For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude 4

Licentious is not a word that’s used often (if ever) anymore. But it is a stellar word, full of accurate meaning in today’s culture. So, how can it be defined? Simply put, it is to be lawless, impious, given to unrestrained sin and gross immorality. It’s an arrogance to do what you please, when you please, even though it may offend others—and offend God. An easy way to remember it is to think of those awesome James Bond movies through the decades. (This makes me wonder, who is your favorite Bond?) Anyway, James Bond has the moniker of 007—he has a “license to kill”…and this is similar to how we can think of licentiousness: It is a license to offend God—a license to sin. 

Back when Jude (and Jesus, and Peter, and Luke, and Paul, and John) were talking about false teachers/teaching coming into the Church, there was a spiritual movement called Gnosticism that was permeating culture and infiltrating the young Christian movement. Basically, Gnosticism was a combination of Jewish, pagan, and some Christian beliefs, all muddled together with one primary teaching: Your spiritual life is all that matters; flesh is meaningless, so you can do whatever you want with your body to satisfy your physical desires—it doesn’t affect your “holiness” in any way. In other words, the good Gnostic would say, “I can do whatever I want with my body!”

Hmm. Sounds remotely familiar.

The first-century Church (and every century since) has been called to influence the hedonistic culture of that day, to spread the Good News of the gospel and the transformative power of the God’s grace through Jesus Christ. And the Church, despite the Gnostics and the pagan cultures around at that time, was turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6)! 

Today’s culture, if you haven’t noticed, is also licentious. And activities that not so long ago were hidden and done in secret when no one was looking—generally agreed to be “bad” or “unacceptable” or even “sinful”—are now done in the light. They’ve been normalized. Beyond that, they have also become celebrated. Most disturbing, many of these activities are becoming engrained into our legal systems, mandated even. Whether or not it conflicts with religious/moral beliefs, they must be accepted, affirmed, and venerated. And if you don’t, if you stand on the Truth of God’s Word, the name-calling begins. You are a hater, bigot, oppressor, etc., and you very well might get kicked out of school, lose your job, or go to jail for doing (or even saying) the “wrong” thing. You must go along with the latest riotous crowd, or else.

The issue for believers today, however, is not just what is happening in the culture, the degradation and licentiousness—and the resulting reaping of what’s been sown for the past decades. While that’s important to acknowledge, it’s more vital to recognize that the culture is influencing and infiltrating the Church more than the Church is influencing the culture. The church has established an anti-biblical bond with the culture, and this is a huge problem.

A recent study conducted by George Barna (released May 2022) is terrifying. Across denominations and pastoral roles in the American Christian church, just 37% of pastors hold a Biblical worldview. In other words, nearly two-thirds of church pastors do not believe or behave in alignment with God’s Word. Despite the warnings given us in the Bible—from Jesus and His disciples and the epistle writers—licentiousness has crept in. And it’s taken over. 

So, as followers of Jesus, we must be on guard in our churches and with those pastors/teachers we listen to. We must know God’s Word for ourselves, so we can test what we’re hearing. If we don’t know the Truth, our ears will get itchy (2 Timothy 4:3) and we’ll be easy prey for the wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). When the world around us embraces a license to sin, we need to stand firm on the Truth and be ready to defend our faith. And when that licentiousness results in pain, depression, and despair for those partaking in it, let’s be at the ready to give a reason for our hope: the love, forgiveness, and saving grace of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:15).

Lord, Your Truth will stand amid false teaching and cultural darkness—help me to stand firm on it and proclaim the Gospel as the only Hope for this lost world.

But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Do you ever have those days when you feel unlovable? Like you can’t do anything right or say anything right. (You know this because others get irritated with you, and you’re not sure why exactly.) Maybe you feel unlovable because when you look in the mirror and see only ugliness—despite your inherent beauty, based on both objective reality and the fact that you are created in the image of God. This sense of “unlovableness” may also result from sheer fatigue. Being battered daily by work, lack of sleep, physical pain, even the bad news blaring from whatever screen you spend time watching, colors our self-perception in myriad ways (and never for good).

What about unlovable’s cousin, unloved? This one probably warrants and astounding “yes” from us all—feeling unloved is sadly quite prevalent. (Especially in today’s world digital connectedness that creates only shallow relationship and false community. Especially for young people. But that’s another rant—I mean, story.) You may feel unloved because you’ve not found the spouse you’ve been praying for. Or you’ve lost your spouse—through death, divorce, or emotional abandonment. Moms and dads can feel unloved when children don’t answer our calls or tell us the truth of their lives. And when a friend betrays us (in real or imagined ways), the accusations of “You’re so unlovable!” peck at our minds like unyielding buzzards on a dead possum. (Sorry for the specific imagery there, but that’s something I see quite frequently in my ‘hood.) 

Friend, know this: You are beloved by God (Jude 1-2). God’s love is unconditional, unending, unrelenting. It’s who He is (1 John 4:8,16). And it’s because of this love for us—His best creation, modeled after Himself—God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sin and unrighteousness. (Because, although God created Man perfectly for perfect relationship with Him, Man blew it, severing that relationship. And although God loves all people with general love and provides general grace to all, we are not all in right relationship with God.) Jesus lived a perfect life and died the death we deserve, defeating death and rebuilding the bridge to the Father. If God loves you that much, then, sweet friend, how can you possibly consider yourself unloved?

This amazing love—underserved and unearned—converts us from dark to light. Transforms us from unrighteous to righteous. Washes us white as snow when our sin had made us crimson-stained. God’s love through Christ Jesus makes us holy in God’s sight. So, no matter what image you see reflected in the mirror, God sees a reflection of His perfect Son! You are lovable!

That sense of unlovedness and unloveableness come from the pit of hell. It’s the enemy of our soul who sends those vultures to peck away at our true self-image in God. (Remember, Satan was the first creature to break perfect relationship with God…and he wants us all in his camp.) Don’t believe the lie or give in to the devil’s trickery. God loves you! Accept His Son, Jesus, and be accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:5-7). Experience the amazing love, grace, and mercy of our Lord. And know you are beloved in Him.

Father, help me recognize the lies of the enemy that tell me I’m not loved. You love me with an everlasting, unrelenting love—may I hold fast to that Truth.

I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Jude 1:3

War. Depending on your age, you have certain perceptions of this concept. You could be a history buff and think of the amazing, world-changing, freedom-initiating battles for U.S. independence. Maybe your mind goes to WWII and its patriotic response and unifying efforts. Or the far-off (and misunderstood) jungle battles of Korea or Viet Nam. For most readers, war likely brings to mind the 20-year desert entanglement that was a “given” thread of American life—and one that recently ended in great calamity. Regardless of which war or when, to all those men and women who fought the good fight for our nation—thank you.

Friend, there’s another war that’s been raging for millennia. Since humanity began, actually. The first proverbial shot was fired in the Garden when Satan hissed his original lie to humanity, twisting the Truth of God and instilling the idea that we don’t need God—and that we can be like Him. (Although, when Satan himself acted on that belief, he was thrown out of Heaven.)

Since then, regardless of historic era, global geography, or cultural realities, the battle between Truth and Lies has been fought. God’s Word versus Satan’s deceptions. Worship of God the Creator versus worship of the created (animals, stars, self). Surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior versus clutching onto self-as-savior (being/doing “good” enough).

If you’ve read the Bible from “In the beginning God created” in Genesis to the final “Amen” of Revelation, you’re familiar with how this war has manifested through the centuries. (If you haven’t ever read the full His-Story of it all, I highly recommend it!) Bottom line of every battle: God would declare Truth/His way, and then man would doubt, disobey, and go his/her own way.Eventually, God sent His Son, Jesus, to become the Way, Truth, and Life—to make a way of once-and-for-all reconciliation to God. The Ultimate Peace Treaty.

Today, we are privileged to have the complete, inspired, inerrant Word of God in Scripture—and we know how the Story ends. But the spiritual war still wages. And, sadly, just as it was when Christianity began, the battle even infiltrates the Church. The Apostles Paul, Peter, and John, as well as Jesus’s half-brother Jude, warned of false teachers, heretics, and apostates creeping in among believers. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. Like their forefather, Satan, they twist the Truth and ask, “Did God really say?” Or, in a more modern vernacular, “Would a good God really do…?” 

And just as those God-inspired letters exhort their original readers, we must “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 1:3). As believers, we are called to know sound doctrine (Ephesians 4:14, Colossians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:2). We must be able to discern Truth from error (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). And (this is the really hard part), we have to be willing to confront and attack error (Philippians 1:7,27; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; Titus 1:13).

The war of Truth will continue to wage until Jesus Christ makes His final, successful advance on His enemies. Until then, friend, we need to put on our battle armor (Ephesians 6) and ready ourselves for the fight. We must study the Truth of God’s Word. Share it with others. And contend for its preservation.

Lord, I recognize that I am in Your army. Give me the strength and courage to hold fast to the Truth and fight the good fight.

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:4

Our last home, which was set among the rolling hills of Virginia, had a wonderful back deck that gave us a treehouse-like view. Despite the fact we were in a neighborhood, we could feel miles away from everything. I loved sitting on that deck. At sunrise, I could experience the burst of a new day. Midday brought soul-filling warmth on chilly mountain days. And when the sun was setting, the sky was painted with bold colors only God could produce.

In our time at that beautiful home, we knew there were some “soft boards” here and there on the deck—but we’d just step around them. It wasn’t until we were thinking about moving that we had a deck guy come and assess the situation. Although the decking all looked fine on the outside, many of the boards had been damaged on the inside by those pesky wood-consuming monsters: termites. (Thankfully, no active armies!)

Did you know that the New Testament talks a lot about termite damage? Not the kind made by the literal destructive insects, but rather that of a much more dangerous variety: false teachers in the Church (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 14:24; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, before the Church was even established, He warned His followers about those who would “come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Then, post-Pentecost, Peter started hammering similar cautions. Through Paul’s letters, we read how he tells churches around the region, “False teachers have infiltrated your churches—time for the exterminator!” (Well, he didn’t say that exactly, but that was his point.) 

Jude pointedly writes that these apostates have “crept in unnoticed”—you know, like termites. Some of these false teachers were hissing the same lies as Satan did in the garden in order to twist the Truth (“Did God really say…”). Others were perverting God’s grace, saying people could follow their sensual desires as far as they wanted, because they were “covered.” Some even denied that Jesus is who He said He is. And the same thing is happening today.

No matter how these people slither in, and whatever lies are being spread, the results are always the same. Just like the weakened decking planks of my deck, the Church body is compromised. Sure, when viewed on the outside, everything looks fine and intact. But this inside-out damage is subtle, often going unnoticed until it’s too late. Sticking with the deck analogy…even the weakest, most termite-consumed boards are fine when birds land on them or a squirrel runs across the deck. But when the weighted pressure increases, everything could go crashing down. Likewise, when the church is weakened by false teachers and compromising teaching, it cannot endure worldly pressures.

So, friend, we must all be Biblical exterminators in the Church. We have to know the Truth to recognize what is false. The external pressures from a godless world are mounting, so we’ve got to assess the internal strength to ensure it will stand firm. And we need to be able to spot the termites, whether they creep in as a Sunday school classmate or as a pastor. 

Lord, You warn us of counterfeits and compromise. May we stand firm on Your Word to withstand the enemy and His lies meant to take us down.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  ~Galatians 3:28

Those outside the Christian faith (especially those hostile toward it) are often heard saying that the Bible holds women in an inferior view, which plays into the “patriarchy” that currently holds women under the thumbs of men. But this is pure ignorance, as nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, God has makes it clear from Genesis to Revelation, that women are valuable and valued. The Bible is filled with strong heroines. And, contrary to the norms of society back then—and no doubt shocking to the original readers and hearers—God’s Words elevate women, show them as positive examples, and give their words and actions credence. This topic could (and does) fill volumes of study material. But here’s just a handful of Biblical truths to remind us how much our amazing God loves us all.

• Men and women are both created in God’s image. See Genesis 1:27.

• The Old Testament tells the amazing story of two different women—neither of whom are Jews, and one who was a prostitute—to beautifully illustrate God’s redemptive plan for all people. Not only that, but both these women are listed in the New Testament as being in the direct genealogy of Jesus. That’s pretty astounding. Check out Joshua 2-6 and the book of Ruth.

• Twice the Bible tells of women who fully understood who Jesus was (even when His closest buddies were still clueless), each one anointing Him with oil and tears of appreciation of His forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Read of the unnamed sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50, as well as Mary of Bethany in Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8.

• Jesus was close friends with Mary and Martha, and their faith is given as an example to us, which you can read about in Luke 10:38-42 and John 11.

• The Bible tells us that women were part of Jesus’ closest circle, supporting and taking care of Him and His 12 disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. See Luke 8:1-3.

• The Bible records that the women who loved Jesus stayed for his execution when His disciples fled. See Matthew 27:55-56.

• It was a group of faithful women who first arrived at the tomb of Jesus and were the first to be witnesses to His resurrection. In and of itself, this gives historicity and veracity to this account, because in that time, women were not considered credible witnesses in court—so if someone wanted to fabricate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, they certainly would not have recorded women as the first witnesses. See Luke 24:1-12; Mark 16:1-11; John 20:1-18.

Sadly, there are religions that view women as less than men and of little more value than cattle. The world’s narrative about God’s view of women is pervasive and damaging. But it is based on lies, because Satan is the god of this world—and he is the father of lies. The True and Living God, however, loves and values men and women, having sacrificed His Son to redeem us all.

Lord, thank you that I am precious in Your sight. I am made in Your image and have been made heir to Your kingdom by the blood of Jesus.

“Wash yourself, therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor.”

Ruth 3:3

As I continue to study the book of Ruth in the Old Testament, this inspiring and dramatic love story never ceases to amaze me. As the writer shares the true account of how King David’s grandparents met and were married, we are also shown several parallels to our own relationship with Jesus Christ. Like a real Prince Charming, Boaz rescues Ruth (and her mother-in-law, Naomi), from poverty and sorrow. Per a somewhat strange Jewish law, Ruth could propose to Boaz, a close relative of her late husband, and he would redeem her (pay the owed family debt), forever changing her future.

This is the primary parallel in the story: Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer, coming to our rescue and paying the impossible debt we owe in order to redeem us…forever changing our future. 

But there are a handful of verses in chapter 3 of Ruth that describe the pre-proposal interaction between Ruth and her mother-in-law that are a bit comical on the surface. Because Ruth is a foreigner and probably doesn’t know this odd kinsman-redeemer law, Naomi has to give her a little push to go get her man. (This is where Naomi’s Cinderella character parallel goes from a wicked stepsister to those cute, enlivened animals that get Cindy ready for the ball. But I digress.) To help ensure the plan will work, Naomi gives Ruth four instructions (v3): (1) Wash yourself, (2) anoint yourself, (3) put on your best clothes, and (4) go (tell him). When you’re in the midst of the saga, it’s funny to picture this because Naomi is telling Ruth to get ready as if for a fancy ball, and then she sends her to the threshing floor—think dirty, smelly, crowded-with-sweaty-guys factory floor.

The really cool aspect of these four steps that Naomi gave Ruth is how they correspond to the steps taken for our own rescue and redemption in Jesus.

1. Wash yourself: We have to recognize that we are filthy and stinky in our sin (Isaiah 64:6). But the precious blood of Jesus washes us as white as snow, cleansing us of all unrighteousness (Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 1:5).
2. Anoint yourself: The moment we accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we are anointed with the Holy Spirit, who seals us as a child of God and abides in us so we can understand the things of God.
3. Put on your best clothes: Amazingly, when we surrender to Jesus, He takes our raggedy, nasty clothes and gives us His robe of righteousness to wear (Isaiah 61:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21), so when the Father looks at us, He only sees the righteousness of Christ.
4. Go (and tell him): Like Boaz, the Great Redeemer will not force Himself on us. We must take action. Like Ruth, we must tell Jesus that we need Him, want Him, and trust Him for our rescue.

Friend, are you in need of rescue today? Are you sitting in the poverty and sorrow of your sin? There is a Redeemer—the Prince of Peace—who will sweep you up in His arms…and change your future, both in this world and for eternity. All you have to do is tell Him.

Lord, if there is just one reading these words right now who has not run into the loving arms of our Savior Jesus Christ, let today be the day of their rescue.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

I was literally sitting at a well-represented coffee shop (because there is no other option at the moment), writing a blog message early in the morning about how awesome Jesus is…but the sinning hypocrite in me had to stop and repent before I got past the third sentence. And, because this is a real sanctification moment, I thought I’d transparently share it with you.

It’s Sunday, and the weekend has been pretty awesome so far. We traveled from Florida to North Carolina to see our younger son—pick him up, really, on our way to Virginia for a family wedding on Saturday. This was wonderful, as both my boys and daughter-in-love were able to make the event. And I was able to see my brother, his wife, my stepmother, as well as a ton of family we’ve not seen for years. Like I said, it’s been a great couple of days.

Let me share my morning, however, that sent me into a self-righteous spiral of frustration and anger (told you I was going to get painfully real). Here is the series of events that has happened to the point of me typing these words:

• I went to the hotel gym, and (for a very expensive hotel), it was filthy. But I did my thing anyway.
• Because my husband and son were sleeping, my plan was to finish at the gym and sit in lobby sipping coffee and writing. After walking around on the hunt for those familiar dispensers, I asked the desk person. “The restaurant doesn’t open until 7:00.” In other words, “There is no coffee until you can pay an exorbitant price for it at the restaurant.” I mildly lost it and responded that I couldn’t believe there was no coffee…and, by the way, “Your gym is absolutely filthy!”
• So, given that I can’t go back to my room, I go to said popular coffee shop. No customers are there (inside or in the drive-through). Takes a while for me to be acknowledged. Then I order. After 15 minutes, I ask about my drink. “We just got an order for 10 drinks.” (The unspoken part, “And they were more important than you, so you can wait.”) When I did get my coffee, the order was wrong. I won’t elaborate on what transpired next, but it ended with me being given what I need to fix my own order, only to spill steamed milk all over my phone and computer. 

When I finally got to the place of starting my “Jesus is awesome—are you saved?” blogpost, the Holy Spirit was all over me: “Um, Julianne, you are seriously going to write to others about the Christian walk when you are sitting in disobedience at this very moment?” I paused to realize that the computer screen was blurry not because of the spilled milk, but because of the plank sticking out of my eyeballs (Matthew 73:3-5). 

So, what was going to be a blog about Jesus being the Great Physician, has turned into a lesson for myself (and hopefully you, dear friend), about how our sanctification walk with the Lord is a journey in the direction of obedience. It’s about getting better and better about recognizing my sin, being quicker and quicker to repent, and then stepping back onto the narrow road to holiness. Won’t you join me on this road today?  

Heavenly Father, forgive me for my self-righteous anger and unkind words. And thank You that as soon as I recognize my failure and repent, You are quick to forgive.

But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.”

Ruth 2:11

In the amazing, history-changing Bible story of Ruth, a young woman gives up her false gods and idols to follow the True and Living God of her new husband. And after the tragic death of her husband, she decided to follow her mother-in-law back (Naomi) to Bethlehem Judah (the hometown of Ruth’s in-laws). She committed herself to the Sovereign Lord and to her new family (which after three deaths and one abandonment, consisted of just Ruth and Naomi). Although she was a foreigner in her new homeland—and would generally have been considered an outcast—Ruth was faithful to God and to her mother-in-law, and she set to work in the fields (per the Jewish law) to feed Naomi and herself.

And Ruth’s character was noticed by her new community. In fact, her faithfulness and diligence were noticed by one man in particular, and the trajectory of this relationship led to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and foreshadowed the salvation of non-Jews (like most of us)! If you haven’t read this real-life Cinderella story, I suggest you check it out—it’s better than any Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.

But the point here is the reputation that Ruth made for herself. When she gave her life to God, turning away from the gods of Moab (her home city), she was all in. When Naomi was returning to Bethlehem, Ruth could have gone back to her own family and old life. That would have been easier, no doubt. But she chose to stay with Naomi—and stay faithful to the Lord. In doing so, she followed His Word in obedience. She was gentle and kind, but she also labored with the best of the field workers to ensure that she and Naomi didn’t starve. She didn’t speak negatively about her new town—although she was probably initially treated not-so-nicely as a Moabitess. She didn’t gripe about her mother-in-law (who was actually quite bitter toward life and God at that point—and she also reminded Ruth relentlessly that she was a “foreigner”). She didn’t whine about working hard. Her faith in God’s sovereignty was strong, and her attitude was positive.

Despite the hardcore challenges she faced, Ruth’s character and actions gave her a good reputation. So, this begs the question: What kind of reputation do we have? In the workplace, do others notice our commitment to the Lord because our life reflects obedience to His Word? Do we show kindness to our family members, even when their words and actions are hurtful toward us? And at church, do we love our brothers and sisters as we’re exhorted to do in the Bible, avoiding gossip and griping? 

If a stranger followed us around, observing our every move for a week—or even a day—what type of reputation would we make for ourselves? Would our moniker of “Christ-follower” be evident, or would we seamlessly “fit in” to the cultural worldliness around us?

Once surrendered to You, Lord, I am to be in this world but not of it. Lord, help me follow You, Your Word, and Your will for my life, differentiating myself from the “norms” of today’s society.

I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

What does it mean to have a flourishing life? Is it to be able to pay all your bills and have some money left over? Is it having a good marriage and happy, healthy kids? Is it being able to go to a job you love (or at least like) every day? Or maybe it’s just getting seven or eight hours of solid sleep at night.

I helped lead out a women’s event at church the other day where three women shared their stories of loss, betrayal, and heartbreaking life trauma…and how they walked through these situations to truly flourish. In fact, while they were in the very midst of their respective storms, they demonstrated supernatural grace, mercy, forgiveness, and joy. But how in the world does a person walk through the sudden death of a spouse, they upheaval of adultery, and the endurance of physical and emotional abuse with anything other than anger, bitterness, and despair? 

Well, “in the world” this is not possible.

The common thread through each of these compelling stories was the Anchor to which each of these women clung: Jesus. In the midst of potential devastation, we all have a choice. We can succumb to the winds and crashing waves to be tossed about, gasping for moments of air before being helplessly plunged into darkness—we can surrender to the storm. Or we can surrender to the One who has the power to calm the storm and keep us calm as our circumstances are storming around us.

But, friend, this response on our behalf is a choice. We must choose to let go of our fleshly attempts to navigate our situation, and we must hand it over to God. In our own power, we can’t do it! But, when we surrender our life to Jesus, everything changes. Because God first loved us, we are able to love who the world tells us to throw to the curb (1 John 4:19). Because God has forgiven us much (Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 1:9; Colossians 3:13), we are able to forgive who the world says is unforgiveable. Because of the unfathomable grace (giving us what we don’t deserve) and mercy (not giving us what we do deserve) the Lord showers on us daily (Lamentations 3:22-23; Luke 6:36; Hebrews 4:16), we are able to extend grace  and mercy to others—even when the world thinks we’re crazy for doing so.

What is flourishing? It’s having all we truly need to thrive in the midst of this fallen and broken world. And all we need, friend, is Jesus Christ. 

Lord, this world is dark, but You are the Light. Things shift with uncertainty, but You are the steadfast Rock. With so much hopelessness around us, only You give confident Hope. Father, no matter the storm we’re in, may we surrender to You to find peace that passes understanding.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

John 15:18-19

Fitting in with peers has always been a thing. I can recall a scenario from my early elementary school years when my friends had a playground discovery that they all had the same zipper brands on their jacket. Then they actually made up a little song about it and were dancing around singing it. (Nope, not kidding.) However, I did not have that zipper brand—or a zipper, for that matter. It’s crazy that I can still experience the visceral sense of not fitting in. 

And that was well before the insidious addiction of social media that pulls young people (and not-so-young people) into an abyss of approval-seeking. Likes, shares, and comments are what matters—and the more attention, the more valued one feels. For teens, this often means standing out from the norm…the more bizarre or provocative the post, the more “support” and affirmation one is likely to receive. Conversely, without enough likes—or with negative commentary—teens (and younger kids) can sadly come to believe their life is not worth living.

But that need to “fit in” is really a need to “fill in”—to fill in the soul-level God-shaped hole we each have. And there are not enough “likes” to do it. Nor bizarre behavior or sand-shifting self-identification. Our desperate pursuits of self-glory will only create more emptiness. We can try to fit in by people-pleasing, alcohol, sex, drugs, doing good, or breaking bad. I promise you, the void will just expand.

Friend, only surrendering to God will satisfy that emptiness. We must receive the free gift of forgiveness and grace—the great exchange of our imperfection and sin for the perfection and sinlessness of Jesus Christ. Accept the price paid on our behalf on Calvary’s cross…and celebrate His victory over sin and death. For me. For you. Only then will our soul be filled by the Holy Spirit—God Himself—as our Counselor, Comforter, Advocate. 

It’s impossible to “fit in” to this world because we were not made for this world. As fallen people in a fallen world, we must return to God, surrendering ourselves to Jesus. When we do, there is peace that passes understanding, a desire to please only the Audience of One, and a need to glory in the One who loves us with an unfailing, steadfast, un-forsaking love (1 Corinthians 1:31). 

Lord, there is such a pull to fit into this world, even in all its darkness and brokenness. I pray that those desperate for love acceptance will turn to You, their Creator God and the very definition of love (1 John 4:8).