Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
As a girl who prayed to trust Christ as my Savior countless times after I initially did as a little child, I know that voice well. I completely understand the urge to “re-do” my salvation. But the belief that the first time we asked Christ to save us wasn’t enough is often a lie from Satan. Here are a few of the top reasons that Satan gives for why our childhood salvation wasn’t enough.
I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I’m wondering why I devote so much of my time and energy to you. I mean, you’re not the best thing that’s ever happened to me. In fact, you’ve left me feeling miserable, guilty, and anxious quite often.
Think of this post as a letter from God to you. Obviously, His real letter to us is His Word. But I felt like God was sharing these things with me when I was let down recently. He spoke words of comfort, assurance, and strength when I felt distressed, insecure, and weary.
Loneliness is rampant in our culture, and the COVID-19 pandemic only made it worse. I've personally experienced loneliness at different times in my life, and it's really rough. However, thankfully, we aren't helpless regarding loneliness. If you're experiencing loneliness, ask yourself the following questions to see what you can do to lessen it.
Now, church isn’t a place where I can chat with the friends I grew up with; it’s a place where I have to make new friends. Now, church isn’t a place where I have a regular pew and a regular crew; it’s a place where I have to pick a random seat and smile through awkward introductions. Now, church isn’t a place where I can greet visitors; it’s a place where I have to receive a grand tour so that I don’t get lost on my way to the bathroom. So as a church visitor who’s quite introverted, here are three things that I’d like to tell regulars at the churches I visit.
We’ve all heard that we need to wear our hearts on our sleeves and let our emotions determine how we act. But if you’ve ever been rejected by a friend whom you bared your soul to or ignored by a boyfriend whom you spoke intimately with or reprimanded by a mentor whom you shared your darkest secret with, then you know that wearing your heart on our sleeve is messy.
As Christians in a world that's completely chaotic and utterly broken, it’s normal to desire peace, justice, and joy. We long to see redemption in broken places and restoration in weary souls—including our own. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we will see redemption and restoration.
Disappointment hit you harder than you expected. You didn't realize that crushed expectations could cause such deep sadness. But in this moment, you genuinely can't remember the last time you experienced as much pain as you're experiencing now.
If you grew up in church, you’ve probably heard the song “Amazing Grace” more times than you can count. It’s definitely a staple hymn, yet there have been so many versions and renditions of it produced. Honestly, over the years, the words of this hymn have lost their meaning for me. Actually, the words never really felt meaningful to me.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 