He replaces fear with faith, bitterness with forgiveness, anxiety with peace, and hopelessness with confidence in Him. As He works within us, He also works through us, allowing His love and His glory to reach others.

Every blessing, every opportunity, every answered prayer, every ounce of strength, and every victory has one source.

God.

That is why He deserves all the glory.

When people see His faithfulness in our lives, the spotlight should never stay on us. It should always point back to the One who made it possible. Our lives are meant to be testimonies that declare not how capable we are, but how incredible our God is.

So today, don't limit your prayers by your own imagination. Don't believe that your circumstances are too difficult or your dreams too big. Trust the God who specializes in doing what no one else can do.

He is already working in ways you cannot yet see.

And one day, you may look back and realize that what He accomplished was far greater than anything you ever thought to ask for.

Give Him all the glory.