The beginning of 2022 felt like everything was finally falling into place — a writing job that had only been a dream, a church community, a relationship after years of waiting. And then, by fall of that same year, all of it was gone. The job ended. The relationship ended. The bottom fell out. And the honest, painful question surfaced: why would God allow these things only to take them away?
What followed was a season of barely making it financially, praying over every bill, watching God provide sometimes within hours of the need. And in the middle of that stripped-down season, something unexpected happened: God revealed the entitlement and idols that had quietly taken root. The hope that should have been in God alone had been quietly relocated — into a job, into a relationship, into circumstances that felt like evidence of His blessing. God was allowing a life to be wrecked in order to save it. Philippians 2:14 calls us to do all things without complaining and disputing — but that kind of heart is not manufactured through willpower. It is cultivated through the slow, deliberate practice of giving thanks for everything: every freelance assignment that came in, every moment with a friend, every second with the Savior. A playlist created during that season became a monument to God’s kindness and faithfulness. The question that changed the frame of the whole season was a simple one: what do I want to remember about this season when I look back on it? The answer was worship and thanksgiving. That answer became a choice, and the choice became a reality.
Bible Verse
“Do all things without complaining and disputing.”
— Philippians 2:14, NKJV
Ponder Today
A Prayer for You Today
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being a good Father. Thank You for everything You have allowed us to have and to hold. Thank You for the breath in our lungs and the beats in our hearts. Thank You for loving us, for dying for us, and for being with us in the good times and the bad without ever forsaking us. Lord, we do not deserve to even speak to You, yet You say You bend Your ear to listen. Please give us hearts of worship and thanksgiving. Help the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You. We love You. Please make us more like You. Amen.
The beginning of 2022 felt like everything was finally falling into place — a writing job that had only been a dream, a church community, a relationship after years of waiting. And then, by fall of that same year, all of it was gone. The job ended. The relationship ended. The bottom fell out. And the honest, painful question surfaced: why would God allow these things only to take them away?
What followed was a season of barely making it financially, praying over every bill, watching God provide sometimes within hours of the need. And in the middle of that stripped-down season, something unexpected happened: God revealed the entitlement and idols that had quietly taken root. The hope that should have been in God alone had been quietly relocated — into a job, into a relationship, into circumstances that felt like evidence of His blessing. God was allowing a life to be wrecked in order to save it. Philippians 2:14 calls us to do all things without complaining and disputing — but that kind of heart is not manufactured through willpower. It is cultivated through the slow, deliberate practice of giving thanks for everything: every freelance assignment that came in, every moment with a friend, every second with the Savior. A playlist created during that season became a monument to God’s kindness and faithfulness. The question that changed the frame of the whole season was a simple one: what do I want to remember about this season when I look back on it? The answer was worship and thanksgiving. That answer became a choice, and the choice became a reality.
Bible Verse
“Do all things without complaining and disputing.”
— Philippians 2:14, NKJV
Ponder Today
A Prayer for You Today
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being a good Father. Thank You for everything You have allowed us to have and to hold. Thank You for the breath in our lungs and the beats in our hearts. Thank You for loving us, for dying for us, and for being with us in the good times and the bad without ever forsaking us. Lord, we do not deserve to even speak to You, yet You say You bend Your ear to listen. Please give us hearts of worship and thanksgiving. Help the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You. We love You. Please make us more like You. Amen.
Want More?
Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/
Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Want More?
Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/
Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.