Pep Talks

"You can do it!"

"I believe in you."

"You are stronger than what you think you are."

Who doesn't need a good pep talk every once in awhile?!

I'm not going to lie. Life is really hard sometimes. It's grand, but hard. Sometimes, I feel like my soul just needs a pep talk. 

It's so easy to get in the groove of life and become complacent. Suddenly, an issue arises out of nowhere and you feel like your spun off into orbit, unable to tell what just happened or where you are headed. Your flung out from your comfortable cocoon of routine and left to figure the rest out. 

Normally when this happens, a lot of doubt likes to creep in. It may start off small, but soon, you are largely overwhelmed with the circumstances. The world that once seemed so endless and perfect is suddenly transformed into the darkest enemy you have every faced. Life, as you knew it, was ripped from you, and you are left with the shreds of a once happy, safe life.

Doubt, along with his friends, Fear and Anxiety decide to call you a visit. These dreaded foes visit everyone at some point in their life. They brings questions. They bring arrows... arrows that are pointed directly at your Faith shield.

There have been times where I felt like my world had been turned upside-down and I felt like I was grappling for any security I can find. Do you know the place I always found it? In God.

I think God has to get us to the point where we feel uncomfortable in order for us to appreciate His peace. We learn to rely on Him, rather than our own human capabilities. We start to use the Faith shield more than we ever knew we could.

God wants us to have faith--even when our lives look nothing like we wanted them to be. Faith is more than just knowing God can do something, it's believing. Believing what? You might ask. Believing that He brought you to this trial and He can bring you out. Believing that He has a purpose for the pain. Believing that He is everything you will ever need. Believing in His love.

My world may be shattered, but one thing will always, always remain: God. Because of God, my faith can take hold.

I mentioned a "pep talk" earlier. This is my pep talk. With God, anything is possible. Storms can be calmed, lions mouth's shut, bread multiplied to feed a multitude. With God, faith can be more than just a concept, it can be a reality. Hope can be restored. With God, you can be more than a conqueror and not only know, but rest, fully assured that His big hands are securely holding you.

Calmly rest in Jesus, my friends! Your world may be falling apart, but it's all falling into God's hands just where He wanted it to land.