Are you walking through a challenging season right now? Do you have more questions than answers? Is your hope tank almost empty? Are you wondering how much longer you’ll need to wait until some relief comes? Lean in, on, and toward others, and God, especially when reaching out is the last thing you may feel like doing. You matter. And people care and want to support and encourage you. Don’t hide behind phrases such as “it’s all good” and “I’m fine.” The mountain you see in front of you isn’t meant to be tackled on your own. By opening up your heart and being transparent with others, you’ll learn very quickly that you’re not alone in your struggles. Each of us have giants we are facing that seem impossible. We must remind ourselves that God is in control of every detail even when everything feels as though it’s coming unglued. We can’t forget that there’s something significant that God is trying to show us and/or teach us during the stormy seasons. He wants you and me to grow through what we go through. There is strength to be gained and faith to be stretched if we allow the journey to make us better, not bitter. And there’s no giant we’ll ever encounter that’s too big for God. 

I love the phrase, “Go BIG or go home,” except when I feel like my BIG isn’t nearly big enough to make any sort of significant impact. In which case, I retreat quietly without doing for one because I didn’t feel I could do for everyone. It begs the question, is it more important to be fair or to do good?

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone. Because if we all did for one what we wish we could do for everyone, it might just change the world. But no matter what it would change one person’s world. And it may even change your world and my world, too.  

I can’t think of one comfortable situation that has ever stretched my faith, can you? It’s been my experience that God tends to stir us out of comfortable situations in order to stretch us and cause us to use our faith. But none of us are exactly jumping up-and-down with our hands raised saying, “Pick me, pick me, I’m ready to get out of my comfort zone.” It sounds great in theory, right? Growing and stretching ourselves to new levels. Going further with God than we could ever go on our own. But in practice, it’s messy, filled with uncertainty, and plenty of plot twists and detours. The journey out of our comfort zone can feel a lot like a battle to fight or a storm to endure. In many cases, it involves being broken down in order to be built up. But on the other side of our comfort zone is the opportunity to live life more abundantly using our unique gifts.

I don’t know about you, but I want to live life to the fullest. And I never went to stop discovering God’s plans and purposes for my life. And I know you and I can’t do that staying comfortable. So that means we’re going to have to say “yes” to things we would have never dreamed of. And this will, in some cases, scare us right out of our minds. We’re going to have to let go of our deeply rooted desire to control and, instead, surrender and fully trust God. Instead of asking God a million questions, we must continue to search for and uncover the lessons He has for us. Rather than being consumed by apprehension about what’s next, we must trust in what we cannot see and keep going. God has already laid out the path forward for each of us. What’s the next step that you sense He is calling you to take? Will you allow him to push you forward? He wants you and I to know that there is something remarkable on the other side of our fears. But it will require us to use our faith.

Have you ever been so consumed by desiring what you don’t have that you actually spoil what you do have? I’ve definitely racked up enough experience going down this road to know that it doesn’t lead to a good place.  

It’s so important to pause long enough to recognize and appreciate that some of the things that you and I now have were once among the things we only hoped for. Counting our blessings each day and giving thanks to God for everything He has done for us is healthy. Consider the difficult situations He’s brought you through, the ways He’s changed you from the inside out, and the fact that He is with you every step of the way.  

There is joy and peace to be found when we take our minds off of ourselves and our circumstances and put our focus on God and loving others. Each of us have many things to be grateful for. That I am sure of. Starting our day by giving thanks helps us to experience joy right in the midst of our ordinary, everyday lives. Today is a new day. Let’s unwrap the gifts that today holds by focusing on gratitude.

When we share something repeatedly, we are trying to drive home the importance of what we are saying. And when someone tells us something more than once, we begin to sense that it must be pretty significant. Did you know that the command “do not fear” is written in the Bible 365 times? Wow! God didn’t want you and I to mess this one up. He knew we would struggle with worry and fear over situations and outcomes that we cannot control. He gave us as many reminders as there are days in the year to live each and every day being fearless. When we are afraid we feel fear and that fear fills us with apprehension. Fear starves faith and faith starves fear. We have to choose whether or not we are going to focus on our fears or our faith in God.  

You see, God wants us to know that He is with us. Fear sets in when we depend on ourselves, our own performance, and our own strength instead of asking God to fill us with courage, that enables us to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear.

This is one of my favorite verses about fear.

2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

God wants to help you and me overcome our fears so that we can continue to do whatever it is he is calling us to do. Power, love, and self-discipline are available to each of us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our faith grows most when we rely on God and trust in what we cannot see. It’s uncomfortable, messy, and even inconvenient at times, but always worth it!

Never underestimate the power of a planted seed. We must continue to plant good seeds. Seeds of love, encouragement, compassion, kindness, and hope.

It’s important to keep in mind, though, that every day will not be a day of harvest. We can get incredibly impatient or discouraged when things don’t happen quickly or according to our own self-imposed time frames. But we must keep planting. It takes time for seeds to push through the ground and bear fruit. The same goes for us when we’re in the midst of bringing about change. We’re not always going to “see” it, but we must continue to “seed” it.  At times, it’s going to be in our best interest to stop and check on the types of seeds that are taking root, too. Not all seeds bear good fruit, right? Just like a gardener, we need to pull out the weeds on a regular basis. Certain types of seeds are never going to serve us well. Seeds like unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. We need to be careful because we don’t want these types of seeds finding a home in our hearts.  

This is my challenge to you and to me. I say “challenge” because, if you’re anything like me, it’s not always easy or comfortable to engage in this kind of self reflection. Take a moment to consider the types of seeds you’ve been planting? How would you rate the quality of those seeds? Have they been producing the fruit your heart desires. Or does your garden look like mine, in desperate need of some weeding? What seeds can you begin planting today for a better and brighter future?  

Do you ever catch yourself focusing a little too much on your growing list of needs only to realize that when you do, it never leaves you in a very good place?  

I’ve spent a lot of years trying to chase down whatever it is I think I need next. Well, I might call them “needs,” but “wants” is probably a better descriptor. And I must say that the pursuit of constantly seeking “more” is nothing short of exhausting. It leaves me feeling empty and frustrated, like I’m not enough, and that I will never measure up. Being self-consumed prevents thoughts of gratitude from being recognized felt, or expressed. And when the need is fulfilled, it doesn’t provide the long-term return on investment I was anticipating all along. In truth, I don’t know how it could because I tend to put such unrealistic expectations on that need and what I insisted it was going to do for me or bring more of to my life.  

It’s not that you and me having needs, wants, and desires is, in and of itself, bad. It’s just that we start to get thrown off course a little or a lot when our list of needs becomes our primary focus. In my experience, what happens next is this. I lose sight of my need for Jesus.  

When things get out of balance, I need to remember that my greatest need that scratches out every other need on my list is this- I need Jesus! My hope and prayer is that you, too, recognize your need for Jesus. He is pursuing you and I. He wants to do a work in our hearts. He desired a personal relationship with each of us. He’s ready and waiting for you and I. Saying “yes” to Him is the best decision you and I will ever make. It changes our future in ways we could never dream or imagine. It secures our place in eternity. More of Jesus, less of us. More love, joy, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope than we can wrap our heads around.

I’m pretty sure I need a sign like this hanging somewhere in my house where I’ll see it every day- “Have you prayed about it more than you’ve talked about it?  Better yet, maybe it should be the wallpaper on my phone. 

If you know me well, you know I love to talk. I’m energized by connecting with others and seeking out their input. I wouldn’t even want to begin to count the number of times my answer to this question would be “no.”  

You see, I often make the mistake of talking through things with friends or family members first, and turn to prayer as a last step. What I’m sometimes left with is more unsettled feelings and higher anxiety because the more I share, the more amped up I tend to get. So why would I choose to go to God last instead of first or leave God out of the loop altogether? I think there are many answers this question, but this morning what immediately comes to mind is my desire for control and my lack of trust. Can you relate?  

Initially, I want to do everything in my power to try to control the outcome of any given situation I’m facing. And it’s often not until I realize again and again and again, that I’m not in control of the outcome of any situation, that I seek out God, pray, and put my trust in Him. It’s definitely a trust issue for me, and that’s hard to admit. I’ve grown so much in my faith, but questions like this make me realize I need to keep investing in my relationship with God through reading His word and praying. God is changing my heart from the inside out, but it’s a process. I need to stay connected with others believers who help to remind me of who God is, the hope that we have in Jesus, and how important it is to maintain an eternal perspective rather than to get caught up in the whirlwind of chaos in the here and now.  

Let’s go to God in prayer today? Let’s pause for a moment and make Him our first point of contact and trust that He is fully aware of every detail. And pay attention to how different it feels when we do.

Our lives can get so full, can’t they? I have a tendency to get caught up in my own “stuff” only to realize that I haven’t done much lately to show others much I care. Can you relate?  

We may tell people how much we care, but showing them how much we care has an even more powerful impact. As crazy as our lives get, we can’t lose sight of the importance of taking the time to make someone feel special. The simple act of caring shows people that they matter. It makes others feel loved, accepted, and important. Our caring can inspire others to care, too.  

What can you do today to show someone how much you care about them? If you’re like me, you may try to over complicate it, and then stop yourself in your tracks. It doesn’t have to be something huge or costly. Maybe it’s sending someone a text message or a handwritten note. Maybe it’s taking an extra five minutes to help someone or to ask someone how they are really doing. No act of caring is ever wasted. You and I can make a difference in someone’s life today by simply showing that person in some small way how much they mean to us.