Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

Like James, I ache to see the church healthy and whole. Wholeness isn’t a luxury for a few; it’s our birthright in Christ. Some days it feels like teaching God’s truth is enough. Most days, though, I’m not just teaching—I’m pleading with people to believe it. We’ve been let down so many times that disappointment starts to feel normal. The enemy whispers, “Don’t touch the pain. Keep the lid on it.” And because we’re tired, we nod along.

That’s a lie from the pit of hell.

Our minds are like pressure cookers—if there’s never a release, something will burst. I’m not saying share your deepest wounds with everyone you meet. I am saying that stuffing the pain guarantees it will stunt your growth in Christ. The enemy has everything to lose when you get healthy. Your testimony—the honest story of God meeting you in the mess—becomes a wrecking ball to his plans.

Scripture says we’ve been given the right to a sound mind. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Fear loves to pretend it’s in charge. As Beth Moore has said, fear is often just “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Panic always points us the wrong way, but the Spirit steadies our steps. “He will be the sure foundation for your times.” (Isaiah 33:6)

In Jesus, you are not who you were. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The past can blur our memory of God’s promises, but it can’t rewrite them. God’s invitation is clear: “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new…” (Isaiah 43:18–19) He is faithful and He does not fail. Even when others walk away, “the Lord will take me in.” (Psalm 27:10) He defends the vulnerable: “The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9)

Look at Esther. She had neither father nor mother, yet the Lord watched over her, planted Mordecai in her life, positioned her for purpose, and protected her through danger. God still does that. He places the right people, at the right time, to shepherd your heart toward His wholeness.

When something horrific happens, we wrestle with the questions: Why? How could God allow this? There comes a point when we must choose to be honest. We can say the “right” words while our hearts wander miles away. God names that disconnect: “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13) He isn’t threatened by your honesty. Even Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross (Matthew 27:46). When you tell God the truth—your fear, confusion, anger—you’re not failing faith; you’re opening the valve. Often what feels like anger at God is actually a deep, wounded sadness finally coming to the surface.

And here’s the hope: if God has permitted something painful, then in His hands it holds the possibility of becoming profoundly redemptive. This is not a call to minimize your hurt; it’s a call to refuse to waste it. Like Jacob, cling to God until the blessing breaks through: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26) Tell the Lord, “I won’t release You until this pain becomes testimony—until what tried to destroy me becomes a doorway of grace.”

So how do we move toward wholeness?

• Name the pain with God. Bring it into the light. He already sees it; now let Him heal it.

• Reject the lie of fear. You’ve been given power, love, and a sound mind—today, not someday.

• Receive your new identity. You are a new creation. Let yesterday’s labels fall off your heart.

• Let God father you. Where others failed, He will not. He is your sure foundation.

• Hold on until the blessing. Wrestling is not unbelief; it’s hungry faith that refuses to quit.

Friend, God will not let you down. He is faithful and true to His Word. The world is starving for a Father’s love, and He longs to pour that love into you until the pressure of unspoken pain gives way to the peace of a healed mind and a whole heart. Trust Him today—whatever your circumstance—and don’t let go until He blesses you. The lid is coming off. The lie is losing power. And in Christ, the new has already begun.