Believe

I love inspirational messages like this as much as the next person. Okay…maybe even more than the next…just take a look at my social media posts. But, as much as I love them, I always wonder if other people truly believe in their message, or if they’re just typing “amen” when I post them because they see God’s name there and feel obligated.

Do you really believe this inspirational meme? I often see people, especially on social media, post an inspirational meme like this one moment, and then post a statement like this the next:

“I’m drowning!”

“I just can’t win.”

“Nothing ever goes right for me.”

“Things are going from bad to worse.”

“He will never change.”

I get it. I do. Our faith is easily shaken. And social media has created an environment where we’re quick to blow off steam or make a comment in exasperation, hoping to receive positive feedback that things will, indeed, get better, and that yes, people can change.

Read back through that meme line by line again. Search your heart. Your thoughts. Consider the words that you use to describe yourself or someone you know who’s facing difficulty and ask yourself these questions:

Do you believe in the miracles of God?

In all people’s lives and not just yours? Do you believe that abortionists, abortion clinic workers, anyone and everyone are capable of having their lives restored and their sins forgiven?

Do the words that you use to describe yourself or someone else and the circumstances that they are in reflect that you believe in miracles?

What would it take for you to believe?

Do you truly believe that whatever mess you or someone you know is going through could ultimately become your message?

Do you believe that God is still at work right now, even when things look to be and probably even feel like they’re an utter disaster, and there’s no end in sight?

I believe that God works all things together for good, but I also recognize that we are called to cooperate with his will. To take action. To make good choices that allow His will to unfold.

Do you believe that whatever test you’re facing, that it will become your testimony of triumph over the trials in your life?

Are the words that you’re using and the actions that you’re taking, cooperating with him?

Or, are you still doing the things you’ve always done and expecting God to just step in and change things?

God performs miracles and brings us up from the mess of life to share His message, but we need to pattern our thoughts and actions after His.

Do you really believe that however you’ve been victimized in your life, that God will make you victorious?

Maybe you’ve lost all hope that things can be different. The first step is to ask Him for help and guidance, to have hope in Him.

Life may not look the way that you expected it to or you wanted it to, but God’s plans are always greater than anything we could plan for ourselves.

God can. He will. And we must believe. And cooperate.