Faithful Writers

Have you ever “just trusted God” while also mentally rehearsing 57 ways everything could go wrong? Yeah, same. I once prayed, “Lord, take this worry,” and five minutes later, I was on Google diagnosing myself with a tropical disease I couldn’t even pronounce. Why? Because surrender is cute in theory… until your kid has a fever, your inbox explodes, and your brain decides it’s auditioning for a disaster movie. Anxiety isn’t a faith flaw. It’s a human one. But what if, what if our overthinking could be a place God meets us, not just something He wants us to shut off? When Worry Becomes a False Idol Sometimes, without realizing it, our fear gets more attention than our faith. We think we’re being responsible . But somewhere along the way: We start trusting our thoughts more than His truth. We spend more time spiraling than surrendering. We bow to the idol of control, wearing it like a productivity badge. Overthinking isn’t just exhausting. It can slowly become a kind of worship. Not the holy kind. The “I’m giving my brain more authority than God” kind. Convicted? Yeah… me too. Prayer Isn’t a Panic Button, It’s a Pattern Prayer is not just: What you do when you’re already sobbing in the bathroom. A checklist to fix your feelings. A performance with fancy language. Prayer is a pattern of releasing, on repeat. Like spiritual exhaling. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7 The word cast isn’t passive. It’s messy, active, and sometimes daily. Like throwing your burdens into God’s hands again and again because you keep snatching them back. The “Slow It Down” Surrender Routine Here’s a simple prayer tool I’ve used (especially when my thoughts are doing backflips at 2 a.m.): S — Say it out loud. Name the thought. Be specific. (“I’m scared I’ll fail.” “I’m worried my kid’s anxiety is my fault.”) L — Listen. Breathe, invite God into the thought spiral without trying to fix it. O — Offer it up. “God, this is too heavy for me. Please carry it.” W — Wait in the Word. Pick one verse. Just one. Write it. Whisper it. Sit in it. Example: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” — Psalm 56:3 Final Blessing: For the Overthinker Who Loves Jesus May you be reminded that peace isn’t something you earn, it’s a Person you return to. May your worries become invitations, not accusations. And may you stop assuming God is annoyed with your questions. He’s not tired of you. He’s walking with you. © The Blooming Educator

Pexels I wasn’t confident that miracles were something that happened today. Not really. Until one night, we were gathered in a rented classroom, having just started a church in panic and in prayer. We didn’t have a space for midweek Bible study, but our gathering was attracting enough attention that it wouldn’t fit in my living room. It was just supposed to be a small Bible study, but it became a standing-room-only gathering. We read from the Book of Acts — we were starting a church, lower case “c,” might as well figure out how they started the Church, capital “C.” I noted, “They seemed to see a lot of miracles back then. Why don’t we see that today?” Everyone “Hmmed.” A man in the front row, a medical doctor, raised his hand. “Jim, I think God wants me to pray for someone.” “That’s nice,” I said. I wasn’t about to have God interrupt my Bible study. “No, I mean someone in this room right now.” “Oh,” I said. I wasn’t sure where this was going. “The Lord is telling me that someone in this room is having trouble closing his left hand all the way.” I thought to myself – You should have said back pain. You definitely would have gotten someone with back pain. Yours was way too specific. But before I could ruin the moment, a man in the back of the room blurted out, “Oh, that’s me!” All eyes turned on him. “I hurt my hand like 20 years ago, and I’ve never been able to close my left hand all the way since then. It doesn’t bother me much; I’m just always aware of it.” “Ok,” I said to the doctor. “Why don’t you go pray for him?” I went on with the Bible study, not sure what to make out of all that. I didn’t know how to follow up. I hadn’t grown up in a church that talked about the supernatural in anything but a historical context. The next day, I phoned the guy at the back of the room. “What happened?” “I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, “but I can close my hand all the way now. I haven’t been able to do that in 20 years. And the strangest thing was that right when that guy started talking (they didn’t know each other, and he had forgotten the doctor’s name), I felt this warm sensation moving up through my body from my feet to the top of my head. I honestly didn’t care about anything else at that moment – I just didn’t want that feeling to stop.” His hand was healed permanently. We’ve never forgotten that moment. For the skeptics, I don’t know what to tell you, except I am the most skeptical and unlikely pastor there is. I didn’t grow up with a charismatic kind of Christianity, and I had largely ruled out the supernatural as a distant fantasy or historical reality now long stopped. But I saw it right in front of my eyes, and attempts to explain this away through natural causes seem to me rather desperate. Occam’s razor wins out here. I know what it feels like to be unsure of what I believe in, and I know what it feels like to believe in some basic metaphysical reality, but find stories like this odd. What this experience made me do was lean into prayer. The Bible says that Jesus can do more than we can ask or imagine, so now I pray with that in mind. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If you know someone who might be encouraged by this story, feel free to forward it along! © James W. Miller

Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash I literally see the tired look in your eyes when you talk about your life. I hear the heaviness in your voice when you whisper, “Everyone seems so far ahead of me.” And my heart aches because I know what it feels like. I’ve been there too, and I still catch myself in there sometimes: scrolling, comparing, shrinking inside. I want you to know that you are not behind. I know it doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes it seems like life is moving faster than you can keep up. Friends, family, and colleagues appear to be reaching milestones effortlessly, while you’re still figuring out your next step. But I need you to hear this clearly, their journey isn’t yours. God’s timing for you is perfect, even when it feels slow or uncertain. You’re Not Broken, You’re Becoming Sometimes, when we feel “behind,” we think something is wrong with us, but what if it’s not about being broken, but about becoming? Every small step you’ve taken, every lesson you’ve learned, every baby step and short breath, even the ones that felt like failures, are quietly shaping you into someone stronger, wiser, and more prepared for what’s next. Growth isn’t always visible, but it’s happening, and it matters. When you get to that point where you’re overwhelmed, remember this truth: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6 You’re still in process, and that’s okay. God hasn’t forgotten you; He’s still working on you, in you, and for you. Your Journey Isn’t Supposed to Look Like Theirs I know it’s tempting to measure yourself against others. You glance at someone else’s life and feel the sting of inadequacy, but comparison is a thief, my dear. It steals joy and blinds us to our own progress. Their timeline, their challenges, and their victories are theirs alone. You are on a different path, one that is designed just for you. Trust it even when it feels like you’re moving slowly. God is moving with you, preparing you, and guiding your steps. Scripture says, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”— Galatians 6:4 Your path is not meant to look like anyone else’s, and when you trust that, peace begins to settle in. Even when it feels like you’re moving slowly, God is moving with you, preparing you, and guiding your steps in His perfect rhythm. Small Wins Are Still Wins Pause for a moment. Reflect on what you’ve accomplished in the past weeks, months, or even days. Maybe it’s something small, showing up when you didn’t want to, speaking your truth, healing from an old wound, or learning something new. Those are victories too. Don’t brush them off; celebrate them, and let them remind you that progress isn’t always about giant leaps, but about consistent, faithful steps forward. Hear This Today, instead of comparing yourself, take a few minutes to write down three things you’ve done recently that you can celebrate. Speak these words over yourself: “I am not behind. I’m growing at the pace that’s right for me.” Breathe in the peace that comes from knowing your journey is unique and your timing is perfect. And remember, GOD is with you and I’m walking with you, cheering you on, even in the moments you can’t cheer for yourself. © Favour

Photo by Diana Simumpande on Unsplash Making Your Heart His Home There’s a kind of peace that doesn’t just visit, it stays. Like, it lingers in your thoughts, it colors how you speak, it changes how you see the world. That’s what it feels like when you begin to host God’s Presence, not occasionally, but every single day. Most believers know how to visit God. We pray, we worship, we feel His nearness, and then we return to our routines as if His Presence is a place we check in and out of, but there’s a deeper call, which is the call to become a home for Him, not a hotel. More Than a Morning Devotion For years, I thought I could measure closeness to God by how long I spent in devotion, but the Presence doesn’t thrive on hours; it thrives on awareness. In my walk with Yeshua, I’ve seen that hosting Him daily isn’t about length, it’s about life. It’s the whispered prayer before a meeting, the calm refusal to gossip, the decision to forgive when your flesh wants to fight. It’s knowing you’re not walking alone, even in the most ordinary moments. Speaking experimentally, I’ve come to the conclusion that God isn’t looking for grand performances; He’s looking for hearts that remember Him between the verses. The Secret Atmosphere There’s a quiet difference in those who carry Him. Their words heal instead of hurting, and their peace disturbs chaos. You just feel something sacred in their presence, not because they’re special, but because they’ve made room for Someone special, and that’s what daily hosting looks like. It’s room-making. When you guard your thoughts, when you silence your phone just to say “Thank You, Lord,” when you choose purity over popularity, you’re preparing a dwelling and not just a regular schedule. You don’t need to shout for the Presence; you just need to stop crowding the room. A Gentle Nudge for You Maybe this is your reminder that God doesn’t want to be part of your day; He wants to be in your day. He shouldn’t be an option, but your only choice. Start small, whisper His name more often, invite Him into conversations, decisions, and silence. You’ll begin to notice how the air around you changes, not necessarily dramatically, but deeply. The Presence was never meant to be a Sunday experience. It’s a daily reality for hearts that are ready to stay open. So today, host Him. Not out of duty, but out of sincere love, because when He’s welcome, everywhere becomes Holy ground. © Favour

Braden Jarvis We were always meant to inherit the Earth. Genesis shows us this, Psalms remind us of this, and Jesus directly tells us this in Matthew.  It is a beautiful thing to know and one we need to pursue an understanding of. “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good . There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.”  Genesis 1: 31 I’m of the personal opinion that when they translated “ very good ” in Genesis they did not do the original Hebrew word justice, they could have elaborated more and given people a more visually stimulating experience. Biblehub.com meod : “Very, exceedingly, much, greatly” towb :  “Good, pleasant, agreeable, beneficial, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, favor, fine, glad, goodly, graciously, joyful, kindly, loving, merry, pleasant, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, well-favored” Just look at the richness of the word towb they missed in translation.  It’s honestly, in my opinion, the main reason the beauty of the earth and its perfection before the fall is often overlooked and under-appreciated. We often don’t think about this next part, it’s a hint at what perfection was. We were formed by God’s hand, given the breath of life. His breath , and we became living beings connected to God most incredibly and intimately.  This is incredible because Adam and Eve were able to walk, talk, and see God.  “They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day , and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.”  Genesis 3:8 “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” Before the fall, before the moment that changed the course of God’s amazing plan and this world. He walked in the presence of Adam and Eve. Now that, ladies and gents, is utter perfection. Then everything changed. Sin entered and along with it, death and pain. Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden and blocked from the Tree of Life. He went into the Garden and searched for them, He knew what they had done, but they needed to confess what they had done. This is where we see the first repentance in the Bible as well as the first animal sacrifice in Genesis. Before the fall of man, everything was perfect, Genesis 3:8 gave us a glimpse of this wonderful fact. It shows us that God regularly walked in the Garden of Eden with His creation. New and transformed bodies free of imperfection. We will be renewed with heavenly bodies, and we will be ourselves. Not nameless, brainless orbs, which I’ve come to realize so many fear.  There is a strong emphasis on our physical bodies and that includes our brains. Our “mental selves” ( for lack of a better term ), who we are, and our uniqueness will be raised up with our new bodies.  How we’ll look, how exactly He plans to do this, I don’t know have a clue nor am I going to worry about it. Just remember, Adam and Eve were living, talking, thinking beings. Philippians 3:21  — speaks of transforming our bodies to His glory. 1 Cor 15:42–44  — speaks of perishable bodies raised imperishable, glorious and powerful. Romans 8:21–23  — speaks of the redemption of our bodies. Then we also get our new home, this Earth will be transformed into a brand new garden for us to live in. We’re also going to get a new heaven because of the war in Heaven when the Angels fell, but that’s a little off track.  If we choose God to the end, He will reward our faith and fight. 2 Cor 5:1–3  — speaks of an eternal house from God. Rev 21:1–4  — speaks of a New Earth and New Heaven. I do know this next part is hard for many people to understand. Why is God waiting? Peter sheds light on this often-asked question for us. “The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9 As frustrating as it can be at times for us at times, we should not be rushing God. Or wish to be with Him sooner than when our time here is done. No matter how painful or hard life gets, I want as many people there with me at God’s table. To rush Him or be impatient is to see others as less than or unworthy of God.  Our inheritance, promised to us, is what we are waiting for, fighting for, and what God is waiting as long as possible for. He does not want anyone to turn away from Him, He is giving everyone as long as possible. Only He knows when the time is up. Have you ever sat with God and wondered what it will be like, what He is giving us? It is profound and should overwhelm you. When I sit and think about this, I always end up with different questions and wonder about things. Here are a few of the questions that go through my mind.  What exactly does perfection feel like, will my skin even feel different from it? What will it feel like to not be in pain, what will that feel like for my daughter? (This makes me cry every time, knowing her pain will end.) Will we be vegetarians again?  I get that abstract thought from  Genesis 1:29–30  and  Revelation 21:1 . And if the answer ends up being yes, does this mean no more animals at all or do they get to hang with us? Will we get to have gardens, harvest our food, and have farms with cows? Will there be giant dinners where we all sit and enjoy each other and being in His presence? Do we actually need to eat? Will we get to have pets? ( I want at least 5 cats, 2 ferrets, a squirrel and a goat. ) What will it be like to know peace on all levels every single moment? Will I know my family and will we live as a family? These are just some things that go through my mind when I think about what is waiting for me.  What are some of the things you’ve wondered about? I would love to know what you’ve wondered. © Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers  on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. 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Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash I’ve volunteered with children and youth ministries for more than a decade, and in that time, I’ve been able to observe hundreds of parents through the eyes of their students. Something became glaringly obvious to me one evening when, during small group time, a student was unable to answer a very simple question — “Who is Jesus?” This was not a student who had walked through the church doors for the first time or was uncomfortable speaking in front of a small group. Rather, this student had grown up in the church, had parents who were highly involved in the church, and was one of the first ones on the list to attend every youth camp and activity offered. This was a student who had spent years at church, learning about Jesus, yet couldn’t manage to come up with a response to the most basic question about our Savior. That day, it became unquestioningly clear to me that it is not the responsibility of the church to disciple. Discipleship is on the parents. What is Church for? Don’t hear what I’m not saying. Attending a local church as a family and making sure our kids are plugged in to the body of believers is vital to our faith. At church, we fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ, participate in corporate worship & teaching, and offer encouragement to one another. Church is the place we find people to do life with, to minister to, and to grow with. Without it, we’d become spiritually malnourished as believers. However, it is not the sole responsibility of the church to disciple our kids. Discipleship starts at home and includes going to church, but it is not only about going to church. Look at it this way — if a person attends church regularly, this is roughly what their weekly schedule might look like: Sunday School: 1 hour Sunday worship service: 1 hour Sunday night service: 1 hour Wednesday night service: 1 hour When you factor in time for other activities at church, such as worship, announcements, and socializing, there’s little teaching time left (maybe 20–30 minutes each time). A lot of churches don’t offer Sunday night services anymore, either, so there’s potentially another chunk of time missed. All things considered, we’re looking at an average of 80 minutes per week that students could be exposed to the word of God in a formal church setting. That’s just shy of an hour and a half at best . At worst, we’re talking less than an hour. This is why I say: the church is not designed to disciple our kids. At least, not on its own. Church is designed for us to meet together with a local body of believers for encouragement and Bible teaching. It equips and empowers us to go and make disciples, and that includes our kids. I don’t write this to shame anyone, but rather to offer a wake-up call or an encouraging nudge to all parents — we have to be teaching our children the Word of God at home. It simply isn’t optional. If we don’t teach them what Jesus said, the world will. And the world will get it wrong every time. We see that often. What does Scripture Say? Don’t take my word for it — I’m just a random person on the internet. What does the Word say about it? Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. — Deuteronomy 11:18–21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.— Ephesians 6:4 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. — Proverbs 22:6 Parents are responsible for training and teaching their children in the way of the Lord. It’s a weighty responsibility that we can’t take lightly. I look at my son often and think about the fact that if he chooses to get married and have a family someday, it means I’m currently shaping the habits, beliefs, and worldview of someone’s husband and father. Christian parents, we are not simply in the business of raising the next generation of adults. We are in the business of bringing up the next generation of disciples . © Stephanie M Thanks for reading! If any of this resonated with you, or you’d like to see more content like this, please consider subscribing so you’ll never miss out on a post. 🫶🏻

Google Nano Banana That promotion you didn’t get happened for a reason. The startup that crashed and burned served a purpose. The investment that went to zero had meaning. The career pivot that didn’t work out was part of a plan. I know that sounds like spiritual platitudes designed to make you feel better about disappointment. But it’s not. This is about recognizing that God’s navigation system works completely differently than ours — and sometimes what looks like Him failing to provide is actually Him providing exactly what we need. Just not what we wanted. The Prosperity Gospel Lie That’s Ruining Christian Entrepreneurs Here’s a lie that’s been destroying Christian business owners for decades: “If God blesses your business, it will always be successful.” This toxic theology suggests that financial failure is evidence of spiritual failure. It implies that God shows His love through profits and His displeasure through losses. It makes business success the measure of divine approval. Christian entrepreneurship culture has made this worse by treating every success story like a testimony and every failure like a spiritual problem. “God blessed my business, and we hit seven figures!” “I prayed and God opened doors to the perfect investor!” “Divine favor led to explosive growth!” Meanwhile, you’re sitting there wondering why God seems to be cursing your business with constant struggles, failed launches, and financial stress. I know; I’ve been there. But what if God’s blessing doesn’t always look like business success? What if His favor sometimes looks like business failure? What if your biggest professional disappointment was actually His greatest redirection? What Failure Actually Reveals About God’s Plans Failure strips away false identity. When your business succeeds, it’s easy to think you’re successful because you’re smart, talented, or spiritually mature. When it fails, you’re forced to confront the truth: your identity isn’t based on your achievement. Failure redirects misplaced energy. Sometimes God allows ventures to fail because you’re pouring your life into something that isn’t your actual calling. The failure isn’t punishment in the slightest. It’s a course correction. (Proverbs 19:21 Am I right?) Failure develops character that success can’t. Entrepreneurial success often inflates ego and creates entitlement. Entrepreneurial failure often develops humility and dependence on God. Failure creates empathy for other strugglers. The most effective business mentors are usually people who’ve experienced significant failures. Your losses become your qualification to help others navigate their struggles. Failure reveals what you really believe about God. When everything goes well, it’s easy to think you trust God when you’re actually trusting your circumstances. Failure forces you to discover whether your faith is real or just situational optimism. Biblical Evidence That God Uses Professional Disappointment If God only blessed businesses that succeeded, the Bible would be full of entrepreneurial or other success stories. Instead, Scripture shows us a different pattern. Moses spent 40 years as a failed fugitive in the desert before God called him to lead Israel. His career as an Egyptian prince had to completely die before his calling as a deliverer could emerge. David was anointed as king but spent years as a fugitive hiding in caves. His path to the throne went through the wilderness and not conventional leadership advancement. Paul was a successful religious leader before his conversion, but had to abandon that entire career to become an apostle. His professional expertise became irrelevant to his actual calling. (Philippians 3:7) Jesus was a carpenter before becoming a rabbi. His trade had to be set aside for His ministry. Even the Son of God didn’t pursue His ultimate calling through His initial profession. Joseph experienced multiple “career failures” — being sold into slavery, being falsely accused and imprisoned — before God positioned him to save nations. Every setback was actually a setup. The pattern is clear: God often uses professional disappointment to redirect people toward their actual purpose. Why God Sometimes Kills Dreams to Birth Callings There’s a difference between dreams and callings. Dreams are usually about what you want to achieve. Callings are usually about who you’re meant to serve. Dreams focus on success. Callings focus on significance. Dreams ask: “How can I build something impressive?”Callings ask: “How can I solve real problems for real people?” Dreams are often about proving yourself. Callings are often about losing yourself in service to others. Sometimes God has to kill your dreams to birth your calling. Your failed restaurant might have been preparation for a ministry feeding the homeless. Your collapsed consulting business might have been training for nonprofit work. Your startup that never scaled might have been an education for helping other entrepreneurs avoid your mistakes. Your career setback might have been a redirection toward work that serves God’s kingdom instead of just building your kingdom. The failure wasn’t God rejecting your dreams. It was God refining your dreams. How to Recognize Divine Redirection vs. Random Disappointment Not every business failure is divine redirection. Sometimes ventures fail because of bad decisions, poor market timing, or inadequate execution. But here are signs that your failure might be God’s redirection: The failure created unexpected opportunities. Doors closed in one area but opened in another. New connections emerged from the disappointment. Different paths became visible that weren’t apparent before. The failure developed the character you needed. You became more humble, more empathetic, more dependent on God, or more aware of your limitations. The experience grew you in ways success never could have. The failure revealed patterns you needed to see. You discovered that you were chasing the wrong things, serving the wrong motives, or building for the wrong reasons. The failure freed you from something that was controlling you. You realized you were enslaved to other people’s expectations, financial pressure, or ego needs that were preventing you from pursuing your actual calling. The failure connected you with people you’re meant to serve. Through the struggle, you met others facing similar challenges and discovered you have a heart to help them. What to Do When You’re in the Middle of Professional Disappointment Grieve the loss without denying the pain. God doesn’t expect you to be happy about failure. Acknowledge what the disappointment cost you and allow yourself to mourn those losses. Look for patterns, not just problems. Ask yourself: What themes keep emerging? What kinds of work energize you versus drain you? What problems do you find yourself naturally wanting to solve? Serve others while you’re figuring it out. Don’t wait until you have your calling figured out to start helping people. Often, your calling emerges through serving, not through planning. Pay attention to what breaks your heart. Your calling is often connected to problems that genuinely upset you. What injustices make you angry? What needs keep you awake at night? Connect with other people who’ve experienced similar redirections. If possible, find mentors who’ve navigated professional disappointment and emerged with greater purpose. Learn from their experience. Ask God to redeem your failure. Pray that He would use your disappointment to prepare you for something better than what you lost. Your Failure Might Be Your Qualification Here’s what I want you to consider: What if your biggest professional failure wasn’t evidence that you’re not cut out for business, but evidence that you’re cut out for something more important than business? What if your startup that crashed was actually preparation for a ministry that will impact lives? What if your career setback was actually positioning for work that serves eternal purposes? What if your financial loss was actually training for helping others navigate similar struggles? What if your business disappointment was actually a qualification for entrepreneurial ministry? The Christians who build the most meaningful enterprises are often those who’ve experienced the most meaningful failures. They understand that success without purpose is empty. They’ve learned that profit without impact is pointless. They know that building something that lasts requires building something that serves. Your failure taught you what success can’t teach you. It showed you that your identity isn’t your achievement. It revealed that your security isn’t your bank account. It demonstrated that your worth isn’t your net worth. Those are exactly the lessons someone needs to build something that matters. Maybe your biggest failure didn’t disqualify you from success. Maybe it qualified you for significance. Maybe God allowed your business to fail because He has a bigger business for you to build. Maybe He closed those doors because He has better doors to open. Maybe He took away what you wanted because He wants to give you what you actually need. Your failure might not be the end of your entrepreneurial story. It might be the beginning of your entrepreneurial calling. What professional disappointment are you still trying to make sense of? How might God be redirecting you through failure rather than punishing you with it? © Ashneil

Google Gemini AI Here’s a fact: Most of us love microwaves. Pop in leftovers, push a button, and in 90 seconds we’ve got dinner. Convenience is king in almost every corner of modern life. Except one. You can’t microwave spiritual maturity. You can’t “zap” your way into patience, hope, or deep trust in God. You can’t binge-watch a sermon series, highlight half your Bible in neon yellow, and expect to be transformed overnight. God’s Kingdom doesn’t work on fast food speed — it moves like a seed pushing through soil, sourdough rising on the counter, old wine aging in the dark. Or, one of my favorites: good Mexican Mole. And here’s the reality: the very slowness we resist is the gift that actually changes us. The Kingdom Moves at the Speed of Seed Jesus made this plain: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed” (Matthew 13:31). Not a firecracker, not a microwave burrito — a seed. Seeds don’t care about our timelines. They grow underground where nobody’s clapping for them. Roots deepen before shoots rise. Spiritual maturity grows the same way — slow, hidden, sometimes frustrating. But necessary. Paul told the Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Seeds in, fruit out. No shortcuts. Rachel Held Evans once wrote, “Faith isn’t about having all the right answers; it’s about staying in the story.” Seeds require staying. Waiting. Trusting the dark is not the end but the beginning. Why We Crave Shortcuts I get it. We live in an Amazon Prime culture. Two days? Try two hours. We expect sermons to “fix” us, devotionals to “inspire” us, and church programs to “grow” us instantly. But James, the brother of Jesus, didn’t say, “Count it all joy when you have a quick fix.” He said, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). Perseverance doesn’t come from microwave moments; it comes from crockpot seasons — the long, slow simmer of everyday faithfulness. Brian McLaren put it bluntly: “The great spiritual challenge is not to fast-forward through life’s struggles, but to stay awake in them long enough to be transformed.” Slow is Not Failure Some of us feel like we’re behind. We look at Instagram-perfect Christians and think, “Why am I not there yet?” But Jesus never said, “Follow me and you’ll arrive in three easy steps.” He said, “Take up your cross daily” (Luke 9:23). Daily isn’t glamorous. Daily doesn’t trend. Daily is dishes and prayers whispered on the drive to work. Daily is forgiving again, showing up again, choosing love again. And yet — daily is where roots sink deep. Barbara Brown Taylor wrote, “Wisdom is not acquired in a day, or even a decade. It ripens slowly, and only in the company of suffering and grace.” That’s not failure. That’s the holy slowness of a God who is not in a hurry but is endlessly faithful. When We Try to Rush the Process Ever eaten bread pulled out of the oven too soon? Doughy in the middle, disappointing. That’s what happens when we try to rush the Spirit’s work. We get half-baked faith — loud on the outside but hollow within. The psalmist knew the better way: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). Patience is not passive — it’s active trust. It’s saying, “God, you know the pace. You know the process. I’ll stay in the oven as long as it takes.” So How Do We Live This Out? Choose slowness on purpose. Put down the phone. Sit with Scripture like you would a friend. Don’t rush to “finish.” Trust the hidden work. Just because you don’t see fruit today doesn’t mean roots aren’t growing. Celebrate small faithfulness. Every prayer, every act of love, every choice to forgive — these are the slow bricks that build maturity. Richard Rohr said it best: “The most countercultural thing we can do is embrace the ordinary and let it transform us.” Final Thought Microwaves are great for leftovers. But if you want a feast, you need time, heat, and patience. The same goes for your soul. Spiritual maturity is a slow-cooked miracle, not a fast-food promise. The question isn’t, “How fast can I get there?” The real question is, “Am I willing to stay long enough for love to do its deep work in me?” © Gary L Ellis

As a believer, I’ve seen how guilt and shame can quietly chain people, even those who genuinely love God. Many keep trying to “do better,” yet find themselves caught in the same habits they wish they could leave behind. But the truth is this: victory over sin isn’t achieved by striving harder, it’s experienced by surrendering deeper, and so freedom doesn’t come from human willpower alone; it flows from understanding and walking in God’s grace. 1. Victory Begins with Identity The journey to overcoming sin starts with identity. You can’t live differently until you see yourself differently. Scripture teaches that when a person receives Christ, they become a new creation, meaning the old identity defined by sin no longer holds authority. Most people remain trapped not because God’s power isn’t real, but because their mindset hasn’t changed. They still think of themselves as who they used to be, not who they’ve become. The mind must be renewed before behavior can follow. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Understanding this truth shifts the focus from guilt to growth. When you start believing what God says about you, sin begins to lose its hold. 2. Depend on the Power of Grace Grace is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Christian life. It’s not a soft excuse for sin; it’s the supernatural strength to rise above it. The law tells us what’s wrong; grace gives us the power to do what’s right. You overcome temptation not by self-discipline alone, but by daily dependence on the Holy Spirit. Prayer, worship, and time in God’s Word are not religious rituals; they are vital channels through which His strength flows. When you begin each day saying, “Lord, I can’t do this without You,” you invite divine strength into human weakness. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 This is what real freedom looks like: no longer fighting alone, but walking in constant partnership with God. 3. When You Fall, Run To God, Not Away From Himself Even mature believers stumble. The key is not in avoiding every fall, but in learning to return quickly to God. Condemnation keeps you running away while grace draws you back home. Every time you return, you reinforce truth over shame. You need you understand that confession and repentance are not signs of weakness; they’re steps toward restoration. God’s goal isn’t perfection but transformation, and that happens over time, in His presence. Victory over sin is not a single moment; it’s a lifestyle of surrender and renewal. The more you walk with God, the more your desires begin to shift. What once controlled you starts to lose its power under His love. So keep walking, keep growing, and keep trusting grace. The power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you, and that power is enough, more than enough! © Favour

Pexels If you flip through the Gospels, you’ll notice something Jesus never said: “Come back when you’ve got your act cleaned up.” He didn’t walk the shoreline of Galilee hunting for the holiest, most polished citizens. He went after fishermen who smelled of dead fish, tax collectors with sticky fingers, zealots with hot tempers, and women pushed to the margins. The truth is, Jesus never asked for perfect people — He picked messy ones on purpose. Jesus’ Track Record with Imperfect People When Jesus called Peter, James, and John, they were ordinary laborers. Nothing holy about cleaning nets all night (Luke 5:1–11). Matthew, the tax collector, was a social outcast and viewed as a sell-out to Rome (Matthew 9:9–13). Mary Magdalene carried deep wounds, and rumors trailed her name (Luke 8:2). If you were forming a movement to change the world, would you choose these people? Yet Jesus did. He built His kingdom out of cracked stones, not polished marble. As Paul later wrote, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the weak things… to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Messiness Is Not a Disqualification Some of us carry the quiet ache of believing we’ll never measure up. We think, if I could just be more faithful, more disciplined, more holy, then maybe God would use me. But Jesus flips that script. Nadia Bolz-Weber once said , “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent stumblers and sinners.” That’s the point: our messiness isn’t a barrier — it’s the very space where grace shines brightest. Why Did Jesus Do It This Way? Because perfection was never the requirement. Love was. When the Pharisees grumbled about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, He said plainly: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). Brian Zahnd puts it like this: “Jesus doesn’t begin with the demand for perfection. He begins with the offer of mercy.” Jesus called broken people because broken people know they need help. They’re not pretending to have it all together. And when they encounter grace, it’s not theory — it’s lifeblood. What About Us? So where does that leave you and me? It means your doubts don’t disqualify you. Your anger doesn’t exclude you. Your rough edges don’t make you unusable. Think about Peter: he denied even knowing Jesus three times. Yet after the resurrection, Jesus didn’t discard him. He restored him (John 21:15–19). The story of the early church was carried on the back of a man who failed publicly. Rachel Held Evans once wrote, “The gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down walls and throwing open doors.” That’s the kind of community Jesus started with, and that’s the one we’re still invited into. The Power of Grace in the Mess Now hear me on this: Grace isn’t a ticket to stay stuck. It’s fuel to grow. But growth doesn’t erase the fact that Jesus loved us first, while we were still messy. Romans 5:8 reminds us, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice Paul doesn’t say “after we cleaned up” or “once we proved ourselves.” Grace met us in the dirt. And grace still does. Living Like This Matters Here’s the challenge: if Jesus picked the messy ones, maybe we need to stop trying to curate our image of perfection and start telling the truth about who we are. Because honesty breeds connection. Vulnerability breeds compassion. And the world doesn’t need more perfect Christians — it needs more honest ones. Now, somebody might be saying, “But what about the verse that says, “Be perfect as I am perfect '?” I’m glad you asked. Let me explain: If you look at the verses right before Matthew 5:48, Jesus is talking about love for enemies. He says God makes the sun rise on both the good and the evil, and sends rain on the just and unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). Then He pushes His disciples beyond tribal, transactional love. So when He says, “Be perfect, as your Father is perfect,” He’s calling them to grow up into God’s kind of love — complete, impartial, generous love. Barbara Brown Taylor once said , “Jesus hung out with all the wrong people. So if you’re trying to avoid the wrong people, you’re going to miss him.” That’ll preach. Take This with You Jesus never asked for perfect people. He asked for willing people. He called the messy, the doubting, the overlooked, and the broken — and He still does. So the next time you catch yourself thinking, I’m not good enough for God to use me, remember this: your story is exactly the kind of story Jesus builds His kingdom on. Not the polished one. Not the Instagram-ready one. The real one. And that’s very good news. © Gary L Ellis