Just 23 days until launch!

I am so excited to start this next chapter in my life, but I want to take a moment to recognize all that God has done in me. 

Every year, my church takes the seniors on a trip, and it was finally my turn! My youth pastor had been hyping it up since I joined student ministry sophomore year, so I was very excited. Somehow, the trip managed to blow my expectations out of the water. It was even better than I could have imagined!

Every day was a new adventure, and I got to make so many unforgettable memories with some of the people closest to me. More than that, I was able to slow down with God, reflect on all He had done in my life, and consider the trajectory God has over my future.

While we were on this trip, I gave a devotional to answer the question: How did you find your identity in Jesus? 

My walk with God is far from perfect, but I recognized three things …

1. Knowing who God is > feeling God.

Who is God? 

If God was standing before you what would you see? 

Do you see a Father who is filled with anger? Do you see someone who is distant or disappointed because of the mistakes you’ve made? Or maybe you don’t see anything at all. 

We have always had this image of God, but is it true? God actually tells us who he is in Exodus. It says in verses 34: 6-7,

“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
    I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
    even children in the third and fourth generations.”

And Psalm 34:18 also says, “The Lord is close to people whose hearts are broken and saves those who are crushed in spirit”

God isn’t a God of hatred. He knows that you are completely messed up, yet he loves you more than you can even understand.

I realized the only thing keeping my faith going has been my knowledge of God. It would be amazing if I could feel God’s love all of the time, but that will never be realistic. If I am being honest, I probably only feel God 15% of the time, or maybe just 10%.

Feeling distant from God doesn’t have to mean your relationship with Him is over. Instead, choose to lean on God’s character when you feels distant from Him. It won’t be easy to obey God, but remember who he is, and know that He will bless you as your faith continues to be strengthened.

1. Faith grows when you live it out.

James 1:22 says, ”But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” 

And James 2:14-17 says,“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

We can spend so much time learning about God, listening to sermons, going to church, and reading the Bible, but if we never put what we learn into practice, our faith won’t grow. 

It's like sports … you can learn every logistic within sports, but you won’t actually get better until you step on the field to practice. In the same way, our faith grows when we actually trust God, obey Him, and serve others.

But here’s the encouraging part: you don’t have to have perfect faith to start living it out. Every small step of obedience gives your faith a chance to grow. When you choose to trust God, serve someone, pray, forgive, or do what you know is right, you are putting your faith into action. So don’t wait until you feel like your faith is strong enough—start living it out now, and let God grow it along the way.

1. Recognize that hardship is a blessing.

Romans 5:3 is my favorite verse because it says, 

“We, too, can rejoice during problems and trials for we know that they will help us develop endurance”

And over the past few years I have been so fortunate to have radically grown in my faith, but I would be lying if I said it was easy. It has been so hard. God put me in the hardest, most numbing, and draining seasons of my life … but it was only then that I truly realized that God is truly all that I need. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 also says,  

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Suffering not only gives us an opportunity to rely on God, but also to magnify His love. When we are forced to fully depend on Him, we create space for God to work deeply in our hearts.

At the end of the day, faith isn't black or white. It is a representation of your heart and your relationship with God.

When you don’t feel close to God, will you choose to trust who He is?”