Have We Stopped Caring Whether We Neglect/Dishonor God? Living OUR Way Instead of HIS?

As I have seen our culture in America become bolder & bolder in “living their truth” or living their way—living their sin out loud—I wonder if our culture today is lacking a fear of God.

It honestly seems so.

God’s Word—the Bible—informs us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

An understanding that God is GOD & I am NOT is where true wisdom begins.

What Does It Mean to “Fear God”?

I have often had a fear of God described to me as–for those who do not trust Jesus to pay for their sins, often referred to as “unbelievers”—this “fear of God” is a trembling fear that they will meet the wrath of God for their actions if they do not humble themselves & trust Jesus to cover their sin, submitting themselves to God….

While, for believers on Jesus, it is a mere “reverence.” An “awe.” Not really FEAR, fear anymore.

But, I think we need to be careful saying that. Of toning down how we ought to behave toward God. How we ought to surrender our lives to Him as our Heavenly KING.

Not of His Wrath, But of His Eternal Deserving

No, we who trust on Jesus do not need to fear the WRATH of God, because we know that we could never hope to pay in full what we owe… we know we are ONLY able to be made righteous because of JESUS, not ourselves.

But it is more accurate to consider FEARing Him vs just “being in awe” of Him.

Because we need to take sin very seriously. We need to understand that God is GOD. He is not to be ignored or trifled with. He is not to be ignored or “tossed in for good measure when we need something.” We ought to treat Him as our Master & our Commander… our KING of kings.

Not that we need to be living in constant anxiety-driven fear, because we know we have the blood of Jesus covering our sins, but also not taking advantage of the cost that was paid for us.

Living, rather, as worthy of it. Living in HONOR of the One Who paid to set us free.

NOT mocking His sacrifice by living by what seems right to us, but surrendering to–& trusting in—how HE says we ought to live.

Are You Living as a Slave to Sin? Or of Righteousness?

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered [the GOSPEL, trusting Jesus to cover your sins because of His death on the cross & conquering sin AND death]. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:15-23)

It Is ALWAYS One or the Other

The Bible says we are either slaves to sin or to righteousness. Either we live to the whims of the heart, tossed to & fro, facing the fine print painful consequences of living according to our fleshly, sinful nature….

OR, living as a servant of Jesus Christ, living under His redemption, the cost paid by Him… slaves to righteousness, living to please our great God, Who gave His all so that we could be called sons & daughters of the King vs. merely as slaves, abused & used.

What Kind of Master Would You Rather Serve?

Imagine with me a tyrant boss who counts you as just a number, worthless–who doesn’t care how poorly they treat you or anything for your well-being. You feel used & like you don’t matter to anyone. You hate going to work because of how you are treated.

That is like living as a slave to your sin. It will wreck you, destroy you, chip away at you. It cares nothing for you or the consequences you will pay as a result of your choices.

But then, imagine with me a boss who uplifts you, treats you respectfully, even sacrifices their own time to make sure you are adequately supported, taking care to treat you with consideration & kindness. Bonuses, little treats, & kind words to help you get through your day feeling seen, appreciated, & that your work matters.

This is what it is like being a slave to righteousness. Sure, the work isn’t always easy, but the more you learn to turn to your “boss” aka God Almighty, the more He supports you & helps you. He never manipulates or shames you, but steps in to be quick to forgive & to help you over your hurdles. It’s a pleasure to serve Him & work for Him because He actually cares about you as a person.

How Would You Rather be Treated?

Both slaves, but each treated very differently, with very different treatment & outcomes.

One makes you loathe going to work, the other makes you eager to start each day.

One boss doesn’t care one bit about you. The other sacrificed His life so you could be forgiven & given a clean slate when you terribly screwed it all up.

One hates you. One loves you beyond what any words could express.

One leads to your destruction. The other leads to your freedom & a full, fulfilling life.

Treat Him with the Respect, Honor, Reverence, Submission & Humility That He Deserves as Your King Who Gave His ALL for You

No, as a believer on Jesus for covering our sin payment for us, we don’t have to fear God’s wrath, but we should still live as if He is worthy of that fear, as if He is deserving of that kind of respect & reverence, knowing that Jesus died a very brutally gruesome death on your behalf… as if we wouldn’t DARE making a mockery of that sacrifice just so you can live YOUR way over HIS.

So, how is your fear of Him? How do you treat God? Do you treat Him as worthy of that kind of fear & respect? Or do you just sort of toss a thanks His way, while living the way that pleases YOU first & foremost each day?

How are you treating Him? Do you FEAR Him in that way? Honoring His sacrifice on your behalf?

Is Our Culture Today Lacking a Fear of God?

How can you change? Start by asking His forgiveness if you have been taking His Word less seriously than it deserves… if you have been living mainly by your agenda rather than His.

And ask Him to continue to shape you to be more respectful & honoring to Him as KING of kings.

And read His Word—the Bible—to know better how to please & honor Him with your life, your time, your resources, your beliefs, your desires, your thoughts, your friendships... your EVERYTHING.

And PRAY. Talk to Him.

Honor His sacrifice for you by how you live for Him.

Turn to Him & FIND LIFE

(And, if you don’t believe on Him & you are still an abused slave to your sin, your dishonoring behaviors & thoughts, not submitted to Jesus to pay for your sins…. Start there. Ask God for forgiveness of your sins, agreeing with God that they are sinful, & humbly ask Jesus to cover your sins, trusting on Him to pay for it all… becoming a slave to righteousness instead from here on out.)

“He who finds his life [lives for self, pleasure-seeking] will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake [lives instead as a slave to the will of God] will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

No more living for US with a dash of Jesus thrown in there for good measure.

Shine HOPE, by fearing God–treating Him the way He deserves, & by honoring His Word with obedience above your desires, even when you don’t feel like it, knowing He WILL help you as you ask Him for it. So, ASK.

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 21) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*) OR come back here to watch it once it has been uploaded!)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Golden Wave Hoops, Handcrafted in INDIA! Purchase These Below!

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops.

Purchase these beauties below to provide these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, and care for elderly family members. Purchase these earrings and empower an Artisan 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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Do You Bow to the Word of God? Or to Self?

I have known a lot of people in my life who have claimed to be Christians, while also believing it to be completely okay for them to live completely opposed to how God says we ought to live: from sex outside of marriage to marrying someone of the same gender to partying & getting drunk every weekend.

I have also known a lot of people who claim to be “religious” or “spiritual,” whatever that means, as if claiming these things is entirely sufficient, which, again, I don’t really know what being religious or spiritual gains for you at all when it comes to whether or not God is pleased with you & your life.

If we want to say we love God, we have to be willing to submit to & obey Him.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

The 2 are entirely inseparable. You cannot say you love God & then live so opposite His Word.

We Don’t Decide Who God Is… He Does.

The deception here, I believe, is thinking that we can define Who God IS. That we choose verses that align with US so that we can feel okay with how we have decided is “Him.”

That is the danger of having the entirety of your knowledge of the Bible come from mere devotionals or sermons on Sundays. While beneficial, they are man-made snapshots… an incomplete picture of the whole of Scripture.

And the further danger is not really knowing God at all… but only the parts that make you feel all warm & fuzzy.

If you’re avoiding the Old Testament, for example, because it makes God seem “mean,” while reading only the New Testament because it makes you feel loved, pursued, & worthy of that love… well, you are missing out on really seeing how wretched God considers our sin… the death & suffering that happens as a result of it… the unrelenting judgment… the wrath of God.

You see, God is the same God throughout all of eternity, & this includes both the OT (Old Testament) & NT (New Testament) portrayals of Him. He is a never-changing God.

God Is the Same Yesterday, Today, & Forever… (Hebrews 13:8)

The OT shows WHY Jesus HAD to die. What complete insufferable wretches we are in our sin nature… the price that must be paid in its wake.

The NT shows that God did not just decide to forget our wretched sin or downplay it, but rather, required Jesus to suffer a brutally gruesome death because of it.

Mercy & Justice met on the cross.

So, when we claim to follow Jesus & we claim to trust He paid for our wretchedness on the cross, to pay OUR debt in such an awfully painful way… WHY then, WHY would you openly KEEP sinning???

WHY would you think YOU get to TELL GOD what YOU, the CREATED, want to believe about Him?

You do not…. He IS.

“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

Where Love, Justice, & Mercy Meet… On the Cross of Jesus Christ…

Don’t you dare focus so much on His LOVE that you neglect to see His wrath against your sin, paid in the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Yes, His love was displayed so fully & beautifully on that cross, but so was His justice & His wrath against our sinfulness.

Being “religious” or “spiritual” gains you NOTHING without trusting on Jesus Christ Who paid your debt on that cross. NOTHING.

You will go to Hell with ALL of your “spirituality” & “religion” if you do not submit your sin before the cross of Christ.

Do not be fooled. You are not good. You are not good enough… but you are so loved by a God Who loves you SO MUCH anyway & gave EVERYTHING to redeem you from your sin against Him.

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

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

Live Submitted to Him, Not Your Desires or Beliefs

Live like you believe He loves you.

Live like you believe God is the One true God & has a right to our surrendered submission to the truth of His Word.

Live like you believe He alone is GOD—not YOU, or your desires, or your will, or your beliefs… HE is GOD. NOT you.

You don’t get to decide. He does.

You don’t get to determine what He considers sin or truth. He does.

You don’t get the final say. He does.

Being “Religious” or “Spiritual” Is Not the Same Thing as Being Biblical

Submit your life to HIM. Submit your sin to HIM.

Let Him be your authority… not you.

Being “religious” or “spiritual” is NOT the same thing as being Biblical.

Only faith in only Him.

Shine HOPE by determining to honor & obey the Word of God in its entirety—not just the parts that make you feel good. Jesus died so that you may know true hope & have life to its fullness. Trust Him & obey Him with everything. Hold nothing back. Leave nothing out.

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 18) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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!!

Sparrow Pin, Handcrafted in India!

When you purchase the Sparrow Pin, you create safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.

This adorable pin shows off the craftsmanship of our talented artisan partners in India! Each bead is hand-sewn onto the pin to create this bird image. This is the perfect addition to any blazer, coat, or canvas bag to instantly give you a unique look!

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Tell People the “It’s So Good, I Can Hardly Believe It!” Good News!

If you’re a Christian–someone who trusts in Jesus Christ to cover your wrongs before God, knowing you could never hope to pay Him back on your own–you ought to want to share the hope found in Jesus with others.

It’s not nosy. It’s not arrogant. It’s not a negotiable.

If you really, actually believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven (because He is–John 14:6), why would you keep quiet, knowing the alternative leads to their eternal condemnation & never-ending suffering?

Spread HOPE! Tell people about what Jesus did for you & for them so that they can know Him & be saved!

The Rest Have Holes in Them! The Rest Will Sink!

Imagine you knew your town was about to flood in a major way, like destroying homes, no visible ground, turning your town into a river type of way….

You know the ONE company that has absolutely no holes in their life-saving boats, & you know that every other company is actually lying & theirs will sink & its passengers will for sure drown. It’s not an assumption or paranoia–for whatever reason, you KNOW about the state of the boats better than anyone & you KNOW it’s the case because it is FACT.

How eager would you be to tell ALL your neighbors, friends, & families that they HAVE to buy from that ONE company?

Would that make you rude? Nosy? Getting in other peoples’ business? Snobby or self-righteous?

NO. It would make you a decent human being who cares about what happens to those around you!

No Other Gods… No Other Hope… Only Jesus

Well, you have that information. Jesus is THE only way. NO ONE comes to the Father God without Him. He is IT. (John 14:6)

If you have neighbors, family, or friends who die & they have not turned to Jesus to cover their sins before God… they WILL STILL go before the judgement seat of Christ & they WILL STILL fall short & go to Hell as the consequences of their own unholiness.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

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

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Even if they really think they’re a good person… as we talked about last week, your good will never be good enough. (Read that post, here: “Do You Think You’re Good Enough to Go to Heaven?”)

They will die… & without Jesus… they will go to Hell. Period.

But I Don’t Know What to Say…..

So, how do we tell people about Jesus then? How do we get them to understand about the ONE “life raft” that will keep them alive?

I’ve spent my life being intimidated by this question. Even at Liberty University, in our required Evangelism course, I practiced it, learned verses, wrote out my testimony, etc.

But, in my 37 years of wrestling with this… I have discovered something quite profound: the best method of evangelism is actually not any of these methods, but rather: abiding in Him & praying for opportunities.

Not Regurgitation, But Spirit-Led… Because It’s Him Who Does the Saving Anyway, Not Us

Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to hand out tracts, to leave them in public restrooms or with a good tip at a restaurant. I’m not saying it’s wrong to know some good verses to point someone to when they have questions. I’m not saying it’s unwise to practice sharing your testimony with others, even.

But think about how YOU met Jesus. How personal it was. How intimate it was, as if God just spoke the words right into your heart through someone else.

What does that tell you? Was it a formula? Or was it the Holy Spirit waking up your heart to the truth of your sin, & your need of a Savior?

Now think about the Bible. Is there a prescribed outline or formula in the Bible for sharing the Gospel with others? If there was one formula, don’t you think God would have had the wisdom to share it with us?

But over & over is talked about prayer, submission to Him, surrender to Him, faith in Him, reliance upon Him… abiding in Him.

The Best Method of Evangelism? Abiding in Him & Praying for Opportunities

So, the best way to evangelize, or share how Jesus came to earth as God-come-as-man, to live a sinless life, & to die on the cross, taking on the wrath of God reserved for us… would be to abide in Him & to pray for opportunities.

If you are ABIDING IN HIM, aka reading & studying the Bible consistently & regularly, thinking about His Word day & night as you go through your life… & if you are talking with Him (prayer) consistently & regularly… then you are doing the best thing you can do… you are letting Him take the reins of your thoughts & actions… you are allowing His Word to be at the forefront of your mind… you are allowing His thoughts to become the way you think… you are allowing Him to speak to them through you.

And if you are living this, while praying for God to give you opportunities… well, you don’t need any special formula or very specific set of verses to regurgitate (PLEASE hide His words in your heart anyway, though! Psalm 119:11), because you have something way better to guide you: the Holy Spirit, Who knows their heart & their needs PERSONALLY.

ABIDE in HIM!!

He can guide you in what to say or do. He isn’t caught off guard ever either. He already knows what they need in order to draw them to Himself. He can use His Word that you have hidden in your heart to speak to their heart. God will use what you have already hidden in your heart.

So, if you’re intimidated, that is OKAY. But DON’T let it STOP you from sharing the best possible thing you could ever share with another person–the way to have their sins wiped clean, forgiveness, a clean slate, HOPE, & a way to Heaven to be with the God who loves them SO MUCH that not only did He knit them together in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), but He also sent His Son to die for their sins so that they could go to Heaven & be with Him for all eternity in absolute peace & joy, never again facing anything that could ever hurt them ever again.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

“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)

““I [Jesus] am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Shine HOPE!!!

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 17) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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!!

May 2026 “Hope Mail”!!

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of May 2026! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

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

May’s hope mail includes the Haven Necklace, perfect for summer styling! This silver-tone pendant necklace features a sun with a dazzling CZ stone in the middle.

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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Can You Really Say You’re Sure?

No matter your projected confidence with this question, most, if being completely vulnerable & transparent, will admit that when the dust settles, the lights are out, they’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling… that they can’t be entirely sure.

No matter how good you have lived your life… or have tried to… something will always nag at you… something inside you will always ask, “Are you sure? Like REALLY sure?”

It’s a fair question, because the reality is quite frankly that we all are aware of all the ways we feel we never measure up… of the bad attitudes we can sometimes hide behind an innocent smile… the dumb, selfish choices we have made… the imperfections we know all too well are there in us. The blatant screwups.

The ways we have really messed things up….

The short, easy answer for every single one of us unfortunately… is, “We’re not good enough to go to heaven….” Not a single one of us is good enough, no matter how hard we may try to be.

How Much Do We Downplay the Seriousness of Our Inadequacies & Mistakes?

I think one of the most humbling books of the Bible is Numbers. “Lord, Change My Attitude,” by James MacDonald, does a great job at walking through the chapters of the book of Numbers, helping us to see the terribly harsh punishments God has used for things we count as barely a sin, such as complaining.

The first time I read through the entirety of the Old Testament, in my early twenties, I remember praying something like, “God, um… from a PR standpoint… this really does not make You look very good. If You wanted to come off as loving & compassionate… full of grace, love, & mercy… well, this is not how to do it. WHY would You include all this in the Bible?? It makes You seem so cruel! NOT loving!”

I don’t know for how long I prayed along those lines, really struggling with how harsh a picture it was painting of God & really not liking it much at all… but when His response finally came as a gentle whisper across my heart, boy was it a slap back to reality… in the gentlest way imaginable.

“I needed to show why Jesus had to die.”

WOW did that put me in my place IMMEDIATELY.

Never Trivialize Your Sin for Which Jesus Died…

You see, I don’t know about you, but I tend to trivialize certain “imperfections,” like complaining. And when I see such a harsh punishment as making the ground open up & swallow whole an entire family… well, that seems disproportionate.

But, looking at it from GOD’S perspective, we see things a little differently.

That God is PERFECT & cannot tolerate ANY sin, even the “SMALLEST” one because it mocks His perfection & holiness.

So anything short of opening up the ground & swallowing us whole for one “teeny tiny” sin is MERCIFUL.

We canNOT measure up. We could NEVER measure up. We fall short on so many different accounts that we aren’t even AWARE of.

And yet, by His MERCY, we have not been swallowed whole into the ground beneath us.

How Often Do You “Miss the Mark”?

Sin often means something akin to “missing the mark” & I think that no matter how good any of us may try to be in any area of our lives… we can’t with ABSOLUTE certainty & self-honesty, claim we hit the mark of perfection on every account over the entire course of our lives (or even just in one single day).

You are NOT GOOD ENOUGH to go to heaven. Me either. NO ONE is. No one ever HAS been & no one ever WILL be. We ALL fall short of the glory of God. PERIOD. (Romans 3:23)

So, if you feel like you are constantly on an uphill battle to be “good enough” for God… well, stop it. Stop it & surrender your heart & life to the One, Jesus Christ, Who paid for your debt on the cross & Who ROSE AGAIN, victorious over death AND your sin!!!

You canNOT “good” your way to heaven… because no matter your level of good, your good will never be good enough.

But… Jesus… HOPE

So, are we all doomed to Hell?

Without outside redemption… absolutely yes.

But… JESUS.

Christmastime, we celebrate Emmanuel, “God with us” when God, as Man, was born to us on earth so that He could die for our sins & that when we celebrate Easter, we can celebrate our risen-from-the-dead SAVIOR, REDEEMER, GOD.

Jesus is our only hope.

Jesus Paid It All, All to Him I Owe

Jesus paid it all… all to Him I owe.

He has washed me white as snow.

I am free, I am free.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

Lord, I need You, oh I need You… every hour I need You.

He’s my One defense, my Righteousness… oh God how I need You.

By His blood, I am free.

What a precious gift He is to me.

The One, My Savior, Who has set me free.

Stop running. Listen to His knocking on your heart.

Do You Think You’re Good Enough to Go to Heaven?

Let Him come in. Let Him be your Lord. Let His blood wash your heart clean.

Jesus died so that you may live.

“… and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

“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)

“The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy [you]. I [Jesus] have come that [you] may have life, and that [you] may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

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

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Jesus Died So That We May LIVE in HIM

Jesus died so that you could know the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

Jesus died so that you may have life, & have it more abundantly.

All to Him I owe.

Do you think you’re good enough to go to heaven? Or do you know what Jesus gave for you? Which will you choose?

Shine HOPE by turning to our One true Hope, Jesus Christ, & by telling everyone you know (& don’t) where to find the hope you have because Jesus died for you (& them).

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 16) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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!!

Dear Darling Pouch, Handcrafted in India

Create dignified jobs for women in India that allow families to leave the slums when you carry this darling hand-embroidered pouch!

This adorable, beaded Dear Darling Pouch is handcrafted by women earning a fair and dignified wage for her work in India. No detail is left out with this embroidered and hand beaded pouch that showcases the amazing craftsmanship of our Artisan Partners. Crafted to look like a letter with postage, the Dear Darling Pouch is perfect for those with a wanderlust spirit.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

People Judged Her Harshly, for She Was Indeed a Sinner… But When She Came Humbly to Jesus… Everything Changed

If you’re unfamiliar with this story, I encourage you to check it out straight from the Bible itself, in case I leave anything out (& because God’s Words are more powerful than anything I have to say). (Luke 7:36-50)

But basically, this Pharisee has Jesus over for a meal & while there, a woman of questionable occupation comes in. “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39b) She was looked down upon.

And yet, when she met Jesus, He changed her… she saw the healing in His hands. She felt led to repent… to change her ways… to ask forgiveness, & turn to Him for HOPE.

And even though she didn’t speak the words out loud (at least not that is recorded here), Jesus knew her heart.

She Came Unashamed to the Feet of Jesus

She got mocked, probably got talked badly about in public… & yet she came & knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping. And as her tears dripped over Jesus’ feet, she began to clean His feet with her hair.

If I had sinned in a way where everyone knew & I was ashamed to show my face & everyone talked openly about my shame, not letting me put it behind me… letting it define me in their hearts… I would be wanting to live in the shadows.

But she came to THE Light. She came to where true hope is found. And she humbled herself openly at His feet, in front of the whole world.

Once Upon a Time… I Worshiped Unashamed, Too

Tangent here, but I remember back when I attended Liberty University for my bachelors in Business Marketing, & while I can’t speak to the spiritual climate of the school today (I graduated in 2010), when I attended, everything in my life pointed back to Jesus. Everything in my life was about living for Him, surrendering more to Him, shining for Him, knowing Him, sharing Him, teaching others about Him.

And back then, worship was the air I breathed. My whole life literally revolved around Jesus.

I still remember one worship service where I knew I had been holding back, not wanting to look a fool, or have people roll their eyes or judge me… & I was trying to maintain composure with an acceptable “okay” amount of worshipful expression.

But that night… as I sang praises to God during the service… I felt the nudge on my heart, “Are you more concerned with how others think of you? Or in giving your all to Me, as I deserve?”

So, crying from the realization of that truth, I ignored all perceivable responses to my actions & I turned, knelt in front of my chair, bowed my head, & I lifted my heart in full surrender to Him as worthy of my all.

It’s not always seen as “acceptable” in every place though. People will judge. People will think you’re being dramatic for show. People will think you feel self-righteous, as if you think you’re somehow better than everyone. It’s embarrassing. People will think what people will think.

But Am I Willing to Move Past What People Think of Me… to Worship God in a Way That He Deserves?

Then I come to stories like this. A woman who was already being openly judged, her identity being tied to her poor life choices.

And yet she came unashamed, boldly… humbly… to the feet of Jesus… because she knew He deserved it…. & she knew that she needed Him. (2 Samuel 6:14-22)

I want to be again like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair… because I too know that He deserves it… He deserves my everything… no matter what anyone else has to say about it.

What Do You Praise More Excitedly Than the One Who Made You & Sent His Son to Die for You?

Another example is David, returning home, dancing wildly in abandoned praise before the Lord, his wife watching, judging him, annoyed with him for it. But David scolds her for trying to make him feel ashamed for giving his all to God in praise, not holding anything back. (2 Samuel 6:14-22)

What sets your heart in awe? What grasps your sense of wonder? What leaves you in stunned silence?

Do you ever think about or praise the God Who made it possible?

A huge up-close waterfall? A singer that leaves you with goosebumps? A 10-foot manta ray swimming just above your head? Seeing your baby for the first time? Seeing a sunset? Being at a concert even?

What pumps you up? What leaves you breathless? What do you jump up & down for? Is it ever Jesus & what He did for you?

Live Your Praise Out Loud

Do you allow that same amount of unrestrained praise come out for the God Who made you & gave everything for you? The Lord of Heaven & Earth? The God Who is the great I AM?

Do you worship Him unashamed? Or do you hold something back? Are you willing to pray about it?

SHINE HOPE by not being ashamed to be public with your worship & praise of God. Live your love for Him out loud. Let people judge. Let them.

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 10) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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!!

Refuge Bracelet–Handmade in the Dominican Republic!

Create safe jobs for women rescued from human trafficking in the Dominican Republic when you shop the Refuge Bracelet. Each bracelet features African turquoise beads varying in shade with gold-tone and pink moonstone beads blocked throughout the design.

—Purchase the Refuge Bracelet to help fund a safe house for young girls in the Dominican Republic to experience real love and freedom.—

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Don’t Underestimate the Value of God’s Word

While the Bible is a great guidebook to life, as it is written (inspired) by God Himself Who knows all things… we shouldn’t look at or come to the Bible just as that… but rather to come to it to know the One Who wrote it.

You see, God isn’t looking to create just moral people… He wants people to know & love Him, to live for His glory above all else.

But how can we do that without knowing His Word?

Instead of Do’s & Don’ts… Come to KNOW HIM

A very helpful trick I’ve learned when I read my Bible is to look at every verse from the perspective of: “What does this teach me about Who God is?”

You cannot imagine the richness this can bring to even the hardest text to get through (Leviticus anyone?) because it goes from learning infinite measurement details to now seeing that God is extremely detail oriented. He doesn’t just leave it up to us to figure out. He is specific & knows all of the specifics. We can count on Him to help with the details.

It really helps make even the most seemingly mundane passages come to life, because it can teach you more about Who God is. It can help you to see His eternal character, His pursuit of us, & the great lengths He is willing to go to to forgive & restore us to Himself, no matter the cost.

How He never hangs our wrongs over our heads… just crying out to Him, admitting our need for Him… & all is instantly forgiven. What a gracious, compassionate, patient, kind God we serve! That despite the utter wretchedness of our sin against Him, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay that debt for us who believe on Him for it!

He is far worth getting to know. He deserves our all because He gives His all & holds all authority on Heaven & earth. Praise God!

Look for Hints of Who He Is… Seek to KNOW Him

Look for hints on how God feels about our sin—like in Numbers 16, as well as the fact that they are so despicable that Jesus had to die a gruesome death in order to pay for them on our behalf. (Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53; John 3:16-17)

Look for how God responds to certain prayers & petitions. Notice God’s promises so you know you can have confidence in your prayers.

Look for the compassion God shows through fears & hurts.

Look for the repeated calls to repentance, even from Jesus with His constant responses of “Go & sin no more.”

Look for how God supplies & provides.

Look for how quick He is to forgive when we cry out to Him as our HOPE after getting ourselves in a really big mess we can’t get ourselves out of. (Like Psalm 107 or Luke 15:11-31)

And KEEP Looking!

Look for how He expects us to steward His provisions, our bodies, the church, & lives all around us… our time & resources.

Look for how He asks us to love, whether it’s enemies or strangers or anyone really.

Look for how He feels about you… His thoughts about you… what you mean to Him… what He gave up for you.

Look for hints of His character.

Look for what pleases Him.

Look for what He offers to you as you lean into Him.

Look for the life He created for us & intended for us pre-Fall.

Learn about His love that He expressed for you by sending Jesus to die on the cross & rise again for your sins.

Learn about His Kingship & authority.

His eternal nature… His hand in all of creation… in knitting you together in your mother’s womb… His plan that spans all eternity…

Get to Know It, Get to Know HIM–Read Your Bible

Don’t just read the words to read the words. Don’t do it to check off some imaginary “Christian” checklist.

Don’t do it to “be a good person.” Or because it’s “what God expects from you.” Don’t do it thinking it earns you more favor from God as earning your own way to heaven.

Don’t get caught up in how many chapters you “ought” to read or in “having to read through it in a year.”

Just READ it! THINK on it! LIVE it!

Do it to get to know the God Who wrote it.

Do it to fall more in love with the God Who loves you more than anyone else… more than you could ever BEGIN to comprehend.

Do it because He wants you to. He wants you to know Him. He KNOWS you NEED it, even if it just feels optional to you. He made a point to have it inspired into text that has been passed down, translated, printed, & in your hands for a REASON.

Do it to know the God Who made you.

“But by Every Word That Proceeds Out of the Mouth of GOD.”

Do it because we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. Food nourishes our bodies (or can/should)… the Bible nourishes our SOUL.

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

It is literal SUSTENANCE for your soul. I saw a quote on social media that said something like, “If you only ate on Sundays, you wouldn’t live very long.” Read that again.

Feeling restless? Antsy? Burdened? Overwhelmed? Over-encumbered by life? Angsty? Drowning? Unsettled? Alone? Hurting? Read the Words of God & nourish your soul with the Words of GOD.

I know it seems like it’s just more reading… but it’s NOT JUST MORE READING. God’s Word has POWER!

Get to know IT…. Get to know HIM.

Let Him nourish your soul through the power of His Word.

Shine HOPE by getting to know the God Who gives it… by getting to know His Word (the Bible).

“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)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 8) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @5pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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!!

March 2026 “Hope Mail”

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

Enjoy the subtle, sophisticated style of the Blush Fan Earrings when you shop Hope Mail this month! These gorgeous Blush Fan 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 blush pink glass set in a gold-tone frame with a creamy white fan dangle charm, these earrings are not only beautiful but create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.  

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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

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!