Category: conviction

when the devil wages war

.Reading time 4 minutes.

It’s been a while since I’ve stared at a blank screen for the sole purpose of letting it all out. I would look to this act as a place of peace, joy, pouring out, and consuming. A perfect cluster of beauty and brokenness that I ran to on a daily basis.

How quickly do you lose site of your gift when life gets in the way? I lost it. And I’m running full force back at it.

I am overwhelmed with this realization. That even in an act of ministry we can fail and fail hard. Why? We may all be called to minister, but none of us are qualified. Because though the bow is tied, and the wrapping is shiny, we are broken and shattered on the inside. We are sinners at heart and perfection should not be our end game, yet we constantly make it so. Without even realizing it I turned my purpose into a job; another task on my list; and a deadline I needed to meet. I allowed the devil to use the joy in God to be the turn from God. Read More

do we weep for the Lord?

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Have you ever wondered why we shy away from direct verbiage? The words that dig deep; the ones with a harsh connotation and leave us somewhat uncomfortable inside. We beat around the bush. We tiptoe the conversation in order to make ourselves or someone else feel at ease. We don’t even realize we do it, yet it is a constant piece of work in our minds every single day. It’s an instant thought that suggests we might offend someone, or they might not understand our passion, so therefore, we change the wording.

As a writer, this irks me. My heart aches for the beautiful language we were meant to speak, but so often cover. This gift of communication is undefinable, it’s hard to grasp its root, its birth- yet we easily take it for granted by allowing our minds to suppress its’ power. Read More

when my pride takes control – and His humbling command

.Reading time 6 minutes.

I think it’s safe to say that majority of the time we refer to our self-image it’s in the context of outward beauty. It’s our figure, our hair color, our scars and marks; things that are obvious and appreciable. What we don’t often consider, is the inner workings of our ego. The part of ourselves that dictates a personal respect and personal worth. It lingers within our hearts as the thing that produces our confidence to move forward and put forth effort.

But it’s also the thing that keeps us at an arm’s length from Jesus.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

This is not a “group” of Christians, but the entire church body. We are all called to humble ourselves before the Lord as His faithful followers. Jesus’ entire earthly ministry Read More

choosing God in a world of chaos

.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s a fact, that this life beats us down. It’s a cluster of emotion, apathy, stillness, agitation, completely unending and disturbingly complex. Unnerving, how easy it is for us to lose ourselves amidst it all. For me, this busyness is both my weakness and my strength. Both a motivation and an impasse; an opportunity and a limitation.

This world is in a constant hustle; a ruthless one that is unaware of whom it leaves behind or springs forward. It just presses on with a fierceness that challenges those ambitious enough to follow, and deprives those insecure enough to let it. So, we are pressured into the boundaries this world creates for us, unsure of what direction to turn and decisions to make. We are therefore left to our own control, our own power, our own wisdom, to take that next step the world has laid in our hands. Read More

our image in Jesus

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Have you ever noticed the instinct to look at your reflection as you walk by mirrored objects? Whether it be a glass window, a puddle, a sleek car- does your physique capture your attention? It’s powerful, the intensity with which we care about our image; the curiosity we have as to what our present appearance looks like to the stranger’s eye; our obsession for approval within our own heart.

We gaze nonchalantly at our impressions, deeply searching for ratification in that second of opportunity. It’s subtle, and quite frankly, argued harmless. I counter, with the idea that this tendency is an exact imprint of the devil’s work.

There’s a daunting distinction between the two definitions of beauty- one is founded on a worldly dimension, and the other created as an outward expression of devotion. You see, one is beauty, and the other is purification. One is of the flesh, the other of Jesus. Read More

subtle judgment

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Today, I conducted upwards of 80 interviews. Pre-screens that involve a few seconds of “why do you want to work for us?” and “what’s your availability like?” Pertinent questions any employer needs and should ask, and any interviewee should expect to hear. These are the basics, the obvious. These are also the most dangerous for a Christian heart.

This part of business opens hallways of space for the devil to walk right into, and for your mind to greet him at the door. It’s the very crucial and permissible justification that can violently change our faithful heart to a sinful one.

I struggle, daily, with the part of my job that reflects cold judgement. Both on others and myself. When you work solely for and around the public, it’s a beautiful and challenging opportunity. We have the perfect avenue to spread the gospel, to exemplify love, and to show grace; we also have the potential to fall into the devil’s antics of judging first impressions, measuring yourself against others, and building or breaking down pride. Read More