How Much Does God Actually Want to Interact with Our Lives?

Growing up, I really didn’t think of God much beyond the fact that Jesus had died for my sins so that I could go to heaven someday.

I knew I *ought* to read the Bible & pray, but not why. Just felt it was what a “good Christian person” does… not much beyond that.

I also understood that I was supposed to live in a way that pleased God, so… try to be a nice person, try not to break His laws/commandments, & make good choices that would make Him happy.

Then there’s tithe, to support my local church… go to church on Sundays… pray before a meal… serve somehow, some way… pray when I’m scared of the dark or of a nightmare (I used to have chronic nightmares).

Other than that… well, I didn’t really think God was much involved in my life. More like a distant overseer who would let me into heaven someday because of what Jesus did for me.

What Can Prayer Actually Do?

I also REALLY didn’t understand the purpose of prayer, or even the point of it sometimes (I mean, He already knows my thoughts anyway).

(***You can read 3 previous blog posts on the topic of prayer, here: “What Even Is Prayer?” “What Is Prayer & Why Does It Matter?” “‘Pray Continually’–What Does Prayer Actually Accomplish?” ***)

So, thinking about God as a part of my daily life just seemed sort of not really a thing.

But, the more I read the Bible, the more I pray, & the more years that pass as someone seeking to know Him more & more… the more I have realized just how personal & involved God wants to be in our lives… if we but let Him.

Think of the verses in the Bible about “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) this isn’t some sort of “stay knelt at the edge of your bed with your hands clasped & your eyes closed… & never EVER leave there.” This is a “instead of just inner dialogue, recognize God hears every thought & turn those thoughts toward conversation with Him.”

Learn from Those in the Bible Who Turned to God in Prayer about EVERYTHING… Vs Those Who Didn’t… (Sometimes the Same Person Did Both)

My husband & I read a chapter of the Bible together every night before bed, followed by our thoughts on what we’d read & then we take turns praying over our next day & thanking Him… & we just finished 2 Chronicles.

Just reading about all of the kings throughout Israel’s history during that time period, you see the good, the bad, & the UGLY (like burning your children alive to “appease” false “gods” UGH).

But what these chapters show over & over again is what God can do with a life willing to go to Him with every thought, every question, every struggle… willing to humble yourself before God with everything… & when they didn’t, like near the end of 2 Chronicles (2 Chronicles 35) (also, see David’s story), even when warned that it was God’s leading & to not try to stop it… instead of stopping to confirm with God, Josiah got himself killed. Every decision should go before the King of kings… not just doing what seems right to us.

The Patterns of the World?

Or how about the many repeated times where the phrase “& the people did what was right in their own eyes” shows up? (Judges 21:25) I always pictured it talking about orgies & other despicable things… but it quite literally is just what it says, they were “doing what was right in their own eyes.” That is seen as a bad thing, & goes along also with the phrase of the “vain patterns of their fathers,” doing what’s always been modeled to us versus checking it against what God says & how God leads.

“Don’t conform yourself to the patterns of this world, but BE transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2)

We are not here on this earth to just live & then die. We were born, KNIT TOGETHER, (Psalm 139:13) our days numbered before even one began… to WORSHIP OUR KING. To live for the SPIRITUAL Kingdom of GOD. NOT this world!

How often do we live like that is actually true? How often do we just follow the patterns of the world we live in? The way we grew up?

How often do we stop & say to ourselves, “wait, everything else will just die with me when I go… ONLY living for God’s kingdom will last beyond my lifetime”? How often?

Who Do I Act Like I Am I REALLY Living For?

I grew up thinking to try to live a good life, “with a little dash of Jesus for good measure.” But who am I living for? Me? Or Him?

Even praying before meals had become a mindless ritual in many cases, while Jesus demonstrates it solely as a sign of humble respect, thanking God for His provisions, recognizing it as all from Him, before eating it. (Luke 22:19; John 6:11)

Do you know how much RICHER your life will become when it is fully, completely, & entirely submitted to THE eternal, all-powerful, all-wise, gracious, loving KING of kings? Because EVERYTHING you do will hold ETERNAL significance!

Don’t you want a life like that??? Don’t you CRAVE that???

What Would That Life Look Like?

A life where even menial, thankless, ever-needing-to-be-done tasks (like laundry, dishes, cleaning, bill-paying) become opportunities to thank God for all He has supplied, to honor Him by stewarding the resources well, to honor Him by working hard & allowing it to become a safe haven space for you & your family to come home to?

Work becomes a space where you can shine a light of hope to a world who does not know Hope, to pray for co-workers, to offer encouragement or grounding truth from God’s Word, to serve them, to find ways to make their EVERY day a little brighter & easier to show up for?

Where screw ups & failures & weaknesses never get wasted, because you pray & ask God to teach you to better trust & rely on Him through them & they become examples to the world of how great & gracious our God truly is. That He can do anything… He has no limitations.

Where peace enters your life when chaos still lingers because you have humbled yourself before Him to hold you through it. A peace not reliant upon peaceful circumstances returning.

Where bad attitudes, stress, & short tempers are met with a lowered head & a silent prayer of asking God for forgiveness & the grace to face that moment in a way that honors Him vs. just how it’s making you feel.

Parenting becomes discipleship. Marriage becomes a display of His grace. Friendships become fellowship. Church becomes humble worship… LIFE becomes humble worship.

Isn’t that what you want? Don’t you crave that?

How Much of Your Life Do You Let God Be a Part Of? … & How Much Do You Keep Back from Him?

Really think about it: How much of your life do you let God be a part of? … & how much do you keep back from Him?

Do you follow the patterns of people that live “with a dash of Jesus”? Or do you seek to let God help you forge a life fully surrendered to His Kingdom?

As I heard in a video recently, “Pretend that every time you walk into a room—God sent you there. How would that change how you act/live?”

We are here for a purpose: to worship & glorify God through all that we live, say, think, & do… are you living that way? Or are you just satisfied with your “dash” of Him?

Shine HOPE by letting God be your ALWAYS focus in your EVERY moment… not just the “dash of Jesus” ones.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7.5 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

January 2026 “Hope Mail” INDIA

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of January! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!       

Your purchase of January Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty.     

Featured in this month’s Hope Mail is the Love Letter Necklace. This adorable golden necklace features an envelope pendant and is creating dignified jobs for women in India. Each gold-tone envelope pendant looks like it’s sealed with a heart.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.

***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!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

Short Answer? No

How do you become someone who is ALL IN for God? Is it only certain people who are exceptionally passionate people? Extra spiritual somehow? The right personality for it?

How can you go from just your average person to someone with a ministry like Paul’s? Like authors/speakers/pastors you admire? Is that even possible?

Sometimes it seems tempting to “leave that up to the ones who are “called” to it… those who seem to know what they’re doing… who seem to be naturals at it.” The problem with that line of thinking is literally every example of flawed human beings we read about in the Bible (aka everyone)… that the wonder, power, greatness, wisdom, miracles, etc. did not come from them being great at all… but because they trusted God over themselves.

I’m Never Going to be Good Enough…

I grew up a Christian. But I wasn’t always as I am now: designing/running my own website & blog, leading Bible studies, prayer groups, Sunday school classes, accountability groups, etc. I never thought I was good enough for ANY of that… & I wasn’t… & I still am not.

When I was just 5 years old, God got my attention. The sermon the pastor had preached in church started illuminating, as if it just all started suddenly coming into clear focus. That the sin he preached about was about ME TOO. I lied to my parents, argued, disobeyed, was mean to my little sister… all those things were SIN. I WAS WHY JESUS HAD TO DIE. ME.

I realized that my sin angered God & separated me from Him & made me worthy of Hell. I realized Jesus loved ME enough to die for MY sins. That Jesus was the ONLY way, because I was not good enough.

My parents asked me questions & walked me through how I could lay down my life & trust in Jesus to save me from my sins, that His death & resurrection alone was sufficient.

God, in His infinite grace, through His love for us that compelled Him… saw fit to pay my debts.

I Thought God Was Pretty Hands Off in the Day-to-Day… That His Saving Me Applied Only After Death… I Was Wrong

But, although I knew eternal peace from that young age &, in hindsight saw His fingerprints all throughout my life… I didn’t know much beyond that. I had to LEARN it.

You see, I thought He gave us His Word (the Bible) as good pointers/wisdom & that was that… it was up to me to figure out the rest from there. I didn’t know how He could help illuminate His Word to me through the Holy Spirit, as He had when the pastor had preached about heaven & hell all those years ago. I thought it was up to me to figure it all out.

I also wrongly felt pressures to always be good enough to “deserve” Jesus. As if I felt I needed to add more onto it as my life went on, more clearly recognizing my unworthiness the older I got… & I wanted to balance the scales a bit so I could maybe feel worthy of Jesus saving me… constantly worried that if I didn’t do enough, maybe my salvation was fake because I knew I was so flawed.

I also wrongly believed that God didn’t have much to do with my day-to-day life, other than me trying to read the Bible & live in a way that honored Him. Like… that GOD was pretty much hands-off other than that.

Everything We Say or Do Will All Pass Away… Except for What We Do for HIS KINGDOM

I ALSO wrongly believed that life was just life. You follow the flow of society… go to school, graduate, go to college, get a job, get married, have kids, etc. & that life was just about trying to do your best to live for God by praying before meals, going to church, not cussing, & just trying to be a good person, etc. through all of it.

I didn’t really truly understand the purpose of prayer beyond thanking Him for things, asking for things, or whatever.

Maybe all this describes you right now. That you believe that’s that & there’s nothing more to it.

But can I challenge you to wonder if there could be more?

That the fruit of prayer can be so incredibly richer than you currently believe it to be?

Even in the Quiet, Unappreciated, Unnoticed Parts of Life… They Can be Used to Glorify & Worship God, Too

I am not talking about a “going viral” type of ministry. I am not talking about being an author or speaker recognized nationally. Or even being really popular.

Sometimes it’s in the quiet things & seems to go quite unnoticed (like my little blog—or even like parenting or tending to your home/family). Sometimes it’s so small, but yet so rich.

This is why I write this blog, or at least a huge part of it. I desperately want you to see that going more & more ALL IN for Him is not reserved for the super spiritual type people. It’s for the average, even less than average. I want you to experience the richness of a life full, brimming, & overflowing with purpose, a joy that goes beyond circumstances… a life mission that lives long after you. A life of bringing honor & glory & worship to the One True King of kings, Lord of Heaven & Earth, Savior of our souls.

Even in the mundane. Even in just surrendering your sour attitude on a hard morning. Even in remembering to pray when you feel weak or even when you feel strong, relying on Him over self. Even on caring for others in the quiet, unnoticed things. Living a life surrendered to His purposes & His Will & His provision & His Love. A life that puts Him first in EVERYTHING, praying for His help to do so at every turn, even & especially when you REALLY don’t FEEL like it.

He Can Use the Weakest of the Weak, if They Are But Willing to Surrender Their Meager Self to His Infinite Power & Purpose

I was no one special. I was just some girl growing up thinking it was all up to me to be a good person to please God “enough.” I didn’t know He would help me in doing that better if I but asked Him & relied upon His help.

I prayed only when I needed something, not when I truly believed nothing could change anyway. Now I see the evidence again & again in the Bible of WHY we OUGHT TO TURN TO HIM WHEN THERE IS NO HOPE… because God can do what I can’t. He can make happen what I can’t.

Not vain repetitions, as if He doesn’t already know… but repeatedly & consistently because you know He’s where your hope will be found & nowhere else.

Praying for HIS peace when peace is impossible.

Praying for HIS strength when you are absolutely depleted of it.

Praying for HIS wisdom when you’ve exhausted all options.

Praying for forgiveness when you have fallen short for the millionth time already, knowing His grace has no limits.

Praying for help to make the right choice, to have the right attitude… for even a desire to WANT to make the right choice or have the right attitude (that’s usually where I have to start anyway).

Does Your Personality Determine How “All In” You Can be with God?

You aren’t BORN WANTING to please God, but SELF.

Going ALL IN with God takes a surrendered heart, a surrendered will.

It takes a willingness over & over & over again, not giving up on what God can do with a willing heart, saying, “God, I am unworthy, make me more like Your Son… make me more like Jesus. Help me to honor You better, to love You better, to please You better in EVERY area of my life, big or small. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

I promise you, it is 100% worth it.

I am still a work-in-progress & forever will be. But I have a God Who is so far beyond my limitations. And in Him is where my trust is rooted... not myself.

…. Not myself….

What Are You Willing to Surrender? What Are You Willing to Trust God Can Change in You?

If you want an ALL IN faith, an ALL IN life (one that you can look back on while on your death bed & be proud of), you have to be repeatedly willing to lay yourself, your way, your will, your wisdom, your all… down at His feet as a sacrifice. For Him to redeem it into something more beautiful, more eternally significant. For His Kingdom.

It’s not an overnight thing. I spent YEARS in tumultuous doubts from the clashes of culture vs. God’s Word in my youth, years I never thought could ever end. He ended it by leading me through one of the darkest valleys I’ve ever known. But on the other side, I walked out in full assurance of Who my God is. That I never had to doubt ever again–& for that, I only WISH I could lead everyone I know to that same terrible valley I thought I could only hate & fear. Because it led to TRUE LIGHT of HOPE.

I have a long ways to go, but it’s a journey well worth the pursuit. Everything else is just filler before death… death that leads to me being forgotten completely within just a few generations.

But what I do for Jesus Christ will have eternal value. Shining a light of hope into this world, letting my broken pieces be where His light shines through… showing the world the way to HOPE.

Let Your Brokenness & Flaws Shine His Glory & Grace through the Cracks

My mistakes & my flaws & my failures are no longer mine to keep… they are the cracks & crevices that allow others to see what God can do with our brokenness & our flawed humanity. His redemption. His healing. His grace. His love. His HOPE.

So, the level of your being ALL IN with God, living as a true light for Him in all areas of your life, has very little to do with you or your personality… & it has ALL to do with your willingness to continue laying yourself down to His help & His will over your own.

So… SHINE for Him. Shine HOPE. But first, be willing to start with repeated-throughout-the-years moments of surrender that say, “God, I want to live ALL IN for You, but I have no idea where to begin… or if I have the personality for it… so change me, shape me into someone who lives to live a life that shines hope, found only in Your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ worthy, holy name, AMEN.”

~It is a journey well worth it.

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7.5 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Moon Earrings (Handcrafted in INDIA)

Showcase detailed Artisanal craftmanship when you style these unique Moon Earrings! These gorgeous, beaded earrings are handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Featuring white beads in a gold moon shape and finished with a freshwater pearl, the Moon Earrings are intricately crafted to create a subtle, beautiful iridescent design. Not only are the Moon Earrings stunning, but they also create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India. 

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!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

I had my blog all typed up. Ready to copy/paste. Ready to edit.

But as I sat here, pasted text on my blog editor site… it just felt off. Like I couldn’t get myself to continue with it. Not in a defiant or lazy way, but like a brick wall was preventing me from continuing.

So, now I have 1.5 hours left before I publish & my page is erased & I am writing this instead.

God knows what I need more than I do. He knows what’s on my heart better than I do. He sees the depth of my subconscious & knows all of its triggers & intricacies better than I understand it myself.

I can trust Him with my deepest fears, deepest hurts, deepest longings, deepest failures, deepest insecurities… ugliest of ugly cries.

I don’t have to prove anything to Him. I don’t have to try to make Him like me or want to spend time with me. I don’t have to convince Him to love me.

He just does.

How often I try to pretty up my emotions or wrong thinking for Him, as if He doesn’t already know.

The psalmists inspire me with their rawness. I can be like that with God. He can handle it.

He doesn’t want my cliff notes. He wants all of me… the good, the bad, & the ugly.

How beautiful a truth that is to me.

I don’t have to ever pretend I’m better than I am. I don’t have to project strength or assurance.

I can be scared. I can be unsure. I can doubt. I can wonder. He is patient with it all. He can handle it all.

He is patient & kind. He is gentle. He is enduring in His love for me. Faithful when I flee. Forgiving when I trust His blessings over Him as my blessings-Giver.

I can show my imperfections & weaknesses. I can feel worthless & hopeless. He stands steady & sure. Unwavering. Ready to welcome me home no matter how far I stray.

What a wonderful Father indeed. He will listen for hours & not tune me out. He will take me at my worst & respond with gentle kindness. He is what I lack & supplies generously upon request.

He doesn’t hold back. He doesn’t guilt me or shame me or push me away.

He loves with an enduring, faithful love. A love laced with grace, grace, by definition being undeserved, above & beyond even. His mercies are new every morning. He forgives upon forgives upon forgives.

How faithful. How true. How sure. How steady. How eternal. How infinite He is.

I am always safe & always loved when I come to the arms of Jesus.

Those same arms are waiting to welcome you, too.

And that’s all I have to say today. Turn to Him. He’s what you need. Nothing else will satisfy like the unfailing love of the God Who made you… the steady unchangeable God, shown so beautifully, so completely, so dramatically through the sacrifice of His one & only Son, Jesus Christ our LORD.

I don’t know where you’re at. I can’t see you. I can’t know your thoughts or your fears or what you mask to show strength to the world because you feel the world needs to see you strong.

God doesn’t care about pretense. He doesn’t need a show. He loves you. Just you. Right now. Where you’re at. Whatever that looks like.

He won’t ever stop pursuing you. He won’t ever give up on you.

I know. I’ve seen it. 36 years (as a Christian) full of failures & shortcomings & lessons learned & humbling moments & He has never once left me. He pursues you. He never gives up on you. Even at your ugliest, very worst version of yourself. The part of you you’re ashamed of. He sees it. And He loves you.

He wants to heal those parts of you. He wants to break you free from their chains. He wants you to feel hope swell up in you & overflow across everything that resides in the deepest, darkest depths of your heart.

Every night, I thank God audibly for the same thing. Every night. “Thank You Lord, that You never give up on us.”

He will never give up on you. He is faithful even if you’re not.

He asked Jesus to die for every wrong bit of you, even down to the morning grumpies to the very worst of you. Jesus let them beat Him & torment Him & lie about Him & spit on Him & KILL HIM because HE LOVES YOU THAT MUCH. Nothing you can do can ever stop that love He has for you!

NOTHING.

Repent. Turn to Him. Trust on Him. Lay it all down at His feet & receive His forgiveness. Because He offers it free of charge. His love COMPELS Him to.

Run into the arms of Jesus. He’s waiting for you. And He always will be. And nothing you do can ever change that.

“Thank You, LORD, that You never give up on us.”

One Choice… So Many Excuses

I hear a lot of reasons why people choose not to believe in God, but what it all boils down to is a choice–to believe in the created or to believe in the Creator.

Some have been hurt by the church. Some have seen “believing” parents abuse them at home or act unChristlike outside the church. Some have experienced devastating loss & can’t imagine God to be good because of it. Some want to believe what they want, contrary to God’s Word, & so try to push Him away. Some think they’re a “good enough” person as they are & therefore they don’t need Jesus. Some want at least perceived control over their own lives… their own destinies… with their own view on how that ought to be. Some think because they can’t see, feel, hear, etc. Him, they don’t want to believe in Him.

But whatever your reason… whatever your excuse… it all comes down to a choice. Me… or Him.

Who Is God? Not Me!

I would argue this to be an extremely easy choice, aside from pride, no matter what your views of God or His Word may be, because anytime you assert to know more than the very One Who MADE you (+ your brain) & everything else… WITHOUT your help… well, it just sounds sort of foolish at that point, doesn’t it? I’m sorry if that offends you, but sort of in a sorry, not sorry sort of way… because, well, it is what it is.

I love this little verse that USED to make me so uncomfortable, back when I misunderstood what it was saying: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) Why? Because it’s a reminder that if you want to make a wise choice, you ought to start with the source–GOD. And understanding that if ANYONE were to know, it would be all-knowing GOD.

An understanding that HE is God… & I am NOT.

So, basically, whether I agree with Him or not… does not make Him any less GOD or any less Creator or any less in charge as King of kings & Lord of lords. He is still God & still has the final say, whether I like that, want to believe it, or whether I reject it completely. Doesn’t change facts.

What Is Really at the Root of Your Rejection of God? And Where Will That Get You When All Is Said & Done?

Stop believing your excuses for your rejection of God!

If the church hurt you? Well, surprise! They’re human. They’re not God. And anyone, read that ANYONE who takes their eyes off truth or Christ for a single moment is going to act just so… as a HUMAN. They may represent God, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job at it. Would you want someone blaming you for something your family did just because you’re family?

Same with family acting one way at church or claiming belief in Jesus, while being abusive or contrary to Scripture away from church. HUMAN. They are NOT living the way God instructs them to live–don’t blame God for their chosen disobedience.

Loss? Devastating, heart-wrecking loss? I get it. Really. I struggle with depression & have been through such excruciating seasons that lasted for YEARS & felt they would NEVER END. It’s so easy to doubt God’s goodness when pain just will not stop. But let me tell you something. We live in a world broken by sin. We live in a world where we see & very much feel the consequences of sin, GROANING for heaven & relief from it at times. God allows the consequences of sin to play out. But He is the hope IN IT. Don’t push Him away out of anger… pull closer to Him & ALLOW Him to be your strength, comfort, & healing in & through it.

God Is the Answer to What You’re Searching For… Even If You Can’t See That Right Now

Mad at God for His many “rules”? Think of yourself as a little toddler, mad because your parent won’t let you touch the glowing red, pretty stovetop because you don’t know better. Now imagine yourself as an adult, hearing what God says no to. It is the same. Maybe not immediate, but the hurts WILL come… God knows… God says no.

You think you’re good enough on your own? I’m sorry, but don’t fool yourself here. You know deep down you are not self-sufficient. God is absolute purity & perfection & holiness. He cannot be in the presence of anything less. So, would that describe you? If not… sorry… you’re not good enough. BUT, the GOOD news is that God made provision for you because He loves you & doesn’t want to be apart from you—He sent JESUS. (John 3:16-17)

Want to control your own life? Sorry to burst your bubble, but God, in His infinite wisdom, reminds us of one harsh reality—we will always be a slave to something. Either to the world, or to Him. The world will destroy you… He will infuse LIFE into you. Which sounds better?

Of All the Things… He Is More Real to Me Than It All… It All Comes Down to a CHOICE

Are you worried that because you can’t see, hear, feel, etc. Him, you can’t believe Him to be real? Don’t you understand that that as just another excuse you tell yourself to live the way you feel you want to? It doesn’t hold up. Because I know, deep down, you CAN feel Him. You feel Him there, beckoning gently to come home.

Look around you & you will see the evidence! It’s overwhelming!

I love the quote from the Case for Christ movie, based on the book by the same name by Lee Strobel. He fought to disprove Jesus Christ because it made him feel offended & threatened that his wife felt she needed more than him when she trusted on Jesus.

And after all of his evidence gathering, more & more solidifying happened that, if anything, he could only prove Christ true… but he still could not get himself to believe after all that. And I think it was his wife’s character in the movie that explained it like this, “because… of all the things I can hear & taste & touch & smell & see… somehow, some way… Christ feels more real to me than all of that. So, how can I deny Him? It all comes down to a choice… will you believe?” Will you believe?

Will You Choose to Believe??

“Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

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

“… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Stop Believing Your Excuses for Your Rejection of Jesus Christ

No matter your excuse, it all boils down to this: What will you choose?

Will you choose death? Or will you choose life? Will you choose destruction? Or will you choose HOPE everlasting? Will you choose trusting flimsy human SELF? Or will you choose trusting infinite, almighty God, Who gave His own Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debts (in FULL) that your life of self has earned you?

You can call it whatever you want. You can justify it however you want. God is not fooled. A heart that says “me & my ideals first” is a heart that rejects the One Who made it & gave everything for it.

Turn to Him… Find LIFE

Life is hard & will remain to be hard as long as we, as humans, exist in it… because we disobey God’s “nos” & reap the consequences of that, even as collateral damage sometimes.

But God sent Jesus into this world so that we many find LIFE. (John 10:10) We give up seeking life our own way & trust Him… where we FIND it. (Matthew 16:25) So, He could be our Comforter, our Friend, our Helper, our Savior, our Father, our GOD. Because God can trump ANYTHING else… can overcome ANYTHING… can save us from ANYTHING… even ourselves.

Shine HOPE by giving up on the chain of excuses, letting them drop & shatter on the floor, & run into the arms of your forever waiting Lord & Savior, JESUS CHRIST.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Joyful Resilience Necklace–INDIA

When you shop the beautiful Joyful Resilience Necklace, you are creating safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops. The stunning hummingbird charm is not only a symbol of joy and persistence but showcases the beautiful craftsmanship of our Artisan Partners. Wear alone or style with our other necklaces for a layered look!

***Buy this necklace to empower women in India out of poverty, using the “Shop Here” link below!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

I’m Not Worthy… & I’m Not Just Saying That

This is a question that I wrestle with sometimes: “Why, of all people, do I write a blog?”

I wouldn’t think of myself as the best writer. I’m not especially self-motivated. I don’t feel I am a very faithful person when it comes to God. I fail God so much. I’m selfish & lazy. I feel tired a lot. I struggle with depression. Why me?

Some seasons seem to be the same topic on repeat. Some are bland, honestly. Not the most exciting. Sometimes I feel like a voice in the wind, like it’s so small an impact that it doesn’t really matter all that much. So, why me?

It Looks Like It’s All About Me… When It’s Not

And trust me, I struggle with my website name as well, being named after me, as if I am proclaiming to the world that I am the one to come to for all the answers, as if I am showcasing myself to the world as their source of hope. I’m not.

In fact, when I took the course that taught me how to design & create my own website, we were actually encouraged to name the site after ourselves because, we were told, people want to invest in people—not just ideas. It’s a way to make it personal, not just a generic concept or message.

But I honestly struggle with how others may perceive that choice to mean about how I view myself & my right to be doing this at all. As if, MICHELLE HYDE ONLINE is IT. I’m not worthy of that.

God Leads the Unexpected

But, all that to say, I don’t know why me. I don’t know why God put this on my heart in 2017. I don’t know why, when I prayed about it in all my concerns & apprehensions, He confirmed for me time & time again, guiding the whole process along the way, eventually drawing my attention to a course in my budget to teach me how, addressing every question I had been praying about for months.

And when I prayed about all of my many shortcomings—why I felt He was picking the wrong person—God kept washing this understanding over my heart over & over again: “It’s not about pointing the world to yourself as their hope… it’s about pointing them to Me as their hope. You don’t have to hold all the answers… but to point to Me as the One Who does. Not showing yourself to be strong… but pointing to Me as your strength.”

I don’t get it right all the time. I am okay admitting that. I feel like a bore sometimes, with nothing original or fresh to say. I feel like I sound like a fool sometimes even.

But I know where my hope comes from. I know where I can be sure my faith is proven true. I know how to have a steady foundation when the world falls out from under me. I know Who I can count on when I royally screw it all up.

Trying to be a Faithful Steward, Even in the “I Don’t Understands”

And I will continue to use this little, small, inconsequential, barely noticeable corner of the internet to keep shining for Jesus. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through Him. No one. (John 14:6)

All Else but Jesus Will Fail You

You can try to search for hope in being a good person. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope in love & feeling wanted/wantable. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope in wealth or at least financial security. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope in a bottle, in drugs, in sex. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope through validation or success. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope in getting married & having babies. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope through a pursuit of happiness. It will fail you.

You can try to search for hope through your own adequacies & self-sufficiency. It will fail you.

I will fail you.

I’ve tried so much of the above through seasons of rebellion & doubt, when I have strayed & believed lies. It all fails.

But God Never Fails… Never… Not Once

But God never does. Like the returning prodigal son, practicing his apology on the way, only to see his father run to him with open arms, embracing him before he could utter a word. That’s how God has been to me. (Luke 15:20)

Like the lost sheep, He, like a Good Shepherd, keeps seeking me. He never gives up on me. (John 10:11; Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 19:10)

He is love. (1 John 4:8) He is kind & patient & long-suffering. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) He is gentle & faithful, even when I am not.

A prayer of thanksgiving that I pray every night is this: “Thank You, Lord, for never giving up on me.” It’s a big deal!

Why Do I, of All People, Write a Blog?

I’m not the best at this. I’m not the most profound or engaging, always with some fresh word to offer you & inspire you. I am not as faithful a steward with this website He has entrusted to me as I ought to be. I am just a little voice on the internet, shining my little light in the darkness, hoping someone will see it & find their way to hope.

^“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:17-21)

His way is the only way. No compromise. No deviation. HIS way. Because HE IS the way.

Shine for Christ… That’s Why I, of All People, Write a Blog

“Lord, I know You didn’t choose me because I’m the best at it or because I am especially deserving, but because I am willing to stand up & say that You are where my hope comes from. May others see that truth through my life, even in all my many weaknesses & failures & shortcomings, & come to find that their only true hope for HOPE… is YOU… ALONE. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Shine HOPE by being willing to be a voice in the darkness, even if you feel inadequate or ill-prepared. Trust the One Who MADE you to fill in all the gaps & determine to take a stand for truth that leads to ETERNAL HOPE in Jesus Christ!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Cherry Handbag Charm–INDIA

How adorable is this Cherry Handbag Charm?! Using red and green leather, women earn a dignified wage crafting this Cherry Handbag Charm. Add to any handbag to instantly change the look! The ethically made Cherry Handbag Charm is handcrafted with care in India.

***Every purchase, using the “Shop Here” link below, provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India! ***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

What Life as a Christian Ought to Look Like?

I get it. I grew up going to church, but really, I didn’t understand what it meant to have God be “Lord of my life” or to let Him lead or how to live for Him.

I thought it meant: “go to church, read your Bible when you can, pray before meals or when you’re struggling, don’t do the bad stuff God says not to do… & do good stuff that pleases God, like treating people well & serving in church, etc.”

But is it more than that? Yes, & thank God for that!

Who Runs Things?

Imagine with me for a second the reality of the situation here:

1. God existed eternity past… before the world even existed.

2. God created the world & everything in it… including knitting us in our mother’s womb.

3. God sees & knows everything, eternally past & future… to include every person’s every thought.

So, considering those 3 things alone… who should get to determine why it is we’re here & what our life ought to be about?

But who most often determines why it is you’re here & what your life ought to be about?

How Much of My Life Is Determined by ME?

Me. For my life—ME. I take what I learned growing up… how I learned to survive hard situations… how to fit in… what others consider to be right or appropriate…. I observe, I learn, I determine a path based on all of it, to the best of my understanding.

Habits, routines, responsibilities, expectations, needs, desires. I shape my life based on it all.

But who am I living for in all of that? Who is leading? Who do I allow to lead? Culture? Expectations of others? Family? Ambitions?

What Lasts After You’re Gone?

If you were to die today… would your input or contribution or life patterns impact anything about tomorrow?

If someone in your life were to die today… would your input or contribution or life patterns have impacted anything that will matter in their life now that they’re dead & gone?

And I’m not just saying this AT you, as if it’s not also a struggle for me. I think, if we’re really honest with ourselves, this is a struggle for every single person who had ever existed, at least to some degree.

Not many of us live eternity-minded through EVERYTHING we do.

What Can God Do If We Let Him Have Our Every Moment?

How little credit we can tend to find ourselves giving to God. As if He didn’t make the world ex nihilo (from nothing). As if, He being KING, didn’t also give His all so that we could be forgiven of our sins against Him & be redeemed from those sins through the death of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross.

God could make a plant just sprout up out of nowhere & then have it whither the next day.

He can make the aim so perfect for a child to hit a stone into a man’s temple to kill him against all odds.

He can shut hungry lions’ mouths.

He can start plagues & end them.

He can open the ground to swallow people whole.

He can multiply fish & loaves of bread miraculously.

He can make it so that shoes & clothing never wear out.

He can multiply pests & send them away.

He can draw 2 of every animal to a specific place at will.

He can flood the earth.

He can control the wind & the waves.

He can make barren & open the womb again.

He can make scorching fire completely avoid skin & clothes, to the point of not even leaving the smell of smoke behind.

He can heal what no doctor can figure out.

He can cause an animal to speak.

He can predict the actions of others.

He can protect when those who should won’t.

He can make Himself clear to those who ask.

He can cause the lame to walk, the blind to see, the dumb to speak.

He is GOD. He is KING of kings & LORD of lords. Alpha & omega, beginning & end, Father to the fatherless, infinite in power, infinite in resources.

How Much of Your Life Is His?

Who are we letting determine our days? Our moments? Who is running our life? Ourselves with a dash of Jesus for good measure? Or maybe He’s just the backup?

Who is in charge?

Who do you live for?

But me, I didn’t get it. I just lived my life. Went to church, prayed before meals, went to Bible studies, tried to be a good person to be pleasing to God.

But I didn’t get it. I didn’t get why I am here. That He MADE me. He made me to point to Him & to give Him glory. He made me to live for HIM, for HIS kingdom.

He made me to live in light of eternity, not this short breath of a life here on earth.

To impact for eternity! To live for things that will last beyond my life & my death! To live with a surrendered, prayerful focus of letting Him love & serve others through my life. To share JESUS & HOPE that can actually change lives for ETERNITY!

Am I doing that? What parts if my life am I holding back from Him?

How Much of My Life Ought to be for God?

Do I realize a flat tire could be a God-appointed gospel opportunity for a tow truck driver seeking hope?

Do I realize purchasing groceries as an opportunity to be a light in the life of a bagger or cashier?

Do I pray over everything & talk to God throughout my day, asking for His guidance & wisdom & courage & words, or do I just avoid it all for the comfort zones of ineffectiveness? Trusting my limits more? Or His limitlessness?

Who or what am I living for that will matter after I die?

Who am I Living For?

When I am someday on my deathbed, looking back… will I see God’s hand working through my life? Will I feel I did all I could to be a light, to leave behind hope through Jesus? Will I feel I left it better than when I came into the world?

Was I a good steward of the time God allowed me to have on this earth for His kingdom?

Or did I live for the routine & world’s expectations? Did I fall into the world’s rhythms? Did I live for me? Or Him?

Shine HOPE by recognizing Whose life yours is… & when you don’t know what to do with that information, ASKING Him to show you what that should look like & letting Him grow you TOWARD that!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for SEVEN 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Reverie Earrings (INDIA)

Purchase these gorgeous, beaded earrings that are handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Each Reverie Earring features burgundy, gold, and dazzling CZ beads to create a stunning statement earring. These earrings are not only beautiful, but create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.

***Purchase these beautiful, handcrafted earrings, using the “Shop Here” link below, to both empower women out of poverty & support my website ministry!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

God Is

Do you feel like you have to serve God, or else? Like some pressure of not being good enough, not doing enough?

The more I read the Bible, the more I see a beautiful picture begin to emerge… a pattern. God doesn’t need our help. Not one bit.

If you struggle with this, I recommend Watchman Nee’s book: “Sit, Walk, Stand.” (It is SO good. You can find the link to this book under “Books” on the Recommended by Michelle tab of my website.)

Mr. Nee talks about the DONEness of God. God was before we were created & before time began. God made the world (without our help) before He made us. He saved us from the consequences of our own sin, through Jesus, when we couldn’t save ourselves. He is not pacing heaven trying to find solutions. He. Is. Seated.

We Can Feel Like We’re Never Enough… But That’s Just It… We’re Not… But He IS

I get it. This is going to make some of you a little uncomfortable. We know we OUGHT to serve God, so saying this sort of thing can sound like I am saying the opposite. I’m not.

We most definitely ought to serve God. It’s His right. He is deserving of it. He holds full authority in heaven & on earth… throughout all time. Master & Creator. We ought to serve Him, no question.

But that does not change the other side of that coin—that He equally & absolutely does not need our help.

Look What People Accomplished Because the People Trusted GOD

Consider God’s response to Job—basically, “where were YOU when I made literally everything?”

Or Moses… Moses didn’t have magical powers. GOD worked those miracles.

Gideon overcame fear as God gently helped him through it.

David won battles because he kept asking God for wisdom & direction.

Daniel slept unscathed with hungry lions because God shut their mouths.

Why is it so hard to trust that God has this kind of power available to Him? Why do we minimize Him? God can do literally anything, any time, with anyone. He is in full control at all times. He doesn’t need our help.

So, if He doesn’t need me, why serve Him?

God Is GOD

Well, aside from His deserving that I mentioned above, really because He tells us to. And if God tells us to do something, we can be completely assured it is 100% always for not only His glory, but for our GOOD.

He knows what His world needs. He knows what we need. He knows how best to take care of both & everything. If He says it, we ought to take His word for it & DO it.

But not without His help.

With all of His not needing our help… it goes beyond that… He can give HIS help to US as we seek to serve Him.

Don’t Underestimate the God Who Made the Heavens

How many times have you said things like… “Oh, I can’t serve in that because it’s just not my thing.”?

Raising my hand right now because I HAVE DONE THAT.

I have ways to serve that just make me passionate & I could do it all day because it just lights a fire in me. Teaching the 4s & 5s class (during the EARLY service, might I add) is NOT that.

But I prayed. I asked God where He wanted me to plug in… & no matter WHAT I did, I could NOT shake the nudge to volunteer anyway. So, I prayed more. And it felt as if God were saying, “Michelle, I heard you & I gave you My answer. Do you want to do what makes you feel good, or do you want to serve where they most need help?” My answer was a mumbled, defeated-because-I-knew-He-was-right “…um…. both…….?”

Look What God Can Do through Us When We Trust & Obey Him

And you know what? It’s not necessarily my thing, but God has worked through me in those kids. I’ve seen it. I rehearse gospel points every week, asking them to tell me what sin is… to give examples… that it’s more than “doing bad things,” but more of a not measuring up to the standard of GOD & that we ALL miss it because He is PERFECT & we most certainly are not. We talk about Jesus, Who He is, what He gave… His LOVE for us… the consequences of our sin. We talk about repentance & choosing to trust Jesus to save us & not just trying to be good. And the more months that pass, the more they fill in the blank without needing my help.

God had a plan. I obeyed. God is working His plan through me, allowing me to see His good work all because I obeyed.

But He doesn’t need me. He could call someone else. They could reject Him, too & God would STILL find a way to get His message to them another way. He is never limited by our unwillingness &/or rebellion to His call.

I am not His solution.

God Doesn’t Need Your Help… But We Ought to Submit to His

But, by showing up… by pointing to Him… I can impact someone looking for hope. I can add blessings into the world because I obey. Because I let Him be God through me to others around me.

It takes a dying to self. It takes a willingness to say, “this isn’t my thing, but if it’s Your will, fill in the gaps & give me the grace I need to endure &/or be faithful in it.”

“I am not good at this, but I love You, so help supply what I need to walk faithfully in it anyway.”

“I’m not enjoying this, but I love You, so help give me the grace to do it anyway, living for You & trusting You more than myself.”

“I don’t have time/energy for this, but I love You, so supply the time so I can do this.”

Don’t limit God. He made the world without your help. His Word, the Bible, has POWER in its truth… & I don’t even mean it JUST being life-changing to obey/follow truth… I mean nourishing your heart & soul beyond what seems possible just by reading it & learning it & spending time in His presence through talking with Him in prayer & reading His Word.

Don’t Limit God

He doesn’t need your help, but just like a child alongside his daddy, holding a toy hammer that doesn’t do a thing, “helping” build… the child gets to work alongside his dad, see the building go up through their efforts… feel the joy & hope… to see how big & strong & capable His dad really is, knowing you can count on Him no matter what because you’ve gotten to see firsthand just what He can do.

God doesn’t need your help, but He knows your help is for your good. You get to see Him be sufficient where you lack. You get to see His love for others lived out through your faithfulness. You get to feel the joy He feels when others are blessed through your efforts. And others get to witness a tangible testimony for God’s great love & faithfulness.

God doesn’t need your help… but we ought to submit to His.

Shine HOPE by letting God be GOD in you. By understanding He is sufficient. By letting Him love others through your life, with His help & supply that never runs out.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Reverie Suede Bag (INDIA)

Each design is created by bold women in India earning a dignified wage for their work. With its iconic look, the Reverie Suede Bag has an interior zipper pocket, interior slip pocket, key leash, and is perfect for your everyday essentials! The ethically made Cygnus Rising Charm is stunning and perfect to add to any handbag for an upgraded look!

***Purchase these beautifully handcrafted items, using the “Shop Here” link below to help empower women in extreme areas of poverty in India.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

Let’s Talk with Compassion

Bear with me. This is something that needs to be openly talked about in the church because it’s already being openly talked about in the world. How fitting that this topic should follow discussion on forgiveness.

There is a lot of built-up hurt surrounding this topic. A lot of identity is wrapped up in this topic. A lot of passion & fight & anger wrapped up in this topic. So, I want to start by saying that no matter how it may feel, God made you… God designed you… God knit you together even in your mother’s womb. You were not a mistake. The way He made you was not a mistake. And as stark a contrast that may seem to your present reality, it is very much factual. God didn’t make a mistake when He made you just the way you are.

From Hurtful Name-Calling to Harmful Identity-Claiming

I have seen a huge shift happen in the realm of sexual identity, even just from when I was in high school, starting late 90’s to now. It went from “you’re so gay” as a hurtful insult, to “I am gay.” The subtle shift from it being a hurtful label to becoming a harmful identity. An adjective to a noun. A descriptor to what you equal.

Never should the hateful, hurtful shaming have taken place. There is no excuse for public or private shaming of another person in ANY context–Jesus doesn’t do it to us, so we should definitely NEVER do it to others. But the shift has turned to it being WHO THEY ARE vs something about them.

Let’s Not Put Words in God’s Mouth, As Well-Intentioned as We May Be

I honestly think part of it started with the rise in unnecessary gender stereotyping. If a girl prefers trucks, dirt, & grit over pink, lace, & baby dolls… labels were given…. If boys preferred pink, playing dress up, or playing with dolls, over dirt, “stereotypical manliness,” or shooting games… labels were given.

We need to be SOOO careful doing that. Obviously. Because God didn’t make everyone the same! Some girls love adventure & grit, while some boys enjoy fashion & caretaking. That doesn’t mean that now they HAVE to like someone of the same gender in a sexual way!  How do we get from one to the other?

Do not add to the Bible. When the Bible talks about men not dressing as women & vice versa, the implication is not trying to pass yourself AS the opposite gender. The Bible says nothing about liking things stereotyped about the opposite gender.

Now It’s Seen as “Who You Are” vs. a Hurtful Description ABOUT You

But here we are. Gender stereotypes taken too far & name-calling turning into identity. And Satan has woven the seemingly perfect trap. Because NOW, it feels like it’s WHO YOU ARE vs just something ABOUT you.

When I prayed over this topic a decade or so ago, seeing the shifts happening, not knowing how to face or address it, God’s response came to my heart quite surprisingly: “I did not create gay people & straight people. I just made PEOPLE.”

STOP CALLING PEOPLE GAY. You are only solidifying the web Satan is trying to weave to keep people strangled in their TRAP of believing it is JUST WHO THEY ARE & THEY CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Do NOT keep perpetuating that LIE!

God DID NOT create gay people & straight people. He just made PEOPLE.

We ARE Born Sinners… That Is Why We Need to be Made NEW

Now we have people all over America believing they cannot ever meet the grace of God, through Jesus, because WHO THEY ARE is contrary to God’s Word! Lies!

I’m sorry, this is not the turn I expected to go with this topic. I just have heartbreak seeing so many people convinced that God made them so they are unable to come to Him. God did not make them gay.

Listen, I have a proclivity toward lust, toward comfort as a straight up idol where I am, in some seasons, tempted to just stick up my middle finger to God (figuratively) because I have clung so tightly to said comfort as an idol in my life, trusting the blessings more than the Blessing-Giver. That’s just to name a couple. I was BORN with those tendencies because I was BORN a SINNER.

It doesn’t mean I HAVE to do those things, or that they are good for me, or that I should embrace them because it’s “who I am.” No. It’s the very reason God needed to make me NEW. To replace & redeem the sin-filled heart I have & replace it with HIS righteousness.

When You Have Trouble Believing God Knows What He’s Talking About–Sexual Identity

You were born a sinner. Of course your natural draw is to SIN. You need to be made new. Only Jesus can do that. Not you, not WANTING to change or wanting to be different. It takes Jesus.

And yes, many other factors, including trauma &/or abuse, harmful stereotypes & labels, certain sin preferences/desires… but what it all boils down to is that you have a choice. You were born a sinner. You were born with a flesh contrary to God’s righteousness. You were born into a world of sinners, with an enemy crafty enough to lead you to your own destruction, while you willingly & naively follow toward said eventual destruction.

(Sin ALWAYS destroys you eventually. Why do you think God warns you SO strongly away from it???)

It takes Jesus. You NEED Jesus.

Jesus Never Loses

And guess what, He doesn’t say, “once you have stopped have sexual desires for the same sex,” or, “once you decide to agree with the gender I created you to be.” He says come as you are.

Because you, with your sinner flesh, plus the enemy Satan? You lose. Every time.

But Jesus never loses. He is the Victor. He is the Redeemer. He can do what you never could—He can make all things new. (Will you still slip on occasion? Probably yes, especially if it’s been a longtime habit, but will Jesus be right there to help you pick up the pieces & grow you some more? Yes! Progress! Renewal! But what will be guaranteed is that Jesus paid that debt so you don’t have to anymore.)

“Lord, I Believe, Only Help My Unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24)

Will you trust Him with that? Will you believe that God knows what He’s talking about because He made you? He loves you, you know? He could have said, “rebel against Me? Sin against Me? HELL FOR YOU!!!” Because it is what we deserve anyway.

But instead… Jesus.

God’s only Son. Sent to die. Came & gave His life in place of ours. He took our shame, our punishment… upon Himself… for us. God didn’t have to do that. But He did.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

And God doesn’t even ask you to clean yourself up first. He asks you to come to Him, to turn from trying to get to heaven YOUR way, to trusting Jesus is your only hope & letting Jesus pay for you. Then HE does the cleaning up, the more of yourself you submit to Him to cleanse & grow & redeem.

He is faithful. He won’t ever give up on you. Turn to Him. Don’t believe the lies.

Jesus is Who you need more than anything else could ever satisfy.

Shine HOPE by aligning with God on who HE says you are & who HE created you to be, trusting He didn’t make a mistake when He made you just the way you are.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 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! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

August 2025 “Hope Mail”

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of August! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

Your purchase of August Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty.    

Make a fair-trade fashion statement with the Wildwood Earrings! These gorgeous, beaded earrings are handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Featuring white and wooden beads, these earrings are not only beautiful but create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.    

***Purchase this month’s Hope Mail, using the “Shop Here” link below, to create safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

What Is the START of Wisdom?

To start this off with a bang, I am just going to get right to it. Whether you believe God exists, whether you hate or love God, whether you believe in Jesus as the only way or that you can find another, whether you trust Him or not, the Bible gives us one truth to rule them all: “The fear of the LORD is the BEGINNING of wisdom….” (Proverbs 9:10a) (emphasis mine)

Do you know what that means? It means understanding that God is GOD & you are NOT as the very START of wisdom.

So, in other words, whether you want to believe Him or not… the start of wisdom is knowing that you don’t have to believe the GOD Who made you in order for Him to be absolutely correct on all things. And that to just reach the outskirts of wisdom, you have to start there.

Today (& next week), I would like to take a deeper look at some topics where these lines of truth seem to blur quite often. The 4 things I will be looking into are, this week: forgiving yourself & forgiving others, & next week: sexual identity, & sexual vulnerability/intimacy.

Unforgiveable Sin… BUT

Do you feel you have sinned in a way so disgusting, so wicked, so twisted, so shameful… that you think no amount of grace could ever save you?

Now, God says that none of us are without sin. (1 John 1:8; Romans 3:23) We all fall short. None of us measure up or are good enough. Makes sense, seeing as how God made everything, holds absolute authority, & yet we still have the cockiness to EVER assert ourselves above Him in any capacity, even doubting Him. In fact, the word “sin” actually has more of the idea of “missing the mark” rather than “doing bad stuff.” And I think we could all agree that we don’t get it right every second of our lives, even if we try really hard.

But, Jesus, right? God doesn’t say, “look how badly you screwed this up… well, Hell for you!” No, He takes no pleasure in any of that. In fact, knowing we could never pay our limitless debts to Him for our falling short… He sent His OWN Son to die in our place, taking on our shame & punishment… so that we could find forgiveness before God. (1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8; 1 John 1:9) WOW. Grace. Mercy. LOVE.

So, when we avoid surrendering that sin to God, in exchange for the grace bought by Jesus, not only is it like calling God a liar, but it’s also saying Jesus wasn’t enough for you. Ouch. When we recoil because we think, “nah, He can’t forgive that… that’s on me…” you belittle what Jesus gave for you… You make His death for you in vain. His suffering for you in vain. Jesus doesn’t have to pay extra for you. You don’t have to supplement what Jesus gave for you. You just have to take God (as GOD) at His word.

What are you waiting for?

How Can I Be Expected to Forgive THAT?

Next is forgiving others. Wow that is a TOUGH pill to swallow for some, is it not? I mean, I have had people do hateful, spiteful, careless, wreckless things to me. I have even faced sexual assault by a friend of mine & faced years of verbal assault as well, but that is NOTHING compared to the evils some have faced on this earth. (I am not minimizing what I have faced, but only recognizing that the trauma I know is only a mere fraction of what some carry.)

How can God ask us to forgive those people? That wickedness? How are we possibly supposed to not walk around with bitterness as our constant companion? Despair? Disgust? Hatred?

How can we LOVE them? PRAY for them? Do GOOD for them? Forgive them?

Honestly, sometimes I struggle with it myself. But when I consider how God made me, the world, & everything in it… & is seated on His throne & could have just let me face my deserved consequences… but rather sent His own Son to suffer horribly & die in my place, taking on the full weight of all of my sin, when He could have stayed on His throne instead… all so I could go to heaven not even based on my own righteousness…. It makes it a little harder to question Him.

It’s something that takes a dying to self for sure, because it is not comfortable or easy… & it can feel like I’m letting them off too easy.

When You Have Trouble Believing God Knows What He’s Talking About-Forgiving Self & Forgiving Others

But consider this… if they don’t repent of what they did to you, accepting Jesus as LORD over their life in place of their sin, you can be SURE that God is not going to be letting them off easy one bit. They WILL pay for EVERY wrong they have ever done. And it will be severe. Eternal suffering, in fact.

And if they DO repent & ask God for forgiveness, turning from their practicing of sin to making Jesus Christ LORD over their life… you can be sure that Jesus cared enough about you to take on every bit of deserved vengence & suffering upon Himself. No bad deed goes unpunished.

AND, to carry through from forgiving yourself… if you are the abuser…. If you are the one who committed unspeakable wrongs against someone else, I want you to read all that again. IF you do NOT repent & turn to Christ as your LORD & redeemer, you WILL suffer the consequences. God will NOT let you avoid the punishment you deserve. BUT, IF you repent, truly remorseful & wanting forgiveness, surrendering your life & will to Jesus Christ, He has ALREADY paid your debt in full & you WILL be forgiven & given a chance at a new beginning, as a new creation in Christ. Debts paid in full to God, by Jesus.

When It’s Hard to Forgive… Pray & God WILL Help You

It is not always too easy for me to consider forgiveness. I am a lot like Jonah, when I witness unspeakable horrors, I am admittedly not the first one to desire their redemption. I want them to pay for it. I want them to suffer. I want them to get what is coming to them.

I don’t want them to get off easy.

It’s something I have to pray through. I have to deny myself as God instructs. (Galatians 2:20; Luke 9:23) I have to consider what JESUS, Lord of heaven & earth, gave up for ME. And I have to pray & ask for God to help me respond in a way that pleases Him over how I naturally WANT to respond.

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

What Happens When We Forgive the Unforgiveable

But think of what can happen when we respond the way God asks us to in place of how we feel is best….

Not only are we set free from dragging the bitter chains of painful agony around with us, darkening & poisoning our lives forever, letting the trauma continue to destroy us within…. The abuser expects attempted retaliation… hatred even. Sometimes they even crave the power trip it gives them. And if not, they just don’t seem to care.

But, when we, like God instructs, do good, even to those who mistreat us… that isn’t weakness. (Matthew 5:44-47; 1 Peter 2:18-24) That is an inner strength that God can supply as we allow Him to that is able to rise above anything thrown at us. To respond in grace versus pain. That gets noticed.

And, it opens space for repentance. That when God gets a hold of them, they don’t stay locked in a prison of their own shame, shackled by their guilt. It gives them space to discover the transformative power of the grace of God. To make them a new person who, by God’s grace, would never do that to another person ever again.

Look How Mightily God Used Paul, a Forgiven Sinner Underserving of Forgiveness

I imagine many a person was hesitant to believe Paul (formerly known as Saul)… to forgive Paul… for facilitating so much death & suffering on Christians. (Acts 7:57-58; Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:1-7; Acts 22:4-5; Acts 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9) And yet, God flipped that man on his head, got his attention, & turned his life around for the glory of God. Don’t prevent someone from seeing God change the worst of hearts. God can do the impossible. So step aside, trust your suffering to Him, & learn to be a forgiver as Jesus Christ forgave you.

Shine HOPE by believing that God knows what He’s talking about, by accepting that when He says you are forgiven & that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for your sins… He MEANS it… & by forgiving others as Christ first forgave YOU.

***Come back next week as I cover the continuation of this topic: when you have trouble believing God knows what He’s talking about with sexual identity & sexual vulnerability/intimacy.***

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 SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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!!

Coastal Treasures Necklace (INDIA)

This feminine, gold-tone necklace features dainty Amazonite, Citrine, Rose quartz, and Green Amethyst charms. Handcrafted by women earning a dignified income in India, this necklace creates lasting change. The Coastal Treasures Necklace is perfect for daily wear or paired with other styles for a layered look!

*** Purchase the beautifully handcrafted Coastal Treaures Necklace, using the “Shop Here” link below, to help create safe jobs for women ending poverty cycles 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 to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

”… the More Wretched I Realize I Am”

Something I find myself quoting pretty regularly these days is something I heard in the past months that really stuck with me, something like: “The holier I become, the more wretched I realize I am.”

In other words, the more that I strive to be more like Jesus, the more that I recognize how far from being like Jesus I am.

But something that I find inexplicably cool is the harmony in that as I strive toward holiness, thus recognizing more & more just how wretched I truly am… it only continues to solidify in my heart just how deserving of praise God is. It humbles me, but leaves me feeling secure despite it, prompting praise for the sacrifice Jesus gave to save a sinner like me.

It is not a recognition that spurs shame, but one that spurs praise.

I don’t deserve Him. I don’t deserve for God to forgive me or for Him to even give me a second thought. I am lower than a flea. A fraction of a drop in a bucket compared to His vast eternal presence. And yet….

Such a beautiful thing to ground you in this life. To humble you. To sober you. To set your mind right. To press you to praise Him.

”Be Holy, for I [God] Am Holy”

Growing up, I would hear, “be holy, for I am holy,” (1 Peter 1:16) & I would recoil, cringe, & bristle. It felt so unattainable, so out of reach, so impossible, too high a request. And anything that sounds impossible, when asked of me just makes me want to pretend I didn’t hear it, plug my ears, close my eyes tightly, & back away slowly as if it was never said.

Holiness? ME?

When I hear the word HOLY, I think absolutely perfect, zero flaws, zero mistakes, no room for error, never messing up, never getting anything wrong. That sounded terrifyingly impossible to me. I was scared that if I thought about it too much, I would worry that I can’t ever ACTUALLY BE saved because I knew I could never measure up to that. I was too weak & easily deceived. The word holiness scared me.

We Were Never Meant to Do It Alone

But, between reading influence from Andrew Murray’s book on Prayer, where he talked about how often Christians burn out trying to be good enough for God, when God never asked us to do it in our OWN willpower, but in fact, consistently reminds us to do everything “in faith [in God’s help], through faith [in God’s help], by God, through God, in prayer [asking for God’s help].” Basically, hammering in the fact that WE CANNOT LIVE GOD’S WAY WITHOUT GOD’S HELP.

And then, reading one of my other absolute favorite books: “The Pursuit of Holiness,” by Jerry Bridges, where he gently, & full of grace, walks through what it looks like to pursue holiness, basically to live everything you do through the lens of, “what would honor God most in this situation?” Not that you will get it right every time, or always know or choose what’s best, but that you live with that lens that seeks to please God with your life in all that you do, big or small.

Reading those 2 books really took away the fear over the word holiness for me… because, 1. It is not meant to be through MY perfection or willpower, but by learning to rely on HIS…. & 2. It is not about knowing everything there is to know & never ever messing up, but about living every moment learning how to do life with the perspective of, “what would please God most here?” A growing process, with God’s help.

(PLEASE GO READ THOSE 2 BOOKS! You can find more information about them on my “Recommended by Michelle” tab of my website.)

My Human, Fleshly Go-To Is NOT “How Will This Best Please GOD,” But Rather, “How Will This Best Please ME?”

Some seasons, I really wonder how God has not given up on me by now. I know, you may not know me well, & you may see me from a distance, writing all these blog posts every week & providing resources, & volunteering with different ministry opportunities at church & think I must at least have it more together than you do… but if you only knew.

My human fleshly go-to is not “how will this best please GOD,” but rather, “how will this best please ME?” EVERY DAY sometimes requires a quick lowering of my head in AGAIN recognized defeat, praying silently, “God, please set my heart straight. I’m sorry.”

It is not my gut response to want holiness. It is to want ME… to want comfort & ease, & ME.

Some days, it is easier. Some days I am in awe of Him & am fresh from seeing Him work in some awesome way in my life or in someone else’s life & I am eager to live my all for Him.

But that is not every day. And in some darker seasons in my life, where it is marked with much more pain than happy moments, it’s honestly a rarity. It becomes more of a silently whimpered, “Help. I just want easy. Help. I want to honor You, but I just want some easy again. Help me want You more than that. Please help me want what’s better. Help me please, because all I want is the end of this, when I know what I really actually need is You. Please help me want You more. Help me, please.”

Dying to Self Is Not Easy… It Is Worth It

I am selfish. I am self-seeking. I want comfort & ease. I want to rely on the blessings of God more than I rely on HIM. I want to not be stretched or challenged. I want what comes easily to me. And I have to sometimes moment-by-moment learn to lay that down. To offer it as my sacrifice to Him to want Him more, even when I’m not sure I believe it sometimes because of how badly & desperately I think I need what I want instead.

I have to learn to die to myself. And that is not at all comfortable.

I am wretched. More than you know. HE knows, though

I can’t earn Him. I have nothing of value I can offer Him. I fail Him constantly. I fall short of His glory every single day. I don’t give myself & my life to Him as He deserves. I hold back from Him. I doubt Him sometimes. I am not worthy. I am wretched.

And yet….

Jesus.

Wretched & Wholly Forgiven

How can I be who I am & be so fully loved by God? So wholly forgiven by God?

Jesus.

Because of Jesus, even being wretched, I am wholly forgiven. A beautifully possible impossibility.

I fail Him EVERY day. And yet, JESUS.

Do you see how equally humbling & freeing & praise-inducing that reality is?!?

The Beautifully Possible Impossibility

I WANT to be holy now. I don’t fear that word anymore because I know that my standing before God is secured not through myself, but through JESUS CHRIST, & that ANYTHING He asks of me, He equally promises to HELP ME LIVE it… because I surely could never hope to achieve it on my own or in my own strength.

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!

Wretched & wholly forgiven! The beautifully possible impossibility!!

Shine HOPE by taking your wretchedness to the cross of Jesus Christ, trading in your sin for His forgiveness & hope, not fearing a life seeking holiness for Christ’s sake, knowing full well that you are then fully forgiven & that God promises to help you come what may as you seek to live in a way that pleases & honors His name. So, pursue holiness!

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 SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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!!

Coral Sunset Earrings (INDIA)

These stunning Coral Sunset Earrings are handcrafted in India where they are committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Featuring a vibrant coral raffia oval shape with a hammered gold-tone metal piece, this look is perfect to make a fair-trade fashion statement this summer.

***Purchase these beautifully handcrafted Coral Sunset Earrings, using the “Shop Here” link below, to provide safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty 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 to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!