Her Sides

One of the very first lessons God taught me as a young Christian was to listen to His voice. In fact, one of the first words I distinctly heard in my spirit was simply this: Listen. That one word has guided and shaped so much of my life. It taught me what to do, when to move, when to wait, and sometimes, when to be still. Over the years, I trained my heart to discern good from evil by listening to the Spirit in me. I learned to recognize the way forward by listening to that quiet voice, and I reaped the benefits. It became my own little life hack.

Yesterday, as I walked and talked with a friend over the phone, our conversation wandered into one of those places that stays with you long after the conversation has ended. We talked about life. About our plans. Our efforts. The things we work so hard to make happen. The outcomes we try desperately to control. And somewhere along the way, we found ourselves reflecting on the futility of human effort compared to the divine.   Not that our efforts don't matter. They do. We should plan. We should strategise. We should work hard and do our very best with what we have been given. But perhaps our best efforts are just that — our best efforts . They were never meant to guarantee the outcome. And yet, how often do we cross that invisible line between doing our best and believing everything depends on us?   We strive. We worry. We overthink. Sometimes, if we are honest, we manipulate circumstances, conversations and even people, trying desperately to move life towards...

At the core of who we are—beneath our appearance, our accomplishments, our possessions, and even the roles we play—is our soul. It is the essence of who we are. And when God created us, He created something beautiful. A soul capable of joy, hope, creativity, love, compassion, kindness, and connection. He placed His light within humanity and created us in His image. There is something about the soul of a child that gives us a glimpse of this beauty in its purest form. A baby enters the world innocent and open—ready to love, trust, laugh, explore, and receive love without reservation. But then life happens. We experience disappointment. Rejection. Betrayal. Failure. Loss. Shame. Regret. Words are spoken that we cannot unhear. People we trusted hurt us. Dreams we believed in don't happen the way we imagined. And sometimes, without realizing it, we begin allowing those experiences to change us. It is as though life fires arrows at the soul. One arrow becomes...

Every action we take in this life is like a seed. Every choice we make is something we sow, and just like every seed that is planted, it grows and produces after its own kind.   When we sow a smile, we often receive one in return. When we sow kindness, kindness has a way of finding its way back to us. But of all the seeds we can sow, righteousness produces one of the greatest harvests.   What is righteousness? Simply put, it is choosing to do what is right according to God's standard. It draws us closer to Him, and in His presence we experience peace, joy, hope, and fullness of life. When we choose to live according to God's ways, we not only honor Him, but we also position ourselves to experience the blessings that come from walking with Him.   As Proverbs 14:34 reminds us, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."    Every time we choose what is right, we are sowing seeds that bring pleasure to God and produce a harvest ...