rebelling against low expectations
How can I encourage my peers to follow Jesus? Have you ever asked this question? I know I have. Throughout my years of following Christ, I’ve struggled with watching many of my peers slowly drift away from God. It’s hard to see friends make unwise decisions and watch them struggle in their relationship with God. It’s painful to see them leave the church. It’s lonely when your friends don’t share...
When COVID-19 struck and forced everyone to be quarantined in their homes, I, like most young people undoubtedly, began to panic and grow anxious about what I was going to do about school, extracurricular activities, and much more. I couldn’t do the activities I wanted to do out of fear of what could happen. But more than just hindering my daily activities, I also let my fear stop me from seeking...
Let’s be frank. Disability isn’t usually something glamorous. If it was, you’d see way more girls with hot pink wheelchairs. But disability isn’t glamorous or a fad according to worldly standards. Instead, it’s often looked down upon. An annoyance. A disadvantage. A dis-ability. It’s easy to see why. I can tell you about the number of times things have gone south for me. I’ve lost my grip in...
I’ll be at college in four months, give or take a few days. That’s utterly insane to me. It feels like just yesterday I was a middle schooler, totally in awe of the kids who were going to college. I mean, can you imagine being that old and independent? Taking on the world by yourself? I couldn’t wait till I was all grown up like them. Well, here I am, realizing that they weren’t anywhere near as...
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. (Isaiah 61:1) At the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus read this passage in a synagogue when he started his ministry. It’s a striking summary of...
“Believe in yourself.” “Follow your heart.” We’ve all heard these phrases. Popular culture is inundated with these messages, and sadly, you may have heard them from Christians too. The words sound good. However, as much as they encourage and boost your confidence in yourself, they are dangerous. I repeat, they are dangerous. Why? The Trap of Believing in Yourself You, you, you. The purpose...
It may come as a surprise to us believers in the modern era that silence used to be one of the most valued of Christian ideals. Strange to hear, isn’t it? In our world of platforms and networks, group chats and twitter threads, silence has come to be quite underrated in the 21st century mind. Of course, this is an unusual feature of the modern age. Through the use of Scriptures the church has...
A few months ago, I deleted my Facebook account. This was a big change for me because Facebook was my primary social media account, and I checked it constantly throughout the day. I looked at it first thing in the morning and right before I went to bed. But I realized my dependence on Facebook was damaging my life. Initially, I had taken a weeklong break from Facebook starting on election day...
Do you always find it easy to read the Bible? Do you constantly burn with a deep passion for God’s Word? If you honestly couldn’t answer yes to those questions, maybe these will resonate more. Do you struggle to meditate on God’s Word? Do you get distracted when you sit down to read? Do you long to delight in God? Yes? I know, me too. Too often our pursuit of God is so weak. We struggle with half...
The waves rose higher, beating against the boat. Wind whipped around them, stirring up the surface of the sea and tossing them back and forth. They strained against the waves, but it wasn’t any use. Suddenly, on the horizon, a figure emerged. Fear gripped their hearts . . . Does this story sound familiar? Most of you have probably read it first in the book of Matthew. “But the boat by this time...
rebelling against low expectations
