Christian Concepts

Bringing your Potential to Light

Identity

Trusting God After Buying Deception

Trusting God After Buying Deception

by Leave a Comment

Reading time: 4 minutes

How grace rebuilds your trust after a costly compromise. The road to recovery can be long, but it’s worth the effort.

Deception Erodes Trust

Recently, I missed a meeting—just a scheduling mistake. With time to spare, I wandered past a bookstore and felt the tug to step inside. I wasn’t looking for anything, just passing time. Ten minutes later, I walked out with three books I hadn’t planned to buy. They were on sale, and two were Christian titles. That makes it okay… right?

There was no pressure. No clever pitch. Just quiet curiosity. But later I realized: this is how deception often works.

If Satan were a salesman, he wouldn’t lead with blatant evil. He’d offer something good, cloaked in logic that feels reasonable. “Books are for learning. Surely God doesn’t want you to stay ignorant?”

The deceiver doesn’t shove. He suggests. He rebrands desire as wisdom, indulgence as growth. He offers reasons that feel noble while eroding trust. And it’s not really about books—it’s about how innocent decisions can quietly plant seeds of doubt.

Satan’s Whisper Erodes Trust

Satan doesn’t announce his lies—he murmurs them. He doesn’t need control—just enough permission to shift your gaze.

In Eden, he didn’t accuse—he suggested. He framed God as withholding, twisting truth just enough to create suspicion. That whisper hasn’t changed. It still echoes:

  • You deserve more.
  • God hasn’t been fair.
  • Why would a good God allow this?

Sometimes it hides behind self-doubt: I’m not enough. God must be disappointed.
Sometimes it rides on unhealed hunger: I need more success. More control. Just one more click, one more step to feel secure.

Every whisper shares one root: God is not perfectly good.

The All-or-Nothing Nature of Trust

God doesn’t ask us to trust Him halfway. Either He’s completely good, or He’s not trustworthy at all. A God with even a trace of darkness would no longer be safe. If He could change, lie, or withhold without purpose, then what hope remains?

The deceiver doesn’t need to unravel our theology in one stroke. He just has to convince us that God is slightly less than perfect—just enough for fear, suspicion, and control to creep in.

Once you entertain the idea that God may not be fully good, your foundations start to crumble. Doubt spreads. Security fades. You begin to search for goodness elsewhere—in performance, people, possessions.

This is why trusting God’s character is not abstract theology—it’s daily survival.

Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
    Psalm 9:10 NIV

Healing the Trust Deficit

If you’re struggling to believe that God is good, you may be experiencing a positive experience deficit—a soul-level hunger for reassurance that God hasn’t abandoned you. And that deficit can’t be ignored or stuffed down with more information. It needs healing.

Ask God to show you His goodness again—not in grand gestures, but in the small kindnesses you’re tempted to overlook. A timely word from a friend. A moment of peace in your day. A Scripture that pierces through your fog.

Even a glimpse of God’s goodness can rekindle your trust. Because if He’s good in one place, He must be good everywhere. His character is indivisible. And when that goodness begins to live in you—not just as doctrine, but as experience—it reshapes how you see pain, identity, and even failure.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Leaning into Trust

How would your self-image change if you believed—fully and without reservation—that God is perfectly good? What decisions would you make differently? What fears could you lay down?

The deceiver wants you to second-guess God’s heart. But the Spirit invites you to rest in it. You don’t have to earn God’s goodness. You just have to taste it. Let it anchor you. Let it silence the hiss that says, God is holding out on you. He isn’t. He never has.

Overflowing Trust

Trust isn’t just a shelter—it’s a spring. When you’ve tasted God’s goodness in weakness, your confidence shifts from striving to resting. And when trust stops being conditional—based on outcomes, feelings, or performance—it becomes generative. It bears fruit even in drought.

The same Spirit who whispered comfort when you were compromised is now anchoring you in clarity. What once felt fractured is now fertile. What once felt shameful is now sacred—a testimony of grace rebuilding what deception tried to erode. This is the paradox of redemption:

  • The compromise becomes a classroom.
  • The whisper becomes a warning bell.
  • The deficit becomes overflow.

God doesn’t just restore your trust—He refines it. And when you trust His character fully, fear loses its voice.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NIV

Learn more about how to trust God.
Image generated by author using copilot.
Last updated 20250803

Important Not Urgent: How Jesus Prioritizes

Important Not Urgent: How Jesus Prioritizes

by Leave a Comment

Reading time: 4 minutes

In a world where every notification and obligation rings important like a five-alarm fire, stress and burnout come not only from doing too much, but from doing the wrong things. That’s why the Urgent-Important Grid—also known as the Eisenhower Matrix—can be a powerful tool for Christians seeking peace, clarity, and purpose.

This simple four-quadrant system helps sort tasks based on urgency and importance, clarifying what truly needs our attention and what doesn’t. But more than productivity, the grid serves as a guide for spiritual boundaries and stewardship of time, helping us walk more wisely in a world that pulls us in every direction.

Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important – Do It Now

These are the tasks that keep life running—crises, deadlines, and responsibilities we can’t avoid. Work obligations, caring for children, attending to health issues—they’re urgent because delay carries real consequences. And they’re important because they serve foundational roles in our lives.

But living in this quadrant long-term is exhausting. It’s survival mode. When every day feels like triage, it’s a signal that we need to spend more time in Quadrant 2, cultivating the things that prevent emergencies before they arise.

Quadrant 2: Not Urgent and Important – Schedule It

This is the “abundant life” Jesus speaks about—planning, prayer, relationship-building, learning, and investing in long-term goals. Tasks in Q2 rarely demand our attention with urgency, yet they form the deep roots of spiritual, emotional, and relational health.

For believers, this quadrant is where we meditate on Scripture, disciple others, reflect, and grow. It’s the place of calling rather than coping. Spending time here leads to greater peace and clarity, and keeps us from drifting into stress-inducing chaos.

So far, this all sounds like serious work, but what is important but not urgent is also found in all recreation. What reduces stress? What is fun? Playful? Restful? Think of the Sabbath Rest.

Quadrant 3: Urgent and Not Important – Discern: Do or Decline

This is where confusion often creeps in. Tasks in Q3 feel urgent, but they aren’t truly aligned with your purpose. They’re often someone else’s priorities masquerading as emergencies—interruptions, emails, favors, even good things that aren’t your things.

The key here isn’t impulsive delegation but wise discernment. We must ask hard questions: Is this truly mine to handle? Am I responding out of guilt, fear, or a need to please? Will this steal time from something more meaningful?

Sometimes, we may decide to do the task quickly and move on. But often, we’re called to decline respectfully or direct the request elsewhere. This isn’t selfish—it’s stewardship.

Jesus models this beautifully. He didn’t meet every demand or heal every person. He was available but not constantly accessible. He knew when to engage, when to withdraw, and when to say “not now.” God has an intentional plan. He always sticks to His plan. Sometimes this means some potentially good tasks go undone, but only because something more important gets done.

Quadrant 3 is often where boundaries break down and stress multiplies. It’s the testing ground for our spiritual resolve—will we walk wisely or reactively?

That’s why the words of Ephesians 5:15–16 are especially relevant here: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” The apostle Paul calls us to intentional living—not just urgency-driven motion.

Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not Important – Eliminate or Limit

Scrolling, bingeing, endlessly clicking. This quadrant isn’t all bad, but it’s rarely fruitful. These are the habits that soothe but don’t satisfy.

For Christians, this is the realm of distraction. It’s not usually sinful rest, but it can become escapism without purpose. Q4 is a warning to reset—to choose solitude, rest, and presence over noise. What will really nourish your spirit? Find something healthier to do that fits in Q2.

Final Thoughts

Time management is not just tactical—it’s theological. Each quadrant reflects our values, boundaries, and convictions. The Urgent-Important Grid helps us live less reactively and more redemptively. In using it well, we step into a rhythm that reflects the life of Christ: focused, free, and deeply present.

Learn more about play and rest.
More details about the Eisenhower Matrix.
Image created by Matt Pavlik using Co-Pilot AI.

When Joy Feels Elusive And Faith Feels Thin

When Joy Feels Elusive And Faith Feels Thin

by Leave a Comment

Reading time: 3 minutes

Joy can be elusive, especially when you look in the wrong place.

If you’re hungry for strawberries, where do you get them? Strawberries don’t grow on apple trees. So, there’s little point in looking up a tree.

Where does joy come from? It’s a fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

The Gospel is the only true source of joy. Nothing inspires deeper joy than the Spirit revealing the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the believer.

Joy is otherworldly. It’s spiritual. It can be difficult to grasp. It doesn’t always make sense when viewed from an isolated moment. It becomes elusive when you search for it in the narrow circumstances of your life, without the context of the Gospel.

But joy becomes logical when you look beyond the present moment. It flows from a truth greater than any fact of your current situation. Real joy is rooted in the reality of salvation. That’s the only way you can suffer and still be joyful at the same time.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2-3 NIV

Faith Makes Joy Possible

Faith sees beyond the physical to the spiritual reality. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. And where the Spirit is, there is true freedom. Without the Spirit, joy would be impossible.

Joy results from trials because trials reveal the “too good to be true, even though it is true” reality of God’s kingdom. It is always possible because it’s based on the unchanging truth of God’s promises.

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:43 ESV

No matter what is happening to you today, if you are in Christ, then God has prepared a place for you in heaven. But He does not want you to rush there. He has you alive and present for a reason.

While you’re still here, God has a purpose for you. It’s okay to borrow joy from your heavenly future. In fact, that’s the only way to do it. The Spirit makes the heavenly reality known to you today.

Joy in the Middle of the Story

Joy isn’t just for the end of the story—it’s for the middle, too.

We often think joy will come after the resolution: when the diagnosis is reversed, the relationship is restored, the job is secured. But joy, as a fruit of the Spirit, grows in the soil of the present moment—even when that soil feels dry and cracked.

Joy doesn’t require the absence of sorrow. It coexists with it. It’s not a denial of pain but a defiant hope in the midst of it. That’s why Paul could write from prison about rejoicing always (Philippians 4:4). He wasn’t waiting for release to rejoice—he was already free in Christ.

Joy is not the reward for enduring the trial. It’s the companion that walks with you through it.

Enjoy!

Joy is not a reward for good behavior or a prize for spiritual maturity. It’s a gift of the Spirit, available to you now. You don’t have to manufacture it. You don’t have to fake it. You just have to receive it—by contemplating the wonderful Gospel message: Jesus saves people, not by their work, but by His work alone.

So go ahead—enjoy.
Not because life is easy, but because God is good.
Not because everything makes sense, but because His promises are true.
Not because you feel joyful, but because joy is yours in Christ.

Learn more about finding joy.
Photo by Stridsberg Carl form PxHere
Last updated 2025/07/06

Pain Is Your Guide - Finding Jesus In The Ache

Pain Is Your Guide – Finding Jesus In The Ache

by 1 Comment

Reading time: 4 minutes

Too much pain starts to break down a person’s spirit. There goes the ability to manage life with your sanity intact. However, too little pain is also a serious problem in a world where brokenness is always there in one form or another. God uses suffering to create a hunger for spiritual nourishment.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 ESV

You might see another person receiving significant attention and adoration from others. Or someone else is promoted ahead of you. Or maybe your friend is pregnant for the second time while you’ve been trying for years. God seems to be moving in their lives—but in yours, He feels strangely silent.

That’s painful. Let it register as such.

It’s easy to become immobilized by doubt when others seem to bask in God’s favor while you feel overlooked, even invisible to Him. You wonder what you’ve done wrong, or if you’re simply not seen.

But to become unstuck, to start healing, you must first lean into that pain. Fully. Let the heaviness of your heart have its say. Let it whisper truths about your spirit that you’ve been avoiding. If you’re numb to your emotions, you’ll miss the subtle work God may already be doing.

Pain: The Sacred Signal of Hunger

So—how in touch are you with your hunger? What does your soul long for? Is it intimacy, healing, purpose, peace, or kingdom-centered work? All of the above, right? Often, these desires are buried beneath the distractions of life. We silence the ache to keep moving, to keep functioning. Yet that ache is a signal. A holy one.

It’s like The Matrix. You may think you’re awake, but in truth, you’re sleepwalking through spiritual hunger. The real condition of your soul might remain hidden until you’re willing to confront your thirst for something more.

This ache points us to something deeper—something only Jesus can satisfy.

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

John 4:14 ESV

Hunger is terrifying. I know, because I used to try to hide mine all the time. When I’m not doing well, it is easy grasp for anything to distract from the ache inside. But eventually, pain has a way of resurfacing. And every time, I’m shocked by how real it still is.

But now I’ve learned to pay attention to it.

Because pain has a voice.

It speaks from a deep place within. With help from God’s Spirit, it shouts out the truths you need to hear, the ones no one else can tell you. Identifying your suffering doesn’t cause it to fade immediately, but it provides clarity. It offers freedom from ambiguity and self-deception. You begin to see your pain not as a curse, but as a guide to life and health.

The book Hind’s Feet on High Places portrays this so beautifully. In it, Much-Afraid walks a harrowing path filled with discomfort and confusion. And just when it seems unbearable, God calls her deeper into suffering—into surrender. Her journey, though painful, is what shapes her into someone radiant with purpose.

God has a purpose for your pain, too. And we must also remember: God might be using pain in others’ lives, too.

Pain: Don’t Steal it From Others

As a counselor, I’ve learned over the years that people need space to express their pain. People want solutions that stop the pain, but the only way to stop it is to go through it. The real healing often begins when I resist the urge to skip over the hurt and instead gently encourage people to stay connected to their ache.

Leaning into the pain keeps the heart open. It’s in that sacred connection—between person and pain—that Jesus draws near. And when He meets someone in their brokenness, the relief He gives is more spiritually profound than any earthly distraction.

So—how are you doing with connecting to your pain? Have you allowed yourself to feel it fully? And who are you inviting into that sacred space with you? Jesus isn’t afraid of your pain. He meets you in it—with mercy, not judgment.

Learn more about Jesus’s care during suffering.
Image by Joe Murphy from Pixabay
Last Updated June 22, 2025

Trust God When You Struggle To Understand Yourself

Trust God When You Struggle To Understand Yourself

by 1 Comment

Reading time: 5 minutes

Life’s unpredictability makes it challenging to trust God. Have you ever made a decision, only to wonder later why you chose that path? Have you ever felt uncertain about your emotions or actions, as if they were beyond your control? The truth is, no one fully understands themselves—not in the way God does. That’s why we must trust God to guide us through life’s uncertainties.

God created you for His purpose, and He knows everything about you, even the parts you haven’t discovered yet. When you trust God, you step into His greater plan, even when you don’t fully understand yourself. While you may struggle to make sense of your thoughts and choices, God’s wisdom remains unshaken. That is why trusting Him is far greater than trusting your own understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

One reason we often feel uncertain is that human awareness operates on different levels. There are at least four levels of awareness:

  1. Active – What you consciously focus on in the moment.
  2. Accessible – Memories and knowledge you can retrieve easily.
  3. Subconscious – Thoughts and experiences that exist below the surface but can be triggered.
  4. Unknown – Aspects of yourself that only God knows, including the future.

When making choices, you are never completely aware of why you decide as you do. That’s why you must trust God—His wisdom surpasses human understanding. But God sees everything—the past, the present, and the future—so trusting Him brings peace.

Trust God with your Active Awareness

Active awareness includes the thoughts and emotions you are consciously focusing on in the immediate moment. This is where your attention is directed. Some people shift focus quickly, while others can remain fixed on a task or idea for a long time.

But active awareness is limited—it only includes what you are thinking right now. When making decisions, it may feel like you have all the information, but there are deeper influences at work.

Trust God with your Accessible Awareness

Accessible awareness consists of thoughts, experiences, and memories that you can retrieve easily, even if they are years or decades old. You may not always be thinking about them, but they are available when needed.

This layer shapes decisions in ways you may not always notice. Perhaps a childhood lesson surfaces when faced with a moral dilemma, or a long-forgotten memory influences how you respond to a situation. Still, accessible awareness is incomplete—you don’t always recall everything when you need to.

Trust God with your Subconscious Awareness

Subconscious awareness is even deeper. It holds thoughts and experiences that are not readily available unless something triggers them.

Triggers can come in many forms:

  • A familiar scent reminds you of a forgotten moment from childhood.
  • A song stirs emotions from a past relationship.
  • A significant life event causes deeper reflection on who you are.

Dreams often process subconscious material, sometimes bringing buried thoughts to the surface. Trauma also remains buried when it is too overwhelming to manage in the moment.

You may not always realize how much your subconscious affects your choices, but God does. Even when buried thoughts shape your actions, you can trust God to lead you in the right direction. He understands what is hidden, shaping His guidance in ways far beyond human awareness.

Trust God with your Unknown Awareness

The unknown represents the future. You may not know how you will grow, change, or develop, but God does.

Imagine a young child. She has no idea what her life will look like in thirty years. Fast forward to adulthood—now, she sees who she has become. Yet even then, her future remains a mystery.

This is why faith is essential. While human awareness is limited, God’s understanding is complete.

Life as a Melody—Trusting the Divine Composer

We are like music boxes, hearing the melody as it plays but never fully knowing why certain notes appear, or what comes next. Yet God, the Divine Composer, is creating something beautiful.

1. The Melody of Life

Each experience in life is like a musical note, carefully arranged by God:

  • Joyful Notes – Moments of love, victory, and peace.
  • Somber Notes – Seasons of grief, difficulty, and reflection.
  • Chaotic Sections – Times when life feels unpredictable, like dissonant music waiting to resolve.

While a single note may seem insignificant, God is composing something extraordinary. Trust that His arrangement is greater than you can perceive.

2. God as the Composer

God is not improvising—He knows every note in advance.

  • He crafts the theme – Just as composers have a vision for their symphony, God has a plan for your life.
  • He chooses the instrument – Just as each instrument has a unique sound, each person has unique talents designed for His purpose.
  • He knows when to pause – Silence in music builds anticipation. When life seems still, God is preparing something ahead.

Even when your life feels uncertain, trust God—He is orchestrating a masterpiece.

3. Unexpected Notes in Life’s Song

Some notes in life feel harsh or unexpected. But God is using them for something greater:

  • Dissonance resolves into beauty – Just as difficult chords lead to harmony, trials lead to growth.
  • The music shifts – Life can suddenly change, like moving from a minor key to a major one. God knows when and how to bring renewal.
  • Hidden layers emerge – Just as melodies are sometimes unnoticed until the song unfolds, God’s plan often reveals itself later.

Even when life feels unpredictable, trust God—He is composing a song of meaning, beauty, and purpose.

Trust the One Who Sees the Whole Picture

Since human awareness is limited, relying solely on personal understanding leads to confusion. But God sees beyond every level of awareness.

You don’t have to understand everything about yourself—you only need to trust God and rest in His wisdom.

Find hope when life is difficult.
Image by Jazella from Pixabay

How To Overcome Negativity

How To Overcome Negativity

by Leave a Comment

Reading time: 3 minutes

Do you struggle with negativity? That can happen when too many difficult events take place without enough positive ones to overcome them.

Think back to a significant, life-changing moment–one that filled you with hope and purpose. What made it so transformational? Chances are, it had something to do with accepting yourself the way God made you. Seeing yourself through God’s wise, loving eyes changes everything.

These moments don’t happen every day, but you can take steps toward one today. How do you know when you are ready for growth?

You might notice negativity building up—feeling weighed down, discouraged, or emotionally disconnected. Being unable to experience joy is a sign of spiritual sickness. Are you often pessimistic? Do you feel unwanted or rejected? Does it seem like a cloud of gloom follows you wherever you go?

Negativity Should Not Be Normal

Negativity becomes a serious problem when it starts to feel like your default state. While you won’t feel amazing every day, it’s important not to accept negativity as part of your identity. You don’t “just have a negative personality”—negativity isn’t permanent. It’s a weight you weren’t meant to carry.

People have blind spots, and that’s normal—only God sees everything. But just because you don’t notice certain harmful thought patterns doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck in them. You can develop greater self-awareness.

Could you be so familiar with negativity that you don’t even realize it’s affecting you? When a negative bias goes unchecked, it can distort your perspective, making discouragement feel normal. I’ve done it, and I’m guessing you have too.

Jesus wants you to be free from unnecessary burdens. If you’re carrying something that serves no purpose—something blocking you from the life He intends—you need to let it go.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Jesus offers rest, but often we continue carrying weights He never asked us to bear. Immediately after these verses, Matthew 12 describes how the Pharisees burdened people with unnecessary rules. Jesus made it clear—He doesn’t want you weighed down by man-made expectations.

Ask yourself: What rules, requirements, and burdens am I carrying unnecessarily?

God wants us to be anxious for nothing. Acceptance is the antidote to worry. When you accept God for who He is and yourself for who He made you to be, you unlock the ability to love others the way He calls you to.

Self-acceptance is twofold—it means rejecting who you aren’t while embracing who you are.

Practical Steps to Heal Negativity

To break free from negativity, start by interrupting harmful thought cycles with truth. Negativity thrives when it goes unchallenged, so speak affirmations rooted in Scripture, such as “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Engage in activities that bring joy and renewal—whether it’s taking a walk, connecting with a supportive friend, or journaling about God’s faithfulness. Most importantly, surrender your burdens through prayer, asking God to reveal and lift the weight you’ve been carrying.

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight—it begins with small, intentional choices that gradually shift your mindset. When you align your thoughts with faith, hope, and God’s unconditional love, negativity loses its grip.

If you want to dig deeper into this, work through my book Confident Identity: Christian Strategies to Forget Who You Aren’t and Discover Who You Really Are. Or, see below for another post about self-acceptance.

Learn more about self-acceptance
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Last updated 20250504