You may be asking yourself, “How do the battles we face on this earth draw us closer to God?” Jeremiah 1:19 states, “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, says the Lord” (NIV). So, if you are facing a battle in your life, let me suggest three ways to draw closer to God. 

To be good enough to earn God’s steadfastness, I must surrender my efforts at being good enough. I must confess perfection is unattainable, accessing God's favor by being human, enduring an incurable, enfeebling disorder. 

Have we been desensitized to sin to the point where we no longer mourn it? We don’t like to sit in the awful, but sometimes that is just what we need. We are not meant to constantly dwell there, otherwise that would be utter hopelessness. However, getting to that place is a work of God in us, with the aim to then fix our eyes toward Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Some days, my prayer might be as I hold my daughter and rock back and forth as she fights her nap. Other days, it might be a full 30 minutes of prayer time before Ceci wakes up for the day. But the important part is that I do the best that I can to bring myself and others closer to the Lord, regardless of how that looks. 

It was during this time though that God began developing in me a habit of praying while awake at night. I found it easier to switch my focus from the pain if I prayed for others and the Psalms were my go to for comfort and soothing my soul. I found David’s words pouring out his heart to God to be a relief – it was ok for me to share my heart with God too. 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” It’s ok to tell God how you feel – He already knows what is in your heart.

Trust. It builds with an outstretched hand of a friend, the calming voice of a caretaker, and you setting your sights on a goal and achieving it. It takes time to build, yet be shattered in moments.

How do we experience the freedom and the hope of the resurrection in a world that is so overrun by injustice? How do we trust in the completion of justice by Christ on the cross while we walk through the brokenness of the world? How is there a God to whom we declare, Holy, Holy, Holy while facing the depth of our own pain? This Easter season, I have been reflecting on the justice of God, and how a God marked by perfect justice is the only one that allows the resurrection to make sense. 

We need to also know that it can be dangerous to over-value our feelings. One of the best nuggets of wisdom I’ve been told is that feelings are not fact. Without going into all of the science behind our emotions, our emotions are a physical reaction (in our head) to what’s happening in life. We have some control at the helm of our emotions, but many times they’re derived out of our past experiences - or even our genetic make-up. Sometimes, our feelings speak lies to us. Our reaction to a situation is, exactly that, a reaction - not reality.

This is such a powerful story that shows the strength that comes from faith. I know for me, being in that moment, it would be SO difficult to say, “I'm willing to lay down my life for Jesus.”

Do you know how big a mustard seed is? It’s usually about 1 to 2 millimeters or 0.039 to 0.079 inches in diameter. That’s tiny. It’s also the smallest seed that can be planted in the ground. Like other seeds, the mustard seed has two options: Grow or die. Jesus said that even faith itty bitty like a mustard seed can do the impossible – that’s because that faith is rooted in Jesus.

There are seasons in life when I’ve desperately needed to hear from God and seasons where I’ve wanted to make my own decisions. Factor in all the responsibilities of the day and the need for rest, and you’ll also find seasons where my bible would sit on my nightstand without as much as a glance upon it.

I didn’t know what I was worth until I stopped trying to find worth in everything that couldn’t give it to me. God, in his  kindness, had me trade in cheap worth for the confidence of having an identity firmly planted in him. No matter what I  feel, that can’t change.  

We all fall short of this at times, but we have to do all we can to live for eternity rather than for the world. Things of this world can appear to be good, making us want more and think we need more. However, when we take a look at what the world is offering, we realize it will never fulfill us.

At the start of our recovery journey, we read the book “You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are” by Rebekah Lyons. One of our favorite quotes in this book is “when we become enslaved to anything, we miss out on a life of surrender and peace.”

Never in my mind was waiting, an active thing. This is where the Lord opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. I was spending some time in prayer on this idea of waiting and out of nowhere I saw a picture of an actual waiter. He was holding pen and paper and asking his guest what he could do for them. 

Have you ever walked through a valley so dark, so long, and so silent that you’ve ended up doubting if the sun exists anymore? I have. For 15 years I lived through a season of being completely hidden. Invisible, passed over, and forgotten. I was there, but not really there. I was physically in the room, but not really present. I was screaming, but not heard. Can you relate?

Anxiety is real, and that is no secret. An online study said that almost 70% of college-aged females discussed feeling overwhelmed with anxious thoughts. I know I am not alone when I say that I was under the false assumption that because I knew Jesus set me free, my mind would automatically align with that truth. This only led me to then bury any stress I had in order to fit the mold of what I thought a redeemed Christian ought to look like.

David's obedience in his present placement prepared him to fight the battle he didn't even see. David went into this unknown battle with the confidence of his victory before it even started because of his security in the Lord.

This verse from the beatitudes has really stuck out to me lately. How can I be bold, but also a peacemaker? Is there a balance between the two? These are questions I asked myself while unpacking the message of the verse and the name of the ministry: “Boldly Seeking.” 

That’s it. That is the eternal perspective. The story of the Gospel is the story of eternity, and we as Christians are to live a life in light of these truths. We know where it started, and we know where it’s going.