“In this world you will encounter difficulty . . .” (John 16:33b). You can't avoid pain in this life. But hope can keep it from controlling how you live. Hope isn’t a naïve wish for better circumstances. Hope is your confident awareness of God’s unceasing grace, wisdom, and resources to deal with them. Hope isn't …
Today
Today, you're not going to fall into the black hole of obsessing over what might go wrong. Instead, you’re going to bring your heart, mind, and all your circumstances inside God’s peace. You're going to walk through this day purposefully with him, growing in joy, confidence, and your ability to hear him as you go. …
Greater Grace
Stop for a moment, and take a deep breath. Even if today isn't a particularly difficult one, take a breath anyway, and remind yourself that though the circumstances you’re facing are real, the grace God provides for you to deal with them is infinitely greater. You get to overcome worry with peace, pain with joy, …
Child of Hope
United with love and faith, hope is one of the the three things 1 Corinthians 13 says remain with us forever. Yet we rarely access this foundational part of God's nature; we’re so accustomed to the negativity and cynicism around us, we let them become mindsets. Hope is seen as childish naiveté. But maybe that's …
Treetop View
When something difficult happens, or you lose something important, God doesn't expect you to ignore the disappointment and push the pain down with a religious smile painted on your face. For whatever may be going on, it's a process that's deeper and more complex than just taking clinical steps from denial to acceptance. It's a …
Equip Your Spirit 