You sit down at the end of the day, finally ready to relax. Netflix is open. There are more shows than you could watch in a lifetime: crime dramas, documentaries, Korean thrillers, slow thoughtful indies that make you feel cultured, familiar sitcoms that ask nothing of you, prestigious series everyone says you must watch. Ten minutes later, you are still scrolling. Twenty minutes later, you feel strangely tired. You had options. Abundance, even. Yet what was meant to feel like freedom somehow became one more small, draining task. It is a familiar modern experience. We have more choices than any generation before us, and yet many of us do not feel more at peace. We feel more anxious, more fragmented, more hesitant, more aware of all the lives we are not living. And this is not just about entertainment. It is about careers, relationships, cities, church communities, habits, platforms, lifestyles, the way we present ourselves online, even the way we think about identity itself. We were promised that more choice would make us freer. But for many people, it has made life feel heavier. The paradox of choice Modern Western culture tends to define freedom in a very particular way: freedom is having as few limits as possible. The freer person is the person with the most options, the fewest constraints, and the widest range of possible futures. There is some truth in that. Some limits are genuinely oppressive, and some choices really do matter. It is better, not worse, to have certain doors open that were once closed. But somewhere along the way, choice stopped being just one part of freedom and became almost the whole thing. We began to assume that if some choice is good, then more choice must be better. More options. More flexibility. More reinvention. More room to keep our lives open-ended. At first, that sounds liberating. Why would anyone want fewer possibilities? Because human beings do not simply need possibility. We also need peace. We need direction. We need some way of knowing that our lives will not collapse if we choose imperfectly. Yet modern life often trains us in the opposite direction. Every decision feels loaded. Every choice seems to close off other, possibly better lives. Every commitment begins to feel costly, not because commitment is bad, but because we have learned to think of closed doors as a threat to freedom. When every door is open, walking through one can start to feel less like liberation and more like loss. That is the paradox. The multiplication of options does not always produce joy. Sometimes it produces paralysis. Sometimes it produces regret. Sometimes it simply makes us tired. And increasingly, the choices in front of us do not feel like neutral decisions. They feel personal. They feel like statements, not just What do I want to do? but What kind of person am I? Choice used to be about what we did. Increasingly, it is about who we are. The burden of becoming yourself This is where the pressure of modern life becomes deeper than simple decision fatigue. We are no longer just choosing products, jobs, hobbies, or schedules. We are asked to choose a self. To discover ourselves. Express ourselves. Build ourselves. Curate ourselves. Reinvent ourselves. Stay true to ourselves. That language sounds empowering at first. It flatters us. It suggests depth and authenticity and courage. But it also places an enormous burden on ordinary people. If identity is something I must construct for myself, then every decision starts to carry unbearable weight. My choices are no longer just practical. They become existential. The wrong career is not merely inconvenient; it feels like a betrayal of the self. The wrong relationship is not merely painful; it feels like evidence that I still do not know who I am. Even small things begin to carry symbolic force, because they are all drawn into the endless project of self-creation. No wonder so many people feel exhausted. The modern self is expected to be both free and impressive: unique, but not strange; confident, but still evolving; authentic, but also admired. We are meant to stand out while somehow also reading the room. We are meant to become ourselves, but with enough success, beauty, purpose, and coherence to justify the whole performance. And because identity is treated as an inward project, there is never a final resting place. The self must always be updated, refined, defended, explained. We do not just live our lives. We monitor them. Freedom, in this environment, stops feeling like a gift. It starts to feel like a test. This is one reason the modern conversation about identity can feel so brittle. If I have to author myself from scratch, then any criticism feels threatening. Any failure feels deeply personal. Any uncertainty feels destabilising. I do not merely make mistakes; I become one. My peace depends on my ability to keep constructing a self convincing enough to carry the weight of my life. But perhaps that is exactly the problem. Perhaps the self was never meant to bear that kind of pressure. The freedom of a received identity Christianity offers a radically different vision. It does not begin by telling you to invent yourself. It begins by telling you that you are a creature, not a self-originating project. You are made by God before you ever perform for him, known before you explain yourself, seen before you succeed. Your life is not an accidental blank page onto which you must desperately scribble meaning. And then the gospel says something even more surprising: in Christ, identity is not achieved but received. That does not mean your choices do not matter. It does not mean personality disappears. It does not mean your story becomes flat or mechanical. It means that the deepest truth about you no longer hangs on your ability to assemble a life impressive enough to justify your existence. If you belong to Christ, your truest identity is not “the one who got everything right.” It is not “the one who maximised every option.” It is not “the one who finally figured themselves out.” It is beloved, forgiven, adopted, known, held. That changes the emotional texture of life. If my identity is in Christ, then I do not need every decision to save me. I can make wise choices, but I no longer need to make ultimate choices. I can commit without feeling that every closed door is a catastrophe. I can fail without collapsing into self-contempt. I can change seasons of life without feeling that I have lost myself entirely. That is not a smaller freedom. It is a deeper one. The gospel does not trap us in passivity. It frees us from the crushing task of self-authorship. It gives us something modern life struggles to offer: a self sturdy enough to survive disappointment, weakness, and change. That is part of what shaped Identity in Christ, a devotional journal I created for people who are tired of living under the pressure to constantly define themselves. It is not about becoming a more polished version of yourself. It is about slowing down long enough to hear, from Scripture again, who you already are in Jesus. Because in the end, the greatest burden of modern freedom may not be that we have too many options. It may be that we have been taught to look to those options for something they were never meant to give us: a secure self, a lasting name, a reason to rest. In a world of endless options, grace means I no longer have to build a self strong enough to carry my life. In Christ, identity is a gift before it ever becomes a task. a way (You can find the devotional here.) © 2026 Nathan Cole. Want more content like this? 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Some time ago, my friends and I, about 12 to 15 of us, were playing cricket at a nearby playground. Near the end of the day, most of them headed home. But my neighbour and I stayed back. He’s a good friend. His family was Hindu, attended temple rituals, but he himself never really followed any of it. So in a way, he was floating somewhere between Hindu and atheist, just living life without much of a label. We were fielders, standing just a few feet apart, and somewhere between overs, he started asking me questions about faith. I answered as best I could. Then, after the last game wrapped up and the ground emptied, he turned to me and asked quietly: “But how do you actually know?” I didn’t quote a verse. I definitely didn’t plan on debating him. I just said, “Because I can’t explain us without God.” He laughed. But I meant it. Here’s what I believe at the core, imperfectly but fully: the fact that we’re human at all is the evidence. Not a specific miracle I witnessed or an et voilà moment. Just…us. The way we love, the way we ache for something beyond this life, the way we build and create and bow down to God (or someone or even something), even when we swear we don’t. Let me explain. We Love in Ways That Don’t Make Evolutionary Sense Think about it for a second. Real, sacrificial love, the kind where you give up something precious for someone else, doesn’t exactly help you survive. It definitely doesn’t sound like the cold logic of “survival of the fittest.” And yet, here we are. Wired for it. I think that’s a fingerprint. The Bible puts it plainly in 1 John 4:7–8 (NIV): “Love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” That verse used to feel abstract to me. Now it feels like a diagnosis. Our hunger for deep, real, committed relationships: friendship, marriage, community, it’s not a social accident. It’s a design feature. We were made by a God who exists in relationship, Father, Son, Spirit, and He pressed that need into us like a seal into wax. Even broken people love. People who’ve been badly hurt love again. That’s not just biology. That’s something older than us. There’s This Ache We Can’t Shake Here’s something I think we don’t talk about enough. Every human being, across every culture, in every century, has looked at death and whispered: this can’t be it. Where does that come from? Ecclesiastes 3:11 (GNT) says God “has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives the satisfaction of fully understanding what He does.” Which, honestly, is a bit maddening but real too. We’re the only creatures on earth who lie awake at 2 am thinking about eternity. Animals don’t do that. I simply cannot imagine our Faithful Writers creator, Jane Isley’s dog, Clyde, pondering the ultimate fate of the cosmos. But I do. You probably have too, at some point. That restlessness, that forward-leaning, that refusal to accept that we just…end, I think it’s a memory. A faint one, but real. Before sin entered the picture, we weren’t built to die. And some part of us still knows it. That longing isn’t weakness. It’s a clue. Even Atheists Bow Down to Something I want to be careful here, because this isn’t a dig at anyone. It’s just an honest observation. Nobody is truly without worship. Some people worship success. Some worship community, justice, science, or their own freedom. Even the most committed atheist has something they protect fiercely, something they’d sacrifice for, something that shapes how they live and what they’d die for. Acts 17:27–28 (NIV) says God placed us so we would “seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him,” because “in him we live and move and have our being.” That’s a staggering claim. It means the very act of searching, even searching in the wrong direction, is evidence of the original design still running in the background. Sin doesn’t erase it. It redirects it. And honestly, that misdirection is something I’ve lived too. I’ve given myself to “idols” that weren’t God and felt the hollow aftermath. That emptiness is also, I think, a kind of proof. You still don’t believe me when I say “atheists bow down to something”? Well, imagine this: every passenger on the plane starts praying as soon as they know when the plane’s going to crash. Every. Single. One. Now you believe me, don’t you? Haha. We Create. And That’s Actually Weird. We make things. Not just for survival. We make art, music, write poetry, stories like this one. We build cities, cook elaborate meals, and rearrange furniture just to make a room feel more like home. We look at an empty canvas or an empty page and feel compelled to fill it with something meaningful/beautiful. Where does that come from? Genesis 1 shows us a God who creates, who looks at chaos and shapes it into something ordered and good. Then He makes us in His image (Genesis 1:26–27, GNT). Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) calls us “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” We are, in a sense, sub-creators like little elves or minions of the original Artist. Every time I see a person make something meaningful, something that moves it bolsters my belief every single time. So Where Does Jesus Fit in All This? Here’s the thing. If these are fingerprints, then Jesus is the hand. He’s not just a moral teacher or an interesting historical figure. Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) calls him “the exact representation of God’s being.” Colossians 1:15 (GNT) calls him “the visible likeness of the invisible God.” He’s what God looks like with skin on. I love that. And the reason that matters is this: the image in us is damaged. Sin caused that. Yeah. Zoom out and you’ll see it. We love, but badly. We worship, but often the wrong things. We create, but sometimes we destroy. The image is real, but it’s fractured or obscured. Christ came to restore it. Not by guilt-tripping us into better behaviour, but through the Holy Spirit slowly, steadily making us “more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT). That’s a process. It’s not fast or linear. I know I’m still very much in it, if I’m honest. But it’s happening. And one day, 1 John 3:2 (NIV) promises, “we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” That’s why I believe. Not because I have all the answers. But because when I look at what it means to be human: the love, the longing, the worship, the creativity, I can’t make sense of any of it without a God who made us for Himself. And that God is not distant. He’s in us if you believe that Jesus died for us and rose up the third day. If you have faith in Him, trust Him, He’s already in you, restoring what was broken, slowly turning the distorted image back into something glorious day by day. If this stirred something in you, even a question, I’d love to hear it in the comments. Questions are welcome here. Thanks for taking the time to read! © 2026 Dr. Anudeep Manne

“That’s rearview mirror thinking” is a quote my husband often throws out to remind me that we are not the same people we once were in our previous lives/marriages. Occasionally, I need to be reminded of this fact. I have a tendency to trip and fall back into thoughts about past mistakes, which may in turn send me tumbling down into a pathetic guilty shame spiral. When this happens it is not beneficial for myself or anyone else around me. Sometimes I am a slow learner. But I am learning. So I will celebrate progress over perfection. To be clear, guilt trips are not entirely bad. There are a few positive outcomes potentially derived as a result of having a contrite heart. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NIV We may be given an opportunity to make appropriate amends and set things right in relationships where we have wronged another person [or God]. Hopefully we learn (sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly) from our past regrets, and avoid repeating them in the future. “Rearview Mirror Thinking” is exactly what it sounds like. “Rearview mirror thinking” is a cognitive trap where individuals focus too heavily on past experiences, mistakes, or successes, hindering their ability to move forward. Often cited in leadership and personal development, it highlights that while the past informs, dwelling on it causes one to “drive” forward blindly, prioritizing past comfort zones over future potential. — -Excerpt from Google AI overview In life we tend to move in the direction we are looking toward. Philippians 3:13–14: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”Isaiah 43:18–19: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”.Luke 9:62: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God”.Ecclesiastes 7:10: “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions”.Proverbs 4:25–26: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Do you want to continue progressing forward while growing, improving, and building a better future? OR Do you want to stay stuck in the past, paralyzed, rendering yourself useless, unproductive, depressing to be around? It’s more than okay to feel your feelings. Processing grief from loss and feelings of regret for errors in judgement is healthy and necessary for Spiritual Growth. Letting go of long-harbored resentments is also healthy and required for personal peace and JOY! The point is that not all rearview thoughts are detrimental. However, getting stuck there is potentially harmful. At the risk of sounding cliche, it is important to LET GO, LET GOD © Nora Gwen

Are you struggling through life right now? Do you desperately want help, or do you want to continue slogging your way through life on your own? (How’s that working for you?) Are you ready to give up? I sincerely hope not because I have some great news for you: hope is available, help is sure, and happiness is just around the corner. Here’s how I know these facts are true. How I know — intuitively The reason I know help is available, and hope is possible, is that I was desperate too. As a teenager, I had run away from home seven times. During one of those times, I was taken in by a couple living in a small home high up on Green Mountain in Burnsville, North Carolina, near Asheville. The couple had a huge fight one night, and I didn’t want to hear it, so I wandered around outside and sat down near some flowers. Sitting there, looking out into the valley below, I cried out in my mind, “What am I doing here? What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this mess?” Suddenly, I felt a presence, a calmness, a feeling of warm love surrounding me, and a thought came into my mind. “Don’t worry, I’m here, I will protect you and help you, it’s going to be okay.” Since nobody was around, I assume that thought must have come from God. It must have, because after that, I had the strength to leave that situation, and eventually made it home, back to my parents in Florida. How I know — emotionally Growing up, I was completely rebellious and an utter moral failure. When I think back to all the times I cried out for help through prayer and journaling during those lonely years, it’s absolutely amazing how God helped me get through every single one of those desperate situations. Sometimes, God answered my prayers by not giving me what I wanted (such as that serious relationship with Philip), and boy am I glad! Sometimes, God made me wait an extremely long time for something I wanted, and during that waiting period, I learned patience, gained wisdom, and, in some cases, ended up wanting something else entirely! Do you feel guilty about things you’ve done that you know are wrong? That’s good! That’s God’s moral compass inside you guiding you toward Him. Don’t ignore it! It’s there for a reason! God wants you to take that guilt to His Son, Jesus, and let Him remove it. He is the ONLY ONE WHO CAN! I did this and have never regretted it. My conversion experience (surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over my life) came slowly because I’m extremely stubborn, but it finally did. I gave up, I said to God one night on my knees at my bedside: “Lord, I see where my best thinking has gotten me to this point of despair. If there is a better way to live, please show me. I’m ready to listen.” The next day, the Lord guided me to people who had a program that helped me get out of the pit I was in, and I met others who guided me to attend a local church, where I learned more about God. There is something in you and me that longs to worship. It’s because we were both made in the image of God, and worship is about relationship. We want to be reconciled to God because He is our true Father who wants us to come home eventually to be with Him forever in Heaven. We worship out of our gratitude to our heavenly Father, and worship brings joy. We serve our heavenly Father through His body, the Church, and we receive happiness by giving of our time, talents, and money. It’s out of our gratitude for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness that we serve. How I know — intellectually The reason I know God is real, even though He is invisible, is that He gave me a mind and the ability to know Him through my reasoning abilities. From the Bible, I learned that God has not hidden Himself from us! We can see Him through His Son, Jesus, because Jesus Himself said that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father (John 14:8–10). He is not just a messenger telling us about God: He is God in human flesh. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1:13, NLT) Jesus’ consistently good character, demonstrated by His life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection, demonstrates that He is who He claimed to be. His resurrection, attested by hundreds of eyewitnesses, is the ultimate confirmation that God is real and that He has acted in history to save us. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity, not merely an ancient book full of errors. It records His actions in history, His moral law, and His plan of salvation. The unity of Scripture is supernatural. It was written by over forty authors from different continents across fifteen hundred years, yet all relating one consistent story of redemption through Christ. The accounts of miracles in the Bible are to be expected, if, after all, our supernatural God is the author. Why shouldn’t He break into His creation at times for His own purposes? You CAN trust the Bible because you can trust its author, God. You do NOT have to take a blind leap of faith to do so. Instead, marvel at the overwhelming evidence of its internal consistency, historical and archaeological reliability, fulfilled prophecy, and transforming power, all of which confirm its divine origin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35, NIV) He has also revealed Himself clearly through creation. It is the most basic proof of His existence. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20, NLT) Modern science points to the Big Bang as the beginning of the universe. This discovery aligns with the biblical truth that the universe had a definite beginning caused by an all-powerful, immaterial, personal Creator who exists outside of time, space, and matter (Genesis 1:1). The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1, NLT) The beauty and order of the universe, the vast information in DNA [1], the fine-tuning of the values of the constants of physics [2] (without which, life would be impossible), and the universe’s complexity indicate real, intelligent design, not mere appearances of design by accident. I know from experience that God will reveal Himself personally to those who seek Him because that’s what He did for me. Even though I don’t know Him yet as much as I’d like to, I know He’s close by and wants to have a relationship with me. I feel closest to Him and hear His voice when I’m deep in prayer. In the Bible, God promised to make Himself known to people. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) Conclusion We know that someday we’re all going to die, and we’re going to be dead a lot longer than we ever were alive. To me, believing in God makes good sense because it’s the only thing that gives my life meaning and purpose. The Bible makes it clear why I’m here and what I’m supposed to do with the time and talents God has given me. God has not left us in the dark, to live alone in the universe He created for us. He exists, and He loves us! Through Scripture and through His Son Jesus, He has spoken, acted, and revealed Himself so that we would be able to know Him and be reconciled to Him. I believe in Jesus Christ because I have seen enough evidence to believe that He alone is the risen Savior who offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and trust in Him. In no other religion has the founder died for his followers or risen from the dead. The empty tomb is not just history; it is hope, help, and happiness. © 2026 Debra Hodges. References: 1. Meyer, Stephen C. Return of the God Hypothesis. New York: HarperOne, 2021, chapters 16–18. 2. Meyer, Stephen C. Return of the God Hypothesis. New York: HarperOne, 2021, chapters 11–13.

Originally published on Medium, this article is shared here to offer a moment of reflection. We invite you to read with openness and consider what stands out to you personally. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he was expected to forgive — suggesting seven as a generous number — he was voicing the question every honest believer eventually asks. Forgiveness is beautiful, but it is also complicated. What do we do when the hurt is repeated? When the relationship is unsafe? When forgiveness seems to collide with wisdom, boundaries, or protection? Jesus’ answer pointed to the heart of forgiveness, but the rest of Scripture gives us the wisdom to practice forgiveness without remaining in harm’s way. Forgiveness begins as a heart posture toward God, not a reward for the offender. Paul reminds us to forgive as God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32), which means releasing the desire for revenge, letting go of bitterness, and entrusting justice to God. Forgiveness frees the heart, but it does not automatically restore trust. Trust is rebuilt slowly, and sometimes it is never rebuilt at all. This is why it is essential to understand what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. It is not pretending the hurt didn’t happen. It is not removing boundaries. It is not ignoring patterns of harm. Even Jesus did not entrust Himself to everyone because He knew what was in the human heart (John 2:24–25). If the Son of God used discernment, His people must do the same. Jesus also taught us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:44). But loving enemies does not mean enabling them. It does not mean approving their behavior or allowing continued harm. Love desires redemption, not destruction. But love also protects. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is pray from a distance, maintaining boundaries that honor truth and safety. This is also where many believers misunderstand Jesus’ words about “turning the other cheek.” In Jesus’ culture, a slap on the cheek was an insult meant to shame, not an act of physical violence. Jesus was teaching His followers to refuse retaliation, not to remain in danger. Turning the other cheek means we do not escalate conflict or seek revenge — but it does not mean staying in abusive situations, removing boundaries, or accepting mistreatment as God’s will. Jesus never asked anyone to stay where their safety was threatened. This brings us to a tender and necessary truth: forgiveness never requires remaining in an abusive or dangerous situation. Many believers have been told that staying in harm’s way is a sign of faithfulness, but Scripture never commands that. In fact, the Bible consistently protects the vulnerable. God is a refuge for the oppressed (Psalm 9:9). He hates violence (Psalm 11:5). He calls His people to rescue those in danger (Proverbs 24:11–12). Paul fled danger repeatedly (Acts 9:23–25; Acts 14:5–6). Even Jesus withdrew from violent threats until His appointed hour (John 8:59; John 10:39). Leaving an abusive situation is not a lack of forgiveness but demonstrates wisdom. It is stewardship of the life God entrusted to you. You can forgive someone and still leave. You can forgive someone and still involve authorities. You can forgive someone and never return. Forgiveness releases the desire for revenge; it does not remove consequences. It does not restore trust. It does not require reconciliation. It does not give the offender access to your life. Sometimes leaving is the most loving thing you can do, not to punish the abuser but to stop enabling the cycle. Consequences are often the only doorway to repentance. Forgiveness frees your heart; leaving protects your life. Understanding this balance helps us see why Jesus’ suffering on the cross cannot be used as a model for accepting abuse. His suffering was voluntary, redemptive, and mission‑specific (John 10:18). He laid down His life as part of the atonement. It’s not an example of staying in harm’s way. Christians are called to take up their cross, meaning surrendering self‑rule, not surrendering safety to abusers. Scripture also affirms the legitimacy of self‑defense and protection. The law in Exodus 22 acknowledges the right to defend one’s household. Nehemiah’s builders worked with tools in one hand and protection in the other (Nehemiah 4:17–18). Paul used legal means to protect himself from unjust harm (Acts 22:25–29). Jesus even instructed His disciples to prepare for practical protection as they traveled (Luke 22:36). Protecting life is not vengeance. It is stewardship. So how do we forgive as God forgives? Scripture paints a beautiful picture. God forgives with mercy that refuses revenge (Psalm 103:10). He forgives with compassion that removes our sins as far as east is from west (Psalm 103:12). He forgives with wisdom, disciplining those He loves while restoring them (Hebrews 12:6). His forgiveness is full, but it is not naïve. It is gracious, but it is not gullible. It is merciful, but it is not blind. Forgiving like God means releasing revenge, refusing condemnation, and maintaining wisdom. It means letting go of bitterness while holding onto boundaries. It means entrusting justice to God while protecting the life He gave you. It means loving others without enabling harm. Forgiveness frees the heart. Boundaries protect life. Justice belongs to God. This is the balance Scripture offers and the freedom Christ invites us into. © 2026 Randy DeVaul, M.A.

What Scripture Says Before You Go Looking People are always on the hunt for the next big secret and exciting insight, anything that promises to unlock some hidden cosmic truth or gives them an edge up in their spiritual life. This can show up in many ways, from books claiming to be “new revelations,” old texts presented as supplements to the Bible, social media posts with prophetic messages, new doctrines, emerging religious sects, or secret rituals promising special favor. But this pull toward these other sources reflects a deficiency in the heart, not a problem with the Bible itself. “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14–15 Desire > Temptation > Sin > Spiritual Death. Grand stories of cosmic battles, golden plates, secret teachings, and lost revelations create a sense of excitement. They make the person feel like they have discovered something special and exclusive. These often satisfy a deeper desire for distinction and knowledge, giving the thrill of “I know what others don’t.” But this impulse is not from God; it comes from the flesh, and satan capitalizes on it. People like to attach their sense of worth to what makes them different from others. Flirting with a belief system slightly or completely outside of the Bible allows a person to feel unique without openly rejecting Christianity. They think they can still claim loyalty to Scripture while quietly shifting their focus elsewhere to something that “expands upon” or “explains more.” These deviations create an illusion that one can pick and choose spiritual truths while still claiming faith in God, even when those choices contradict His Word. The Power of Mythic Imagination Human beings are story-driven. Dramatic imagery, mystical symbolism, and cosmic narratives naturally capture attention. Many writings, doctrines, and teachings lean heavily into this kind of advertising. Scripture does not lack depth or richness in this. Rather, it reveals a weakness in human obedience and shows that the battle for the knowledge of good and evil is still as powerful and relevant today as it was in the garden. The mind can easily be drawn toward spectacle even when the substance is shallow. In other words, the sensational often overshadows the truthful. Avoiding Moral Confrontation Another factor is the avoidance of moral confrontation. The Bible speaks plainly about sin, judgment, repentance, and obedience. It directs the reader to focus inward, to ask difficult questions about the state of their heart. Any material or teaching elevated to the level of the Bible, above it, or used to “complete” or “complement” it, despite not holding up to Scripture, diverts attention from the personal responsibility to confront the flesh and instead emphasizes speculative topics. The focus moves from “What does God require of me?” to “What hidden knowledge might exist that I don’t know about?” And now, curiosity has replaced conviction. Humans instinctively associate restriction with importance. If something is rumored to have been hidden and now revealed, people assume it must contain some powerful truth. Ironically, this skepticism is often applied very selectively. Scripture is intensely scrutinized, while questionable or historically disputed material or teachings are accepted with far less criticism. The Ongoing Pull People often treat what happened in the garden as a one-and-done deal, as if satan’s work just stopped with Adam and Eve. But Scripture makes this clear: he has never stopped. We need to recognize this crucial truth, and that it is happening to this day because missing it leaves a person open to desire, and desire is all he needs to get in to distort, distract, and draw us away from what God. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11 People, come on, we are not warned continually throughout Scripture for no reason. Satan has refined his tactics for every age of humanity, shaping desires, stirring curiosity, and exploiting weaknesses. Recognizing that this is an ongoing battle helps you to remain watchful and discerning. Ground yourself in Scripture rather than deceptive knowledge that tempts the flesh and distracts from God’s truth. © Jane Isley Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

The First Instructions About Prayer. There have been a number of my Medium buddies going through some tough times. I don’t pretend to know why God just doesn’t do a better job of things. But I know it must be the best way because it has cost Him so much. But the Holy Spirit has left exquisite pearls of Wisdom in His Word, waiting to be found, which show that He is not a boring Teacher. He gives instruction on Prayer which show that He is the consummate Lateral Thinker. unsplash.com How? The Lord shows things first in the natural then in the spiritual so that we get some comprehension of what He is doing outside our spectrum of sight and sound — as is written in 1 Corinthians 15:46–47: However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterwards the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. On the topic of Prayer, there are a number of verses which liken the Prayers of the Saints to being a Sweet Savour to the Lord. One example that the prayers of the Saints are Incense to the Most High is written in Revelation 5:8: Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The recipe for the incense is written in Exodus 30:34–35: And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. A teaching by a Messianic Rabbi (Orthodox trained), Dick Reuben, describes the constituents of the recipe given by God. Stacte — it came from the resin of a pine tree. It was not difficult to collect — it came freely. This speaks of how God wants our incense to be given — freely and spontaneously. Onycha — Came from a particular shellfish. The shellfish was located deep in the ocean, and the men had to let down their nets to collect it. This speaks of how our prayer, worship and praise must come from the very depths of our heart, not because we are being pressured from the worship leader, but because we want to. Galbanum — Collected from the myrtle tree. The limbs were broken and the men would come back the next day to collect the sap that had issued forth from the broken area. This speaks of how our prayer, praise, worship, and intercession must come out of our brokenness. Frankincense — Collected from a tree that is split in the twilight hours of the evening. Nothing happens during the night, but in the early hours of the morning the resin begins to weep. The resin is the Frankincense. Out of our piercing and sorrows in the early hours of the morning comes our prayer, praise and worship and intercession. The Rabbi does an experiment to show that the chemistry is delicate. He grinds up the constituents (Of course, this is not exactly to the proportions given in Exodus 30. That is expressly forbidden by the Lord on the pain of death.) and tries to ignite the mix — to no avail, no matter how much heat is applied. But there is a commonly unnoticed component which is sitting in plain sight in the Written Word of the Living Word of God — salt. When a critical amount of salt is introduced into the mix it ignites easily and the Sweet Savour rises to fill the room. Obviously it is a vital ingredient which must be present. Salt –It is written in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Just as obviously, it is the prayers of salty Saints that attract God’s attention. The chemical structure of common salt (the context of the scriptures make it clear that the compound NaCl is the material being mentioned) is such that if another element is added it is no longer NaCl. The only way for salt to lose its saltiness, therefore, is by dilution. Two polar extremes of dilution are pure rain water and raw sewerage. One of these is less palatable than the other but that makes it the least dangerous because it is immediately recognised and spat out. However it is possible to gradually dilute with more and more rain water until the saltiness is lost, unnoticed. When the Disciples couldn’t cast out the demon, Mark 9:14–32, Jesus demonstrated that the way life is lived between prayer sessions is much more important than the eloquence of the prayers spoken — after all, He knows what you’re about to say before you do. Often the salt comes from the trembling prayers spoken through tears. But remember it is written in Psalm 56:8–9: You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. And in Joel 2:25–27:So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of My Church: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. I will never reject My People. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! The forgoing evidence has not been presented to convince any reader but to allow a personal decision to be made. There is much more to know about this subject. Perhaps you’ll pay another visit, sometime. If you have seen something you like, I encourage plagiarism. So, always check everything I say first, then please re-cycle, re-brand, re-structure, re-issue, re-label, or regurgitate in any manner you please. No need to acknowledge me because it is the Holy Spirit Who holds the Intellectual Rights. All Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (We all have a plank in our eye. It’s bigger than we think.) © ネ

What Does "Judge Not" Really Mean? One of the most misunderstood and misquoted verses in the Bible is “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Ripped out of its context and most often used by people who don’t believe anything else that the Bible says, it is often used as a club to beat Christians who say anything about sin. Any time that sin is identified for what it is, you are almost guaranteed that someone will retort with: “Jesus said “don’t judge”, so you shouldn’t be judging me.” When we read the verse in context, we find out that Jesus goes on to tell us how one ought to judge. If you are going to judge someone else, first check that you are doing so with the right motive and without harbouring sin in your own heart. “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5). We will understand what Jesus is talking about here even better when we deal with the next verse. “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (Matthew 7:6). The ‘dogs’ and ‘swine’ (pigs) were easy enough to identify for the Jewish disciples whom Jesus was addressing at the time. These terms referred to Gentiles — those who were not among the people of God. After Jesus rose from the dead, Gentiles could become people of God without becoming Jewish, but the verse still applies similarly. Anyone who has not yet submitted to Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour is not one of God’s people. Here, I use the term ‘unbelievers’ to identify them. What Are the 'Pearls' in Matthew 7:6? The real question we need to address in verse 6 is: What are our ‘pearls’? We know that Jesus is telling His disciples not to give something holy and precious to unbelievers. Some say that He is warning Christians to be careful about who we preach the gospel to — if people are hostile and unreceptive, they could “turn and tear you in pieces”. The gospel is indeed holy and precious, but is it really the ‘pearls’ that we should not give away? It seems to me that such a warning runs contrary to His explicit command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). We are told many times in the New Testament that the gospel will not always be well-received by those who hear it. Besides Jesus’ own warnings to this effect (e.g., Matthew 10: 16–26), we see examples of people being tortured and killed because they preached the gospel throughout the Book of Acts. Were they “casting their pearls before swine”? If so, we are saying that people like Stephen and Paul were foolish to preach the gospel to hostile crowds. Yet they are quite clearly presented in Acts as doing God’s will. Similarly, missionaries throughout the last 2,000 years have preached the gospel to hostile people and have paid with their lives for it. I believe that they were doing what Jesus told them to do; they were not casting pearls before swine. If that is so, what does this verse mean? The answer lies in the previous verses. The kind of ‘judging’ that Jesus is talking about here is between ‘brothers’: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3, emphasis mine). The term ‘brothers’ is used throughout the New Testament to refer to other believers (this includes sisters, of course). The ‘judging’ in verses 1–5 is therefore about fellow believers helping each other to identify sin in their lives and remove it. Provided it is done correctly and without hypocrisy, this is a good thing. I believe that Jesus uses the jarring terms ‘dogs’ and ‘swine’ in verse 6 to make a clear switch from talking about relationships between believers to relationships between believers and unbelievers. The overall topic nonetheless remains ‘judging’ in the sense of pointing out sinful behaviours that ought to change. What then are the holy pearls that believers should not give to unbelievers? Given the context, the pearls are pieces of advice about removing sin and living a holy life. This may come as a shock to believers who give such advice to unbelievers, while the unbelievers who like to misquote “Judge not” may feel vindicated. Perhaps you think I am saying that Christians should just shut up about sin and let unbelievers remain as they are. It’s a bit more complicated than that, so please hear me out. Preaching the Gospel vs. Casting Pearls Before Swine Identifying sin is an integral part of the gospel message — if you don’t think that you’re a sinner, then you don’t need a Saviour. It is therefore critically important for the unbeliever to recognise their sin before they are willing to reach out for the Saviour. One way to do this is by going through Jesus’ version of the Ten Commandments, as He did earlier in this passage of Matthew (read Chapters 5–7 for the whole message). When you do that, you realise that every one of us is a sinner. Ever called someone a bad name in anger? Murderer (5:21–22). Ever lusted for someone who is not your spouse? Adulterer (5:27–28). Ever made a promise that you didn’t intend to keep? Liar (5:33–34). Jesus is pointing out that we are all sinners in God’s sight. We therefore desperately need a Saviour — Him. Clearly, when He gets to the “Judge not” part of His message, He isn’t telling people to ignore sin or fail to identify it. He has just given us a very clear blueprint for revealing sin in our own hearts, which is the necessary precursor to the Good News that He paid for it on the cross. When saying “do not cast your pearls before swine”, I think that Jesus is telling us how not to talk about sin and holiness to unbelievers. If we see someone committing sin or ‘living in sin’, we may be quick to say: “Jesus says you shouldn’t be doing that” or “that’s not right, God will judge you” or “all sinners are going to hell”. If that is all that we are telling people, then we are not preaching the gospel. We are just criticising their non-Christian lifestyle from a Christian perspective. Jesus warns that when we do this, the unbelievers will simply turn on the Christian and tear them to pieces. If we dish out unsolicited critique of sinful lifestyles and suffer for it, we are not ‘suffering for doing good’ (1 Peter 3:17), we are suffering for foolishly ignoring Jesus’ warning. By making such a critique, we could (perhaps unintentionally) be sending the message that people have to “clean up their act” before coming to Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus did not preach. He welcomed sinners and freely forgave all who repented. They stopped living in sin after they came to Jesus, not before. They were no longer ‘swine’; they became God’s people. How to Apply 'Judge Not' Without Casting Pearls Before Swine How then do we deliver the gospel message to all people — no matter how hostile or unreceptive — without casting our pearls before swine? First, we maintain Jesus’ definition of sin and His standard of righteousness as described in Matthew 5–7. This standard doesn’t just condemn particular kinds of sinners; it condemns us all. I am a sinner by Jesus’ standard, and so are you. Following Jesus’ example, we can describe sin clearly without telling sinners that they must “clean up their act or go to hell”. Those who hear the Biblical definition of sin and realise that it applies to them are feeling the Holy Spirit at work. He convicts people of their sin, not the human messenger. Second, we introduce people to the Saviour. Jesus will receive and change anyone who comes to Him in repentance. At that moment, He washes them clean by His blood, gives them a new spiritual nature, and brings them into the family of God. From now on, their lives will be distinctly different. This includes becoming sensitive to the Spirit working through their conscience to identify sin whenever it crops up. No spiritual policemen needed. Third, we help each other to deal with sin as fellow Christians. After you have met the Lord, He starts to clean up your act. He may do this directly through the Spirit, or indirectly through His church. The latter operates through the kind of ‘judging’ that Jesus described in Matthew 7:5. This happens only within a loving Christian community, where each ‘judge’ examines their own life very carefully before helping others, and is willing to be ‘judged’ in turn (in today’s language, we call this “accountability”). The Ultimate Judge remains on His throne — we all account to Him in the end. When we follow these steps in order — particularly by not putting step 3 before step 2 — we will use the pearls of wisdom that God gives us at the right time and for the right purpose. All of us who were once ‘swine’ will be changed into brothers and sisters by the power of the Holy Spirit. Together, we will draw closer to our Lord and glorify Him before all the earth. © 2026 Gail Thomson. If you want to see this played out in real life: The Healing Power of Grace in Mother-Daughter Relationships Tessa Lind shares an honest, personal look at choosing grace over criticism in one of the hardest relationships to get right, and what happens when we let go of the urge to correct and lean into love instead. The Art of Responding with Grace, Not Reacting in Anger A practical look at what it means to pause before we speak — trading a quick, wounded reaction for a response shaped by patience and grace. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

This is my first and last-ever how-to type of article, written for people interested in Christianity, but turned off by it because of all the misinformation and manipulation out there. Everything here comes from my own experience and what I wish someone had told me from the start. 1) You do not have to define yourself to any doctrine, or denomination. You absolutely can just be a Christian. Those labels are more damaging than you realize. They start to define your journey with God more than you and God do. 2) No one church or person has it completely right. I do not have it right. When I get to heaven there will be things I thought were true and believed that I was completely wrong about. Do not ever sell yourself short and believe that you are 100% right on everything, or that someone else is. Leave yourself room to learn and grow. One of the most amazing things about God is that He sees your heart and where it lies. If you have a belief that is off He will direct you to that when the time is right. But that only happens if you are open to Him teaching you. Some examples from my own life: I genuinely believed in purgatory, evolution, that satan was an equal being to God, that angels have wings, that I couldn’t cut my hair, and that baptism is required, to name a few. God did not bring them to my attention until I was ready to learn I was wrong. My heart was in line with Him, and He had me working on other things first. 3) When God teaches you something, that is not condemnation. This goes with number two. When God corrects something big or small, that is Him actually involved in your life. And whatever you learned yesterday that turned out to be wrong never took away your salvation from yesterday. I think part of the fear of learning we may be wrong about something is this silent belief that we would have gone to hell if we had died the day before we found out. That is not how this works. 4) You will not know everything about God, Scripture, or Christianity right away. There is no way. Think about it this way. When you are born you eventually start kindergarten. You do not jump from kindergarten to graduation overnight. Enjoy your process. Embrace your learning. Relax and lean into whatever stage you are in and realize God loves you in every single stage of it. If He wanted to rush us into learning everything overnight He would have set up salvation that way. 5) No church, pastor, deacon, or congregation member has any right to your journey. Nobody gets to dictate how you should be learning or progressing according to their timeline. If you run into pushy people or people who make you feel like you are doing something wrong or not moving fast enough, walk away. Your relationship with Jesus is worth far more than their opinions. 6) You tithe where God directs you to tithe. Many churches pressure or sometimes outright force their members to give money to the church. That is not how it works and never has been. Take your money and ask God where it is most needed. Once you leave that in His hands He will bless the rest. Also don't brag about it, don't look for a tax break or your name to be listed somewhere, that is not why we do this. 7) You are going to run into assh0les people along the way. And I am not just talking about unbelievers, although prepare for that too. I am talking about fellow "Christians." They are going to act holy on Sunday and horrible by Monday. You are going to witness abuse, hurt, hypocrisy, prophecy seekers, crime, twisted Scripture, and so much more. Learn to separate mankind from God and Scripture. We do it all the time with other groups. Not all doctors are bad, not all cops are bad, not all teachers are bad. That same level of discernment needs to be applied to Christianity too. 8) You can live in harmony with believers who do not share all your viewpoints. I do it all the time. What I look for is whether their heart is in line with Christ. God will direct you when and if a conversation needs to be had. 9) Prosperity Foolishness Do not let other believers fool you or convince you that your life should have done a complete 180 overnight, and that because it did not you are somehow lacking in faith. That is not how this works. If you still have anxiety or a chronic illness, so did Paul. Still have depression and burnout, so did Elijah. Still have digestive issues, so did Timothy. The Bible is full of people who were still very human with very human problems. 10) Do not listen to anyone who tells you that if you really had the Holy Spirit you would just know they are right. That is a line of malarky and you have every right not to blindly believe a person. You should not. We are given Scripture for a reason. It is also completely acceptable to say you are not sure about something yet but are looking forward to diving in and learning what the Bible says. 11) Your relationship with Jesus needs to come from your own work with Him. Not from behind a pulpit. Not from books. Not from a devotional. Not from 30 second reels. Sit down and let His Word talk to you. 12) If something in the Bible confuses you, do not panic. Many of us who have been doing this a long time still get stumped and confused. I take notes, try to find all the relevant passages, and hop online and search what a specific passage means. It really helps when I get stuck sorting something out. I've been doing this a long time and there's still stuff I go back to and read more on till I sort it out, not knowing something for sure does not remove your salvation or make you any less a Christian. 13) Do not let politics into your relationship with Jesus. You let Jesus into your decisions about politics. 14) You have every right to walk away from any church/group heading in the wrong direction. You are not indebted to a building or to the people in it. You are indebted to the man who died for you. 15) Despite popular belief, there is going to be every kind of Christian possible in heaven. Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Mormons, Reformed, Deconstructed, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses. No one person here on earth has it completely right. It will always come down to whether your heart was in line with Christ. 16) For the love of bacon bits, read your Bible before you read anything about your Bible. Devotionals, extrabiblical books, podcasts, and 30 second reels do not get to be their own standard. Scripture is what you test everything against. Get rooted in His Word first and let everything else come after. 17) Please be patient with yourself as you grow in Christ. There is no race to be won. You already crossed the finish line by going to Him. © 2026 Jane Isley. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

What possible value could I be to God? I wonder if you are like me. Do you ever say, “Surely, God made a mistake in choosing me. There is nothing worthy in me, nothing of value to offer”? I’m a nobody. I keep messing up. I keep making bad choices. I’ve done nothing substantial with my life. What did God see in me that made Him think I could ever be of value to Him? Spiritually, I’m a loser. I’m broke. Nobody else needs me. Why would God need me? “Oh, the staggering bravery of God in entrusting His purposes to us!”-Oswald Chambers That is precisely why He chooses us. The journey with Jesus is never about what we bring to the table, but about what He deposits within us. I often admire those with great natural gifts and assume their talents will make them exceptional Christians. They have keen intellects and are dripping with intelligence. Yep, they are waaaay more qualified than I am. “That writer is amazing. So naturally talented. I bet God will use that person in a big way to bring Him glory. So smart. So gifted. Looks good, smells good, sounds good-the whole package. That’s a world-changer right there.” But true spiritual effectiveness springs from poverty of spirit. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Wait, what? Does the true kingdom of Jesus look more like the guy delivering mail to the top floor than the C-level exec with the corner office? As followers of Jesus, we are not here to fulfill our own dreams or agendas. We are here to be aligned with God’s will — completely and unequivocally. We attempt great and mighty things, hoping to “please daddy” in heaven. But that’s not what He is looking for. God prefers quality time over impressive gifts. It took me decades to understand that God prefers humble dependence over powerful independence. He’d rather I lean my head on his shoulder than toss him the keys to a Maserati. It almost seems backwards. The church is getting it wrong. We aren’t dropping our nets to follow Jesus. We are getting more nets and additional boats. We are building a fleet. But what Jesus would prefer is a small, intimate fish breakfast over a campfire on the beach. Fleets are cool. But conversations with the King of Kings are cooler. The most vital aspect of our Christian life is not the visible work we do, but the relationship we maintain with Jesus. Out of that abiding relationship flows influence, power, and fruit (John 15:4-5). God does not ask us to maintain perfect productivity, but to maintain perfect connection. It is this relationship, cultivated in quietness, prayer, repentance, meditation, trials, and trust, that He craves. The greatest calling is not to be impressive for God, but to be intimately available to Him. To walk in daily dependence, humility, and communion — this is the ground where His glory is made known through our weakness. “Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards… But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29)“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8)“Abide in Me, and I in you.. for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5) This article is a crazy concept. It’s the “anti-Darwin”- survival of the unfittest. Cream doesn’t rise to the top in the Kingdom of God. What makes it to the future is what has sunk to the lowest point. And doesn’t have a clue how to rise. It’s a spiritual “Cinderella story”. God chooses the ugly ducklings and makes them His shining treasures of beauty. The last becomes the first. And the losers become the winners. So be encouraged today, you losers! Take heart, you misfits! Have hope, you untalented, unloved, despised, uncouth, lower-class rejects! There is a day coming when all I have written in this article will come to pass. You’ll see. Read this scripture twice: “He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among nobles, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD’s, and he has set the world in order.” 1 Sam 2:8 Why did God choose you? He believes in you more than you believe in yourself. And He is going to show you what a genius potter can do with a cold, hard lump of clay. He will turn you into a work of art so dazzling it will shame everything in the Louvre. I believe that once we grasp this counter-cultural premise, we will be able to stop self-sabotaging and doubting ourselves, and nestle into the warm embrace of God. It’s what He wanted all along. Thank you for reading this. Remember that fire on the beach I mentioned? © I.M. Koen More to read from I.M. Koen: Jesus Wants to Make You Breakfast. Are There Mexican Angels? Why God Eavesdrops on You.