Tag: god

God is [not] Safe

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Podcast version available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!

When I was growing up, my parents introduced my brothers and me to The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember us piled on their bed while Dad read to us from these classic books of fantastical adventure. He took the time to explain the deeper connections the author, C.S Lewis, was making between the enchanted world in the woods to Jesus, to humanity, and to God’s character.

There’s a line from the series’ most popular book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, that is meant to make a definitive statement about God Himself, and truth be told, I never understood it.

In the context of the story, the four children are asking a wise, older couple (who happen to be talking beavers, but that’s neither here nor there!) about Aslan, the Lion, the hero of the story. The children ask Mr and Mrs Beaver if Aslan is safe.

Mr Beaver responds:

Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King.

– C. S. Lewis; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

For all the affection I had for the world C.S. Lewis created in the enchanted woods of wintry Narnia, that line was so puzzling to me.

For one, I knew enough to know that the mighty Aslan represented God in these stories. So how could God not be safe? On top of that, if we’re saying He isn’t safe, then ‘good’ couldn’t possibly be the alternative! I could think of a dozen adjectives that were far better than ‘good’. Good was lame. Good seemed so boring to me. Good was the answer to questions you couldn’t be bothered with, like:

How was school?
-Good.

How’s dinner?
– Good.

How was the doctor’s appointment
– Good.

How’d you sleep?
– Good.

How are you?
– Good.

I mean, no thank you! A God that’s just ‘good’ doesn’t seem worth my time. Much less my surrender and sacrifice.

If He’s not safe, then give me powerful! Give me amazing! Give me brilliant! Or compelling! Or omniscient! Or really any other omni-word that applies to Him alone. I’ll take it. But good? Good is lacking. C.S. Lewis could have done better there.

Unless… unless we explore what God’s goodness really means in light of His holiness.

God’s holiness means that He cannot be in the presence of sin. We’re shown this clearly in Leviticus 10, when the sons of Aaron the priest offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. They had no regard for the parameters God had established in order to provide a way for His people to actually draw near to Him safely. As a result, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died on the spot.

Another example is in 2 Samuel 6, when King David was having the Ark of the Covenant brought back to Jerusalem in a long processional celebration. While on their way, the oxen carrying the Ark slipped, and it started to topple over. In that moment, a man named Uzzah, who was guiding the Ark, reached out to steady it. The Scriptures say that the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act. God struck him down, and he died right there beside the Ark of God.

One more example, and it’s a beautiful one

Thankfully, it’s not so shockingly traumatic, so stay with me!

In Exodus 33, Moses is having it out with God. God tells Moses that the Israelites could continue on to the Promised Land, but that He wouldn’t be going with them because they were a stiff-necked people and He might just destroy them on the way.

This means, that for their protection, God is saying that in their sinful state, they are not safe in His Holy Presence. But Moses pleads with God, and tells Him that he doesn’t want God’s blessings without God Himself.

That’s because Moses recognized what so many people – Christians included! – do not: what even is blessing apart from God?

Moses said it this way,

If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

Exodus 33:15-16

Moses recognized what can easily be missed. There is no goodness apart from God. There is no blessing, prosperity, peace, or flourishing without Him.

In response to Moses’ plea, God relents and agrees to go with them to the Promised Land. But not before Moses makes another bold request of God.

Moses asks God,

“Show me Your glory”

God tells Moses that no one can see the Lord and live. But God does arrange for Moses to see His back as His glory passes by him. God actually calls it His goodness!

He says to Moses,

I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My Name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

– Exodus 33:19

A beautiful story, right? But does this mean He is safe? The point of all these stories is this: God is holy. God is a consuming fire. When we get too close, we are not safe. He is too holy for a sinful people to survive His presence.

BUT! He is good. And in His goodness, He made a way for us to draw near to Him without being completely destroyed by His very Presence.

And that’s Jesus.

Through Jesus, we can draw near to God in good times, in bad, in strife, in pain, in sin, in suffering, in all our mess.

Isaiah 53:3 talks about how in Jesus’ death, He became so acquainted with sin and pain, more intimate with them than any human ever could. So that He could conquer them on our behalf. His resurrection is proof that sin and death were defeated. This means we could now draw near to God in our own pain.

Is He safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King.

  • So even when the struggles of life rage on around us, we can draw close to God, through Jesus who made that possible.
  • Even when we’ve soiled our hands with the dirtiest of sin, we can draw close to God, because He is good.

Seeing God’s greatness is not our deepest need, but seeing His goodness.

– Dane C. Ortlund

What really draws us to God is not the flashy miracle or mighty acts – as spectacular as they are.

His greatness isn’t what draws us. It’s His goodness! The fact that we can draw near to Him in our pain. It’s the beauty of knowing that even in His holiness, He draws near to us in our struggle.

Is there greater comfort than that?

As Moses asked of God,

How will anyone know that we belong to You, if You do not go with us?

– Exodus 33:16

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are those who take refuge in Him.

– Psalm 34:8

Do YOU want real blessing? You can find it by taking refuge in God through the storms of life or even because of the consequences of your own sin. Taste and see how good He is through it all. Just by choosing to be in His presence.

What’s in the Ears

Y’all, this song. I’ve loved it for years and then forgot about it. But it hit my radar again recently and it’s just so good. Enjoy!

Has this helped you to see how good our God really is? Let me know in the comments or send me a message!

Podcast version available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!

The Deepest Desire

Published on by tinavila201 Comment

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Every evening, after the kids finally settle for the night – or in my daughter’s case – settle for 3.5 seconds before she makes herself dramatically known to the world again – I have this inner battle over what to do with my freedom. Especially on evenings when my husband is out for work, I struggle between binging a show and spending time in God’s Word or in prayer.

Don’t hear what I’m not saying.

I’m not saying there’s anything inherently wrong with Selling Sunset or the latest trending Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s not sinful to stream a Rom Com, and you don’t go to hell for watching TV. That’s not the point.

The point is to answer the following question with unwavering conviction:

What is my goal?

  • Is it to numb out until Netflix asks me (ever so passive-aggressively), “Hey! Are you conscious? Still watching?” RUDE! Yes, I am, OK?
  • Or is my ultimate goal something bigger? Something…. deeper?

Saint Ignatius was the founder of the Jesuit Order. For all the bad rap they get for the many atrocities committed, their founder, Ignatius, was actually a man of deep devotion and profound commitment to Jesus. He emphasized an ardent love for the Saviour, and union with Jesus was his goal – or, deepest desire, if you will.

And herein lies the distinction we all must make.

The difference between our deepest desire and our strongest desire.

  • The deepest desire is the thing you want in your very core. The desire that drives you. The desire that you arrange the rest of your life around.
  • The strongest desire is the thing you want so badly. Often, right in the moment. An intense draw. A momentary pull. Fleeting, but overwhelming. Brief, but intoxicating. It can also be considered the surface desire. That impulsive thing you want at a superficial level.

Here are some examples of each:

Deepest desire:
To be more like Jesus.
To be a supportive spouse.
To be an attentive parent.
To be a reliable friend.
To be successful in my work.
To find fulfillment in my purpose.
To achieve a work/life balance.
To be a source of love, joy, peace, inspiration to those around me.

Strongest desire:
To be comfortable.
To have it easy, and to take it easy.
To enjoy the finer things in life (food, drink, entertainment, etc).
To be attractive.
To have financial security.
To be sought after.

Saint Ignatius argued:

The goal of our life is to live with God forever. The God who loves us and gave us life. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God’s life in me.

In light of this, I recently came to a sobering realization.

I was driving home after a day of uneventful errands and feeling inexplicably anxious. There was so much unrest in my spirit and I found myself close to a panic attack. I couldn’t settle on why until it dawned on me:

  • I am looking to so many things to sustain me. When nothing and no one but Jesus can. (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3)
  • I want peace that passes understanding, but I don’t go to the Source of peace. (Phil. 4:6)
  • I want joy beyond my circumstances, but I don’t go to the Source of joy. (James 1:2)
  • I want to be loved unconditionally, but I don’t go to the One who IS love! (1 John 4:16)

We allow our strongest desires to dictate how we live our lives and fill our time. And then we wonder why we lack peace, or feel so unfulfilled.

A friend recently shared this example from her own life:

After a few days of feeling quite anxious over the state of our world. She realized she’d had AM radio droning on all day as a backdrop to her daily tasks.

Now, as we already established with everyone’s favourite streaming service, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the radio.

But if my deepest desire is to see a deepening of God’s life in me, then I must be intentional to engage in activities that will do that. It’s that simple.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 

– Colossians 3:1-2

This manifests differently for everyone. Thankfully, God is so amazing to connect with each of us in ways that are unique to us. But I must still find out what that is!

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

– Philippians 1:9-11

I can’t sugarcoat it. Choosing to deepen God’s life in me requires sacrifice and discipline. These are not popular words in a culture whose mantra is: Treat yo’ self!

And yet, we see both applied in everyday life.

  • Training for a marathon? You’ll deny yourself certain foods or activities to help prepare your body for the task.
  • Got a big job interview? You’ll reschedule a social dinner the night before to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
  • Looking to move your growing family into a larger home? You’ll sacrifice day and night to save for a down payment.

Generally, we can agree with the concept of sacrificing small things for BIG goals.

But we must accept that our deepest desire, the one put in us by God, requires more than just discipline and sacrifice. It’s a dying to self that doesn’t make sense without His Spirit in us.

You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.

– Augustine of Hippo

When nothing else makes sense, prioritizing God in us makes everything else make sense. Because as A. W. Tozer argues, God made us for Himself is the only explanation that satisfies the heart of any critical thinker.

Coming back to our original question: What’s my goal? Ignatius would encourage his pupils to ask this of themselves in a different way: What do I desire?

Let’s consider this too. What do I desire? And then just sit with that question. Bring it to the Lord. Let Him show you what is at the core of you. Is it Him? More of Him in your life?

Is your deepest desire to be all He made you to be? To fulfill all He created you for?

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

– 2 Thessalonians 1:11

May our deepest desires be for Jesus. After all, He came to give us life! That we may have it in the fullest way possible. (John 10:10)

What’s in the Ears

From the highly recommended new album, Homecoming! This song talks about God’s love being deeper than just infatuation or the rush of something new… a love that’s weathered.

When you walk with Jesus long enough, you know it to be true.

How sweet it is to trust You, Jesus.
To know You, I mean really know You.

Where does this land for you? Does comparing deepest vs. strongest desires resonate with you? Enlighten you? Annoy you?
Let me know in the comments, send me a message, and feel free to share this with a friend too!

Podcast version available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Anchor!

What a Disappointment

Published on by tinavila20Leave a comment

Podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!

I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed…

Anyone had that line thrown at them growing up? It stings, doesn’t it? We can easily feel like we’ve fallen out of someone’s good graces when we’ve disappointed them.

Or maybe you just can’t look at someone the same way after being so painfully let down. The relationship has changed and you can’t seem to come back from that disappointment.

Our loved ones disappoint us, we disappoint them. We are fickle and relationships change.

Thankfully, God is not like us.

Although sin stirs His anger, His love for us CAN. NEVER. CHANGE.

Here’s why:

1. God is omniscient

(All-knowing)

Meaning, He knows all that has happened, is happening, and will happen. God knows it all. Which means He created us knowing we would fall short of His standards.

…for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.

– Romans 3:23

And yet God chooses to heal and forgive you!

He delights over you with gladness! He will calm all your fears and rejoice over you with song.

– Zephaniah 3:17

Despite knowing your worst, God chooses to bless you and include you in His good plans to bless others!

In love [God] chose us before He laid the foundation of the universe! Because of His great love, He ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in His eyes with an unstained innocence.

– Ephesians 1:4

God sees us from a divine perspective

This is significant, so don’t miss this!

When we surrender our lives to Jesus, His glory is magnified in our lives, and He forgives our wickedness and remembers our sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12)

Friends, He doesn’t even remember our sins! How can God be omniscient AND also forget our sin?

Because He chooses to see Jesus’ atoning work on the cross to redeem us instead!

An omniscient God can be trusted to know that Jesus’ sacrifice truly is the best plan of salvation imaginable. We couldn’t come up with something better if we had a thousand lifetimes to try.

Thinking that we could add or take away from God’s love for us, implies that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough to save us. But it was! And because of it, we are enough in God’s sight too.

We are enough for Him, solely because Jesus is enough for us.

Isaiah 53:10 says that it actually pleased God to crush Jesus and cause Him grief through death. It was through Jesus that God’s purpose was to be accomplished: the salvation of our souls. So all of God’s wrath reserved for sin was fully absorbed in Jesus on the cross.

But what does this mean in our daily lives?

Do we carry on sinning so that God’s kindness and grace will increase? (Romans 6:1) That’s a hard NO!

Sin dies with us when we surrender our lives to Jesus. Though we still fight against sin, God’s omniscience means He knows what we are and He loves us the same – on our best days, and our worst.

What’s more, our FEELINGS do not disappoint Him because He created us to feel each one in response to something we experience.

Maybe you’re confused, frustrated, hurt, disillusioned, or even jaded by what God is doing or NOT doing.

I’m convinced He is more disappointed when we hide our true feelings from Him, rather than just being honest with Him and ourselves about our struggle to trust and surrender.

Doubting Thomas? More like, Confident-Faith Thomas!

Consider how Thomas in John 20 wanted physical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus finally appeared to Thomas and the disciples, He greeted them all, but He addressed Thomas directly. Jesus invited Thomas to reach out and touch His wounds. He encourages him to stop doubting and believe.

Have you ever noticed that there is no record of Thomas actually touching Jesus? Yet Jesus’ invitation was there. He offered the tangible opportunity to dispel Thomas’ doubts because Jesus knew Thomas, and He knows us.

He knows we are prone to doubt. He knows it is sometimes hard for us to trust. He isn’t disappointed with how we might feel.

But perhaps the assurance of faith that Thomas so desperately wanted is exactly what Jesus honoured by allowing him to explore for himself.

Perhaps Jesus wants to see that in all of us. Echoing author Angie Smith: like Thomas, we don’t question God because we want to prove He doesn’t exist, we question because we want to rest in unshakable faith!

So we can freely wrestle through those doubts, trust issues, and ugly emotions with God without fear of disappointing Him or losing His love.

2. God is unstoppable

At the end of Job’s tragic but redemptive life, Job tells God:

I know that You can do anything. No one can keep You from doing what You plan to do.

– Job 42:2

Other translations say that God’s plans could never be: thwarted or withheld, frustrated, restrained, ruined or hindered.

WOW! Whatever God wants to do, whatever He wants to accomplish on this earth, in your life, in your family, in your character, in your destiny… it. will. happen. It cannot be stopped. God cannot be stopped. Because God’s plans always come to fruition.

There is nothing we could do to ruin what God has put into motion before the foundations of the earth. The hard truth? We’re just not that powerful – and that’s a good thing!

A line from the song I’ll be sharing at the end says:

I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Wasn’t holding You up, so there’s nothing I can do to let You down.

Coming to terms with how small we are in the presence of a Holy God should humble us. But realizing how loved we are, how good His plans are, what He gave up to save us, should draw us all the closer to Him too!

Because only He can heal brokenness, pain, rejection, and sin. Only He can do it. His plans cannot be stopped. And neither can His love for us.

3. God is immutable

(Does not change)

God has never changed and can never change in any smallest measure. To change, He would need to go from better or worse or from worse to better. He cannot do either. For being perfect, He cannot become more perfect, and if He were to become less than perfect, He would be less than God.

A. W. Tozer

Here’s the connection:

If God does not change, His thoughts towards us don’t change either. We are loved fully and completely in every moment.

The psalmist says in Psalm 139:17

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

Let’s conclude with some of God’s unchanging thoughts towards you:

  • You are chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
  • You are treasured (Deuteronomy 14:2)
  • You are protected (Psalm 121:3)
  • You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)
  • You are free (John 8:31)
  • You are forever loved (Jeremiah 31:3)

What’s in the Ears

This line of the song bears repeating:

Wasn’t holding you up, so there’s nothing I can do to let you down.

Friend, you can put down that burden. You can let go of that pressure. You can stop trying to avoid disappointing God through perfect performance. He can take it. You’re not fooling Him because He already knows. He wants you to admit your weakness so you could finally accept His sufficient grace. For His power is made perfect in your weakness. And we can boast in our weaknesses and struggles, because that is where God’s power dwells. In the parts of our lives that feel like a disappointment, that’s where His power can manifest most.

If this resonates with you, let me know in the comments, send me a message, or even share with a friend!

Podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!

The Art of Waiting Well

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*Podcast version on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Anchor!

This is could easily be the extended version of my last blog post, Count the Fruit. There was just too much to say about the fruit of the Spirit that I couldn’t help but keep writing this week. So if you haven’t checked that out, please do!

A little behind the scenes of my writing will tell you that I read Bible passages in almost every English-language translation, and try hitting the original Greek text too, in order to get the most out of what the authors are saying.

Well, this was no different. And I was particularly struck by the Amplified Bible translation of the fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

– Galatians 5:22-23

Did you catch what it said about patience? Oh my WORD! That’ll preach.

Patience isn’t just about the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting.

I mean, am I the only one who feels personally attacked with words like that? (I feel like Michael Scott from The Office when he declares that he is the victim of a hate crime!)

The point is that if we are truly surrendered to God, walking with Jesus, and filled with the Spirit, then the result of His presence within us will. be. this. fruit!

It’s literally the cause-and-effect theory in action.

Why does it matter how we wait?

  • If I’m not hurting anyone, why does it matter how I wait?
  • If it doesn’t make the wait any shorter, why does it matter how I wait?
  • If I’m not gaining anything from it, why does it matter how I wait?
  • What difference does it make??

I’m reminded of that line by John Wooden that says:

The true test of a person’s character is what they do when no one is watching.

So maybe it doesn’t change anything in your circumstances to wait well. But something happens inside us when we do.

  1. Perhaps you wait in ANGER
    Your default is irritability and frustration. You have a short fuse and should not be crossed if you don’t receive the answer you’re waiting for in a timely manner.
  2. Perhaps you wait in ANXIETY
    Your default is to be overwhelmed and filled with stressful, anxious thoughts. You can’t get your mind to settle, and you can’t function as what if‘s overtake you.
  3. Perhaps you wait in LISTLESSNESS
    Your default is apathy and disinterest. You lose any kind of ability to function because waiting on that one thing becomes all that matters. And life loses all meaning without that piece of the puzzle in place.

What do all these characteristics have in common?

They are symptoms of distrust in God.

Focusing on our circumstances makes the process of waiting unbearable.

It puts all the responsibility on our circumstances to fulfill us – our needs, wants, expectations, goals, and more. It’s not meant to be this way. We will ALWAYS be disappointed with this approach.

But those who wait for the Lord? Ohhhhh….. they will renew their STRENGTH! They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint.

– Isaiah 40:31

How is this even possible?

How can strength be RENEWED… not just sustained, propped up, extended… but renewed. Only God, y’all. Only God.

Because if His Spirit is filling us, even though we may begin weary and worn out… renewal comes as we focus on Him over our circumstances.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

– 2 Corinthians 4:18

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for Him, He thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and He is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.

– Hebrews 12:2

So how do we wait well?

Worship while you wait

Because He is worthy ALWAYS. Even when we’re not getting what we want.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

– Psalm 42:5

Bring it to God

Because He alone can sustain and fill us with hope in the waiting.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

– Romans 15:13

These can only happen when we expose TWO LIES, and disarm their power over our thinking patterns.

Culture feeds us the following lies that are masquerading as RESPONSIBILITY and MATURITY.

1. The Responsibility of Being in Control

  • Culture tells us that we’re somehow being responsible when we get busy trying to control every potential outcome of our circumstances. It is the illusion of control, and believing the lie that we can decide when and how things will turn out. Of course, we can control some things. So distinguishing the difference between things we can control, and things we cannot control, is critical.

Listen, those of you who are boasting, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to another city, spend some time there, go into business and make heaps of profit!” But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!

– James 4:13-15

2. The Maturity in Worrying

  • Culture also tells us our worry is a sign of maturity. Because if we dwell on our problems and consider all possible outcomes, then we are morally good for worrying about them. We believe that immature people simply don’t understand what’s at stake, or don’t consider all the factors. When in fact, we’re really just believing the lie that we care more because we worry more.

Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you?

– Luke 12:25-26

It goes on to talk about how if He cares so much about birds and plants, wouldn’t He care for YOU all the more?

Bottom Line

Waiting well matters. Not just for my witness, but for my mental health and the state of my soul! It’s worth reflecting on how we wait, and ask God to help us trust Him with all the unknowns so that the result of His presence within us could be the fruit of His Spirit. And that is the true art of waiting well.

What’s in the Ears

I cannot even deal with how good this song is. Hit it at the 7:00 mark if you feel like a good cry over words to build you up in your season of waiting. You’re welcome.

Have you mastered the art of waiting well? I can assure you, I have not! But I’d love to know if any of this has been helpful to you! You can let me know in the comments or send me a message. And feel free to share this too if it resonates!

*Podcast version on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Anchor!

Character over Comfort

Published on by tinavila204 Comments

Alright, I didn’t want to get into it. But sometimes God allows me to go through stuff that freakin’ sucks and then prompts my heart to write about it. So here we are. This is truly, from the overflow.

A few months ago, I shared about how my daughter doesn’t sleep and how it’s costing my very sanity. You can check it out here. Unfortunately, no change to report on that front. But it’s a tiny example of what many are dealing with in this season.

Our problems just won’t go away!

Maybe yours is related to…

  • the pandemic
  • polarized political views
  • relationship challenges (spouse, child, relative, friend?)
  • work struggles
  • physical health issues
  • strained mental health

…and all the ramifications thereof?

So let me ask you this:

Hearing that for the first time felt like a bucket of water dumped over my head; but like the coziest hug too… somehow all at the same time.

Some follow up questions:

What am I really after in this life? What do I really want?? Is it comfort? Is it ease? Is it a pain-free, smooth ride?

Umm, yes. That’s literally what I want. And all I want.

  • I don’t want things to be difficult.
  • I don’t want an uphill battle.
  • I don’t want to be pushed out of my comfort zone.
  • I don’t want to struggle.
  • I don’t want my people to struggle.
  • I don’t want to be uncomfortable
  • And I don’t want to grow. I DON’T!

This past year has been difficult on a lot of people, but not all for the same reasons. No matter your experience, I think we can all admit that it’s pretty much been THE WORST. We just can’t seem to agree on why.

Whether you fear the virus, the government, or what another minute stuck in your house will do to your mental health… we all have a choice in how we’ll deal with what we’re facing.

I confess, this year of survival mode for me has been with a lot of numbing. Numbing with Netflix, comfort foods, mindless scrolling, etc.

But is that the ultimate goal? I’ve really got to ask myself: is this all I want?? To be numbed out of feeling any kind of pain that forces me to deal with hard things?

And what then? Say I choose to deal with those things. Once that’s done and I’ve put on my big girl pants, maybe even matured a little… What do I do with it all?

It’s meaningless if God’s Kingdom mission does not become my own life mission.

Let me say that again...

If my life doesn’t become about God’s kingdom mission, it’s all meaningless.

At some point we must ask ourselves:

Do we actually want to be used by God in drawing people to Him?
And if following Jesus is so important to us, why are we not talking about it more?

These are just questions I’m personally wrestling with. I’m sorry if they ruffle feathers. But also, not sorry…?

Because honestly, I’m just nearing the end of myself with this extreme desperation for comfort over character. After all, comfort does not build character. As much as I wish it would. And the longer I sit in the presence of Jesus, the less I care about how cushy my sweet little life really is.

If you’re looking for validation in your quest for comfort, then good news is that you can absolutely settle for simply eternal salvation with a comfortable life!

That’s because God’s love for us doesn’t change. BUT! …our effectiveness does.

If you’re like me and the latter doesn’t sit well with you, then read on, friend! There’s work to be done if we’re willing!

Here’s what I propose regarding character > comfort:

Let’s get back to the basics!

  • LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. (Mark 12:30-31)
  • LOVE YOUR ENEMIES (Luke 6:27-36)
  • TAKE GREATER INTEREST IN OTHERS – less navel-gazing? (Philippians 2:1-11)
  • PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU – or even just disagree with you! (Matthew 5:44)
  • BE HUMBLE (Ephesians 4:2)
  • HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS – desperate desire to be right with God! (Matthew 5:6)
  • SHOW MERCY (James 2:12-13)
  • HAVE A PURE HEART – integrity! (Philippians 1:9-11)
  • WORK FOR PEACE (Romans 14:19)
  • WATCH YOUR ANGER (Matthew 5:21-22)
  • BE GENEROUS (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
  • BE PERFECT – ok, ouch (Matthew 5:48)

We could go on, of course. But a common thread is that these can be super hard to do!

In general, we’re just not naturally inclined to do anything that might compromise our comfort. It goes against our survival instincts!

It requires intentional work and sacrifice. But these are the very things that will build REAL character in our lives.

It’s truly a matter of priorities. What matters more to me? Obedience to God, His will, His purpose for my life? Or my own plans and agenda?

Perhaps you can relate to this, but I have a tendency to manipulate my own interpretations of scripture or understanding of God’s character to suit my needs and desires.

Yes, God is for us. (Romans 8:31)
Yes, He fights our battles. (Exodus 14:14)
Yes, He works for our favour… etc etc etc. (Psalm 84:11)

These things are true AND biblical! But how they manifest may look very different from God’s perspective and our expectations.

My tattoo says: “YET HE IS STILL GOOD”. A reminder that even when things don’t go the way I want, God is still good. I am stubborn, forgetful, and lazy. So I needed this permanently etched on my skin as a reminder of God’s forever goodness. For a post I wrote about it, click here!

Let’s recall our original question, is He still good if He only sustains me through the very thing I’m asking Him to save me from?

Can I come to terms with that, and still trust Him?

Can I still believe that the comfort I’m giving up to follow Him will be worth the character He is building in me?

Worth the intimacy He offers in His presence? Is it worth it? Is He worth it?

Because it’s got to be a daily sacrifice of comfort.

Even more than that, it’s also a sacrifice of control. Or actually, the illusion of control.

I think this past year taught me that more than any other time in my life. I don’t actually control my life like I thought I did! The question is, will I trust God with all that this implies, or claw my way back to the driver’s seat of a car I’m lousy at driving anyway?

I’m almost positive that this blog post has got more questions than any other I’ve written. Probably because I’m still working through all this.

  • I haven’t arrived.
  • I’m not yet where I want to be.
  • I’m still selfish and moody.
  • Still fail constantly at all the basics I previously mentioned.
  • Still revert to numbing pain.
  • Still prioritize my own comfort over submitting to the character-building I know God wants for me.
  • Still learning to bring that mess of crap to Jesus.
  • Still learning to trust Him to sustain me.

My dearly loved readers….

I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this good work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!

– Philippians 1:6

What’s in the Ears

Couldn’t bear the thought of slappin a self-promoting song onto this blog post. It’s always all about Jesus. This song is a great one for that. Check lyrics here!

The struggle is so real. The tension between comfort and character is palpable. But there’s goodness in it!
Do you feel yourself fighting against it? Or is your heart shouting, yes! To be honest, I’m a bit of both. So if that’s you too, you’re not alone, friend. Let me know your thoughts on this! Send me a message or comment below!