Category Archives: Faith

All things faith related.

7 Promises of Ridiculous Hope

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Successful people are hopeful people. Over the past 30 years, research has shown that hope, not skill mastery or optimism or grit, is the most important determinant of success (according to Pattison Professional Counseling and Meditation Center). Does this fact leave you cheering or sighing?

I’d venture to guess that many of us would call ourselves generally hopeful people. If this doesn’t describe you, I believe that hope is both a gift from God and a skill that can be developed, so you’re not out of luck – stick with me!

In the 1946 book Man’s Search for Meaning, Holocaust Survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl explains (in a much more grandiose way) that humans always need something to look forward to. This statement may sound basic, but it’s actually incredibly deep.

Frankl tells of being imprisoned in a concentration camp and noting that death rates of prisoners always increased the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

Why?

He concluded these excess deaths were because these prisoners had held on to illogical, ridiculous hope that they would spend Christmas with their families. When Christmas Day came and went with no sign of their loved ones, so did their will to go on. Their ridiculous hope had a direct impact on their frail physical well-being; it literally kept them alive.

Sometimes we don’t realize the hope we’re holding onto is ridiculous until later, and this is a good thing! People living in a state of hope are more likely to achieve their goals and live with a sense of purpose.

For instance, others might chuckle if I say I believe the novel I’m writing could one day change the world, but that ridiculous hope is precisely what it takes to accomplish the difficult task of completing the novel. Anything less than ridiculous hope would result in an unfinished manuscript.

After I complete my manuscript, I may then be able to look at it more objectively and see that it might not change the entire world, but it still might change a few lives – lives that wouldn’t have been changed without my holding onto such hope. Hope gives us drive toward our goals and enables us to push through difficulties. Ridiculous hope keeps us pressing on long after others have given up on our vision.

Hope (or the lack thereof) also clearly affects our physical health, as noted above. Not only does Frankl give several examples of this in his eye-opening book, but in a recent chat with a medical professional friend, I was told that the patients who beat cancer nearly always have a hopeful attitude. He said the physical difference between hopeful versus hopeless patients is stark and obvious.

Hope is not the same as optimism, although they are certainly related. While optimists believe good things likely await in their futures, hope-filled people are driven to make those good things happen rather than sitting passively by.

God has a lot to say about hope, too. Here are seven of God’s many promises about hope:

  1. We have hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
  2. Jesus Christ is our living hope. (1 Peter 1:3)
  3. Hope anchors the soul. (Hebrews 6:19)
  4. Hope in the Lord allows us to be strong and take heart. (Psalm 31:24)
  5. Our hearts are sick without hope. (Proverbs 13:12)
  6. The eyes of the Lord are on those who hope in him. (Psalm 33:18)
  7. Hope makes us bold. (2 Corinthians 3:12)

If we take these seven truths about hope and use them to chase after our God-given goals, I’ll be surprised if we don’t start seeing significant change in our lives. There’s no magic formula (after all, who can know the ways of God?), but ridiculous hope is certainly a life-attitude that will deliver results, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

If you want to read more about the psychological benefits of hope, I found this article helpful: Want More Success in Your Life? Have Hope.

And have a peek at my middle grade novel, Power Up, if you want to share with the children in your life about the ways the Holy Spirit can bring them hope. (Grown-ups have found hope through it too!)

Procuring Peace in a Crazy World

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How are we supposed to be at peace when it feels like the world around us has gone mad? Some days it feels like an impossible task.

But let’s really think about it for a minute. What does peace look like to you? A home where everyone gets along? A calendar with more open days than filled days? The absence of conflict in the world around you?

First of all, sign me up for all of these things. 😉 Second, while these scenarios are desirable and may make you feel peaceful for a while, they are too dependent on outside circumstances to allow for true, unshakeable peace.

True peace transcends our circumstances, as paradoxical as it sounds. Peace is one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit, which means we need His power in order to live in peace, despite our circumstances.

For the Christian, true peace is a gift from God, but it also comes from deep trust. We trust that God’s plan is ultimately best, so we walk in peace. We trust that God is love and nothing we can ever do will change his great love for us, so we walk in peace. We trust that, in the end, God will right all the wrongs of this crazy world, so we walk in peace. Usually.

It’s all too easy to fall into a state of inner conflict or unrest, and when we find ourselves in this place, we need to examine our souls. If peace comes from deep-rooted trust in God, then conversely, conflict comes from distrust, whether we acknowledge it or not.

We don’t see God moving in the way we’ve been praying for, so we doubt his goodness and our hearts are conflicted. We aren’t convinced God’s love is unconditional, and our hearts are conflicted as we ponder what that means for us. We see people around us doing terrible things and being honored by the world, and we are conflicted as we question whether God will bring justice to the hard situations. (If trusting God is a challenge, check out this relevant post from awhile back: The Huge Truth My Characters Taught Me About Trusting God.)

Peace is largely the result of trust—honest, true, deep-rooted trust. It takes courage to attain peace, because it takes courage to faithfully trust God in all things. And peace is certainly not the result of a lack of conflict in the world around us. I can assure you that’s not going away before Jesus comes back.

How do we go about procuring this peace, especially since it sometimes feels like a moving target?

  • We spend time with God. Not just a few minutes in the morning, but throughout the day. We play worship music, have conversations with others, talk to God about random things throughout our days, and get to know him on a deeper level.
  • We actively display our trust by submitting to him.
  • We pray and ask him for his peace to fill our lives.
  • We remember that Jesus himself walks before, beside, and behind us through all things.
  • We bring him into every part of life until our hearts are entirely yielded to him and once we do that, we don’t stop there because we know it’s a daily process that is easily undone if we let down our guard.
  • When we lose our peace, we pray for more strength and more faith and we declare our trust in God until our hearts and minds are at peace once again, filled with confidence in his trustworthiness and goodness.

Striving for peace is a goal of mine this year. Maybe it is for you, too. If so, join me in lingering on these verses and promises from God:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:7

I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! –John 16: 33

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you. –2 Thessalonians 3:16

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. –John 14:27

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.         –Psalm 4:8

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:13

Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. –Philippians 4:9

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. –Isaiah 32:17

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. –Romans 12:18

Print out these verses and hang them where you’ll see them every day. Share them with a friend or relative going through a hard time. Nothing beats Scripture when it comes to speaking peace into our lives.

I pray, as you read this, that God would fill you with unshakeable peace and that your trust in his love and his goodness would permeate into your heart and soul more than ever before. Amen.

Old Lyrics with Fresh Ears: God and Sinners Reconciled

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I love Christmas music. I used to start listening to it in October, but my dear husband convinced me he “only has so much Christmas music in him” per year, so I’ve learned to accommodate. But in December, all bets are off. I’m partial to Bing Crosby and the Rat Pack, but also love a pretty wide variety, including old hymns.

I was recently listening to a modern version of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing in the van, and for some reason I heard it with fresh ears. I don’t know about you, but this is one of those Christmas songs I’ve sung in church since I was born, and sometimes when that happens the lyrics sort of lose their meaning.

If you read the lyrics to this song, you’ll find these things being said about newborn Jesus: He brings light, life, and healing to all. He brings peace and mercy. He’s the Prince of Peace and the Son of Righteousness. He makes the nations joyful. He was born that man no more may die. And finally, through him, God and sinners are reconciled.

  That’s a big deal, being reconciled with God. Without Jesus, our sin alienates us from perfect, holy God. With Jesus, our relationship is restored and made right with God. And once restored, God is free to start molding us into the image of Christ so we can walk in partnership with him and live out our lives as the Holy Spirit guides—which is always the best way.

As we run around during the next couple weeks preparing for whatever festivities we have planned, let’s crank up some Christian Christmas music and use it to get our minds and hearts focused on the point of this busy season—celebrating Jesus’ birth. The birth that single-handedly changed the course of human history. The birth that reconciled us so we could walk in right relationship with God himself, despite our flaws and failures.

God and sinners reconciled.

What sweet, sweet words.

What a gracious, loving God to offer us a rescue plan in the form of Jesus. Now that’s something to celebrate this Christmas.

What is one of your favorite Christmas songs this year? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and I pray you have a wonderful Christmas season. And if you need a quick gift idea, hop over to my “books” page — here you’ll find Christmas fiction, middle grade fiction, and even a free historical fiction novella if you’ve reached your December budget! Merry Christmas! 🙂

Stopped in Our Tracks: Joy in the Midst of Pain

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We can’t really know how strong our faith is until we have an opportunity to exercise it. And it’s not as if we go out looking for these chances, because most of the time these chances come in the midst of pain. Many of us mosey along in life—we read our devotions, do our work, and care for our families on a surface (though genuine) level until something unforeseen stops us in our tracks.

And since we’re on this side of Heaven, that “something unforeseen” always appears sooner or later, doesn’t it? Whether it’s a lost job, a death in the family, a strained relationship, or a scary diagnosis, suddenly life is more complex than we ever imagined, and we wonder how we ever walked so casually through life before. We wonder how everyone else can keep walking so casually through life while we’re pouring all of our energy into managing our crisis situation. How can life continue on around us? At first, it feels indecent. Cold.

But then we center our focus back on Jesus.

The clouds part, if for the briefest of moments, and we’re able to see our Creator walking alongside us. Holding us, even. We realize we’re glad life is carrying on around us—it gives us hope that normalcy (whatever that means) may not be completely out of reach again for ourselves.

We realize that, while we’ve claimed to be faithful followers of Jesus all along, now is our chance to embrace it. To heavily lean into our faith. To draw near to God in ways we never could have imagined otherwise. We feel his tangible presence and his deep peace envelop us as we take the next step and face the next day, and we know—we know—we aren’t doing this alone. Not just in a “Jesus loves me, this I know” sort of way, but in an intense, raw, going-through-this-wouldn’t-be-possible-without-Jesus sort of way.

We fall at His feet in prayer and in worship, knowing that He’s big enough to change our circumstances and acknowledging that His ways are so far beyond us that he indeed may not. We remind ourselves over and over again that His plan is always best. Even when we don’t understand. What peace there is, knowing we don’t have to understand.

And while we would, of course, never choose the difficulty we’re facing, we draw near to God in such a way as to find some semblance of joy in the midst of the heartache. It sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not. Joy isn’t dependent on circumstances. It’s dependent only on our level of connection to our glorious Creator. Joy in the midst of pain is illogical and impossible to explain. But it’s real. Oh, but it’s real.

So we pray our way through our difficulties, managing what is in our control here on earth and heavily leaning on God along the way. And our faith—our relationship with our Creator—will never be the same. And for that, we’re thankful.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

When You Just Can’t Catch a Breath

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Sometimes we just can’t catch a breath. It’s not that we don’t appreciate the abundance of blessings surrounding us, and it’s not that our faith is gone. It’s just that nothing feels quite settled.

Maybe the news has been beating you down so constantly it has become a mental block. Maybe the circumstances you’ve prayed would change for so long haven’t budged and hope is hanging thin. Maybe the hurt of those around you is piling up and there’s nothing you can do, so you feel overwhelmed.

You know God is powerful and capable, but you also know sometimes circumstances don’t change this side of heaven, so you’re hesitant to expect him to move in a big way. You know prayers get answered, but also sometimes they don’t seem to get answered, so you’re hesitant to pour yourself into prayer.

Maybe the door to *fill in the blank* has been closed so many times, you’d rather not try to open it again than risk finding more pain on the other side.

If any of this rings true, here is my encouragement for you today:

– You are enough. You are not deficient. Letting God carry you through the difficulties shows your strength and wisdom as you rely on him. In other words, stop trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You are not that strong in and of yourself. In his arms is the safest place to be.

–God is still good. It’s true. Even when it doesn’t feel like it.

– Emotions often lie or embellish. Emotions can help us gather information about ourselves, but they can’t be trusted without reason, logic, and prayer alongside them. Don’t believe everything they tell you or you’ll only end up hurt.

– Your pain, hurt, hopelessness, faithlessness, mistakes…none of that defines you. God defines you. And he calls you:

            – a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

            – God’s child (John 1:12)

            – a friend of Jesus (John 15:15)

            – a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)

            – redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)

            – a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

If this is what God says of us, who are we to disagree?

When life feels heavy, don’t retreat. Seek community. Let loved ones help carry your load. Take a step in faith, no matter how small it may seem to anyone else.

And more than anything else, lean into God. Seek silence with him. Create space for him to wrap you in his arms and quietly remind you of his goodness, provision, and love. He’s just waiting for the opportunity to tell you.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and if you haven’t already, I invite you to sign up for my monthly email encouragements – you’ll receive my free historical romance novella (Love on a Whim) if you do!