What Does Hope Look Like in 2022?

“I pray also also for those who will believe in me through their (the disciples) message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
-John 17:20-25

LEARN

In 2022 it is easy to set a new normal of ANXIETY instead of HOPE. But we as Christians need not fear. Christ loved us so much that he laid His life down in obedience to the Father, and one of the often forgotten things to note is what he prays about before being nailed on the cross. One of the things he prays for is US. The Son of God, petitions for us as the perfect embodiment of love. The Word tells us that even while we were sinners Christ died for us, and not only that, He also fervently prayed for us before his death. He knows what it is like to be in the world and knows what we need in order to have HOPE. We need Him- and lucky for us Jesus gave Himself up for us to allow us the grace and freedom we have!

We get the immense privilege of demonstrating to the world what joy and gladness look like apart from our circumstances. Hope in the midst of chaos doesn’t seem natural, because it isn’t! Our hope, peace, joy, and assurance are supernaturally given to us by the Holy Spirit through Christ’s sacrifice! So let us battle within our minds to form habits that are pleasing to God, ushered by the Holy Spirit. Let us reveal His truth, not only for our own sakes but for those who do not know the truth and are watching us.

KNOW

Remembering Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross on our behalf in order to give us a future and a hope is so humbling and also in the midst of anxious thoughts, so reassuring. The love of the triune God is with us, and is helping us. It is Christ’s love that advocates for peace in our hearts and peace amongst our brothers and sisters. We are never alone, we are always loved, and we are given a future and a HOPE in Christ. 🙏 ❤️

DO

Who can you share this truth with in the final months of 2022?

What is The State of Our Hearts?

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
Psalm 23 :2

LEARN

Rest. Who has time for that? There’s always some place to be, somewhere to go, something that needs to be accomplished and checked off the to do list. It’s not bad to have goals and the drive to accomplish, but do we get to the finish line with a heart that is jouful and fully present or one that we don’t even know the state of, or is mangled in the making? What that could look like, is random breakdowns, emotions all over the place, very out of touch with the original purpose God has for us, feeling like we’re not hearing from God, or simply getting sick. Chances are, we’ve all been there at any of those points. The truth is, it doesn’t happen overnight, and usually there are warning signals along the way, but if we are too busy to notice, it seems to happen abruptly. We can be so busy doing for God, that we forget to spend time letting Him heal, refresh and renew our hearts. Sometimes we don’t slow down because we’re nervous about what's really going on in our hearts and are anxious about dealing with what could be there, or feel like there’s just not time for it. Green pastures are nice, and still waters are great, but we often pass up the opportunities and invites from God to embrace those places as the better option. 

KNOW

Our hearts are like a snow globe, when we are so busy - it’s like shaking the snow globe, but instead of a sweet little snowfall to admire, it can be a nasty blizzard, and you can’t tell the actual content inside. We need rest and stillness to see what’s really going on - the good, the bad, to hear from God, and what needs to be healed. Snow globes are beautiful when all shook up, but there’s also a beauty of when the contents have settled, and you can fully see the setting that is inside.

Our hearts are also like cars, they need regular maintenance, not just to be taken care of when there’s a random breakdown. Everyone wants to go on road trips and get to where they need to go, but there’s not many of us who will raise our hand saying that we enjoy stopping to get gas, get oil changes, or take our car in to get something worked on. (Maybe some of us like getting a car wash though).

The Lord is our good shepherd, and we, just like sheep, do not always rest easily, needing our good shepherd to lead us into rest. He knows when we need rest, and that stillness is needed in that equation. Self care these days, equates to things like netflix or baking, which isn’t always what our hearts need for refreshment. It might take a load off, but our hearts need rebuilding that only true refreshment and revelation from the Lord can give, that makes lasting change. 

DO

Accept Invitation of Rest, Journal & Pray

One of the best ways to know what is really going on in our hearts, is to accept the invitation from God into stillness. To sit with Him, and observe what is going on in our hearts. Then journaling these things can be very beneficial. While writing, we discover the contents even more in our hearts, and can bring those things to  the Lord in prayer, and receive His truth and healing over it. Also inviting other sisters in Christ to join you in prayer is huge (Matthew 18:20)!

Be Aware of What’s Allowed in Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

The people, music, messages that we are exposed to, go right into our heart and influence us. If we’re not filling our hearts with the word of God or truth, something else that will negatively affect us, and is going to take its place. 

Go by the Truth, not Feelings

John 14:1 says “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

God doesn’t want to leave us hopeless in our mess if our hearts are troubled. He doesn’t want us to ignore a less than stellar state of our hearts either. A step in the right direction of a well-rested heart is believing that Jesus IS the son of God, and DOES want us to live in victory and empower us to move forward with healthy and joyful hearts. He went to the cross, not just for our salvation, but also that we might be healed in spirit, soul, and body.