From death to life
It's been a minute, I promise I'm still here and doing okay. Honestly, for a while there I was dealing with my own personal and life struggles. I felt like I had so much in my own life and mind that I couldn't possibly have anything to say to encourage others. But that is a lie from the devil himself.
You know, sometimes it's the times when we are in the biggest hardships that we can be the most uplifting to others.
Now I know that sounds totally counterintuitive, but if I think back to all the times when life was really hard and I was in a season of battles, the second I talked to a friend or mentor about what I was going through or what I had been through, I not only felt encouraged but so did they. Because if I can go through my struggles and make it out okay, so can they, so can we all.
Now, nobody needs me to tell them that this year has been one of the hardest years for all of us. It's almost as if we had our lives ripped out from underneath us and there was literally nothing we could do about it.
But I think this year is something we needed. Now before you call me crazy, hear me out.
God is a God of symbols- He is the most symbolic, symbol-loving guy I know and He incorporates those symbols into everything from the mundane to the spectacular. Now I think that this year was just one big symbol. Think about it....
The gospel is a symbol in itself and I think that this year was a symbol parallel to the gospel.
The story of the Messiah is one of redemption, taking the entire world's sins and rising again from the dead, conquering death, and bringing life. You see where I'm going with this?
Regardless of your beliefs or political stance, there was a lot of death this year, we saw a rise in suicide rates, domestic violence and abuse, and a rise in the decline of mental health issues to say the least. None of those things are from God, those are all things that the devil wants to use against us. to bring us down and away from the wildly beautiful plan God has for our lives, This is not to say that God cannot use these things or situations for good rather, that if we let them completely overcome and consume us, they will bring death rather than life.
Simultaneously, we are seeing a renewal of life. My grandma told me the other day that ministry in Israel is growing, they are serving those who are homeless, stuck in prostitution, and addiction and are now getting ready to open halfway houses. In Ethiopia, their government is now partnering with a ministry as well as, providing staff to bring people clean water, and medical care. And according to Pew Research, at least 1 in 4 Americans have seen their faith grow through this time. Those are just some observable life-bringing facts but what about all the things we cannot see?
I believe that through this time God is changing hearts and lives in miraculous ways. I believe that a revival can come out of this time. This is a time for unity and bringing life to others through our relationship with God. What a blessing that our joy and peace does not depend on our circumstances but that we are able to tap into the only unlimited source of life.
So I encourage you to bring life to those around you, lean on others when you are struggling, encourage each other, and most importantly trust in God when everything feels like it is falling apart around you because something amazing will happen in your life and the life of those around you.
xx,
Brielle
"But God was rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Messiah. (By grace you have been saved!) And He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua" ~Ephisians 2:4-6
