Tough Times Are Necessary
“When I ask people when they really grew spiritually, they never describe an easy time. Never.” -Chuck Swindoll
When I read this quote this morning, I didn’t know who Chuck Swindoll was, so I searched him up online. It turns out he is an evangelical preacher, author, and was born in October, just like me. Regardless of knowing him or not, his words touched my soul today, and let me tell you, friend, I needed it.
I am soul tired. The kind of tired where no amount of sleep could refresh me. Well, perhaps a few more hours could do me a world of good, but in all honesty, my spirit is still reeling from the effects of last week. I don’t feel hopeless, but I do feel shook. Perhaps, this isn’t a bad thing, though.
Every time I have experienced similar life-altering events, every hardship I have faced has always led to an incredible awakening of my beliefs. Last week reminded me that life is short. No one knows when the end will come for them, but we can say with certainty that the end will come.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about death, so much so that I have focused on how I am living. Am I living a life that honors God, reflects Jesus, and inspires the people around me? I wish I could say a resounding yes to all of those questions, but the truth is, I have been going through life on autopilot lately. I have spent far too much time surviving each day that I am not really thriving. This has to change.
After the murders last week, I have felt the fire within my soul flame anew. My posts have been scripture-based, and honestly, I don’t care if that makes me lose followers or not. I want to use every day to speak the truth about Jesus to the people around me. The truth is that life is difficult, but we don’t have to go through it alone. Christ promises to go through each hardship with us, and I can say from experience that this is the case in my life.
If you’d like me to pray for you, please comment below. I promise I will bring your concerns to the Lord. After all, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16 NIV).
