My faith isn't the idea that I am more moral than anyone else. My faith is in the idea that God and His love are greater than whatever sins any of us commit.

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (KJV)

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things." (ERV)

Galatians 5:22-23, " But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." (The Message) 


Goodness.

Goodness is described as, "moral excellence; virtue, the best part of anything, essence, strength." 

The best part of anything. Moral excellence. Virtuous.

Now, the first thing I want to say is this: God isn't calling us to perfection. That is unattainable as a human being. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to lack patience some days. We are going to get scared. We are going to be angry. We aren't going to make the best decisions some days.

Rich Mullins once stated, "I would rather live on the verge of falling and let my security be in the sufficiency of the Grace of God than to live in some kind of pietistic [devout fulfillment of religious obligations] illusion of moral excellence. My faith isn't the idea that I am more moral than anyone else. My faith is in the idea that God and His love are greater than whatever sins any of us commit."

God isn't calling us to perfection.
He isn't calling us to religious obligations that do not change us from the inside out.
He's calling us to purpose- living every moment with purpose, speaking every word with purpose. 

True Goodness.

God doesn't want an act. He doesn't want us pretending. He would rather see someone trying and failing when it comes to moral excellence than to see someone acting in public, and deceiving behind closed doors.

In the New Testament,  the authors write about the Scribes and Pharisees. These were individuals Jesus asked us not to pattern our lives after.

In Matthew 23, Matthew writes, "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men:"

All their works they do to be seen of men.

God called us to be good- have moral excellence- be virtuous- be the best part, best version of ourselves. But He called us to do this behind closed doors as well as in public. This is true goodness. This is true character.

Character vs. Reputation. You CAN Change.

I'll be honest with you here.

I haven't had the best character. I haven't chosen moral excellence. And I mostly definitely probably haven't had the best reputation.

Thankfully, Jesus can fix my character and my morals-- through His Spirit.

AJ Perez stated, "I'll take character over reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." 

If we work on our character-- over time, reputation will follow.

"Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you." 
"The things you say about others says a lot about you."
"No matter how educated, rich, talented, or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. Integrity [and character] are everything."

Our first responsibility is working on our character- at home and with others.

I've probably damaged my character more times than I can count which has in turn damaged my reputation. Fixing both takes work. Sometimes fixing your character will not fix your reputation immediately- but keep working at it. God will honor that.

Godly Character.

Matthew 23:25-26 states, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."

The inside- your soul, your spirit- we must get that cleaned first. The rest will follow. 

The Pharisees only worried about their outside appearance. How they looked to others. How they appeared to those that mattered. They didn't care that inside they were still dirty and full of extortion. God doesn't care how cleaned up you look on the outside if you are still dirty on the inside.

He longs for us to have His character.

Generous, light-hearted, wise, trustworthy, dependent on God, honest, patient, modest, truthful, confident, loving, compassionate. 

And if you think you are too far gone for Him to ever help you change your ways, I promise..... you aren't.

Natalie Grant wrote a beautiful song called 'Clean' and I listen to it at least once a day to remind me (and to hush the devil when he tells me I've done too much to ever be used by God)..

"I see shattered
You see whole
I see broken
But You see beautiful
And You're helping me to believe
You're restoring me piece by piece

There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean
There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean

You're never too far gone for Him to pull you back and help you heal your soul. Trust me, if He can have mercy on me-- He can do it for anyone. He can help you change your character-- change your ways. He can heal your past. He can mend the wounds. He can do it all... if you let Him.

It doesn't matter what people speak of you right now-- He can fix it.

It doesn't matter what you have done in your past--- He can heal it.

It doesn't matter how far you've gone-- He can call you back.

He is calling you to a life of goodness. 

A life of purpose.

We just have to answer that call. 

We show that we are God’s servants by our kindness

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (KJV)

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things." (ERV)

Galatians 5:22-23, " But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." (The Message) 


Gentleness.

According to the dictionary, 'gentle' is described as, "kindly; amiable; to calm; to pacify; to soothe."

Having a gentle spirit is something we should all be yearning for. Kindness. A sense of peace us. Since God started changing my heart- one thing He has been impressing on my heart is to be a woman of kindness, a woman of peace, a woman of grace.

I want to be that person individuals feel at rest around. I want to speak kindly. Talk gently. React with love.

Becoming Like Christ.

Psalms 18:35 - "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great." 

2 Samuel 22:36 - "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great." 

Nehemiah 9:17- "And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not." 

Psalms 117:2- "For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."

Isaiah 54:8- "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."

God Almighty shows us kindness every single day. His Word proves it for us. His gentleness (kindness) has made us great. He is a God ready to pardon, slow to anger, of great kindness. His merciful kindness is great towards us. With everlasting kindness, He has mercy on us.

And according to 1 John 2:6, "Anyone who says, “I live in intimacy with Him,” should walk the path Jesus walked." We are called to be like Him. And if He poured out kindness every single day, we should be doing the same thing. 

In A World Where You Can Be Anything- Be Kind.

I'm sure everyone has heard the quote, "Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about." I have been trying to keep this quote at the forefront of my mind the past few weeks.

The people you meet every day- you have no idea what is going on behind the scenes of their lives. 

The other day, I ran in to someone at the store. I didn't know the person, but they were very short tempered. One of my children kept messing with things in the check out and she instantly snapped at him. Now, the old me-- the me a few months ago- would have instantly judged her as soon as I got to the car. I probably would have picked up my phone, called my husband, started complaining, possibly calling her a few names. 

BUT.

In that moment, God started changing my spirit. (He's been doing that a lot lately! And He has been allowing me to see the hurtful, bitter, spiteful spirit I once had.) 

I wanted to complain. I wanted to get it off of my chest. I wanted to be judgmental. I knew it would make be feel better-- justified.

Trust me, I WANTED to do that. 

BUT.

God spoke to me. I've been asking Him to put His hand over my mouth and guard my words before I speak them because I have a terrible time at keeping my mouth shut! And it was like He was standing next to me-- working on my heart-- and saying, "Alyssa, do you know what she went through today? Do you know how broken she is inside? Do you understand what is taking place in her life-- all the hurt that she has to try and push aside to come in here and work?" And I started looking at this lady standing there-- and my heart started to ache. How many times do I pass judgment on someone for their actions without knowing what is going on at home? Without knowing what situation they are facing? 

He called us to be kind. 

Now, I'm not justifying people's actions. Please do not get me wrong. We are ALL called to be kind. BUT. When someone is unkind, they may just be facing a situation that seems impossible and this is their way of having control over one small situation in their lives. They may not be handling how we think they should, but- instead of lashing out, calling names, being bitter... we need to be loving and a little extra kind.

Instead of being angry, God called me to pray for her. So, the entire drive home, the kids and I prayed for this woman. We prayed that God would heal her situation at home, that He would heal her heart, that He would heal the pain of anything that has hurt her. 

I know I've been posting a lot of situations where God has been changing my heart lately. Please do not think that I somehow think I'm better than others because I reacted this way in a situation where it would have been easy to lash out and speak my mind. I'm not perfect-- just trying to hear His voice and change the person I HAVE been. I've been the gossiper. I've been the complainer. I've been the name caller. I've been the angry spirit. I've been the judgmental woman. I've been the grudge holder. I've been the eye roller. I've been bitter.

I'm just trying to hear His voice... and have a gentle spirit. I'm begging for it.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 6, Paul writes:

"We don’t want people to find anything wrong with our work. So we do nothing that will be a problem to others. But in every way we show that we are servants of God. We never give up, even though we face troubles, difficulties, and problems of every kind. We are beaten and thrown into prison. People get upset at us and fight against us. We work hard, and sometimes we get no sleep or food. We show that we are God’s servants by our pure lives, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. We show it by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. This right way of living has prepared us to defend ourselves against every kind of attack." 

What are we showing others today?

Our Calling.

"You are never too important to be nice to people."
"Be the reason someone smiles today."
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others... and if you cannot help them, at least don't hurt them."
"When you have a bad day, a really bad day, try and treat the world a little better than it treated you." [Patrick Stump]
"Be kind to unkind people. They need it most."

All of these sum up our calling. Write these on note cards, post them around your house, in your car.. whatever it takes to remind yourself that the world needs less judgment, less self-righteousness... and a lot more kindness, gentleness, and love.

Think about how you could affect someone.. change their day.. with a gentle spirit. A spirit that is not fueled by what happened to you that day, but by your genuine happiness.

Let us pray today that God will give us a gentle spirit. That He will let kindness pour out of us. Jesus, I pray that You change our spirits today. I pray that You will give us unspeakable joy that will give us overwhelming kindness. We cannot be kind to others if we are not being kind to ourselves. Help us to love who we are... find what makes us happy... trust in You in all situations.. rest in You regardless of the circumstances.. and help us to be kind to everyone that we meet. Help us to love like You love. Help us to show mercy like you show mercy. We love You, Jesus.

Patience breeds self-control. And self-control breeds peace. It all works together for our good.

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (KJV)

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things." (ERV)

Galatians 5:22-23, " But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." (The Message) 



Longsuffering

According to the dictionary, 'longsuffering' is described as, "long, and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation (something that instigates, angers, or irritates)."  Longsuffering is patience, in all circumstances. 

St. Augustine once stated, "Patience is the companion of wisdom".... and wisdom was mentioned in the Word of God 222 times (which I like to think is a sign from God that it is pretty important!) 

Proverbs 3:13- "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding."

Proverbs 4:7- "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." 

Proverbs 8:11- "For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."

Proverbs 16:16- "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!"

And if wisdom is a companion of patience, I like to think:

Happy is the man (or woman!) that findeth patience...
Patience is (one of the) principal things! Therefore get patience...
For patience is far better than rubies...
How much better it is to get patience than gold...

Wisdom and patience go hand in hand. With wisdom, we can understand WHY we need patience and the GOOD it does to our soul.

Why Do We Need Patience?

Some might question the importance of patience. I know I did. How does this benefit or hurt my soul? I could understand love. A lack of love can lead to a bitter person. I could understand peace. A lack of peace can lead to a life of a fear which is not of God. But patience? What could a lack of patience possibly yield?

It didn't seem like I was going to face eternal effects from not finding this Fruit of the Spirit and applying it to my life.

So, I started studying the Word of God. Lord, if You want me to apply this to my life, please show me the worth. Let my journey not be in vain. This was my prayer.

And He opened my eyes to what a world without patience would look like and how damaging it can be to our souls. 

1- God was longsuffering-- and we are called to be like Him.

Exodus 34:6- "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,...."

Numbers 14:18- "The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation."

Romans 2:4- "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

2 Peter 3:9- "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

He is patient with us. He is patient with our circumstances. He is patient with our running from Him. 

Think of it like this- God Almighty is our Father. He watches our decisions, our actions. There are moments when we start messing up, making mistakes, disappointing Him. I've been there, trust me. I know I've broken His heart. Shattered it. BUT, He didn't fly off the handle and punish me. He didn't break me down with terrible words. He was patient with me. He allowed consequences to affect my life for my decisions-- and He was there to pick me back up when I realized the error of my ways. He was patient. How many times do I start screaming at my children immediately when they disappoint or upset me? How many times do I lose my patience within the first 5 seconds of their bad decisions? 

God Almighty is patient. He is patient with us. We need to be patient with our children and loved ones too. We have to remember that people are not perfect-- and neither are we. But God has still called us to be longsuffering, merciful, and loving towards them.

2- The 'elect of God' are called to have 'longsuffering'

Colossians 3:12- "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.."

Ephesians 4:1-2- "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"

1 Timothy 6:11- "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,  meekness."

We are called to be patient.

When I think of patience, I think of our souls having peace and rest. Our souls are able to be still, regardless of the circumstances. God desires for that rest and peace to be in our souls. He longs for us to be an example for others. 

3- Those That Lack Patience Are Near-Sighted

2 Peter 1:9- But he that lacketh these things [faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity] is blind [nearsighted], and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. (KJV)

Without patience (and all of that other good stuff) we begin to lose sight of what is ahead. We get wrapped up in the moment as opposed to seeing the bigger picture.

Being stuck in traffic- all we can think is 'Great! I'm stuck! I'm going to be late!!!!!!!"

We don't think, "Someone might be injured in that accident up ahead." "Thank You Jesus for possibly protecting me from something that I cannot see."

If you haven't seen 'The Shack', go! It is amazing and WILL change your life. In the movie, God begins talking to Mack about his situation and God says, 'Mack, you're trying to judge your entire situation based off of a small amount of details. It's like trying to see your pain through a knothole.' You can only see so much. That is our lives with Jesus Christ. When we are stuck in traffic, when the grocery store is taking too long, when we are waiting at the doctor-- all of that is working together for the bigger picture. The bigger picture we cannot see.

When we lack patience, we are near-sighted. We cannot see what is ahead. And we lack trust in the God who can.

4- The Lack of Patience Breeds Anger.

When troubles come, human nature is to develop a bad attitude towards them. Our first instinct is to complain, be miserable, pitch a fit, scream... whatever it takes to get that irritation and frustration out.

Think about the last time you lost your patience. How did your spirit feel? Did you feel angry? Bitter? Mad? Judgmental? Did you have a bad day after you lost your patience? 

I know personally, when I lose my patience-- It is hard for me to fix my spirit after that! Once I get grumpy-- once I get miserable- once I get in to a complaining zone.... I'm there. It takes a lot of prayer... a lot of music... a lot of trying to get back to a peaceful spirit.

And that is so unfair to us.

Why do we let one circumstance change our soul? Being angry in the moment doesn't fix anything. It only causes us to lose more than we bargained for.

"A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves you a hundred moments of regret."

"Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time." [Jon Kabat-Zinn]

When we practice restraint. When we practice being still, regardless of what is going on around us, we are practicing wisdom and we are learning how to keep our spirit from falling in to darkness. 

Do you remember a time you practice patience in a situation? It might not have felt great at the time- you might not have understood it- you might have thought you deserved a different situation-- but look at your soul after you were patient. You had zero regrets. You had zero 'I wish I would haven't said that' moments. 

Regret has no place in our lives. It is another thief of peace. Patience can help that!

5- Tribulations Bring Patience. Be Thankful for Them.

Romans 5:3-5: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

James 1:2-4: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

James 5:11: "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

Trials, hard times-- all of them breed patience.... IF WE LET THEM.

Sure, we can get mad. We can get angry. We can get bitter. BUT- how does anger or bitterness change this situation?

They don't.

Of course, happiness and gratefulness do not change them either, BUT-- your soul feels a lot better when you choose them over anger! 

If we have to go through hard times, we have to go through them. God didn't promise us an easy journey. He just promised to be with us during the hard times. But why be miserable the entire journey? Why let it destroy our hearts and souls? Why make the situation even more difficult for us?

We need to realize that hard times come and go- but learning patience can give us eternal rewards. Patience can make the hard times easier because we aren't sulking, we aren't wallowing in our own self-pity. 

Patience breeds self-control. And self-control breeds peace.

It all works together for our good.

6- Patience Will Save Your Lives

Luke 21:19 says, "By standing firm [being patient] you will save your lives." (CJB)

By being patient, you will ENJOY your life. You won't be so caught up in that miserable, complaining spirit that you will be able to enjoy the moment. By being patient, you can ADD life. Your blood pressure won't be skyrocketing. You won't have to take deep breaths. You won't be stressed out. By being patient, you will BRING peace into your life! You will be able to rest in whatever situation you find yourself because you trust God (not your circumstances) to get you through.

Patience is not just something we can have or not have. It is something we NEED. It is healthy for our souls, healthy for our lives, and healthy for those around us. 

God, please help us have patience with our children, with our spouses, with our family members, and with our friends. Help us to understand that no one is perfect, even us. Help us to recognize how patient You are with us and help us to understand we need to exercise that patience with those around us. Please help us to be patient in uncomfortable and difficult circumstances. When we have to wait in traffic, when the line is long at the check out, when we are waiting for someone. Help us to realize how much damage we do to our souls when we complain. Anger kills our spirits. Wash us clean from it, Jesus. Help us to rest in You, regardless of the situation. Thank You for everything You do for us! In Your name, Amen.

What Consumes Your Mind, Controls Your Life.

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (KJV)

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things." (ERV)

Galatians 5:22-23, " But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." (The Message) 



Peace

Peace is described as "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession, etc. ; tranquility, serenity."

I know I tell my story quite often, but peace was one of the fruits of the spirit that seemed too far away for me. Anxiety stole it a long time ago. Patience, sure. I had that. I HAD to have that. I wasn't getting any better-- but I kept waiting for Him to help me. LOVE, sure. I had that. Love was all I seemed to have. Unconditional love from the people that cared for me and wanted to see me get better. But peace.... peace seemed unattainable.

I had settled in to that life. A life of playing games on my phone, watching TV til 2.. 3 in the morning because laying in bed meant thinking about anxiety. I did anything to keep my mind off of it. I lost sleep. I lost sobriety. I nearly lost my family... trying to fill that lack of peace with anything I could find.

Peace was the one fruit of the spirit that I promised myself I would WORK for because I wanted so bad.

How many of you out there are struggling to find peace today?

I promise you aren't alone.

How many of you lay in bed at night worrying? How many of you are sick day in and day out because of fear? How many of you don't do certain things because of fear? How many of you feel like you are trapped in a cage? How many you feel like you can barely breathe some days?

I've been there.
Some days I still am.

It's a battle.
But thankfully, NOW...I'm not fighting alone.

Battlefield of the Mind

One thing I have learned about peace is a lot of times it is all in your mind. The battling, the fighting... we do most of it mentally and spiritually. 

I heard a quote once on this journey that said, "Worrying is worshipping the problem." And I can't think of a quote that fits anxiety more perfectly. Worrying is taking our eyes off of WHO is with us... we are strictly focusing on WHAT is going on. 

A great Psalm to read... memorize.. post beside your bed... record on your phone... is Psalms 4. In my Bible, it is described as "Thoughts in the Night." It got me through some pretty lonely, lost, broken evenings.

I wish I could allow you to see the person I was at night for so long. The feelings. The emotions. The hurt. The confusion. The destruction. 

I remember reading these verses over and over and over again. Screaming. Pleading. Crying.

God, you showed that I was innocent.
You gave me relief from all my troubles.
So listen to me now when I call to you for help.
Be kind to me and hear my prayer.
Men, how long will you try to dishonor me?
Do you enjoy wasting your time searching for new lies against me? Selah.
You can be sure that anyone who serves the Lord faithfully is special to Him.
The Lord listens when I pray to Him.
Tremble with fear and stop sinning.
Think about this when you go to bed and calm down. Selah.
Give the right sacrifices to the Lord
and put your trust in Him!
Many people say, "I wish I could enjoy the good life.
Lord give us some of those blessings!"
But You have made me happier than they will ever be with all their wine and grain.
When I go to bed, I sleep in peace.
Because, Lord, You keep me safe.

When I go to bed, I sleep in peace. 

I said this verse over and over again.
I claimed it over my life...


Overcoming Anxiety

... and finally, I sleep in peace.

I sleep without having to be 'buzzing' before bed.
I sleep without having to play games on my phone until I can't keep my eyes open.
I sleep without crying myself to sleep.
I sleep without wondering if I can keep doing this night after night.
I sleep without feeling like I'm going to vomit all night from stress.
I sleep without fear of dying in my sleep.



I can sleep.
I can breathe.
I can relax.
I can rest.

All by the grace of God.

I wish I had a way to reach every single person out there suffering from a lack of peace. I wish I could wrap my arms around all of you and tell you it gets better. Promise you that God cares and wants to heal the pain. 

I wish I had answers as to why it seems like it takes forever. I wish I had answers as to why some days, it feels like He isn't listening.

All I can say is: HE IS.

He cares and He loves you and He hates to see you suffering. He hates to see you depressed. He hates to see you sad. He hates to see you lost.


But He Needs Your Help

One thing God has talked to me about concerning my battle with fear and my desire for peace is this:

I NEED YOUR HELP.

He can try His hardest to push aside my anxiety and fill my soul with peace BUT 

if I have all of this gunk in my soul and heart... where is there room for peace?
if I am constantly filling my mind with negative thoughts.. where is there room for peace?
if I am constantly putting things in front of my eyes that is not of God... where is there room for peace?

"You create your own calm."

Through your thoughts. Through your actions. 

We must subject all of them to Jesus.

And when we start cleaning out our hearts... He can start filling it up with the GOOD things like love, joy, peace, patience, humbleness.

Speak Peace into Existence

Psalms 61:2- " From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Isaiah 26:3- "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Romans 15:13- "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

Psalms 91:11- "He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go."

Philippians 4:6-7- "Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds."

One thing I have to come to realize on this journey is this:

The Word of God is a healer. It can pierce through the darkness in to places we cannot. It is the written words of Jesus Christ filled with power and authority. 

Speaking it in to the air is what we must do.

Ephesians 2:2 says, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

Satan is often described as the prince of the power of the air.

As we speak the word of God out loud, we cut through the air--- with the words of the Almighty. 

You Can Do This. I Promise.

I know it might seem like peace is a million miles away right now, but you can do this. I promise.

"Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be you." 

You will grow in peace.
You will grow in the Word.
You will grow in strength.
You will grow in God.

Today, subject your thoughts to Jesus. Think about pure things, good things, true things. Ask God to remove every doubt, every fear. Pray without ceasing. Whatever it takes to fill your mind with Him-- do it. Set your radio to the Christian station. Play the Bible on CD. We must be proactive and put feet on our faith. He can't move the good things if we are still holding on to what is not like Him.

Next, speak the Word of God out loud. Find every single verse you can that talks about peace and letting go of worries.. write them on index cards.. hang them in your room... record them.. Speak them into existence, consistently.

And finally, rest in Him. Trust Him. I know it seems like He isn't listening, but as we continue to clean out our souls, He will be able to push through easier. I had to find that out the hard way. I had so much nasty stuff in my heart. It was awful. As He started purging me, He started filling it with His goodness, His peace, His grace.

"What consumes your mind, controls your life."

Lord, consume our mind today, so that You can control our lives. We give it all over to You today. Help us to subject every thought, every action to Your Word. Help us to think about YOU. Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy. When we are scared, turn our thoughts to 'Who can I bless today?' 'Who can I talk to about Your goodness???' Change our thoughts to thoughts of YOU today, Lord. We pray over our minds, hearts, and spirits. Create in us a clean heart today. Get rid of the darkness, so Your light can shine through. Help us to have a spirit of peace. We love You today. In Jesus name, Amen.