Your Weight Does Not Determine Your Worth

So, last week, I talked about “Your Weight Does Not Determine Your Worth” & this week, I want to touch on the topic of Gluttony.

While body image should not be the focus of our eating choices, we also should not ignore harmful eating habits, whether you eat to comfort yourself or to “solve” a problem or whether you consistently allow cravings to rule your decision-making with regards to food intake, despite possible harmful consequences, gluttony can affect us all–even the “skinny.”

Your weight does NOT determine your worth, but there IS value in taking care of the body God made–to honor Him & promote good body health.

Gluttony–A Sin Often Overlooked

Gluttony is an overindulgence in food… whether it be over-eating or eating to serve a craving or even eating to “solve” a problem. We need to be sure not to allow our eating habits to rule us & cause us harm.

As Jerry Bridges puts it in his book: “The Pursuit of Holiness,” what once used to draw out a heart of repentance has become something joked about in our social circles.

“Oh man, I ate waaaay too much! Haha, I’m STUFFED!” “I can’t wait to stuff myself on Thanksgiving! Better wear my “fat pants!” “I am craving this triple scoop sundae so badly that I’m going to go get one because I’m a fatty & I don’t care!” “Man, I know this may be bad for me, but we all die sometime, right?!” “I’m so upset! I am going to eat ice cream & chocolate because he broke my heart!”

God doesn’t shame you for being overweight. God doesn’t determine your worth to decline as the number on the scale increases, & we shouldn’t either.

But, God made our bodies, so we ought to care for them as gifts made by God. We ought to steward them well.

Is Gluttony Only for the Obese? NO.

So, when God mentions the sin of gluttony in the Bible (Philippians 3:19; Proverbs 23:20-21; Proverbs 25:16) , He is not trying to shame “fat people.” He warns us because He knows that gluttony can destroy us because not only is it damaging to our health & physical well-being, gluttony is taking our eyes off of Him as our help & turning them to food.

Because this is the case, you don’t have to be overweight to struggle with gluttony.

If you are eating simply to satiate yourself against angst, boredom, sorrow, fears of the unknown, etc., then you are turning to food instead of the One who can actually guide you, comfort you, heal you, strengthen you, & enable you.

When we eat simply to indulge ourselves, we are being careless with our body. We are being unkind to our bodies & dishonoring to God when we overeat or consistently eat things that cause it harm.

This doesn’t mean that we better know everything there is about our bodies, how they function, & know everything about what foods benefit it. We will never know it all.

But don’t let Satan trick you with an ALL OR NOTHING attitude toward your health. Do what you know is right & pray for God’s help with the rest.

Pray & Obey. Pray & Obey.

If you feel intimidated about asking God for help with this, thinking He will respond with something like, “FINALLY. Get out a notebook & remember & do ALL the things,” then you are so wrong. God is a gentle leader.

Pray about it. Ask God where your biggest abuse of your body is. Ask Him for a step you can take toward change. He is a gentle leader.

It’s also always important to pray because your man-made solution might be one that ends up causing your body even more harm. So, always surrender those concerns & questions to God for His guidance & wisdom.

My Lifelong Personal Battle

This has been a lifelong journey of struggle for me in this area of body image, eating for comfort, feeling my weight makes me ugly & devalued, etc.

This is not something I will likely unlearn overnight.

But, as I said, God is a gentle leader. He is helping me weed out the lies I grew up believing about my value being supposedly tied to my weight, as well facing up to my sin of gluttony that I often indulged in to soothe the hurts those lies brought me.

I am a work in progress. I am still obese. I fail some days & excel on others. I make mistakes & then try again.

In pursuing change of lifetime bad habits & false beliefs, those habits & beliefs will be my default & it will be easy to fail many times.

But my many failures do not erase my many successes. And my body appreciates every GOOD decision I make.

So, I will keep making mistakes in this journey, to “fail forward,” as I seek to treat my body with the care befit honoring its Maker.

And I will keep seeking my body’s Maker & Designer for help in healing the lies, in leading me in the right directions, & in enabling me to carry it through.

God Can & Will Make a Way As You Surrender to His Help–OBEDIENCE vs Victory

Habits I once thought impossible for my “fat” self have now become second nature. And as they become habits, I ask God to help me in the next step of changing my behavior to be more pleasing to our Holy, loving Almighty God. Baby steps in the direction of PROGRESS in making better habits that honor God’s gift to me–my body.

Where are you making compromise? Do you justify it because you’re skinny? Do you justify it because, “if only ________, then I would _______”? Do you justify it because everyone else seems okay with it?

Take your trauma & hurts to our loving, all-capable Almighty God. Ask for His healing. And ask for His help in living in such a way as to steward your God-made body well.

Shine HOPE by repenting of any gluttony habits you might be indulging in & determining to seek God’s help for change as you surrender in obedience to His baby step guidance toward better health & better body stewardship.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

(***Hey! Check out the newly updated Resources & Recommendations page!***)

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Rani Bracelet (India)

(*The bracelet with blue & orange beads & hammered golden disc charms.)

Inspired & created by Artisans in India, translucent aqua chalcedony beads with Carnelian accent beads & golden hammered discs make this adjustable Rani Bracelet totally unique.

This bracelet makes me feel like I am staying at a tropical island resort!

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

The Number on the Scale Does Not Determine Your Value

It’s no secret that I am overweight. It’s not something I am in denial about.

BUT, I want to start right off by saying that my weight (& your weight, healthy or not) does NOT determine our value.

The number on the scale does not determine your worth.

It is important to remember, however, that humanity has the tendency to swing the pendulum from one end of the spectrum to the other, bypassing the healthy middle. And it is so important that we seek that healthy middle of the swing.

Insecurity-The Bully of Pride

Insecurity has been a lifelong nemesis of mine, following me around like a dark cloud, threatening to convince me continually to not bother trying to make friends because I am just not pretty “enough” to fit in with other people.

I have long believed, erroneously, that because I am not a healthy weight, I am not “good enough.” I have believed that anyone who expresses love might be secretly mocking me behind my back because of my obvious rolls on my tummy & my chin.

And this bully, I have come to realize, is one of pride. God has been revealing to me that I don’t have to be liked to be nice to & serve others.

Insecurity Made Me Do It

I have resorted to baggy clothes in the past, relying on sweatshirts & cardigans to mask some of those rolls.

I have gone through a time in my youth where I would only shower in my clothes because I was too ashamed to look at myself because I was often told that my weight was the source of my social problems.

I have self-sabotaged relationships (before my now husband) because I felt it was easier to love & lose than to love & find out that the love was a lie because I felt too ugly to ever be genuinely loved by someone else.

And I have spent more hours than I can count begging God to make me skinny so that I could “finally be worthy & have value & be included & loved.”

I thought my weight was my problem. And because no diet lasted & no workout routine persisted, I believed I was forever doomed to be the ugly, fat friend that at least made people want me around to make them feel better about themselves.

Rebelling Against “the Problem”

And at the same time, I hated it all. I HATED that I supposedly couldn’t be loved the way I wanted because I wasn’t PRETTY “enough” or SKINNY “enough.” That disgusting standard made me want to SPIT at it.

And so, I spat at it by eating whatever I wanted, not thinking much at all about whether or not it was good for me.

I hated that supposed standard that would determine whether or not I could receive love. I hated it so much. It felt shallow & terrible that a loss of weight was the determining factor on whether or not I could be loved or wanted by friends or boys.

God Revealed It Was a Lie

God blessed me with roommates in college who seemed to be the ideal women—pretty hair, pretty face, good style, good with makeup, thin, popular, confident, smart, fun, etc.

They were gorgeous model-types. And boy was I intimidated (& jealous) so many times. I was CONVINCED in the beginning that they saw me as “beneath” them… as the ugly, fat roommate.

There were some girls my weight & up who lived on our hall, & I just “KNEW” that my roommates probably scoffed & turned their noses up at us behind our backs because they seemed so hot & me… well, so NOT.

But then I would over-hear them whispering or talking quietly—when they didn’t know I was around—talking about me or girls who were bigger than me…. With kindness, respect, & awe…. Talking about qualities they admired about them! NOT gossiping or mocking EVER behind their backs. I honestly did not believe it for the longest time… until I saw it as a consistent pattern.

They MEANT it.

They weren’t just nice as a façade… they spoke kindly about other women who were not the model-look they were, even when those women weren’t around… almost like weight wasn’t a factor at all in whether or not they liked or respected someone.

A Crack in the Lie Was Forming

And then I met my husband. He saw ME. He loved ME. And he showed me God’s love for me in how he himself loved me. He cuddled my rolls versus avoiding them or mocking them. He saw (sees) me as beautiful.

He encouraged me to toss away the baggy clothes & fat-covering cardigans for pretty, floral dresses & cute clothes I felt pretty wearing—the kind of dresses I always felt so pretty in but never wore because I was told they weren’t flattering “enough.”

My husband helped me see that it was ME he loved, not my appearance.

This was new to me! It took me a long time to actually even believe it.

He even said to me multiple times, after years of loving me as is, “I want US to be healthy because I CARE about you. If you were healthier & somehow GAINED weight from it, I would still want you to be healthier because I care about your well-being more than I care about your appearance or weight.” Wow.

Don’t Let the Pendulum Swing the Other Way

But on this journey of recognizing that my value is in NO way tied to my weight, I was tempted to reject caring about my weight at all—to reject altogether the harmful lies I was told all throughout my youth–“throwing the baby out with the bathwater” as the saying goes… rejecting the good WITH the bad.

And then God whispered Truth into my heart. He is helping me divide the two as two completely SEPARATE issues altogether.

1. To have confidence & extend love to others, not questioning whether I deserve it in return because of my appearance. To dress pretty & enjoy it, even if it’s not always flattering “enough.” To feel pretty & appreciate my appearance as is, rolls & all.
2. But ALSO, to steward well the body God has made for me. To care for my body to minimize health concerns & risks. To respect that my husband does not want to see me sickly from poor care of my body & not wanting to add that stress to his life because I love him.

And that’s where the pendulum swing tends to get us… & where it has trapped me for years. I didn’t like the concept of beauty/weight = worth, so I swung the other way in not caring about body stewardship one bit.

But I started out the other way, caring too much about my health because I was too afraid to be fat & unloved.

The Truth Will Always Set Us Free

I can appreciate & love myself & feel pretty AS IS, while still honoring the gift God has given me with this body that He has “knit together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

This realization has given me SO MUCH FREEDOM & has sparked a new joy in life & a new joy in caring for my body, not to gain likes from others, but because it honors God’s workmanship.

In a life that pursues holiness, as God commands us in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be holy, for I am holy,” it is important that we begin to recognize what motivates our decisions. If we sense God nudging our heart to abstain & then we indulge, skinny or not, that is a choice led by gluttony. We are putting our trust in food (or, more accurately, ourselves), versus God.

God wants us to make healthy decisions. This also means to refrain from starving yourself to feel more worthy of love & affection.

When God nudges us with those warnings, it is not to control or restrict us for an arbitrary power trip, but because He sees clearly the consequences of that decision that may be hidden to us in that moment.

Heed His voice!

Your Weight Does Not Determine Your Worth

Don’t let cravings trump your trust in our Loving God Almighty.

Don’t let cravings make your decisions for you.

Don’t let cravings (or craving for a lower number on the scale) tempt you to choose YOU over God.

Don’t let your cravings “solve” your problems rather than opening up to & leaning into God.

Your weight does NOT determine your worth.

BUT, take care of your body, knowing God made it for YOU.

Not perfection, but progress. And please know that these are just as much reminders for me.

Shine HOPE by letting GOD determine Truth—NOT the standards of others.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Hey! Check out the newly updated Resources & Recommendations page!***)

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Customizable Hoops (India)

Designed to wear alone or customize by adding mix & match charms like our Darling Charm Set, these classic gold-tone hoops from India are a versatile & stylish must-have accessory! Each hoop features an “easy-on & easy-off” open hoop design to make switching up your style simple & quick! Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.

Darling Charm Set sold separately.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase these earrings & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

The Wiles of the Devil

I have to admit: Satan is smart. He knows where to hit & how to subtly convince us of things that are just not true.

And something he has successfully deceived me about in the past were all of the many “reasons” why a pursuit of holiness was something I did NOT want to pursue.

Is this something you can at all relate to? Do you feel a stubbornness ignite within you whenever the thought of pursuing holiness comes up? Do you feel overwhelmed by it? Does it make you cringe?

In all honesty, I have felt all of those things & more.

When I thought of holiness in the past, so many emotions were quick to surface (encouraged by the lies I believed about it), drowning out even considering this idea any further.

So, today, I want to spend some time debunking the lies that breed these fears & concerns that Satan so craftily can convince us of if we are not on the lookout for his schemes.

Is Holiness Unattainable Though?

The first & most common offender (for me, at least), is overwhelm… that holiness “must be unattainable.”

When I hear this small, yet lofty, command to “be holy, for I am holy, in 1 Peter 1:16, I immediately flood with the recognition of my many faults, failures, pride, & stubborn nature, etc.. This FEAR rears up in me that I must be PERFECT to please God. And this idea is so daunting to me that it makes my head spin.

And when I feel overwhelmed, what is my first response to it? AVOIDANCE! (I adopt the children’s concept of, If I can’t see you, then you can’t see me!” & pretend that little verse must mean something else, so I’ll just breeze past it to where I feel more confident & comfortable.)

But, the verse remains right there in 1 Peter 1:16, doesn’t it?

If God Commands It… It’s Possible… With God’s Help

So, how do I combat this fear? How do I dislodge this doubt that Satan has so carefully embedded in my heart? This doubt that my sinful nature rears up at, wanting to choose ME over God?

“Jesus looked at them & said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

First, we must understand something VERY pivotal to this whole command for holiness: If God commands it, then it IS possible.

With God, All Things Are Possible

BUT, it is NOT possible in your own efforts! And it is NOT something you are entirely responsible for… It IS a cooperation with & reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, wisdom, strength, power, etc.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church & in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever & ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

And every single time that the Bible tells us to do something (aka how to be holy), “IN FAITH” or “BY FAITH,” God’s Word is not referring to a flimsy faith in yourself, but a faith in the ALMIGHTY God to help you carry it out… a faith that HE has what you need to carry it out & that HE will help you do it!

It’s a partnership born from humility & obedience to God.

It is a desire in your heart, manifested by the wisdom, direction, power, & strength that He provides. A partnership & a process that God will continue working in you as you seek to live for Him throughout your lifetime.

“… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Will This Isolate Me? Making Me Unrelatable?

So, with that relief, Satan was quick with more ammo… If I desire this life of pursuing holiness… won’t that make me unrelatable? Isolated?

Won’t people look at me, scoff, & say things like, “Who does this girl think she is?”

Won’t people think I am judging them constantly because I choose God over myself?

Won’t people shun me when confronted with their own unwillingness to surrender when they see me in pursuit of pleasing God?

Won’t I come off as arrogant & self-righteous?

Won’t all of this isolate me from others, rendering me completely unrelatable?

The answer isn’t simple. It’s yes AND no.

Yes AND No

Yes, some people may not understand & may think you believe yourself to be better than them, but others will see the humility it takes to surrender to God’s working out holiness in your life.

Yes, some people may feel “called out” for their own sinful choices, but others will be encouraged to repent & turn back to God for restoration & healing.

Yes, some people may feel threatened by your pursuit of holiness, but also others will be inspired by it.

Yes, you may lose some friends who want to live the bare minimum for God, but you will most likely gain more friends who are serious about wanting to please God with everything they can, with God’s help.

Know the Truth

And how does God sum up His commandments? Like this:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” … Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind.’ This is the first & greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law & the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Don’t let Satan trap you in his scheming tricks & lies. He is constantly roaming around, seeking who he may devour, & has come only to steal, kill, & destroy. (John 10:10)

“Be alert & of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

But Jesus came that He may give LIFE & to give it more ABUNDANTLY. (John 10:10)

God Is Good. God IS Love.

Seeking holiness may require some giving up of things, but not without replacing it with that which will breathe LIFE into your life. It’s a giving up of the LESSER for the FAR GREATER.

For God’s will is always for our good because HE is Good.

He loves us so much that KNOWING we would reject Him & choose ourselves over Him in so many ways big & small, He STILL created us AND MADE A WAY for us to be restored & redeemed, through the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ!

A God who loves you THAT much does not ask you to give up good things for worse things, but quite the OPPOSITE.

He asks us to give up things that don’t breathe LIFE into us, so that we can exchange those things for LIFE-giving alternatives.

Squashing Holiness Fears: Unattainable? Unrelatable? Isolating? NO!

Our obedience to Him is a blessing to us… not arbitrary control-trips by an arrogant god, but PURE WISDOM-formed commands by a loving, Almighty God who seeks our good.

Pursue holiness.

With God’s help.

With no ulterior motives.

Not for salvation.

Pursue holiness.

And SHINE HOPE that only comes in living for holiness… living a life that seeks to please God for only the reason of pleasing God–Because that is THE most loving thing you can do in this life.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Zoya Earrings (India)

Zoya means “shining, life” in Hindi. These stylishly stunning gold-toned earrings are handcrafted in India, featuring genuine freshwater pearls on a delicate linked-chain design. Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

(*Also Shown: 1/2 strands of the Ellora Necklace, hand-crafted in India.*)

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable Artisans in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase these earrings & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

Self-Effort

Self-effort is something I am far too prone to lean into.

I know this may sound silly, because pretty much everything requires self-effort, but what I mean is the tendency to RELY on self-effort, while NEGLECTING to lean into God’s lead & God’s help–& let me emphasize LEAD, here, because too often I come up with my own plans & then want God to bless them, rather than asking what HIS plan is & help in doing THAT.

In reading “Sit, Walk, Stand,” by Watchman Nee, I was reminded that Jesus is the Vine & we are the branches, as told to us in John 15:5… That we can do nothing apart from Him.

Take a Closer Look

Now, at first glance, this Truth that “apart from Him, we can do nothing” seems outlandishly false. I don’t ask for God’s help doing most everything I do, & yet, I still do it!

But, when we take a closer look at this, it becomes more & more clear that we actually don’t do ANYTHING without His help.

He made everything! (Psalm 104)

He created us, first of all, knitting us together in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)

He provided means to make our oxygen to breathe & lungs to breathe it. (Job 33:4; Acts 17:25; Psalm 104)

He knew all of our days before we had our first. (Psalm 139:16)

He prepared good works in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

He offered salvation that we could never earn ourselves. (Romans 5:8-9)

He gives us a brain to calculate & decide. He gives us our creativity to design. We were made in His likeness (Genesis 1:27)

He gives us our abilities & strengths & gifts & even opportunities! (Hebrews 13:20-21; 2 Peter 1:3)

Every good & perfect gift we have in our lives is from Him. (James 1:17)

He is our EVERYTHING.

And the fact that we believe any differently, that our life is about us, by us, or for us… is really a red flag for the pride in our hearts.

Because, in reality, He IS the Vine & we ARE the branches… & apart from Him, we can do NOTHING. (John 15:5)

We were made by Him to live for Him, through relying on Him. (Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36)

Leaning into Him, in Living FOR His Plans

We often lean into things we feel we are good at, where we feel most comfortable or capable, sometimes ignoring God’s nudge toward things that intimidate us.

Take this website & blog for example… It is a dream I have had since the late 2000’s & yet, to me, it seemed impossible then because I had ZERO idea how to do it!

But God was preparing my heart to trust Him with the details as He led me here. He put the steps in place & as He pointed the way, I walked.

He doesn’t put something on our hearts & then leave us to it, hoping we somehow figure it out or muster up enough bravery to face it. HE PREPARES us. HE LEADS us. HE ENABLES us.

Are You Ever Afraid to Ask God for His Will?

I don’t know about you, but there have been seasons in my life where I was actually AFRAID to ask God for guidance because I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I wouldn’t be able to do it.

How silly! How very much that displays my lack of trust in our Good God!

He does not live to embarrass us & make us squirm, giving us tasks He very well knows we canNOT handle, only to chuckle as we try or worse, blame us if we fail.

HE does the work. HE provides the wisdom. HE does the leading. HE provides the strength.

WE obey. WE trust. That’s OUR job in it!

We Can Ask Him with Full Confidence… in HIM!

And that is why we can have COMPLETE confidence when we go to God for guidance & help!

Because we know that:

1. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
2. He sees all the pieces at play in any given moment, even the parts of life coming where we are completely unawares.
3. He has perfect knowledge, perfect understanding, & perfect wisdom.
4. He CARES deeply for you. He IS love. He is Good.
5. He prepares the way for us & enables us where something may seem impossible.

In other words, where God leads, God provides.

The Example of Moses

Think of Moses. He wanted to help his people so badly after growing up with royalty while he watched his people be harshly treated. But when he handled things poorly, by reacting out of anger, bitterness, & hatred, he ran away. But God pursued his heart & called him to return & to lead his people to freedom, with God’s help.

Moses was of course nervous! He had killed a royal soldier. He had run away from home. His nationality was of the slaves, even though he grew up amongst the royals. Moses felt completely unworthy of such a huge task.

But, God knew that Moses but need to rely on GOD’s wisdom, guidance, strength, & power, NOT his own.

And not only did God give Moses the words to say to the Pharoah, He also provided the miracles Himself.

Moses’ job? Obey & trust GOD.

(Read the full story of Moses growing up with royalty & obeying God in following God’s lead to free the Israelites, with God’s help, in Exodus 1-14.)

Our Role Is Trust in & Obedience to God

That is our job in life: Obey & trust GOD.

But too often, we rely on SELF.

We either run life on auto-pilot, not taking much time to consider God’s will in any given moment….

Or, we see what He wants us to do & try to do it without His help or avoid it because we don’t see how to do it ourselves.

I run on auto-pilot A LOT… ESPECIALLY when God teaches me something, so I think, you know, “Thanks, God! I’ve got it from here!” oof

Or, I simply go through life living for comfort or fun, not really stopping to consider what God might want me to do differently, because I am too focused on protecting said comfort/fun in my life, not wanting those idols to be threatened.

Or, when I DO see that He wants me to do something differently, I don’t trust that it’s better than what I cling to, so I often choose to trust me over Him & His plan.

I wrestle against pride EVERY day in these ways.

God, forgive me!

And maybe I write about it too much, maybe I sound like a broken record, but it’s something of which I need to CONSTANTLY be reminding myself.

I NEED Him

I NEED to learn to bow to Him every morning for His day’s plan. I NEED to learn to bow down in every situation where I want to respond by gut reaction versus leaning into Him to love & work through me. I NEED to be willing to see that He is FAR better than my idols I cling to… that the chase for comfort & fun is always fleeting, but the peace & contentment that He nourishes within us are LASTING.

I NEED to OBEY & TRUST Him.

I NEED Him.

Who Is Master of Your Life?

What are you holding back from Him? Where do you determine you know better? Where do your self-efforts seem to shine their worst?

Repent. Confess them to God & ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to give you an awareness of when you are making these self-effort-decisions & ask Him to help you remember to humbly lean into Him instead of yourself.

His mercies are new every morning—Praise God for that! (Lamentations 3:22-24)

But let us not keep holding Him at arm’s length, as a our life preserver on board “in case of emergency.”

He alone is GOD.

He is our Vine, we are the branches. (John 15:5)

We can do NOTHING apart from Him.

So, shine HOPE by determining to live with Him as your Source, your Guide, & your Strength… to obey & trust HIM.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Luminous Studs (North Asia)

These 14k gold-plated mask-friendly studs are mesmerizing, as they sparkle in the light, creating iridescent shades that change with your every move. Every purchase helps support a sex trafficking survivor in North Asia with safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, & dignified income.

In North Asia, poverty encourages sexual exploitation of women in brothels. These women want to provide for their families but have few options. Your purchase helps provide sex trafficking survivors with holistic care, dignified income, & hope.

Purchase these earrings & empower a woman in North Asia!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

What Is Forgiveness?

Maybe you have heard me mention this before, but I have always struggled with this whole topic of forgiveness.

It’s not that I was trying to hold everything against everyone, it’s just that I didn’t understand it.

So, like most things I don’t understand, I have also been praying about it & asking God to help me understand this better.

Is Saying, “I Forgive You” Enough?

When I say that I didn’t really understand forgiveness, one of the reasons for this was because I couldn’t figure out if I was ACTUALLY forgiving someone when I was meaning to.

For example, I understood that saying “I forgive them,” is not the same as actually forgiving them, try as I might to be a “good Christian girl” & “forgive” out loud, it doesn’t count if I am inwardly seething, secretly rooting bitterness in my own heart.

And, since it doesn’t seem to make all the hurt stop when I forgive someone, I wondered if I was ACTUALLY forgiving them or just WANTING to “do the right thing.”

Forgiving Is Hard Sometimes

Another problem I suffered from was not wanting to forgive someone who seemed to not think they needed it one single bit. Say, for example, someone who I believed to love me but who harshly criticized me, thinking it was justified. (See: “Speak the truth, IN LOVE”—NOT one without the other.) (Ephesians 4:14-15)

“Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

When someone hurts me intentionally or unintentionally hurts me when in a bad mood (collateral damage) & then thinks because they were upset or because whatever reason, it was okay to hurt me… I really struggle to forgive there, if I am honest.

So, on one hand, I actually struggled WANTING to forgive in those situations, while also not being sure whether I forgave truthfully… because I could still feel the pang of deep hurt in my heart when the topic came up.

“The Unforgiving Servant”

I believe I have already covered not WANTING to forgive others, in my previous blog post: “Dealing with Unforgiveness,” based on the parable Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 18:21-35, in talking about how even if the person who hurt me sees complete justification in hurting me because of a “bad day” or whatever, & even if, in seeing their actions as wrong I want to hold on to it & treat their actions with the contempt it deserves… that God ALSO sees it was wrong, DOESN’T need me to hold on to it for Him, AND can handle the situation & their heart-change MUCH better than I can.

THAT is how we can forgive, even when they aren’t remorseful one single bit. Because we can trust a HOLY & JUST God to handle it far better than we ever could…. AND because He forgave US an even bigger debt that was against HIM.

But, that still doesn’t address the other side to my struggle to understand forgiveness: Is it really considered forgiveness, if afterwards I still feel hurt inside my heart? Can I honestly say I have let it go if I am still hurting?

And God has helped me SO much with understanding this very thing.

God Hears Our Prayers & Leads Us

This last Sunday, we weren’t able to attend church because our pastor was sick & these days, you have to be a little extra careful, so, my husband & I tuned in to my parents’ church online.

Back in June/July, we attended Grace Baptist Church, in Virginia, & had the privilege of listening to the pastor’s series then on the Lord’s Prayer, from Matthew 6:5-15. Well, we weren’t around for the entire series (All SO good–convicting AND encouraging), so this past Sunday, I tried to find where we had left off in that series.

But, in God’s perfect providence, I got the date wrong & selected one we had already heard. And guess what the topic was… Yep: FORGIVENESS.

God knows our hearts & what we need! And HE guides us as we seek Him as our help!

Anyway, ten minutes in or so, we figured it out, but we were encouraged by the message & felt it was good & worthy of the reminders, so we continued on anyway… & boy am I so glad we did!

God is so great. I had ALREADY heard this sermon, & yet it somehow took on new life in my heart this time around. (Much like God’s Word! We may not understand something, but the more times we read it through, as we seek His guidance & growth, the more it is illuminated in our hearts. His LIVING Word! (Hebrews 4:12))

I am so thankful for this, because as I listened, God answered my question of how I could say I have forgiven if I still hurt.

(You can find the first sermon in this series by going to Gracehome.org, clicking menu, clicking sermons, & in Categories, beginning on June 6, 2021– or, click HERE to download this particular sermon that I am referencing today.)

How to Know If Your Forgiveness Is Genuine

The pastor reminded us of what forgiveness IS: forgiveness is canceling a debt, saying they don’t owe you for their wrong against you anymore. Forgiveness is taking a loss. Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself & to the other person, by not holding it over their head.

But, in forgiving the other person, not holding their wrong against them as a debt owed you, it doesn’t mean there won’t still be a wound left behind that needs healing.

And how do we heal? We take that wound to God & ask Him to help heal you… ask Him for guidance on how to heal that wound.

So, how do you know if you have honestly forgiven someone, versus just SAYING you forgive them because God TELLS us to forgive others? (Matthew 18:21-22; Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 6:14-15)

Ask yourself: “Am I still holding this against them? Do I still feel like they owe me something for this wrong?”

If you answered, “yes,” then you haven’t sincerely forgiven them.

If you answered, “no,” but you still feel a sharp ache left behind in your heart, then ask God to help you address it & heal from the hurt caused you.

God Heals the Brokenhearted

I get it. There are some hurts that run pretty deep in my heart. And although I can honestly say I am not holding it against them anymore, it doesn’t change the fact that their words left scars on my heart that still ache at times.

But God is our Healer. He is wise & able. I can trust Him to heal me & grow me, to work “all things together for the good of those who love Him & are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I can trust Him.

“He heals the brokenhearted & binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;….” (Philippians 1:6)

What Does It Mean to Forgive?

If that hurt cuts so deeply that you really wrestle against wanting to forgive that person, I get that… I really do.

But in that unwillingness to forgive, we need to repent. We need to confess that bitterness to God & ask for forgiveness from Him.

We need to be careful not to become the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18, wanting forgiveness, but unwilling to give it. God forgave us SO MUCH. We DESERVE Hell & yet He offers grace through the SACRIFICE of Jesus on our behalf, who DIED for it (& rose again).

God commands us to forgive because He knows we are forgiven despite being undeserving. And because He knows a lack of forgiveness only causes even more pain.

We can trust His judgements. We can trust His will. We can trust His commands.

But even if we don’t FEEL like we can trust Him, we should still obey because feel it or not, HE IS RIGHT… 100% always.

Shine HOPE by offering forgiveness, even if it isn’t deserved, because God in Christ forgave you.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Customizable Hoops (Golden) (India)

Designed to wear alone or to customize by adding mix & match charms like our Darling Charm Set (golden discs from set shown), these classic gold-tone hoops from India are a versatile & stylish must-have accessory! Each hoop features an “easy-on & easy-off” open hoop design to make switching up your style simple & quick! Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.

(Darling Charm Set sold separately.)

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase these earrings & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

What Comes After the Gospel?

Okay, last week we talked about THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that could ever be talked about: the Gospel, in “Why the Gospel Is Such a Big Deal.”

So, it only seems logical that we talk about what’s next… what comes AFTER we surrender to the hope of the Gospel: repenting of our sin, believing that Jesus died on our behalf & rose victorious over both sin AND death, surrendering to HOPE… what comes next?

God Is Perfectly Holy

This topic of holiness is something that I quite frankly have misunderstood my entire life.

I sort of understood the idea that GOD is holy… although the impact of that fact still somewhat eludes me & although I strive to learn, will probably never FULLY get it.

God is holy. He is perfect. He is without fault or sin (Psalm 92:15). He CANNOT do evil. There is NO darkness in Him, only Light (1 John 1:5). He never has sinned & never will (2 Corinthians 5:21). He CAN’T sin. He is the definition of complete perfection in every single way. ALL of His ways are Good & done in perfect wisdom & Truth.

BUT, then this little verse comes along, in 1 Peter 1:16, where God tells us, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Ooof.

Does the Idea of Holiness Make You Anxious?

Considering all that makes up the pure holiness of God, right away I need only review even just a brief snippet of my life (of today even), to feel completely overwhelmed by this command to BE HOLY.

How in the world am I supposed to live up to THAT?!

Well, first, let’s take it back to the Truth that gives us hope on this venture, the phrase I will keep repeating: “Our only hope is JESUS.” HE is our holiness before a perfect, holy GOD ALMIGHTY.

“For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus].” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

When we turn to, surrender to, & accept JESUS as our Hope (the Gospel), God credits JESUS’ holiness as OURS.

So, this is not a call to be holy OR ELSE. It’s not a threat, because Jesus already paid our debts in full.

But, we ought not stop there, beautiful lady.

Why Is Holiness Such a Big Deal?

If holiness doesn’t save us… what is the whole point of holiness? Why is holiness such a big deal?

Because we know. We know what we were saved from. We know what we deserved & the mercy that covered us. We know Hell was our path, but that Jesus gave His own life for our debt.

Because it’s commanded by God, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

Because we know it pleases Him.

What Is Holiness

Holiness is a longing… a striving… a journey… & not one done in our solitary efforts.

Holiness is worked out in us through the work of the Holy Spirit, Who gently leads, gently prunes, gently replaces the old you with a new you. (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Holiness is a partnership with God… a striving to live a life that pleases Him & to do only what pleases Him.

Holiness is striving to do ONLY what pleases God for ONLY the purpose of pleasing God… not for salvation, not to manipulate Him to answer our prayers, not to be “good enough”, not to be a “good” person… but only for the purpose of pleasing God.

We won’t always get it right. We’re not perfect. But it’s a pursuit well worth our efforts.

What Pleases God?

How do we know what pleases God, though?

The age-old answer: Read/study/meditate on the BIBLE (aka absolute Truth/the Word of God) & talk to Him/spend time with Him, by being still with Him.

And also, make sure to ask God to help you find a church that determines to teach from the Bible, not changing the Bible to fit culture, but seeking to change culture to fit the Bible. We’re easier to trick when we stand alone. God continually emphasizes the need for church fellowship throughout the Bible. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Holy Spirit guides & affirms us in our efforts to live a holy life. The Bible tells us to acknowledge God in all our ways & He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6). That means, acknowledge that He alone is God & therefore He alone knows what ought to be done or how something ought to be handled. He will help teach you what pleases Him as you continue to seek Him in this pursuit.

Crave Revival–A Renewed Surrender & Closeness with God Our Father

When I first began this journey of holiness, in working through the “Seeking Him” study by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth & Tim Grissom, I was SUPER convicted when they addressed pride with God. I knew I struggled, but WOW.

This led me to realize that I was SERIOUSLY down-playing God’s PERFECT HOLINESS & not taking my personal journey for holiness serious enough!

It’s easy to feel good compared to people who express a lack of desire to grow at all in this area… but when compared to God? I FAIL… COMPLETELY… like NOT EVEN CLOSE to being good. And OOF, that hurt.

In praying to understand God’s holiness better, He led me to begin reading, “The Pursuit of Holiness,” by Jerry Bridges. (DEFINITELY & HIGHLY RECOMMEND.)

CRAVE REVIVAL!

God Beckons

As we seek to live a holy life (one that pleases God in everything) & as we seek to understand God’s PERFECT holiness, our own impurity & imperfections will become magnified, creating in us a grief as seen in Isaiah, when he encountered God’s splendor & holiness. (Isaiah 6)

And Satan will try to tell you to turn away from God, to accept your shame & never return… but God gently beckons us home to Him, saying, “Yes, My child, Jesus died for that, too. Repent & return to Me.”

“His mercies are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) THANK GOD for THAT!

And God comforts us, in Matthew 5:4, when He says, “Blessed are those who mourn [over their sin], because they will be comforted.” God doesn’t leave us in our own muck. He offers us comfort, healing, restoration, & growth through our human imperfections, through the Holy Spirit’s work in us.

(*Read my former post on “Matthew 5-The Ladder of Growth,” here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)

Heed the Call: Humble Yourself & Pray for a Revival of Your Heart for God

So, my call to you (& ME) is this: Strive to “be holy, for God is holy” (1 Peter 1:16) & ask for God’s help AS you do it.

He is gentle & kind & ALMIGHTY & completely worthy of our pursuit.

What are you holding back from God?

Jerry Bridges mentioned in his book:

“If there is not, then, at least a yearning in our hearts to live a holy life pleasing to God, we need to seriously question whether our faith in Christ is genuine.”

(The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges, p. 33)

For, while the Bible tells us that salvation is of God, not of works, so that no man may boast… He also tells us in, “Faith without works is dead.”

If you say you believe but don’t live what you claim to believe… can you really genuinely claim to believe?

“Jesus says:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, & done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

(The Holy Bible, NKJV, Matthew 7:21-23)

Shine Hope, by Striving to Live a Holy Life

Do you long for holiness? To grow in holiness?

What is holding you back?

Humble yourself before God & repent of any pride that is holding you back from this pursuit.

God is worthy of our pursuit of holiness.

Shine HOPE by striving to live a life that pleases God for only the purpose of pleasing God.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Zoya Earrings (India)

Zoya means “shining, life” in Hindi. These stylishly stunning gold-toned earrings are handcrafted in India, featuring genuine freshwater pearls on a delicate linked-chain design. Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable Artisans in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase these earrings & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

Let’s Start from the Top

Just so we’re on the same page here, the Gospel… aka the Good (so good it almost seems impossible) News… is a gift that God offers each of us, but it has to be accepted for it to make any difference in your life. (Romans 10:9)

Maybe you heard that long ago, there was a Garden of Eden, with the first human beings created by God: Adam & Eve. (Genesis 2-3)

And Eve bought the lies that Satan (through the serpent) fed her as he worked to create doubt for God in her mind… And she ate up his lies, let her doubts lead the way, & ate the fruit from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil.” And Adam ate also.

Because of this, mankind now has a recognition of Good & Evil in the world. And what once was meant to be complete surrender to Him handling everything, became a desire for us to take the reins from God & fix it our own way… To run our life “better,” as if we suddenly knew better than the One who made us, the world, & everything in it.

And there was a consequence to this… Sin brings death (even death IN LIFE). Sin’s consequence is Hell, for eternity. Because sin is “missing the mark,” or, not quite doing it God’s way, but doing it ours instead. Taking the lead. Trying to usurp the throne for ourselves, from GOD. (Romans 6:23)

(*To read why this was a display of God’s goodness & love, read my previous post on this topic: “Garden of Eden: What Was So Wrong with Eating That Fruit?”)

Sin Is… But God

Sin is foolish. Sin is arrogant. Sin expresses the false belief that we somehow “know better” than Eternal, Almighty God.

Sin deserves Hell.

But.

But, God.

God knew. He KNEW this would be the choice made. He KNEW we would continue to choose us over complete surrender to Him as KING Almighty.

And although He knew we would decide this… And although He knew we could never pay this debt we owe… He knew HE would need to pay our debt… to make a WAY.

And, because He LOVES US SO MUCH, He made us anyway… & a plan for our redemption… to restore us to Him. (Romans 6:23)

God’s Plan from Before Time: Jesus

His plan was Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son… equally God AND man. (1 Timothy 3:16) Emmanuel-God with Us. (Isaiah 7:14) Part of the eternal Trinity of God the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

And when the time was right, in God’s perfect judgement, after decades of demonstrating that no matter how we as mankind may try, we always fail to earn our own redemption… Jesus was born (the reason we celebrate Christmas) to virgin Mary (a miracle done by God) (Isaiah 7:14) & lived a humble, serving, giving life speaking HIS (aka THE) TRUTH, God’s Word, to everyone who would listen, while healing & gently loving everyone He met… demonstrating to us, in bodily form, His great, GREAT love for us… But there’s more.

At the end of His ministry on earth, He gave up His life. He died an excruciating, gut-wrenching death for us on a cross. He took our sin upon His own shoulders, agreeing to take the weight of our debt upon Himself, paying OUR price.

He was beaten, spit on, whipped with shards, mocked, betrayed, abandoned, bruised for our transgressions. Pierced for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace, was on Him. He gave His all for us. (Isaiah 53)

Jesus Is Our Continual & Eternal Hope

But, it doesn’t end there, because JESUS CHRIST is LORD. And, as He promised, He ROSE AGAIN (the reason we celebrate Easter), victorious over sin AND death! Our Victor! Our Healer! Our KING! (Mark 9:31; Luke 24)

You see, He came… not to CONDEMN the world, but to SAVE it. (John 3:17)

He demonstrated His great love for us in that WHILE we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

HE is THE Way, THE Truth, & THE Life… & NO ONE comes to the Father, EXCEPT through HIM. (John 14:6)

He is seated in the heavenly places VERY MUCH ALIVE. Reigning over ALL. (Ephesians 2:6-7)

We can trust Him.

We can rely on Him.

We can count on Him.

We can lean into Him.

HE is why we can rejoice. HE is how we can find FREEDOM. (Galatians 5:1) HE is why we can have HOPE.

He brings us LIFE, in the now & in eternity. (Matthew 16:25)

How to ACCEPT This Gift of God

But… as I mentioned at the start of this post… you have to first ACCEPT His free gift… because you can’t earn it.

How?

You agree with God about your SIN… that you have indeed “missed the mark” & usurped His rightful throne in your heart.

You repent to God of your sin… ask forgiveness, in humility, & TURN from that sin! (This doesn’t mean you will suddenly become perfect & will never mess up again, but it DOES mean that you agree with God about it being sin & agree to submit under His lead, agreeing with His Word, the Bible, as Truth, & to let Him help you along the way, growing in obedience to Him. Satan will try to convince you to avoid God when you mess up, but God always whispers, “Come home, my child. Jesus paid for that, too. Repent & Return to Me.”) (1 John 1:9; Romans 10:9-13; Luke 15:11-32)

And finally, you ask God to take over as LORD of your life, believing that Jesus died for you & rose again! He is faithful, ALWAYS & without any fail (1 Corinthians 1:9; Deuteronomy 7:9; Matthew 28:20) . HE is faithful to continue a good work in you (Philippians 1:3-7), the old you passing away & a new you taking its place as He, through the Holy Spirit’s work, guides & shapes you in life (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Don’t Wait for an Unpromised Tomorrow

Don’t let Satan convince you you’re too far gone. No one is.

Don’t let Satan convince you that your sin is too great. God is greater.

Don’t let Satan convince you that you can find what you’re longing for elsewhere… anything else will always come up short & leave you empty & longing (& hurting).

Don’t let Satan convince you that “living it up” will somehow fulfill you. It won’t. It Can’t. (Matthew 16:25) (Trust me, I’ve tried!)

Don’t let Satan convince you that being a “good” person &/or that works are enough. God says it is by faith, & not works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)… & that no one is Good except One—GOD. (Matthew 10:18; Luke 18:19–Note: Jesus is God, but He knew the man with whom He was speaking saw Him as JUST a teacher, so Jesus was calling out this false belief.)

Don’t let Satan convince you that you need to wait another day. You’re not promised to even live through the end of this post. Life is but a vapor, here today & gone tomorrow. (James 4:13-14)

–Agree with God. Repent. Surrender. LIVE.– (John 10:10)

Why the Gospel Is Such a Big Deal

Since I surrendered to Jesus Christ, I have made MANY mistakes. But I no longer live to make them. I no longer feel like I am pushing down guilt & shame. I feel free. I feel loved & accepted. I feel forgiven. I feel HOPE. Learning & growing in my obedience to Him gives me LIFE. It’s not a life-stealer, serving Him is a life-giver. (Matthew 16:25)

Hope against ALL the odds.

Because when Jesus came to die for you & for me… that is exactly what He came to offer us: HOPE.

And THAT is why the Gospel is SUCH a big deal.

Shine Hope by sharing the Gospel, aka Good News… & by living it every single day.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Radiant Necklace Set (Middle Layer of 3 Shown) (India)

On-trend set of 3 layered necklaces that can be worn together or separately, featuring a labradorite stone, hammered discs, & a blue topaz crystal drop.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase this set & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

The Subtlety of Sin

My heart has been convicted recently: I struggle to praise God when I struggle.

Maybe you can relate to that? Or maybe my confession seems reasonable & not necessarily something to even feel convicted about.

But it is.

Why? Because the difficulty I consistently experience in praising God in my storms expresses that those are areas where I don’t trust Him.

As if to say, “because this didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, God must not [care/be able to do better/know what He’s doing/etc.].”

Praise expresses the exact opposite opinion of God. Praise says, “because this didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, God must [care enough to do His better plan over mine/ have a better plan than mine/know better than me/etc.].“

The Dangers of Refraining from Praise

But, as I mentioned, I have been feeling convicted about this because rather than praise, I complain. And not only does complaining show my lack of trust in God, but it opens myself to be vulnerable to Satan’s exploitation of my lack of trust in God.

Opening myself to Satan’s attacks means I am more vulnerable against my struggle with depression, with fear & anxiety & worry. It means I get easily frustrated &/or imbittered.

It makes me doubt God & begin to pull back from Him rather than drawing nearer.

Praise Him in the Storm

We are called to praise Him, even in HARD times, because it puts God back on His throne in our hearts. It reassures us that God has a plan & He knows what He’s doing… that He very much DOES care. It puts our trust back in Him & not in either our circumstances or in ourselves.

And not only does it return God to His rightful place as God in our hearts, but it serves to comfort & reassure us, knowing no matter how hard it is–it’s in His hands.

How Can We Praise Him When It Hurts?

But HOW can I PRAISE while I weep? How can I praise Him while my heart breaks & pain courses through me relentlessly, in the MIDST of great loss or heartache? How can I praise Him while I am hurting?

Prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Resist the devil & he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

The Holy Spirit interprets the groanings of our hearts. (Romans 8:26-27)

TURN TO God when pain hits. Ask for His comfort & wisdom & guidance & peace IN IT. (Proverbs 3:6)

And start reminding yourself of Truth… Truth of WHO GOD IS. (Psalm 77:11; Psalm 105:5)

Let the Words of My Mouth… Be Acceptable in Your Sight

“Let the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength & my Redeemer.” (Psalm19:14)

God, You are Almighty (Isaiah 6:3). God, You work ALL things together for the good of those who love You & who are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). You are GOOD (Luke 18:19). You saved me from Hell (John 3:17). You paid my debts (John 3:16). You rescued me (Galatians 1:4). You heal & bind up wounds (Psalm 147:3). You are my Strong Tower (Psalm 59:9). You are my Refuge & Strength & very present Help in time of need (Psalm 46:1). You are with me always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). You are eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27). You alone are God (Psalm 83:18). Your ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Nothing can separate me from Your love (Romans 8:38-39). You are amazing God!

PRAISE Him IN the storm! Turn your eyes to Him. PRAISE HIM.

Will I Praise Him in the Storm? Do I Trust God?

Do you trust Him? REALLY trust Him? Even when all seems to be falling apart?

Do you trust Him?

Shine HOPE into your own heart in the midst of dark situations by determining to trust Him & praise Him—even in the storm.

((NOTE: To read several verses about what God’s Word, the Bible, says about PRAISE, check out this link. (I cannot vouch for this website as a whole because I am not familiar with it, but I found this compilation of verses to be a good resource. Or, try a concordance or an internet search about PRAISE in the Bible.))

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Northern Lights Studs (India)

These studs hold labradorite stone, displaying multiple captivating colors that vary in different exposures to light, just like the Northern Lights themselves.

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase these studs & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

Keep Your “WHY” in Life Fresh

This topic is relevant to everyone, whether it be a regular church-goer, a famous Christian artist/author/speaker, or even a pastor.

And it’s something I have had to face up to lately… with myself.

God has something to say about this topic, in Revelation 2:2-5:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, & that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles & are not, & have found them liars; & you have persevered & have patience, & have labored for My name’s sake & have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent & do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly & remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” (emphasis mine)

Don’t Leave Your First Love

You see, it’s easy to get into the routine of serving Him… & doing so until it becomes just a routine.

I have to make the continual choice to choose Him & His kingdom first.

This means no running on autopilot… no “finding what works” & just sticking to that.

This means getting fresh direction & guidance from God, through maintaining regular reading of His Word & talking to Him (prayer), willing to let Him interrupt your current track for His plan.

His Great Love for Me (& You)

When I designed & launched this website several years ago now, I was coming out of a pretty dark time in my life, consumed by bitterness & stress that I didn’t know how to manage. And seeing Him grow me through such dark pain really reignited my trust in & love for Him, seeing that when I had nothing, I had everything with Him.

He was my strength & wisdom & hope when I had none to muster from within myself.

He loved me first. He was my first love. His love & care sparked my own love for & trust in Him… & out of that came this website.

What God Wants

But I have to be careful, because my heart is prone to wander.

I get wrapped up in distractions, I find a new normal that works & stick to it… & I begin to rely on my routines & habits & distractions rather than on Him.

It is true that God tells us to live righteously, to live according to His laws… but that doesn’t save me. Jesus saved me.

God sees my heart… my motivations. He knows what drives me.

He is not looking for just good behavior, but continual love for & obedience to Him.

And while I have been running this blog with a heart of obedience, praying for His guidance & help when I get stuck… I have also felt my heart begin to harden.

My Wandering Heart

I have begun to choose ME a little more often.

I have heard His gentle whisper on my heart & ignored it for my way… for comfort… for ease.

I have heard Him nudging me gently with conviction to turn back to Him… & I made choices to keep going anyway.

Satan is so subtle & I am so quick to listen to him tell me the lie that ignoring God is the easier, better route… not in outright sins, but in small ways of creating a pattern of shutting out God’s voice for my own.

He Is Our VINE

And I have noticed the result of shutting out His loving nudges for my comfort/ease. Choosing me over God makes me more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, when Satan exploits my weaknesses.

I am more easily triggered by my past traumas. I am more prone to being short-tempered or easily offended. I get hurt more easily because I am feeling more insecure. I fill up with anxiety & feel the tempting pulls of depression nipping at my heels. Instead of peace, I feel uprooted & drifting, full of uncertainty.

These are the results of me trying to do life MY way & without God’s help. He is my Counselor & Friend. He is my Healer, my Father, my Redeemer. He alone has perfect wisdom & Truth.

And when I reject Him, even little by little in small decisions, I am literally removing myself as a branch from my life-nourishing, life-giving Vine.

He feeds my soul. He gives me life.

That’s why He DEMANDS my obedience… because without living His way & His Truth, I am pulling away from my true source of LIFE. I am hurting myself.

Don’t Fluff Up Sin–Call It Out & Turn from It!

Oh how it must pain Him to see me stubbornly pull away when all He wants to do is fill where I lack, lift me up, & love me with His Truth.

I have a rebellious & stubborn heart, prone to wander, prone to choose me over God’s ways a million times until I have exhausted myself & cry out to God for help. That’s me. & I’m not proud of it.

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, & stubbornness is as iniquity & idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected thee from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23) (Ouch.)

And when I started the “Seeking Him” study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss & Tim Grissom, where it has you catalog all your “dirty laundry” mistakes & hard-heartedness, I felt attacked, wanting to donate the book & just move on with my life. I felt despair that although I answered all of the questions, I felt the reared-up tension of not wanting to change, of wanting MY way. I didn’t feel shame or remorse, I felt angry & protective over it.

Even KNOWING it was for my GOOD!

Break Up That Fallow Ground!

And then I read the last page of today’s work page, finishing up Week 1 of the study, & it directed me to Hosea 10:12-13:

“Sow for yourselves righteousness;

Reap in mercy;

Break up your fallow ground,

For it is time to seek the Lord,

Till He comes & rains righteousness on you.

You have plowed wickedness;

You have reaped iniquity.

You have eaten the fruit of lies,

Because you trusted in your own way….” (emphasis mine)

Wow, if this doesn’t just get right to the point, huh? I DID. I HAVE been trusting my own way… & I AM seeing negative consequences as a result!

Let’s Break It Down

And today’s lesson then led me through this list, encouraging me to turn from that “trusting my own way” to GOD’S WAY (summary):

1-Return to righteousness & obey God

2-Accept God’s mercy & forgive others

3-Allow God to plow up your hardened heart

4-Grieve over your sins

5-Ponder the consequences of disobedience you’re experiencing

6-Accept responsibility for those consequences

7-Seek God & His kingdom as priority

So today, I start by admitting to you & God where my heart has been rebellious, taking responsibility for my wrong actions & for the consequences of quick frustration, anxiousness, & hard-heartedness I am experiencing.

Today, I want to change. I want God to revive my heart & bring me back to my love for Him as my “First Love.”

I Want HIM–Jesus Christ as #1

I want HIM to guide my steps, even if that means skipping tv, videos, or game-playing when He prods my heart to do so even if for a reason unbeknownst to me.

I want HIM to guide my steps, even if that means not caving at the first sign of a terrible food decision.

I want HIM to guide my steps, even if that means feeling uncomfortable speaking Truth & Hope into a situation where I would usually keep quiet because I want to be liked.

I need this fallow ground of my HARD HEART to be broken up & I need to RETURN to my First Love.

It’s Time to Desire Revival

God gave everything for me, for us. He made me knowing He would also have to save me. He is so faithful & patient & kind while I am prone to wander & ignore Him.

It’s time for revival.

Are you with me? —Even on our “good days”, there always seems to be that little something we want to hold back from God… what is that in your life?

Pray about it & ask for God to show you… Ask for revival in your heart. Ask Him to revive & renew a steadfast spirit within you (Psalm 51:10), one that seeks His kingdom first & acknowledges Him in ALL things (Matthew 6:33).

To love the LORD you God with all of your heart & all of your mind & all of your soul & all of your strength (Mark 12:30-31), having no other “gods” before Him (Exodus 20:3).

HE is the way, the Truth, & the Life (John 14:6). He is our True VINE (John 15:5).

He is a life-giver, Sustainer, Healer, Friend, Awesome God, Almighty in Power & Wisdom & Strength. He is the One true King. He is GOD.

Thank You JESUS, for saving me! (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; John 3:16)

Shine Hope by letting God break up your fallow ground (packed down, hardened heart) & asking Him to renew a fresh love for Him as your highest priority & love in life.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Luminous Studs (North Asia)

These 14k gold-plated mask-friendly studs are mesmerizing, as they sparkle in the light, creating iridescent shades that change with your every move.

Every purchase helps support a sex trafficking survivor in North Asia with safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, & dignified income. In North Asia, poverty encourages sexual exploitation of women in brothels. These women want to provide for their families but have few options. Your purchase helps provide sex trafficking survivors with holistic care, dignified income, & hope.

Purchase these earrings & empower a woman in North Asia!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

A Dangerous Misunderstanding

It is common to hear the phrase “we need to have more faith.” It is even common to tell ourselves we need to “have more faith,” but while this phrase is well-meaning, it is often misleading.

This call to “have more faith” is misleading because it can lead us to believe the exact opposite of what God tells us….

Jesus even told His disciples that they don’t need more faith, when they asked Him to help them have more faith. (Luke 17:5-6)

I understand where this idea to “have more faith” came from, because we are told to “just have faith” & so that often translates into, “well then, I need to have MORE faith, then!”

You may be thinking, “okay, but is it really a “dangerous” misunderstanding?” Most certainly yes!

God made a point to include this quick exchange between Jesus & His disciples because He knew we are prone to place the burden on ourselves instead of on Him… That Satan would exploit situations where we don’t get what we pray for, convincing us that it’s all our fault & if we just had more faith THEN we would get what we want from God….

It’s no bueno (no good). The rally cry for “more faith” really teaches us to have more faith in OURSELVES, if you think about it.

Listen to the Bible

The Bible expresses to us that we actually DON’T need more faith, as Jesus said in Luke 17… but that what we need is faith more often… & even a corrected perspective of God, based on God’s Word–the Bible.

I grew up believing the lie to “have more faith,” believing that everything relied upon me believing in God hard enough… placing the burden on my own shoulders.

And while God does tell us repeatedly to submit to Him & His way… & to place our hope & trust in Him, which is also hard sometimes, God never tells us that His work depends on US believing “enough,” because it doesn’t.

“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ & it will move; & nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus says this because He knows the Truth that God’s working is not reliant on the power of our faith, but on HIS POWER.

So much of the Bible is spent highlighting all the many scenarios in which we should stop trusting in our plan, our wisdom, our way, our efforts… & instead, LEARN to trust GOD & do what GOD says.

God Does What He Says He Will. Period.

You see, our level of faith or the amount of faith we have does not add to or take away from God’s power. His action or inaction is not hinging on this “more faith.”

He works according to His promises. Period. He does what He says He will. Period. And He will do so every single time. Period.

In reading “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee (short book, but Powerful Insight–highly recommend), the author even gives us this hint in saying that because God is faithful to His promises 100% of the time, our petitions should contain less pleading & more praising, knowing that we do not have to convince God to do what He says He will do.

So, when we use this phrase of “we need to have more faith,” we need to also understand this to mean that we do not need more faith, but rather, we need to have faith more often.

Don’t Doubt God… & Pray/Ask According to His Promises

My prayers growing up expressed my misunderstanding of this phrase because I constantly felt like “God must not have answered my way because I am not believing hard enough in Him.”

Well, the Bible tells us that we do not get what we ask because we ask amiss (James 4:3), which means that if we are asking for something that is not in God’s perfect wisdom & will, to use selfishly or self-centeredly, then we won’t get it.

And PRAISE God for that! Because when we ask “amiss” it is because we are thinking & planning & solving in just our limited perspective, knowledge, & understanding, whereas God sees, knows, & understands literally EVERYTHING past, present, AND future. So, PRAISE God that He does not give us what we ask when we “ask amiss.”

God knows the perfect answer to everything, even if it’s not how we’ve decided is best.

We are also instructed to pray without doubting (James 1:6), meaning that if we know God promised something & so we ask Him to carry it out in a certain situation accordingly, doubting is basically asserting the idea that God may not be faithful, which is offensive & dishonoring at best. So, when you ask, ask in faith, trusting God to keep His Word.

Not More Faith, But Faith More Often

But, you might be wondering, how can we insure that we don’t “ask amiss” & how do we avoid doubting God will answer us a certain way?

The simple answer? We need to study God’s Word, memorize it, & get to know it. We need to spend time with God & His Truth–the Bible.

We need to get to know the Bible & His promises to then know how to ask rightly & with CONFIDENCE, without doubting, to ask God of things we know He will carry out. And as our fruit, we can begin to have faith MORE OFTEN.

Shine HOPE by having faith more often.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Andean Drop Earrings (Peru)

Handcrafted by our newest Artisan partners in Peru, these unique statement earrings are showstoppers with 24k gold-plated oval studs & framed teardrop chrysocolla stones. Hammered metal & natural variations of swirling green chrysocolla add “Old World” charm to these ethically made earrings. (Designed to pair with our Andean Ring.)

Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in Peru.

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!