To everyone who has reached out — the emails, the DMs, the comments asking if I’m alright — thank you. They’ve meant more than I can say. This community surprised me. You surprised me. And you deserve an honest update.

So here it is, as honest as I can make it.

I’m okay.

But okay doesn’t mean comfortable.

It doesn’t mean I have it figured out.

And it definitely doesn’t mean this season has been easy.

Because it hasn’t.

If I’m being real with you — and I’ve always tried to be real with you — what’s happening in my life right now is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever walked through. My identity is being remade. The way I’ve thought about my career, my purpose, my income, how I show up in the world — all of it is shifting. And I’m doing it without a clear map, without a guaranteed outcome, following a God who keeps asking me to trust Him one step at a time.

I’ve never done anything like this before.

And yet — and this is the part I can’t fully explain — underneath all of it there is a peace that has no business being there. It doesn’t make sense. Things are shifting, unclear, unsettled. By every natural measure I should be unraveling.

But I’m not.

There’s something quiet and steady at the bottom of all this chaos that I didn’t put there and couldn’t manufacture if I tried. Honestly, that peace is one of the clearest signs to me that the Lord is in this. Because it’s not mine. It’s His.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7

I spent my whole life building through the world’s framework. Career. Platform. Audience. Metrics. Even when I pivoted to God-centered content, if I’m honest, some of that old drive was still underneath it — the hunger to grow, to be discovered, to matter in the way the world measures mattering.

The Lord has been dismantling that. Slowly at first. Now all at once. And the dismantling is not painless.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11

I’m holding onto that. Some days loosely. But I’m holding on.

I’ve been mentored for the first time in my life — really mentored, by someone who showed up and sat with me and walked me through what it means to follow Jesus not as a content strategy but as a way of life.

I’ve done healing work with Christ at the center in a way I never had before. I’ve gone back to hard places in my past and brought Him into them.

My wife and I are building something together that feels more real and more alive than anything I’ve tried to build online. My daughter is four years old and she already loves Jesus, and I want to be present for that. Fully present. Not half-here while the other half is managing a content calendar.

So I’m stepping back. From publishing. From the platforms. From the performance of it all. Not because I’ve lost faith — but because I’m finally learning what faith actually costs.

There’s a pattern in Scripture I keep coming back to. Moses in the desert. David in the wilderness. Paul in Arabia. Jesus — forty days away before anything began.

The Lord takes people into hiddenness before He sends them anywhere worth going. I believe that’s what this is. And I want to be obedient to it even when it’s scary. Maybe especially when it’s scary.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6

I don’t know what comes next. I have inklings. A book. A deeper walk. A simpler, quieter way of doing this that belongs to God instead of to an algorithm. But I’m not going to pretend I have it mapped out. I don’t. I just know He does. And I’m learning — slowly, imperfectly — to let that be enough.

Keep seeking Him. Keep reading the Word. Keep showing up for the people right in front of you.

That’s what I’m doing too. I’ll carry this community with me into the quiet.

I’ll still be reachable via email and DMs, so if you want to connect, feel free to do so.

I will continue to update you as I gain clarity on the life the Lord has in store for me and my family.

I genuinely love y’all.

In Him,

Brandon

I haven't felt grief like this since 9/11. I haven't cried this much since my father passed away. What we witnessed this week has shattered something in me—and I believe it should shatter something in all of us who call ourselves followers of Christ.

The Awakening to Evil

It started with uncovering a brutal murder just thirty minutes from where I was living. An innocent girl, coming home from work on an evening train, stabbed in the neck and killed. The senselessness of it. The racial component layered into the crime. The way local government and media intentionally tried to cover it up.

But what broke me wasn't just the crime itself—it was watching the corporate media blame those who dared report on it. They called conservatives the problem for "stoking racial tensions." They gaslit us into believing that speaking truth about evil somehow makes us the villains.

Then came Charlie Kirk. A man who embodied Christian principles, who had built an incredible organization by age 31 glorifying God and demonstrating the values this country was founded upon. He was on campus, literally having a debate about senseless political violence with college students. Two days after he helped blow up the story of that murdered girl, he was shot in the neck. Another brutal murder. Another violent, politically motivated act.

But here's what revealed the true depth of evil we face: the celebrations that followed.

When Humanity Dies

I watched people on social media—TikTok, Facebook, Reddit—dancing, laughing, mocking a man's death. I saw them celebrate and glorify murder itself. In our own Senate, when they tried to hold a moment of silence for Charlie, Democrats went berserk. They wouldn't even allow that basic human decency.

There is no greater evil in this world than celebrating death and murder. That is the epitome of evil, and it revealed something I should have known all along as someone reading Scripture deeply for the first time: This truly is spiritual warfare.

This isn't about politics. It never has been. That's the lie, the deception—that this is some left versus right thing. It's not. It's right versus wrong. Good versus evil. Light versus darkness.

The Fallen World Revealed

I've been foolish to think this was about political ideology. When people can watch a man dedicated to Christian service get murdered and then celebrate it, mock his family, refuse even a moment of silence—we're not dealing with political disagreement. We're dealing with something far darker.

These people are possessed by demons. I can't believe I ever thought that was made up. Satan is real, and his influence is undeniable when you see human beings celebrating the brutal death of someone who spent his life serving God and trying to bridge divides through honest dialogue.

The morality of our world has been completely inverted. Good is considered evil. Evil is celebrated as good. Righteousness is hated. The criminals are treated as victims while the actual victims are blamed for their own suffering.

This is what happens when you abandon God and deny His truth.

No Going Back

What happened this week has changed me permanently, and it should change all of us. There's no returning to normal. There's no "getting back" to some previous state of civility. The people who celebrated Charlie Kirk's death, who mocked his family, who refused even basic human decency—they've revealed who they truly serve.

If you can still support or make excuses for what we witnessed, if you're still talking about "both sides" or trying to explain this away through political frameworks, then you've been captured by evil. Your soul is lost. There's no other way to say it.

This isn't hyperbole. This is the spiritual reality we now live in.

The Call to Spiritual Arms

So what do we do? How do we respond to this darkness?

First, we must repent and return to God. We need to get right with our Creator, humble ourselves, and repent of our own sins. No sin is unforgivable except rejection of the Holy Spirit. God wants our humility and repentance—He will forgive everything else.

Second, we must unite as believers. No more quibbling over denominational differences. Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic—none of that matters anymore when we're facing this level of evil. We have to understand what we are against and stand together as followers of Christ.

Third, we must preach the Gospel with fire. No more passivity. No more hiding. No more fear of offending people or losing our comfortable positions in this material world. If we prioritize our earthly security over speaking truth and standing for righteousness, we've already lost.

Fourth, we must call out evil for what it is. No more tolerating lies. No more submitting to gaslighting. No more allowing people to invert morality without consequence. We must cast out demons in Christ's name because that's exactly what we're dealing with.

The Light in the Darkness

I know this is heavy. I know many of you are grieving and mourning as I am. We should grieve. This was a collective trauma, a sacred moment that reveals the true state of our nation and our world.

But here's what I know with absolute certainty: Evil will never overcome God's goodness. God always finds a way to make good come from darkness. I don't think they've realized what they've done by murdering a devoted Christian in cold blood and then celebrating it. This is going to wake people up in ways they never anticipated.

Christ is rising. Christ is returning—in us. He must rise in us. We are the risen, resurrected people by the power and glory of God. We must anchor this truth into our being and live with the courage that Christ gives us, because with Him, all things are possible.

The Time Has Come

This is a sacred moment in our country's history. We all have a choice, and there's no going back. No more playing it safe. No more staying silent. No more allowing evil to masquerade as good while we do nothing.

Take the time you need to mourn and gather your thoughts, but be ready. Decide where you stand, because this truly is good versus evil, and it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

The only way we overcome the darkness is through the light of Christ. Not through political action, not through human wisdom, not through compromise with evil—but through the power of God alone.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." - Ephesians 6:10-11

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

The time has come. This tragedy will wake up more people than the enemy realized. The darkness of this world will be overwhelmed by the light of Christ, and we will drive out this evil—but only if we recognize the spiritual nature of this battle and respond accordingly.

We can do this. We will overcome darkness by the power of God and Christ alone. That's the only way, and that's our path out of this mess.

"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:6

Christ is Lord. Let Him rise in you.

This Written Reflection emerges from a place of deep grief and spiritual awakening. If you're feeling the same weight of what we've witnessed, know that you're not alone. The time for spiritual passivity has ended. The battle is real, but so is our victory in Christ.

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[Link to the podcast episode this article is based on]

There's something unsettling happening in modern Christianity, and as someone new to this faith journey, I'm seeing it with fresh eyes that haven't been conditioned by decades of church culture.

We're creating a comfortable version of God.

The Comfort Trap

After months of reading through the Old Testament, I've encountered a God who is far more complex, emotional, and demanding than the gentle, agreeable deity often presented in contemporary Christian circles. This God has intensity. He has expectations. He calls His people to radical transformation that costs everything.

Yet somewhere along the way, we've decided to water this down.

We've taken the buffet approach to faith—selecting the verses that make us feel good while avoiding the passages that challenge our lifestyle choices. We embrace God's love while dismissing His holiness. We want His blessings without His lordship.

The New Covenant Doesn't Mean Easy

Yes, we're saved by grace through Christ, not by perfectly following Old Testament law. But this new covenant doesn't eliminate God's character or His expectations for how we live. It actually raises the bar by calling us to heart transformation, not just rule-following.

The spirit of God's law matters more than ever.

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Why Shallow Faith Pushes People Away

Here's what breaks my heart: The biggest challenge to faith in the modern world is shallow Christians.

When we present a watered-down version of Christianity, we're not just failing ourselves—we're actively harming the faith. People can sense authenticity, and when they encounter Christians who lack conviction, depth, or genuine transformation, it confirms their suspicions that faith is just another empty social construct.

The Holy Trinity Changes Everything

One thing I'm learning is how crucial it is to embrace the full aspect of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Too often, we focus on one aspect while neglecting the others. We love Jesus but ignore the Father's intensity. We appreciate the Father's power but resist the Holy Spirit's conviction.

We need all three working in our lives for authentic transformation.

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The Price of Authentic Discipleship

Following Jesus will cost you things. It may cost you:

• Comfortable relationships that enable sin

• Career opportunities that compromise your values

• Social acceptance when you stand for truth

• The luxury of moral relativism

But here's what you gain: The power to represent the Creator of the universe in a world desperate for authentic examples of His love and truth.

Called to Be the Church

You don't need to be a pastor to demonstrate what Christ-following looks like. We are the church. We are the body of Christ. Every interaction, every decision, every response to difficulty is an opportunity to show the world what it means to have God living within you.

This requires conviction. It demands that we know what we believe and why we believe it. It calls us to study Scripture not just for comfort, but for transformation.

Moving Forward

If you've been living in the shallow end of faith, it's time to venture into deeper waters. Stop trying to make God fit your comfort zone. Instead, allow Him to expand your heart to embrace His full character—both His incredible love and His uncompromising holiness.

The world needs Christians who aren't afraid to be different, who find their strength in the Lord rather than social approval, who live with such authentic conviction that others can't help but notice something supernatural at work.

This isn't about being perfect. It's about being genuine. It's about allowing the God of the universe to actually change your life instead of just decorating it with religious activities.

The power lies in surrender and repentance.

And it begins within each of us.

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This Written Reflection accompanies Episode 122 of the Order Within Podcast: God Needs Us. If you prefer listening over reading, click the link to hear the full episode.

Why Our Creator Yearns for Our Relationship

God is perfect, complete, and whole. He is the beginning, the middle, and the end—unchanging and all-encompassing. Yet, despite His completeness, there's a truth that has been weighing on my heart: God needs us.

This might sound contradictory at first. How can the Creator of all things, perfect and self-sufficient, need anything from His creation? The answer lies in something beautiful—His desire for relationship.

Throughout scripture, we see God expressing His yearning for connection with us:

"Do not worship any other God. For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)

His jealousy isn't a flaw but a testament to how much He desires an active relationship with us. Imagine raising children, pouring your heart into their growth, only for them to cut you out of their life and deny your existence. This is what we do when we reject our Creator.

God's desire for us is further illustrated in Isaiah 62:5: "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." This isn't the language of a distant deity, but of one who delights in His people.

A Consensual Relationship

A common question arises: If God wants a relationship with us, why doesn't He simply reveal Himself to everyone? The answer is wonderful—He values our consent.

By forcing His presence upon us, He would eliminate our choice. True love requires freedom. God doesn't want slaves; He wants children who choose Him. That's why He opens to us, calls for us, and waits patiently. We always have choice, and that's what makes our relationship with Him meaningful.

This is what makes the question of "Why does God need us?" so important. If no one chooses to represent God, who works on His behalf? Who serves Him? Who shares His message?

Even as God performs countless miracles we often fail to recognize—from changing weather patterns to providing for our daily needs—He desires our participation in His divine plan. Without us, who would be His hands and feet in the world?

We Are His Hands and Feet

We are God's people in the world—His body, His arms, His hands. We are what moves and acts on His behalf in the physical realm. While God can control the natural world and the animal kingdom, He chooses to work through willing human hearts.

This truth echoes throughout the Bible and remains just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. Reading the prophets like Jeremiah feels contemporary—they speak of a people who have rejected God, forgotten His ways, denied His existence, and turned to false idols.

Today, we worship money, success, technology, celebrities, and our own ideas, rarely considering what God wants. We seldom ask: "What career would please God?" or "How can my life honor Him?" Instead, we pursue status, wealth, and self-satisfaction.

The prophets of old echo into our present because humanity continues to make the same mistakes. We're still not learning these essential truths.

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Advocating for Our Creator

If we don't stand for God in the world, who will? Who will speak on His behalf? Who will advocate for what He desires? Who will uphold the teachings found in scripture?

As Christians, we are called to challenge a culture that often opposes our Creator. Jesus—the pinnacle of human existence—came not to be served but to serve. He washed the feet of His disciples and taught that "whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant."

Our purpose is to serve others with kindness, consideration, and love—not merely through words but through actions. The laws were given to keep us on the right path, but the heart is where transformation truly occurs. The heart is where God lives, where Jesus resides within us, where the Holy Spirit guides us.

A Prayer for Guidance

Our daily prayer can be: "Father, show me the way. Show me what you desire. How can I be your instrument? How can I serve you? Make me useful to you."

This isn't a prayer for Sundays alone but for every moment of every day. We must center our lives on God and seek to please Him in all we do. The wisdom God offers is timeless—it transcends cultures and eras, providing guidance that remains relevant throughout human history.

God needs us to be His advocates in the world. He needs us to stand tall, to be courageous, to face the world with His boldness, love, and compassion. He needs us to recognize the ways we mislead ourselves and others, to draw nearer to Him with every thought and action.

A Personal Connection

I've never been more passionate about sharing these truths. It's remarkable how God planted these seeds in my heart years ago—the skills, the passions, the desire to speak—and I'm now discovering that all of it was for Him. He is my purpose, and I want the same for you.

I want you to find this relationship with God. I want you to experience this personal connection because it's alive and well, waiting for you to embrace it.

What does it mean to you that God desires your relationship? How can you be His hands and feet in the world today? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

If you found this reflection meaningful, please consider sharing it with someone who might benefit from these words.

Connect with me on Substack for more Written Reflections and podcast episodes, or reach out directly at orderwithin@substack.com.

For God-centered merchandise that celebrates faith in everyday life, visit my wife's RedBubble store.

There's something profoundly rich about discovering the Bible and reading it deeply. The tapestry of characters, the depth of stories, and the multitude of people we can relate to and learn from make it unlike any other text in human history.

I think sometimes modern Christianity can focus too narrowly on "Jesus only, Jesus alone." While Jesus is undoubtedly the Savior, the master of humanity, God's only Son—the pinnacle of what humanity can be—this singular focus might cause us to miss much of the power that the Bible holds in its entirety.

The Relatability of Biblical Characters

Jesus, being God in the flesh, can sometimes feel difficult to relate to. His perfection, while inspiring, can feel distant from our everyday struggles. This is where the other characters in the Bible provide us with approachable examples we can connect with on a human level.

I'm not downplaying Jesus' significance—His act of love in giving His life for us is something I reflect on daily with tremendous humility. What I'm suggesting is that there's so much we can learn, grow from, and find inspiration in through the stories of other biblical figures.

Prophets and Their Struggles

Currently, I'm reading through Jeremiah. Here's a prophet tasked by God to tell the people of Jerusalem and Judea uncomfortable truths—that they've forgotten God, are living by their own ways, following false idols, and doing things harmful to themselves and their communities.

Yet when Jeremiah delivers these messages, the people dismiss him, ridicule him, mock him, and even threaten him with harm. This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Scripture—God's messengers facing rejection when delivering difficult truths.

Being a prophet or servant of God requires obedience and trust. If we demanded to know everything upfront, we might never follow through with what God asks of us. He teaches us, shows us, and leads us along the way. Trust and obedience become essential, which can be challenging in our modern world that emphasizes self-reliance and independence.

Going Against the Cultural Grain

If we're going to put God at the center of our lives and commit to following and serving Him, we should expect to find ourselves at odds with our culture and society. The modern world often inherently conflicts with Christianity, and the things God asks us to do frequently put us in opposition to prevailing cultural norms.

The prophets were asked to do things that brought ridicule, created challenges, and sometimes cost them their lives. Their paths weren't easy—they involved suffering and difficulties. But the difference lies in the fulfillment found in our Creator, the joy discovered in Christ when we commit our lives to Him.

Transformation Through Christ

When we bring God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus together in our lives and allow that Holy Trinity to lead and guide us, we transform. Our experience changes. The way we view the world shifts. Those feelings of anxiety and fear begin to diminish.

I didn't realize that all the self-discovery work I had been doing—learning to love myself as God created me—was actually His loving hand providing healing power all along. For years, I wore a cross but remained skeptical about identifying as a Christian because of preconceptions about the Bible and church I had absorbed.

A Living Relationship

Everything about our faith centers on a living relationship with our Creator, one made possible through Jesus Christ. He provides us the pathway to sit at our Creator's feet. We aren't saved by works or by following rules perfectly—we're saved by grace, by mercy, by accepting Jesus's sacrifice for our sins.

For the longest time, I viewed Jesus dying for our sins through a fear-driven perspective. But as I've grown in my faith, this has transformed into a more love-centered, grace-oriented viewpoint.

When I read about God's anger in the Old Testament—particularly in books like Jeremiah—I understand it differently now. His anger stems from seeing His creation worship false idols, follow harmful paths, and distance themselves from Him. As a parent, I can relate to the heartbreak of a broken relationship with a child.

Learning from Biblical Characters

The beauty of biblical characters is that they're flawed humans just like us. Unlike Jesus, who lived a sinless, perfect life, these characters struggled. They failed. They doubted. And that's exactly why we can relate to them.

When God called them to difficult tasks, their first response was often resistance: "I can't do that!" Think of Sarah bearing a child in old age, Moses leading the Israelites, Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son, Joseph enduring slavery and imprisonment, David facing Goliath—the list goes on.

We can look to these prophets and characters for inspiration. We can call Jesus into our lives to guide our biblical studies and ask Him to teach us the depth and spirit of God's word.

The Power of Scripture

There's no book like the Bible—no text that has journeyed as it has, been cared for as it has, or been more controversial throughout history. People have lost their lives to share it. Think of all the persecutions throughout human history, the Protestant movement breaking away from the Catholic Church to have direct access to Scripture, the early church formations after Christ, and the prophets who received messages from God.

We get to be part of that incredible story. God would not leave us alone without guidance, and we have everything we need right here. Yet we often don't consider the weight, seriousness, and power of the Bible and all it has endured to reach us today. The fact that we can access it on our phones, in beautiful printed versions, in multiple translations—it's a tremendous blessing we take for granted.

In Closing

We'll never be perfect like Jesus. We'll never live sinless lives. That's why we need Him—to wash us clean and provide the doorway to heaven, allowing us to sit at our Creator's feet despite our imperfections.

But the other characters in Scripture can teach us so much. They can inspire us, help us learn, and give us figures to relate to in our struggles. When reading about Jeremiah preaching for 25 years with little response, being dismissed as crazy, it resonates with our experiences today.

Our world doesn't honor God. We worship money, materialism, and secularism. And where has it gotten us? More depression, isolation, and loneliness despite our technological advances.

My hope is to inspire you on your journey to connect with the Bible, with God, and with Jesus. To invite them into your heart and deepen that connection. To find that living relationship with our Creator. And to become instruments of God's will, serving Him as the prophets and servants did throughout Scripture.

In a world that often rejects God's messengers, may we find inspiration in those who came before us, who faced similar resistance yet remained faithful to their calling.

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"God's responses are perfect, but He has emotion. He has anger, love, grief... But His responses are perfect in those moments."

A Journey of Faith

So much of my show is now driven by my Bible readings and my heart. The time I spend in prayer has God working on me in profound ways. It's been an interesting journey.

I often plan episodes, record them, and then something doesn't feel quite right. That's why I've shifted to these more free-flowing episodes—it feels like God is leading me to share specific things.

This dynamic is entirely new to me. God has been present in my life forever, but I just didn't recognize it. It wasn't until recently that I've taken my faith seriously.

Getting baptized and reading the Bible has truly been life-changing. I never anticipated what this would do to me, and I now understand why they say the Bible is a living word and that God truly lives within it. What an incredible blessing.

Yet we as Christians often don't take time to sit with the Bible. For years, I was afraid of it—afraid to read it, afraid to engage with it. I think a lot of that came from being afraid of God Himself.

I was afraid of a relationship with Him, afraid of truly allowing Jesus into my heart and life, because I knew it would require me to change.

What I'm realizing is that many people call themselves Christians. They love the notion of being saved—saving their eternal souls. When we accept Christ as our Savior, that does away with our sins and gives us passage into heaven to stand before our Heavenly Father because of what Jesus has done. But I think many people's faith stops right there. It becomes a self-serving notion.

I've been struggling with this. I've been thinking deeply about Jesus, his life, and the Bible—this beautiful story that leads up to Jesus and then chronicles the life he lived.

In the Christian community, I see people struggling with the Old Testament—with God's anger, with the violence, and they can't seem to reconcile Jesus with the Old Testament.

This is such a profound topic. The life of Jesus is incredibly deep. Our relationship with God is so deep. It's something we reflect on for our entire lives.

God's Perfect Emotion

My wife and I often discuss these things in the evenings after putting our daughter to bed. We spend that time talking about our journey through the Bible and what God is teaching us. It's changing both of us.

Last night, something really struck me. I had been reading an article on Substack where the author expressed struggling with the violence in the Old Testament and how he's trying to read the Bible through Jesus's perspective. I think for many people, Jesus did change things when he came.

There are many moments where he pivots from how things had been handled before—the story of the adulteress being one prime example, where Jesus tells everyone, "Whoever is without sin, let them cast the first stone." No one does, because no one is without sin. It's a beautiful lesson.

We can get caught in a mode of anger and judgment, and we might use God's anger and the violence in the Old Testament to justify certain things. But when I read about God's anger, about Him being furious—all that fire He has—I understand it. God created us, and look at what we do.

My wife said something profound last night: "God's responses are perfect, but He has emotion. He has anger, love, grief. The Bible speaks of all these feelings. But His responses are perfect in those moments."

That really struck me.

Yes, God is perfect, and His emotions are the perfect response to each scenario, each person, each situation. It's beautiful. So when I read about God's fire and anger in the Bible, it feels justified. I mean, is He not supposed to respond at all?

It feels like this modern notion of "gentle parenting" where parents aren't supposed to get angry at all—as if the emotion of anger isn't allowed to be part of our human experience.

I think people's discomfort with divine anger has to do with their own struggles—their struggles with anger, with the fire within.

Our God has passion, fire, and immense love. He's the creator of the universe. We cannot fathom the depth of His feeling and emotion. I think about it every day and pray on it.

Understanding the Crucifixion

When we think about Jesus and the crucifixion, many believe God wanted a sacrifice—that He wanted blood. To me, that's not what it is at all. When I contemplate the story of Jesus and his crucifixion, I see an example of God's incredible mercy.

Because of Jesus's courage and love to overcome that moment—being crucified, mocked, brutally beaten, and murdered—his response was love: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Jesus was asking on our behalf for our Creator to forgive us. He was asking God to love us anyway, to let his life be that sacrifice. I view it not as some pagan sacrifice, but as the ultimate act of love.

God even says in the Bible that He doesn't want our sacrifices—He wants our hearts.

In this pivotal moment, Jesus gave his life with such incredible love. Being sinless and having lived a perfect life, Jesus conquered the sins of humanity—past, present, and future—because of this incredible act of love.

And God, in His love for both us and Jesus, accepted Jesus's life as repentance for humanity's sin.

These crimes had gone unpunished, and because Jesus—God's son—lived an incredible, sinless life and was being murdered by God's own creation, God accepted Jesus's plea for our forgiveness.

Because Jesus showed such love, God accepted this as payment for humanity's sins.

I don't believe God wanted blood or sacrifice. Rather, Jesus was the pinnacle of humanity, and God recognized the immense love pouring out of him in that terrible moment as he was being killed.

Jesus asked for the forgiveness of humanity, and God accepted that request. It was an incredible act of love.

Reconciling the Old and New Testaments

So this idea that the God of the Old Testament is just some violent, angry deity is preposterous to me.

How do we reconcile all this? To me, it's clear that we have been created, that God is real, and it's a calamity to deny His existence. With the level of arrogance and audacity in our world, with all our theories about why we're here and what we're doing—at some point, don't consequences happen? It seems inevitable to me.

The same righteous anger we see in the Old Testament will emerge again at some point.

When Jesus came, God sent him as the Prince of Peace, and he taught us to live in love, even to love our enemies. But loving our enemies doesn't mean agreeing with them.

This modern idea of "acceptance and tolerance" is absurd. We can love people without accepting all their ways. Jesus loved people, but he didn't just accept everyone as they were.

To the adulteress, after saving her from stoning, he said, "Go forth and sin no more." He didn't say, "Keep being who you are. You go, girl. Do whatever you want." That's nonsense.

Against Watered-Down Christianity

I'm tired of people watering down what Jesus did and who He was. Jesus was a champion who gave his life for us, and God accepted that because of how incredible Jesus is—and is, because he lives on.

I'm tired of people trying to water down the Bible and water down God because they're uncomfortable with anger and violence. The Bible teaches us about these things because we live in a fallen world—a violent world.

At one point, nature lived in harmony, the animals lived in harmony, we had peace on earth. But then we fell because we decided to buy into materiality, to listen to the deceiver rather than trust God. This is where we are now. It's not surprising that the world is in chaos; it's a fallen world.

So much of this comes down to Jesus and his incredible life, and the Bible with its incredible story arc that we're part of. God has been with us since the beginning, and it's a beautiful journey. He's still with us as we continue that story.

The Bible is incredibly powerful. Jesus is the way to heaven, but when we look at him only as a means to get there, thinking "I'm accepting him as my savior so I can save myself," that's not living true to what Jesus taught.

That's not following him. Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow him. That means we're going to suffer.

I think suffering as Christians is inevitable, part of our journey. The Bible is full of suffering individuals—faith-oriented, God-loving, God-serving people suffer throughout the Bible.

Not because God is making them suffer, but because we live in a fallen world. We are God's people in a world that's been taken over by a rebellious angel and his followers.

We can't be surprised by this. The Bible teaches us we will suffer, be ridiculed, be mocked. Look at what happened to Jesus, the greatest to ever live. He was perfect—God's literal son sent to us—and look what we did to him. So what will happen to the rest of us? We have to embrace this reality.

Jesus: The Loving Warrior

That's why the loving warrior spirit is so critical. Jesus was a lover who cared deeply for people, but he was also a warrior. I'm tired of people trying to whitewash that. There was no braver, more courageous spirit than Jesus himself.

Christ faced incredible challenges with incredible love, but he was a warrior. He challenged this world to its core, and he still does. People still wrestle with these things because his life was so extraordinary.

To me, it's God's incredible nuance—a beautiful, lifelong journey that we embrace. We must embrace Christ and be serious about following him. It's not just about accepting him as our savior and thinking, "I'm good now, I get into heaven."

If you want to do the bare minimum and live a self-serving life, sure, that's one way. But to me, that's not an honest, honorable way to honor Jesus.

Too many people use their Christian identity to justify all kinds of nonsense in the world, and I can't stand it.

I'm glad I'm new to all this. I'm glad I'm seeing it with fresh eyes, because I wasn't raised in the church or grew up reading the Bible. There's a clarity I have with all this, and I'm thankful.

I'm so thankful for God, for Jesus, and for the Holy Spirit, because they lead us every day of our lives.

The Bible teaches us we are blessed, but we need all three elements—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can't pick and choose. Without all three pieces, we don't function at the level God intended for us.

If we love and believe in Christ, then we owe it to him to truly follow him, to do what he calls us to do, to commit our lives to him. He is the greatest to ever live, the savior of humanity, and for him, I'm deeply grateful and forever want to show that gratitude.

A Prayer for Understanding

Let us pray that God will show His love for humanity, that the world will come to know the power, glory, and beauty of Jesus and his life, and that people will understand what it means to follow him and pick up their cross.

Let us commit our hearts to following Christ and his ways, invite him into our lives, and allow him to lead and teach us. May the Holy Spirit always guide us, so we can use this holy trinity to lead and serve in the world, being instruments of God's love and law with pure intention and wholehearted service.

I pray that God will show us the way, always be with us, and help the world come to know Him—that the world will come to know Christ, that the Holy Spirit will pour out in everyone, and that we will celebrate and honor God's glory in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I really love talking about God and hope you're enjoying it too. This journey has been life-changing, fulfilling, personal, and intimate.

Don't let anyone stand between you and God, between you and Christ, between you and the Holy Spirit.

Don't let anyone take that relationship away from you. Pray for them, call them into your heart, and it will transform your life.

About Order Within

This is a Written Reflection based on Order Within Podcast Episode 120. To listen to the full audio episode, visit Order Within Podcast.

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God Never Leaves Us

In a world filled with chaos and darkness, it's easy to question whether God exists or if He's abandoned us. When we see injustice prevail, when good people suffer, and when those who do wrong seem to prosper, our faith can waver.

These challenges might lead us to view God as absent or even cruel, rather than recognizing Him as the loving, heavenly Father that He truly is.

The Fall and Our Separation

Recently, I came across a video where someone defended Satan, suggesting he was "setting humanity free" while God was restricting knowledge. This perspective reveals how little many understand about Scripture.

Satan's words and deception are clearly documented in Genesis. He manipulated Adam and Eve, leading to humanity's fall from grace and creating the separation from God that we experience today.

We had paradise in Eden.

We had unity with God.

We were one with Him, living in a state of innocence and abundance where we didn't know death, suffering, or evil. But through the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we fell from that paradise state into our current state of separation.

Many criticize God for placing the tree in Eden, seeing it as cruel or restrictive. But God was protecting us. He warned that eating from the tree would bring death.

And though Adam and Eve didn't die immediately, death entered our existence at that moment.

We chose separation from God, and with it came the suffering and chaos we see in the world today.

Our Choices Take Us Away From God

God never abandons us.

He never leaves us.

He is always present, always there.

Sometimes He's silent, sometimes He's still, but we are never alone.

The distance we perceive comes from our choices taking us away from Him.

And sometimes he is testing our strength and resolve to handle hard moments in life because suffering is inevitable, with or without God.

When we aren't obedient to God's teachings, we drift further from His presence.

Our society rebels against any limitations, seeking total freedom even at the cost of our spiritual well-being. And like children, we make poor choices, suffer the consequences, and then blame God for the outcomes.

God's commandments aren't arbitrary restrictions. They're guidelines to help us live our best lives in His light. Just as parents establish boundaries for their children's protection and growth, God provides spiritual guidance for our benefit.

Yet we continually reject His wisdom, choosing our own path instead.

And look where that's gotten us. In America, especially, we can indulge in endless pleasures and live however we want. But has this freedom from God's teachings made our world better?

As moral standards continually shift in our secular society, we lose our foundation.

Taking Accountability

In Genesis, after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam blamed God and Eve, while Eve blamed the serpent. No one took accountability. This pattern continues today.

We dismiss God's existence, mock His teachings as outdated and irrelevant, and then wonder why the world is in chaos.

We blame God for every tragedy but give Him no credit for the good in our lives or the incredible harmony of creation.

This lack of accountability prevents our spiritual growth. We must accept responsibility for our actions and their consequences. This does not mean that every bad thing in our life is a punishment or a direct result of our actions, but we too often pick and choose our relationship with God like it’s a buffet line.

This creates unnecessary suffering.

God's Redemption and Grace

The beautiful truth is that despite our failings, redemption and grace are always available. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight and love. He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will."

God's love is boundless, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice. As Romans 5:8 reminds us: "But God demonstrates his own love for us with this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Through Jesus, all our transgressions can be forgiven. This doesn't mean God approves of every way we live, but His love remains constant.

God Awaits Our Choice

God wants a consensual relationship with us. He is not a puppet master controlling our every move. He gives us free will because a relationship without choice has no meaning or joy.

Like all loving relationships, our connection with God must be consensual. He waits for us to invite Him into our lives. He yearns to connect with us, but will never force Himself upon us. Force doesn't change hearts; it only creates resentment.

When we open our hearts to God, He guides us on a beautiful journey. He tests our faith, strength, and obedience—not to break us, but to help us grow into our highest potential as He envisions.

Finding What We Truly Seek

The world tells us to seek pleasure and happiness in material things, but this path leads to emptiness. Only through God will we find what our souls truly seek.

Only through Christ will we fill the void within us.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, everything transforms.

Life isn't found in worldly pursuits but in our relationship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray that God shows us His wisdom and helps us know the love and power He holds. For those who are curious or open to His ways, may He help them open their hearts to His love and direction. May they find trust and peace in Him.

For those in darkness, sadness, or depression, may God's light shine in their lives and help them heal. Through Him, all things are possible. All challenges can be overcome with His love and power.

God bless you all.

I think about God all the time now. I had no idea a relationship with the Creator would be so intellectually stimulating. But God is probably the most discussed and debated topic in human history. It's no wonder we are pulled into this vortex of thought and emotions.

God stirs something deep within us.

It's a mystery and wonder of life…

Made in God's Image

Thoughts and emotions are part of life. It's part of our makeup.

They reflect Creator who made us. They must be deeply important to our life because they are so prominent.

What is God trying to show us?

The wonders He has placed all throughout life is mind-boggling.

Bread crumbs to show His presence?

That statement is something to be reflected on for life. This is what I find so fascinating about the Bible. So much to reflect on. The process draws me closer to God. The more time I spend reflecting and praying the more I feel Him in my life.

Does this point to our soul? Our thinking nature? Our feeling nature? All of these things together?

To me, it seems more about the quality of being than it does on physical appearance.

So our thinking and feeling nature must be important.

Navigating the Waters

Thought and feeling can be overwhelming. But they are powerful.

God gave us these abilities for a reason. No pun intended. Think about the incredible brilliance of God's mind.

How glorious and rich must those thoughts be?

How fulsome are the feelings He has?

Reading the Bible gives us a taste. We must learn to balance these two dynamic aspects of life. Thinking and feeling have the power to uplift or destroy.

So how we wield them matters greatly. Can we use these God-given gifts to glorify Him? Or will we use them to deny God's existence and take credit ourselves?

The world pushes us to take everything for ourselves. It's pretty incredible the level of deception that exists in our world.

We have been convinced of many things that rebel against God's way.

But we live in a fallen world, so this is par for the course. That is why thinking and feeling are so critical to how we navigate the world. Without a grasp on our minds and hearts, we can lose control of ourselves.

We can get swept up by the world. It happens to so many of us…

God is Good Forever

Fortunately we have been blessed.

Through Christ, we have been given passage to our salvation. Christ frees and soothes our Eternal soul. But what about now? Here in this time? Alive on Earth…

Stumbling is easy in this world. Inevitable. We must guard against our folly. Our weakness. It requires the grace of God to navigate. I can't believe how foolish and arrogant I have been in my life.

The path of self-direction is one of chaos and calamity.

We need God.

It's foolish to think otherwise.

The world disagrees. But the world doesn't know the goodness of the Heavenly Father. It doesn't taste the elixir of Eternity. God's bounty is good always. Even in hardship. ESPECIALLY in hardships.

We must open to Him. We are never abandoned. But the world is confused. It blames God for all the bad in the world. It mocks His glory because of hypocritical frauds and their heinous acts.

Do not be fooled by the evil of man. This is not God. It is proof mankind is still growing. We are but spiritual children unaware of the Kingdom at hand.

Coming to Christ late in life is actually nice. I see it all with fresh eyes.

I don't take it for granted, yet. It's quenched my weary soul. The waters of God are good. The Bounty of Christ is endless. I must share this.

So many push Got away because of the foolishness of man. And I won't stand for that. God calls us forward to be His representatives. That's what it means to follow Christ.

Every moment, wherever we are. Each of us has a purpose—a use for God. We wouldn't be here otherwise.

It's Personal

One thing I'm certain of is the personal nature of our relationship with God. It's deeply personal and inward. The Holy Spirit lives, within us, so God is literally within us.

Prayer becomes the foundation of this relationship.

Prayer can be silent, written, spoken, sung, etc.

The key is an open channel to our Heavenly Father. I bring everything to His feet now. God is the path. what He desires is what I pray for. God knows best.

Far greater than I will ever know. By working to still ourselves we can be open to the small nudges and hints He shares.

God speaks to us in silence.

We have to invite Him in. Too often we expect big things, but it doesn't always work like that. So prayer and stillness became the passage way to building this connection. The Bible takes all of this to another level. It's incredible.

God speaks to us through the Word. It's our commitment to God. When we show up at the Text, we open ourselves to Him.

Surrender

All of this is based on consent.

One common thing I hear when people criticize God is “how can things be this way or how can people be allowed to do things like this” or the tragedy of this or that event.

But no one wants to accept how little they desire God. They mock Him. They deny Him. And then they curse Him when bad things happen.

I don't think God punishes us. I think He lets us make mistakes and we very often suffer the consequences of our own doing. I think so much of the suffering in the world comes from humans and not God.

Not because they deserve it but because they have turned away from the Creator of life. The Creator of All things.

How would that not be hard? It's honestly kind of funny.

Like, what do we expect?

Too often we want our cake and we want to eat it. This is all part of maturing spiritually. Understanding the relationship with God is two two-way street.

It's a beautiful thing when we can cultivate. This is the price Christ paid so that we can know the Father directly.

But we have to ensure the world doesn't convince us otherwise.

This is our plight as Christians. We must be in the world but not of it.

With Christ, all things are possible.

God bless y’all.

As a new follower of Christ, I see the world differently.

I've always believed in God. I've always believed in Christ, but I went my own way for many years and suffered because of this. I see the suffering of others differently now too.

I used to be confused on why people seem so mixed up and lost.

Reading the Bible has brought clarity on this matter.

We live in a fallen world.

It is natural for people to be lost and confused.

The only solution is God.

The path to Heaven is through Christ. But the disconnect for people is deep. This world is convincing and cunning. We can be led to believe many things will heal the emptiness we feel.

The world offers endless solutions. But none of them will do the job fully.

Endless Distractions

The world offers us everything but what we genuinely need.

An infinite plethora of consumptive amusements to assuage our emptiness. I've been on this wheel many times.

The world can be seductive.

We must be cautious. So many are unaware of how it tricks and traps us. we think normal means it's okay. But that’s how far we are from God's ways.

Sin is a warning.

It's meant to protect us. But the world we live in is consumed by it. And because of this, we fall deeper into darkness.

But do not despair. The Light of Christ is growing in the world.

Despite all the madness we are surrounded by.

The ease of consumption requires discipline and commitment. This is why God is so crucial in our lives. The ways we can lose ourselves are endless. Seeking to soothe the pain we feel in our souls.

But not all hope is lost!

Christ is our Light.

By God's grace, He has given us Jesus. He is our answer.

Jesus poured the Spirit of God into the world.

We have God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our salvation.

If we learn to trust in Him, He will guide us through the darkness. He will show us our folly and shortcomings. He will light our path forward. Praying to Him for guidance can help us overcome the endless distractions we face.

He can provide the solace we seek. So many of us search the world for purpose and meaning when it has already been given to us.

God has provided us with all we need. The answer is not in the world but within us. In our Hearts where God awaits.

The Power of Surrender

So many of us struggle because we cannot surrender.

Especially men.

We must humble ourselves to the splendor of God. He shows us His power every day. The marvels of the world. But instead, we ignore this and call it "science."

Science is the how of things, not the why.

This is why surrender is so key.

It allows us to offer our lives to God and the plans he has for us, not on our toil in the world.

Ecclesiastes covers all of this. It's powerful.

Without God, there is no meaning. Our role is to help others see this. To help them see the beauty and glory of our Creator. Only through Him can life be rich and full. Without the Lord, our life will feel void and cold.

How many feel this way? Let us share in the joy and meaning of the Lord.

For He is the answer we seek. He is the emptiness we seek to fill in the world. Turn within to find Him and life will never be the same. This is the ultimate adventure of life.

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As a new follower of Christ, the urge to change has grown strong. Much greater than I had imagined. Change is something most of us struggle with, but it's the most constant aspect of life. So how we navigate it's rough waters dictates much of our experience.

Perspective is key.

Getting Closer to God

As I've deepened my study of the Bible and made prayer a regular part of my day, I feel closer to God. It's wonderful. I bring everything to His feet.

This has brought many positive changes within me:

• Peace

• Contentment

• Purpose

These have been a few of the dominant characteristics, but what I didn't see coming was how much God would begin to work on my heart & mind. As obvious as it is now, it's natural for these changes to occur, but when I started this journey I didn't see specific types of these changes coming.

• Sensitivity to a culture and the entertainment we consume

• My viewpoint of non-believers and the like

• My perspective of Christ and His key role in humanity's salvation

It's pushed me to reevaluate A LOT.

Changing from the Inside

God works on us from within.

He lives within us, so this is natural.

But this process can be a little overwhelming. I think this is why I resisted reading the Bible for so long. It meant my interactions with the world would change. The world does not change, but our perspective does.

So every moment becomes different. It requires adjustment and disrupts our habits— things of old now appear new in a light unseen.

This work truly transforms us and makes us new.

Scripture:

God Changes our Hearts and minds. I underestimated this process.

He is working to bring us into alignment with Him.

It's also just beginning.

A New Perspective

Taking the plunge into God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit transforms how we view the world.

It works in all areas.

It’s not instant at all either. It's a subtle change. Things begin to shift. It's a process we can choose to participate in.

You start to reflect on everything you know. Or at least you think you know.

It's humbling.

It's a huge reminder of how little we truly know. It’s also refreshing because there is a sense of relief knowing God will lead the way forward. You let go of more and more.

It's freeing—Terrifying but freeing.

The world looks less chaotic and more downtrodden. People, have become consumed by the world and don’t even see it.

I see it in my past, too.

The traps are all around.

Waiting to snare us and lead us away from our Home. God is our resting place. He provides all we need. Allowing Him to work on us is part of this incredible journey.

It's thrilling!

There is no greater adventure than to follow Christ and where He may lead us. The world tries to pretend it has something on God, but it does not.

God knew this. So He sent His only Son. What a blessing and miracle. If we meditate on this regularly we will be transformed.

Pray to God for His guidance.

Pray to Christ for the strength to pursue.

Pray to the Holy Ghost to always be present and outspoken.

I'm so early on this path, so new to this whole world. I'm grateful for discovering the wisdom of the Bible and all that it brings.

God gave us a roadmap for life.

My hope is more will know this in the coming days.

God is good.

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Too often we get caught up in the chase of life and forget the joy and wonder that God brings us.

As I reflect on my life, I see that there has always been the ever-present love of God with me. But I missed it so often. Enamored by the world and all it has to offer.

This created a loneliness in my soul that took years to heal. By God's grace, I was made whole. This is what I desire for all of my readers.

Seeking outside ourselves

Restless.

Isolated.

Anxious.

The lingering sadness.

This is often what we experience when God isn't present in our world. Not because we've been abandoned but because we've chosen to focus on other things.

Worldly things.

This pursuit of material fulfillment can often take us to the depths of our souls. The world requires so much of us to achieve "freedom." We are tricked into thinking security and peace can be found outside somewhere. The world lulls us to sleep with this deceptive lie.

It seems reasonable.

Everyone else has bought into it. But within us, we suffer. We struggle. No matter what we may accomplish and achieve, the emptiness is always present. The hole that can only be filled by the Creator.

Yet, we press on seeking more.

The Endless Chase of Materialism

God is redemption.

God is joy.

He brings so much enrichment when we open our hearts to Him. This is what saddens me most about our planet—how we pursue fulfillment in the world.

I was most miserable when I was at the height of material pursuits. Playing the startup game and trying to be a big shot CEO. I also wanted to be an actor. I've tried many different career paths seeking to find my "purpose.”

Searching in the world.

That is the mistake we so often make. This wheel of achievement is the way our culture tells us we find fulfillment.

In our passions.

But I haven’t found this to be true. I think so many of us get sucked into this cortex of confusion.

The beautiful solution?

God.

The way out of the Hell

As I I realized the chase of status and money wouldn't bring peace, I fell deeper into a depression. This depression followed me for years. I tried so many things over the years.

Some helped a bit.

But nothing helped like the embrace of God.

Discovering His love changed my life. It helped me to learn to love myself as I was. So much of my sadness and depression centered around my lack of self-acceptance.

I didn't think I was good enough.

I didn't know how to love myself.

I was never shown this. But as I started to embrace the fullness of myself and the way God created me, things began to change. I started to realize I was rejecting God and the way He created me by not accepting and loving who I was.

Now this doesn't mean I'm making excuses for my sinful nature. Not at all. It also meant I had to examine all of myself. The not-so-good parts too. All this was possible because of God's love. He guided me through the corridors of my soul.

This process was tumultuous.

It was ravenous.

It was all-consuming.

By trusting God I was able to slowly find the joy in how He made me.

God loves us fully and deeply.

When we lean into this we can transform any shame we may feel about ourselves.

All because of the Love God has for us.

The hurt blocks the Joy

Carrying these wounds limits the fullness of life. It's like carrying a shroud of darkness wherever we go. I had this experience for years.

I was suicidal. Depressed. Nothing could satisfy me. This happens to so many of us. Life wounds us and we wander the Earth seeking peace. But the only thing that can bring the peace we desire is God. At the moment, I didn't know it was God working His ways on me. He was teaching me how to love. How to care for myself. How to break the cycle of self-abuse.

We learn from our parents

How we learn to care for ourselves will be the way our parents treated us as kids. If we were fortunate, it would be with love and acceptance. Most of us are not that fortunate. Humans are flared and sinful, and our parents are no different. But until we learn how to love ourselves, the way God does, we can struggle deeply. The thing I missed back then, was the ever-present fountain of God's love.

Inner Bonding

Throughout all my seeking, God brought me to many books that helped. One of the most impactful was Healing for Aloneness, by Dr. Margaret Paul. This book taught me the concept of the inner child and how to parent myself. You can also check out the interview I did with Dr. Paul here:

Unveiling the Power of Self-Love: A Conversation with Dr. Margaret Paul | Ep. 77

In Episode 77 of the Order Within Podcast, I'm joined by the insightful Dr. Margaret Paul. Together, we embark on a profound journey, exploring the far-reaching impacts of childhood experiences on our adult lives.

Read full story

With perspective now, this book is only possible because of the Love God has for us. The power to love ourselves and others comes from God. The joy we feel and experience all comes from our Creator.

But that joy can be blocked when we are wounded. We carry that pain until we heal. This is why we need God so desperately.

The Joy God Gives

The biggest regret I have is not discovering this sooner.

God is the source of all things.

Through Him, we can experience the full spectrum of life and all He has to offer. This is why I share so freely now. Life without our Creator is so dark, isolating, and painful.

The world can be so cold.

It doesn't need to be this way.

There is so much joy to be experienced with God.

If we pray and seek Him, He will be there. Seek Him in all that we do. There is no greater Love than to know the love of the Creator.

Cry out to Him.

Let His mercy wash away the shame.

The world seeks to seduce us away with all the luster and lights.

But just like in the garden, where we had all we needed, but we were seduced away from the Lovee He provides us—by the false promises of the world. This is also another way we run away from healing, by focusing on everything outside of ourselves.

But God's love is living within us awaiting our call.

What a glorious gift.

If you don’t feel this today, pray with all your heart for Him to come back into your life. He has never left and He never will.

Let us rejoice in the bounty of God's love and the fountain of His Joy.

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We've gone too far in the world.

We allow too much.

We've mistaken love and acceptance for support of harmful ideas. This has been weighing on my spirit for a while now.

I've been praying to God for His guidance.

The more I study the Bible, the more I see how off base we are with the ideas of acceptance and tolerance. It comes back to love.

What is genuine love?

Sometimes love can be hard and hurt because the truth cuts deep. We're living in a world that has no boundaries, that says you can do whatever you want, and we must accept that, or we’re hateful bigots?

This kind of behavior is not Biblical. We are called to stand against sin.

As followers of Christ, it's our duty to stand against the evil in the world and to call out false teachings. The path to Heaven and Eternity goes through Jesus.

There is no other way.

It's our duty to share this truth. This can be harsh for others to hear. But that cannot stop us.

The key is patience and teaching.

2 Timothy 4: 1-2 "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

I think this is where a lot of us miss.

Patience and teaching, not tolerance of sin. We've dropped the teaching and switched to tolerance. It's the path of least resistance and it allows us to stay complacent.

It's uncomfortable challenging people.

It takes courage.

This is why we need God. It's why we hire Jesus. It's why we all carry the Holy Spirit. So we may engage with the world and never be on our own. This is the price that Christ paid for us.

Following Christ costs us a lot.

It means we can no longer tolerate the sin of the world. It takes true love to tell someone the hard truth they are harming themselves and others. It takes all of our heart to stand against the world and show the ways of God.

This is not an easy ask.

But so many have been ensnared by the idea of acceptance the modern world teaches and not that of Christ Jesus.

It's a subtle but deceptive shift away from the Law of God. This is also part of the problem with not studying the Bible and learning God's word. It makes us susceptible to manipulation. Because the world loves to take Biblical truth and manipulate it for selfish gain

This is what we must guard against.

Tolerance does not equal love.

Giving heroin users free reign to abuse and having no consequences isn't love but enabling.

Telling a child they are not the gender God makes them isn't tolerance but abuse.

Believing in Jesus isn't the same as accepting Him as our Savior and following His ways.

Love and truth mean there will be limits and boundaries to our behavior. Repentance means we must change our ways and seek to live more holy. Too often we treat these things like transacting in a marketplace.

This is a very common misconception we have:

"I've accepted Jesus as my savior, so now I can do as I please."

Too many of us believe we get to decide what is right and wrong.

What is Holy or not.

But this is why we have the Bible. This is why we have Christ and the Holy Spirit. To guide us on this path of Life. The world is riddled with sin. We must not tolerate this. Tolerance of sin is one of the most anti-Christ behaviors the world has convinced us of as Christians.

The world has taken the natural empathy that we have for our fellow brothers and sisters of God and used it against us. I was guilty of this too. Believing I have no place to judge others: But that is the very thing, we’re called to do.

The key is we must teach with patience. Not blatantly accept what others do out of "love".

Love requires strength, courage, and honesty. It requires patience. It's hard work. Tolerance with no limits is actually quite lazy. It's placing comfort over duty.

As Christians, we’re called to follow Christ. Jesus called out people often. He corrected often. But he did this with patience and grace. Too often, we pick and choose what we want as Christians like it's Our Amazon Cart.

It doesn't work like that.

The world is full of false prophets and blasphemy. It's our duty to challenge these false teachers. Especially, if they are claiming to be Christians. So much harm has been done in the name of God by false teachers that keep people from receiving Christ.

We must stand against this.

Being a parent has taught me a lot about tolerance. If I "tolerated" every whim and desire of my 3-year-old, she would only eat cookies, never get enough sleep, and end up destroying herself through reckless action.

Is that Love?

Of course not.

People would call me a terrible parent and rightfully so. But this is basically what we do in the world now. The idea of tolerance is often weaponized in the name of Jesus. But Jesus didn't tolerate a lot... He stood against:

• Sinful practices: John 8:11, John 5:14

• Hypocrisy and Self-righteousness: Matthew 23

• False Teachings: Matthew 24:24, Revelation 2:20

• Rejection of God's Truth: Matthew 11:21-22

How many of these things are prominent in the world today?

Most of us don't even know anymore because we've never genuinely studied the Bible. Including myself! I'm now seeing it because of the Word. Because we have not studied we are blind to the world we face.

Ephesians 6:10-18: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

This is the trick that has been played upon us.

Satan laughs as we defend sin in this world. We've been duped into thinking tolerance of all behavior is loving. It is not.

To truly love means we must challenge.

Reprove. Rebuke. Exhort.

That is our call.

The only way out of this hell is through Christ.

I used to struggle with this idea. But now I see why it's so important. Christ is the model. There is no greater human to live but He. God sent Him for a reason. To teach us and show us the way to Heaven. Christ died and was resurrected to take the weight and share of our sin for all of humanity.

To go against this is to go against God. So when people preach anything other than acceptance of Christ as the path to God, I know they are a false teacher.

Even if they don't.

God paved the way for a reason.

This makes it clear.

Christ is the only way.

People don't lie to hear this because it means we must change. But if we are to truly dedicate our life to God and Christ, we must be willing to make sacrifices.

And that means challenging ideas we know take us further from God. This is why Christ was both the Lamb and the Lion. The wolf has convinced us only the Lamb exists, but the Lion will not be denied.

We are here to serve our Master. Let us rejoice in this incredible honor.

Christ is the way!

The personal nature of God has always been something I've thought deeply about. It's also something many people get confused about—and for good reason. Our world has become so mixed up around our relationship with God, what God means, and who God is.

This journey of reading the Bible, getting closer to God—it's all about establishing a personal relationship with our Creator.

He's yearning for us and always has been. Everything we do—reading Scripture, attending church, praying, serving others, connecting in community—these practices are meant to establish that deep personal connection with the One who made us.

Doing vs. Being

There's a lot of busyness in the world today. This busy-ness can become part of that performative aspect of faith where we find ourselves constantly doing, but not giving ourselves a chance to simply be—which is where we truly find connection with God. If we don't slow down, if we don't take time to find stillness, it becomes incredibly difficult to connect with our Creator.

Jesus tells us: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

What He's talking about is profound. When we come to God and give Him our struggles, our challenges, and everything we're facing—when we hand Him the yoke—we allow ourselves to learn from God. Jesus, being God incarnate, knows how burdened and weary we are. This weariness often results from constant doing, constant busyness.

When we don't rely on our Creator, we stay busy. We struggle to find stillness, and we never allow ourselves to discover that connection to God that resides within.

But when we allow our Creator to take that burden and we rest with Him, we begin to feel the difference. This personal nature of God is something we experience. It's something we feel. When we let that burden be light, we find rest and nourishment for our souls.

Genuine Action vs. Performance

It's easy to believe that if we're busy, if we're constantly doing, we must be doing what's right. And yes, we are in the world to serve, to bring God to others, to teach. If we're following Christ, part of our calling is to share the ways and wisdom of God, to share the salvation that is Jesus, and to help others realize this truth.

But we must slow down and find stillness. We need to make time to be with God, to really experience His presence so that our doing can be inspired by the Holy Spirit and what God envisions for us.

The danger comes when we get caught up in busyness. We start making all our decisions ourselves, thinking we have to do everything on our own strength. That's problematic—and it's what the world has taught us. Our world is filled with self-worship, self-centeredness, with doing what the self determines.

There is some goodness in healing and nurturing ourselves, especially if we grew up in environments where that wasn't natural or taught. But what's happening now is that many people are wounded, and we've become so self-absorbed that we only think about ourselves. This self-focus is detrimental to our wellbeing and our souls.

The Greatest Commandment

In Matthew 22:34-40, we find this exchange:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Jesus is telling us right there that the most important law is that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. To love God and to love our neighbor—to be of service, to be kind, to be caring—to give our life to our Creator.

Giving your whole heart, mind, and soul to God is challenging. There will be sacrifices. The Pharisees were rule-followers. They knew the law, they followed the rules and laws given to them, but in their hearts, they were just going through motions. They were checking boxes, following what they thought they had to do based on routine commands.

It's so easy to fall into following rules instead of following God. That's why Jesus says the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind—to give our entire life to Him so He can guide us. Not to arbitrarily follow rules, because it ultimately comes down to our heart.

Routines mean nothing without a genuine love for God. It's easy to slip into performance mode without really feeling and experiencing God and the love He has for us. This is why a personal relationship is so critical. Without it, religion becomes performance instead of genuine love. It becomes about following rules, not following God.

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The Temple Within

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-23, Paul tells us:

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."

So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

This passage reminds us that God is within us. Our bodies are temples, and we are the living temple of God. His spirit dwells in our midst—He's among us, within us, always with us. Yet we turn away from Him. We follow human leaders. We become arrogant and prideful, thinking we know better, that we don't need God.

Paul encourages us to "become fools so that you may become wise." This means shedding the wisdom of this age so we can become truly wise in God's ways. He dwells within us and will lead us, guide us, and show us the way.

A Changed Heart

Our relationship with God is defined by our hearts—by our inner world. Without Him, life is challenging, empty, full of sorrow. With God, life is still hard. We still face hardships, sadness, sorrow, and loss. This isn't some naive, toxic positivity. It's something we experience.

I'm relatively new to committing my life to Christ, to reading the Bible regularly, to attending church. But I have always intuitively felt God in my life, even when I didn't recognize it. He carried me through difficult moments. Jesus has always been there. It was my own arrogance and foolishness to think otherwise.

When we genuinely connect with God, it changes us from within. We start to think differently, live differently, make different decisions. Our habits change as God works on us from within. But often we push Him away because we don't want that change.

We cling to our habits, to what's comfortable, to this world, to our pride and arrogance—believing we know better than our Creator.

We must humble ourselves, repent for our mistakes and sins. No Christian is perfect. No Christian will ever be perfect. There was only one perfect man who walked this earth—Jesus Christ. Everyone else is flawed.

All of us.

Including the people we idolize in this world.

Our relationship with God is the most loving partnership we can have. It's glorious. He sits in our heart. He's with us. He truly changes us, but we have to call to Him. We have to open our hearts, humble ourselves, repent for our mistakes, be honest about the things we've done, and be genuine in our desire to learn, grow, and change.

Without this genuine connection, we will lose ourselves in the world. We won't find the fulfillment we seek. Life without God is empty, and He is calling us forward. God seeks us. He awaits us. We are the ones who turn away.

Life is different with God in it. Even though it's hard, it's wonderful—the peace, love, kindness, care, meaning, purpose. Being able to give Him our problems and allow Him to lead our life is transformative.

It's hard to let go of control and surrender your life to God. Surrendering the ego and allowing God to lead us requires patience, commitment, trust, and surrender. It's not easy, but it's the most fulfilling decision we can make.

Nothing the world offers can give us what God does. We can search everywhere, but we will not find what God has for us. Only He can provide that sanctuary, that quenching of our soul's thirst.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that you will come into our lives and hearts, that you will show us your ways. For those struggling with their relationship with you, I pray that you will open their hearts and show them the way. Help us understand that fear of the Lord is a wonderful thing—not living in fear, but honoring and respecting you.

We know that without you, we are limited and separate. We pray that you'll soften our hearts, open our minds, and teach us your ways so we may follow Christ and model his teachings. May you sweep across the world and move into the hearts of all who are open and ready for you. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Finding God within us is so different from empty gestures and routine rule-following. God knows our heart. We can't hide it from Him—and that's a glorious thing. All that is will be known, all that is is known and will be seen. And that's a wonderful truth to embrace.

As I journey through Isaiah in my Bible reading, I'm struck by the profound contrast between our rational world and God's seemingly irrational ways. It's so easy to get caught up in logical reasoning and allow that to lead our lives.

While I love reason and logic—something I've worked hard to develop—I've come to realize that following God can often appear irrational and illogical on the surface.

Look at the world around us—the order, mathematics, science, the building blocks of nature. When you explore quantum physics and see atoms and the structured beauty of creation, it's clear that logic, reason, science, and mathematics have an incredible place in our reality. They shape our experience, and from my perspective, God designed the world with this brilliant order.

Yet God often calls us to do things that seem out of sorts or don't make immediate sense.

The Irrational Call of Obedience

Think about the stories throughout Scripture:

Noah building an ark for years while people thought he was insane—until the flood came.

Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son—a request that defies all human understanding.

During Exodus, the Israelites marking their doors with blood—an act with no logical defense, yet it saved their children.

I'm starting to realize that much of this centers around God testing our obedience and our trust in Him. Just as parents teach their children to trust them because they possess knowledge the children don't yet have, our Heavenly Father asks us to lean into and trust Him, even when it goes against our reasoning mind.

When we aren't obedient and trusting, we risk sabotaging God's wisdom and direction. This happens because God has a view of life that we simply cannot fathom.

It's difficult to rationalize because our world teaches us to be driven by logic and reason.

But what matters most is obedience to God.

The Culture of Self vs. The Heart of Surrender

We struggle with obedience because we're sold a different story—one of freedom, individuality, and self-determination. These were things I once idolized, and American culture heavily worships self-reliance, independence, and personal freedom.

At its core, freedom can be good. America was founded partly on religious freedom—to live and worship how we want. Moses helped free his people from Egyptian rule. Freedom is woven throughout Scripture.

But obedience stands above all.

What God asked Moses to do seemed irrational and impossible. He gives His prophets messages that don't make immediate sense. We naturally doubt, fear, and question God's direction.

The thing I'm working hardest on as I dedicate my life to God is being obedient, surrendering control, trusting, and letting go of my need to rationalize everything.

God works on our hearts. He leads us from our hearts. The heart is the center. When I look at Jesus and the life He lived, His heart stands above all—so full of love and compassion.

His love for God, for humanity, and His obedience to allow God to lead His life shaped everything He did.

Jesus was incredibly obedient. Imagine all the things God asked Him to do. If He knew He would be crucified, where's the rationale in that? But that's just it—many things God calls us to do aren't rational on the surface."

The crucifixion, as brutal and horrifying as it was, became the opportunity for our salvation when Jesus rose three days later. That's what makes Easter so special.

God may ask us to do things in our lives that don't make sense, but our role is to be obedient, to let our hearts lead, and to trust that He's guiding us.

Heart Over Mind

True service and love come from our hearts, which God has placed within us. Yes, He has given us rational minds, but I've come to realize the mind is meant to be a tool that supports the heart.

God communes with us through our hearts, and when we allow Him to lead, we become more heart-centered in our service and giving.

As I go deeper in the Bible, as I pray and ask for guidance, I yearn to be of service to Him and to do His will. I want to be an instrument for His purpose because our world is so broken and backward.

I often think back to Eden, the way God created Earth at first. We were in harmony with life, walking with God in the garden, surrounded by incredible beauty and abundance. But like Adam and Eve, we take steps of rebellion, thinking we can do better on our own.

We're deceived by seeming logic and reason, just as the serpent reasoned with Eve. His words chipped away at their trust and obedience, and we're still falling into that same trap today.

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The Counterintuitive Path to Freedom

Surrendering and being obedient are critical, but they're incredibly challenging in a world that tells us the opposite. The world says: Trust yourself. Follow your passion. Make money. Be successful. Be famous. Have all the things. Enjoy all the pleasures.

You don't need anyone—not family, not marriage, not God.

These messages echo around us constantly. So it's quite irrational to follow God in a world of this nature. It seems illogical to trust our Creator when so much of the world thinks that's foolish, that God is just some made-up old man in the clouds.

Reading and studying the Bible has shown me that many people don't truly understand Christianity. Those who argue against faith often haven't actually read Scripture—they're basing their opinions on what others have told them.

They're way off base when it comes to understanding the living relationship we have with our Creator.

Isaiah powerfully highlights the parallels between ancient times and today. We still haven't learned these lessons. What's fascinating in Isaiah is that God speaks through him about His displeasure with mere routines—the fake worship, the sacrifices, the festivals, checking boxes while hearts remain distant.

God knows our hearts. That's what stands out most in Scripture—He knows what lives within us, and that's where His judgment rests. Not on what we're doing externally or showing others, but where we are in our hearts.

The True Path to Fulfillment

This is truly a personal dynamic.

God influences us from within and then moves us to act in the world based on what He's prompting in our hearts. That's where the opportunity to serve, to make a difference, to be impactful comes together. It's the joy and service given to us by God when we follow Him, when we're obedient, when we allow our hearts to open and let Him lead.

He will ask us to do things that don't make sense by worldly standards. That's why obedience is so crucial.

I think we struggle with obedience because we view it almost as slavery. But I promise you what I've found: obedience to God is true freedom. It's true empowerment. What God envisions for our lives and the work He desires us to do is incredible.

There's nothing we could ever conceive on our own that would compare to the vision and power God holds.

Following Him and allowing Him to lead is the ultimate path on Earth. Jesus is the way—the pinnacle of that expression. Throughout the Bible, we see individuals who understand that following God doesn't mean losing our lives—we gain a life this world could never give us.

All this world offers is materialism, short-lived experiences, and chasing highs. I've always felt somewhat disconnected from the world's obsession with material things and money.

When I was heavily consumed by worldly pursuits, I was miserable and empty.

Now I know I was always looking for God, and He was always in my life, even when I didn't realize it. We have to open ourselves to His presence, which is subtle and often not rational.

Obedience to God is where we find our lives. It's where we find purpose, meaning, and ultimately, fulfillment—even in suffering. The Bible teaches us that following God and picking up the cross can bring suffering. It's not necessarily a path of worldly pleasures. There will be fulfillment, but it will be of the heart and spirit.

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Balancing Reason and Heart

Following God challenges everything we are and everything we know—especially the rational, reasoning mind we've been taught to rely on. Many of us operate primarily through reason and logic, which have their place.

I'm not suggesting we become irrational, emotional, or unstable. But we take reasoning too far, often overruling matters of the heart and what God may be prompting us to do.

My wife is reading a book by Joyce Meyer called "Battlefield of the Mind," which talks about how we reason our way out of doing good things, of following God and being of service.

For example, if I feel prompted to give my leftovers to a homeless person, I might immediately think: "They won't want this," or "It's just leftovers," or "Maybe I'll want this later," or "They'll think it's gross."

These twenty thoughts that instantly pop up give us reasons not to act. Instead of being service-oriented and giving to that person as we felt prompted to do, we reason our way out and miss that opportunity for service.

These are moments of obedience—opportunities to serve from the heart that God is prompting us toward. They're subtle, and we can easily override them with reason and logic.

That's why it's so important that we start to recognize these patterns.

We should use reason and logic in their proper place, but God will call us to do things that aren't rational or reasonable in the moment because He sees things we don't. He desires to use us as instruments of service in the world so we can be His hands and feet.

We are the body of Christ, and God uses us.

That's the incredible opportunity we have—to be of service by following Him and surrendering our reason and logic to allow Him to lead our hearts.

Some people, especially those scientifically oriented, might dismiss these ideas and call me a kook. Frankly, I don't care anymore because I've found that God is the most fulfilling presence we can have in our lives.

He's wonderful and brings such joy. The pleasure we experience from God is incredible—the beauty, the poetry, the love is everywhere.

God is abundant in His glory, His giving, and His wonder.

He surrounds us.

We just need to open our hearts to Him and allow Him to lead us, even when His call seems irrational.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, guide our lives that we may be instruments of Your will. Help us trust You with our whole hearts and allow reason and logic to sit in their proper place while You lead our lives.

Help us be of service, knowing when to take action, when to help, and when to simply trust and follow the prompts You give us.

We pray for obedience to You and Your will. May we trust and follow You, becoming loving instruments of Your will on this earth, continuing to fulfill what Christ has done for us as the body of Christ.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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Let us bring glory to God and all He has done for us.

We've been sold a lie. One that sounds good but slowly rots us from within. It's been so normalized that it's part of the culture. It’s all around us in media, entertainment, and education. It’s a dominant force.

The idea that happiness and fulfillment is found through the pursuit of pleasures for ourselves.

I spent most of my life chasing this illusion and it nearly cost me my life. Luckily, God reached out with His loving hand and corrected my course. I was on the path of self-destruction and didn't know it.

So many of us find ourselves in the same boat. Trapped by the cycle of consumption. Slaves to the hedonic treadmill of self-service.

This is all intentional.

It's designed to separate us from Christ and the world God created.

The Fall

The Biblical story of the fall is well known. Adam and Eve took a bite of the apple from the Tree of Knowledge and became aware of things not known to them prior. It changed the trajectory of humanity as it took us out of a state of innocence, where we walked with God on Earth, and put us on the path of destruction.

In that moment, humanity separated from God's way and decided we knew better. Of course, with the influence of the great deceiver, Satan, we bought the lie that we didn't need God.

We can become gods ourselves.

This action still ripples throughout our world today.

The Bible is not some old book.

It is a living text God has provided us to navigate a fallen world. Without its power and knowledge, we are extremely vulnerable in this world.

Because of this lack of awareness, we become susceptible to the influence of darkness in our world, which has manifested the destructive philosophy of self-service disguised as freedom and empowerment.

I fell for all of this.

I spent almost 10 years in California pursuing this materialistic dream of freedom. I was never more depressed, isolated, and destructive living this way.

Everyone around me was doing the same, so it was normal.

But normal does not mean it's good for us.

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The Lie of Freedom

The way this captures us is the same way Adam and Eve fell for the lie. Believing life outside of God and His rules is "liberation." This is a deceptive ploy to take us from God's Kingdom and under the rule of rebellion.

This is the dominant way of thinking in our world today.

Pursue your dreams. Hustle and grind to freedom. Live your best life. Follow your bliss. Be a boss.

All these different phrases push us to serve ourselves and our desires. This is a death trap. We will never be fulfilled by pursuing endless desires of the self. It's an infinite path that leads to the same empty and lifeless destination.

Only through service of others do we find purpose.

Only through surrendering do we find freedom.

Only through God and Christ do we find life.

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The True Path of Fulfillment

Despite all the selfish ways the world pushes us to live, the path to a wonderful life is found through service to others. Putting the needs of others ahead of our own.

This doesn't mean we neglect our well-being, but it does mean the focus shifts to helping others and not simply pursuing endless desires.

Mark 10:45:

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The greatest man to walk this earth, the one who was God in human flesh, is telling us the key to a great life.

It's not found in:

• Money

• Wealth

• Fame

• Pleasure

• Materialism

A great life is designed by service to others. Jesus is the model. He is who we seek to emulate. Jesus demonstrated service to others His whole life. This brought Him great peace and fulfillment.

He took delight in serving His heavenly Father by serving his fellow brothers and sisters of life.

We can do the same.

We do the opposite now. Are we really surprised so many of us are sad and depressed?

The more we seek to fill the void with pleasures and desires, the wider the gap becomes for a fulfilling life. We lose what God has given us—the heart of a servant.

Radical Change

We need a big cultural shift to course-correct the disastrous path we're on. The industrial, centralized model of production is failing. God is calling us back to the land. Back to nature. Back to life as He intended.

We must each pick up our cross and carry it in the world. We must call on God as a light to guide our every step. We desperately need to change our ways and follow Him.

God's grace is wonderful, but we can't ignore this call forever. The world is changing. Struggle is our future unless we return to the ways God calls us to live.

The Bible shows us the way. Jesus lives and walks with us today. The Holy Spirit will guide every moment. All we must do is open our hearts and invite God back into our lives.

Let us learn to walk with Jesus.

There is no past that is too dark and unclean that can't be washed clean by the life and power of Christ. We all have this incredible potential within us, and it is all given by our Creator.

Now is the time to embrace this life and bring God back to our world.

God's love and mercy is boundless. Let us serve Him with full hearts.

Don't underestimate the power God holds.

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I’m so grateful for you to be here! I hope you enjoy this weeks’ piece.

Our financial yoke

Bills, debts, and burdens. So many of us deal with this. It got the best of me this week and I threw a pity party. I was praying to God, when it hit me. I despise money. It's always felt like such a burden and point of contention in my life. Resentment for needing such a corrupted means of exchange. The obsession our society has with it. I've had to manufacture my care for it.

But then I started reading the Bible and discovered this isn't new. The struggle of two masters. I've wrestled with this notion for most of my life and didn't realize it.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Matthew 6:24

But here we are, in a world that worships money above all. This puts God's people in a tough spot. We need money to live, but we can only truly serve one master. It's easy to justify and come up with reasons and qualifiers on why we have to pursue money. But nothing we say can make God less important than money. No matter what.

This struggle is real

I think many of us feel it. The burden of it all. It's a heavy yoke. Cost of living, inflation, taxes, debts, interest rates, credit cards, on and on...

We live in a debt-based society. Even our currency is based on debts. This creates tension between our monetary system and our lives. When you layer in the exploitation that takes place at all levels of the market, you get a full-blown system of oppression.

Don't worry, this isn't an essay on economies or systems of finance. Just a reminder that the financial system is designed to keep us on the treadmill of life chasing visions of wealth and splendor. The intention is to suck us into this system to never find stillness to connect with God.

This is the dynamic of serving money as our master. It will be a never-ending pull for more. It's deceptive and has captured the entire globe.

It's also deeply unfulfilling. It brings false security and anchors us to the material plane. So we have to be mindful of the master we serve. For years I worshipped money in my mind but in my heart I hated it.

God's world has been imprisoned by this financial system. This is the challenge of being Christian. Being in the world but not of it. This realization has weighed heavily on my heart for years.

But it wasn't until recently that I started finding hope and that is all because of God.

My eyes are on Him now. It's still hard. It's still corrupt, but with Him we can handle everything.

Dependence on God

For years I made the mistake of trying to do everything on my own. I took pride in it, but boy did I suffer. Life was so hard. Unnecessarily.

God is our salvation. He is our refuge.

Can you tell I've been reading Psalms?

We are not made to do things without God. It's unnatural. It creates tremendous suffering and struggle. Look at our world. Depression, anxiety, loneliness...

People feel hopeless.

It's rough.

But we've disconnected ourselves from our Maker. How can we not suffer?

But we live in an ego-centered world. One built around the self.

Self-Worship

What many do not realize is the self-idolatry our world obsesses over is Luciferian in nature. Because we've become so lax in our spiritual beliefs, we no longer take the presence of evil seriously.

This makes us vulnerable to ideology and influence.

Self-worship is an example of this. Lucifer believed he was better than God. So he rebelled against His Kingdom. Self-worship is the continuation of this rebellion. It's tragic because it's become so normalized.

I fell for it too. This journey is driven by my own experience. I mean, look at all the episodes on my podcast. A lot of it is built around the idea of self. Doing things on our own. The rugged individualist. The successful entrepreneur. The comeback story.

Rarely do we bring God into the picture.

It's so refreshing when people do. We're seeing a return to God.

The Return to God

We need God more than ever. His creation and the world He gave us to look after has been overtaken by darkness. It's so entrenched, that people don't see it.

It's tragic, but there is hope. God awaits us. Always. He never leaves us. He loves us deeply. But we must turn to Him. We must humble ourselves and repent for falling off the path.

Living a God-centered life is actually freeing. It's a better way to live.

Evil has been rebranded as edgy and cool. But it's nothing of the sort. The lie is that we are free in rebellion. Darkness works through manipulation and deception. God is unchanging and ever present to us. He leads us along the path of righteousness.

It can be hard to surrender

I think it's why so many reject the authority of God. We want to be the one on the throne. But what we don't realize is our greatest and most fulfilling life is found in God. It anchors us to purpose. It brings meaning to all that we do.

He desires so much for us. The Bible teaches us about the dangers of the world so we don't get lost and hurt.

Not to punish us.

I see God's wisdom as protection for His children. We don't have the full context so we need help.

It's just like parents with our kids. We're here to teach them to ensure they are safe. It's crazy the things kids will do not realizing the harm that could come their way.

It's the same with our Heavenly Father. He sets boundaries and rules to protect us.

We've been so gaslit about God's teachings.

This is why we must read the Bible ourselves. Relying on others for Biblical wisdom is detrimental to our spiritual life. It's a critical piece to our well-being.

It starts with each of us

If we call Jesus into our life, He will lead us. We've been equipped with all we need. God designed each of us with a unique purpose. Isn't it amazing there is never a human created exactly like another?

We are all unique!

There is no challenge too big for our Creator. The darkness of this world is no match for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the true ruler of this planet. The more of us who embrace Him, the more the world will change for the better.

We are not alone.

God is good always. God's abode awaits us. Let us take the empowering leap into Him.

Thanks for reading.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

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The Subtle Work of God

God is really working on my heart. Each day I feel these small shifts in my thinking and my actions. God works subtly on us when we open to Him. He's such a wonderful teacher.

The journey with God can be awesome and terrifying. Change. Heartache. Triumph. All powerful emotions in their own way. These shifts are changing the way I view the world and events. Right now, lots of people are overwhelmed, burned out, frustrated, and agitated.

Navigating a Divided World

Politics divides us. Nuance is in everything, though headlines seek to disrupt the peace. They want us to think in black and white. How often do we forget the darkness that lurks in the world? The creator of chaos...

God calls us to confront the evil in the world by following Christ. Doing our best to do as He has called us to do.

Our Rich Christian Heritage

Christianity has a deep and rich history. Reading the Bible shows us this. We're part of this incredible legacy. We carry on this history. We are called to share the love we have for our Father, through Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity equips us to navigate this painful world. Combine that with the Bible and we become dangerous to the falsehoods perpetuated.

Faith in the Face of Hostility

One thing I've learned as a new follower of Christ is people will hate you for it. They will be angry and hateful. Social media reveals just how vile we can be to each other. But I believe all of this is changing. God is reshaping our world. The more His followers rise up, the more this change will come. At least, that's how it seems to me.

The Pattern of Return

It becomes a natural rebalancing in the world. As we turn to Him, things change. As we turn away from Him... things change. The pattern is all throughout the Bible. God waits for us. He operates on consent. He wants us to choose HIM.

When we forget Him and turn away, things get hard.
When we remember Him and cry out, He rescues us.

If we believe in the Bible, we can believe this to be true today. He will rescue us if enough of us call to Him.

A Time of Revival

This feels like a revival to me. A resurgence. God will explode around the globe as more corruption is exposed. It will be bumpy and messy. The darker things become, the more people will seek Him.

This will test all of us. It will push our faith to the limits. But if we hold true in God, He will never leave us.

We are never abandoned.

Personal Transformation

God works on each of us differently. It's a deeply personal relationship we have with Him. That's why it can be so world-altering. He works on us from within. So the changes take place over time. Thoughts, habits, beliefs, actions, people, circumstances, on and on.

So this change in the world will be reflective of small changes in us.

Breaking Centralized Control

I think God is breaking the centralized control in the world. Technology, corporations, and government have grown up all around us, stifling human freedom and creativity. We are being enslaved by our desires and consumption. This has been the centralized model. Control information, control the narrative.

But I believe God is shifting this model. We're moving to the decentralization path, which will allow people to make reality their own. This will be scary for some and freedom for others.

Living Aligned with God's Design

This means everything we interact with will have the potential to be a reflection of our personal values. It gives us the power to select our path and live aligned with what matters.

For me, this means returning to life as God intended it:

• Family

• Farming

• Community

• Nature

• Creativity

• Service

• Worship

• Celebration

So many of us crave connection and simplicity. The way to do this is by surrendering our life to God and letting Him lead us.

Finding Peace in God's Presence

God brings peace. It's something we must experience to understand. The pull to slow down, return to nature, worship, and unplug seems to be growing in many of us. God is calling us back to His dwelling space.

And thanks to Jesus, we now know the Holy Spirit dwells within us, so God is right here!

I will continue to be bullish on our future because I believe in the goodness and glory of our Heavenly Father. He has given us all we need. All we need to do is open our hearts to Him.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

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I’m coming back to Substack. I miss the connection and the feedback loop it provides. Social media is increasingly unhelpful and polarized. God is changing my heart around priorities, and I want to communicate things in an intimate and connected way.

I’ve been wrong about many things, and I want to share what I’ve learned so I can help others.

All I desire is to be of service to my fellow humans. I’ll be migrating the podcast back as well. I’m slowing down my production cycle to focus on big changes in my life with my family.

The world is losing its mind, and we feel a strong pull to get back to nature and simplicity.

My wife and I are shifting how we approach just about everything in our lives.

Are you feeling it too?

Is the same thing happening in your life right now? What inner pulls do you feel in the world today? Are there habits you no longer vibe with? What is standing out to you in our modern culture?

I desire to be more connected to my fellow humans and work towards building a more transparent and loving world. It will take work for all of us. But what an incredible opportunity lies in front of us. The future will belong to those of us who pave alternative paths and leverage parallel systems. The old guard is dying off and we’re feeling the pain.

This community is for the younger generations who are hungry for a world built on transparency and honesty. I’m sick of the corruption and chaos being created in our world by individuals who seek to only serve themselves.

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The world is changing

Have you felt out of place on Earth? There’s good reason for that. You’re from different times. Here to bring a different energy to the planet. We need individuals who can live by principles they believe in and stand strong against others who oppose them. The times we live require inner courage and that has always been the focus of Order Within.

But we need to be ready for the changes upon us. It won’t be overnight, but hard times are due. Every generation has had their moments of struggle. Aging institutions that no longer serve the benefit of everyday people are crumbling.

This is good.

We must learn to be self-sufficient again. We’ve been hoodwinked into believing outsourcing our life is the modern way. It’s bogus. The trick to fulfillment and living well is doing things ourselves and being connected to life in a meaningful way. This means living close to nature, buying from our communities, and supporting local growth.

We were once a nation of producers. We are not made to be consumers, but creators. Because of these changes I will be shifting my approach to content and how often I publish content.

I’ll be focusing more on written work and edited videos. I will still produce podcast episodes, but only those I feel are going to be of help to this community.

Don’t be discouraged

It’s easy to feel anger and frustration in our world today. But remember we are not abandoned. God is always with us. He is within us. This is where our power and fulfillment comes from. The Earth is rich and abundant. True wealth comes from Nature and the world God created for us. Not in phoney money or numbers in a computer.

We can leverage those things to build lasting wealth, which is knowledge, skills, and tending to the Earth. Our planet provides for us, not faceless corporations who only care about profit. If we wish to live in a more equitable world, we must be willing to face difficulties and feel discomfort. This journey will not be for the weak hearted.

It feels good to be back.

Are there any questions or content you’d like to see from me? I’m open to your suggestions!

Share Order Within

We must care for our physical beings and nurture the joy we feel around activities. Allowing our inner child to explore and express is essential for happiness. But it is only part of the work we must do to find fulfillment.

Much of what is deemed self-care is temporary relief and distraction from the inner world we’ve abandoned.

It’s not our fault

There’s a big difference between fault and responsibility. We are each responsible for our lives and the choices we make. We’re responsible for our responses to the world around us. However, we are not to blame for the broken selves many of us carry.

Society and our world have beaten all of us down to almost nothing. It’s with intention that we lose ourselves in the world and forget the power we hold. How else could we be controlled and used?

There is a way out of this madness, though.

We don’t have to suffer and feel miserable inside. We live in brilliant times. We live in terrible times. The choice is ours to make with what world we will experience in the days to come.

Information is readily available in ways we’ve never known as modern humans. We are being called forward to a bright future if we embrace it.

Inner Self

There is a significant distinction between the social persona many of us present and the inner self we carry with us wherever we go. There is no hiding from who we are within. Our world has tricked us into believing the social self is the persona that matters most.

This is a lie.

Only in the alignment of the inner self and the social self will we come to find peace. It is possible to feel confident, at ease, peaceful, energetic and charged to experience life.

There is a person inside of you waiting to be unleashed. The most authentic version of who you are. It’s why you’re in the world. To bring about this expression for all to experience.

Your self-expression is your secret sauce.

It’s what makes you unique. Your thoughts, ideas, fears, dreams, visions, emotions, and desires. The ones you hide from the world. The ones taught to believe they are not worthy or good enough. The ones who have been denied their existence.

That unique spin and perspective on existence are what differentiates each of us.

Our society is forcing us into molds of confusion and ambiguity. This is intentional. The more doubt we feel within, the more easily we are manipulated. By connecting within to our honest expression, we begin to unlock the power of our potential.

This is how we break out of the chaos. Self reconnection.

You have a superpower

The self you carry within is the reflection of our Creator. We are made in the image of our Maker. Therefore you carry those same powers of creation. The difference is we are clueless about who we are and the cosmic journey we’re on.

We don’t have to accept this journey. The choice is ours to make. We can deny this reality and continue on our path of cosmic sleep.

No judgment.

But there will be pain. That’s not a threat.

Where there is denial and unawareness, there is pain. Disconnection of self creates misery on Earth. It’s why so many of us feel isolated. We are isolated from ourselves. Isolated from our destiny. Isolated from our cosmic family.

It doesn't have to be this way, though. It all begins with the simple awareness of self and beginning to reflect on who we are and the world we carry within us.

Awareness is the most simple and powerful tool for growth. Our ability to turn up or down consciousness makes our species unique. It’s one of the central powers we’ve been given to grow and express ourselves.

How we use it will determine the outcomes of our lives.

The upside to this, we hold the power to change.

The downside to this, we hold the power to change…

It all begins with awareness. Begin the journey of discovering yourself by exploring your inner world. Simply observe your current state. Imagine that you are getting to know someone you’ve never met.

What would you do?

You would ask them questions about who they are, what they like, where they’re from, why they think and feel the way they do etc. We can do the same with ourselves.

We define who we are - not the world.

If you wish to free yourself from the cycles of bullshit and chaos, the answers lie within.

Begin the journey of self-exploration today.

Open up a notebook or document on your computer and begin conversing with yourself. It will feel weird, but it’s worth it. Record an audio file - whatever you feel drawn to for opening to the door to your self.

There is a treasure that waits within.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing and sharing. This channel will continue to grow!

I also do a podcast around the topics of transformation and growth that can help with your journey of excellence. You can check out the episodes here.

Rightfully so.

Seeing the current landscape and the many obstacles we face force us to pause. How did we get here? What can we do to course correct? How do we manage a world being shaken to its core?

What if we looked at these challenges from a different lens?

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know we’re on this ride together, so we might as well do our best to make the most of it.

Power resides within each of us, waiting to be tapped.

It’s the key to unlocking our potential and providing the world’s most needed solutions.

I view humanity with a great destiny. We are a noble species who’s forgotten our origins. Remembering our ancient place in the Universe can help us ground the power we hold here on Earth.

Indications of Our Decline

It’s not very difficult to see the current problems we have in our society. However, quantifying the change is essential as it reveals the speed and nature of the decline. There are both qualitative and quantitative changes taking place that we must recognize.

By no means can I list every problem we’re facing as a species. I will leave something off that may matter to you. That’s not my intention. Understanding each of us is learning and expanding our knowledge is a crucial tenet to remember as it anchors us to humility.

None of us know it all. Each of us is figuring it out.

Political tensions, global wars, corruption, food prices, housing prices, energy prices, gas prices, inflation, monopolies, pandemics, mass shootings, corrupt media, broken governments, food shortages, depression rates, life expectancy decline, broken families, mental illness, hatred, and still more.

Much of these issues are at the highest they’ve been in decades.

• Political parties - levels of division are at a 50-year high

• Global wars - conflict and violence is on the rise

• Corruption - bribes and positional abuse of power

• Food prices - the most significant jump since 1981

• Housing prices - single-family homes are the highest they’ve ever been

• Energy prices - pushing towards the high of the 80s

• Gas prices - are the highest they’ve ever been on average

• Inflation - the highest its been since 1981

• Govt debt - continues to climb at an unprecedented rate

• Depression - increasing in numbers and age range

It paints a pretty grim picture. This doesn’t even consider sustainability and how we are extracting and developing resources.

BUT!

There is an opportunity for us to rise above these challenges and make a change. We have the power to overcome these obstacles and work to build a more balanced and peaceful world together.

Lack of Self-Care Creates Hell on Earth

These issues are a reflection of our collective inner world. It’s a mirror of our internal state that has been neglected. When you see failing infrastructure and broken societal systems like we do, it reveals our broken state of inner existence.

By neglecting ourselves, we thus facilitate the neglect of our world.

Blaming is not the aim here.

It’s to bring awareness of how the inner worlds influence the world we experience outside ourselves. If we were living masterful lives in the light of our truth and honoring our sacred eternal existence, would we be experiencing the same things?

I doubt it.

Because we’ve shut ourselves off from the inner connection to our most meaningful existence, we go about doing the same things to our fellow humans. We shut each other down. We seek to destroy and undermine to make ourselves feel better.

We aim to belittle others so we can feel more significant.

These behaviors are backward and broken.

We don’t make the world better by striking down our fellow human family members.

As Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”

Because we’ve shut off our internal communication, we’re now shutting down our fellow humans, stifling our ability to discuss ideas and share possibilities. Our interest is in being right and not finding solutions to improve the state of our world.

We must honor each other, and this happens by first honoring ourselves.

Taking the time to nurture ourselves is critical in the chaotic world we reside.

Until we learn to listen to the small still voice within us, we will never progress as a species as our minds and hearts are closed off to existence. Doing so requires humility in realizing none of us know all the answers or how to solve these issues. Our solutions lie in our uniting together to improve the state of the world.

It won’t come from only one of us, but the few who will be brave enough to embark on this journey of self-mastery determined to overcome the obstacles this world presents.

The Danger of Choosing Sides

When we dig in on sides, we naturally eliminate an entire portion of existence. This inhibits our ability to compromise or agree. It also limits our view on the totality of humanity. Life on Earth consists of both positive and negative. Light and dark. The world’s structure sits on a balance of two ends.

Life exists between the two polarities, not at each end.

Far too many of us live in extremes, putting us in compromising positions as it often goes against our nature. Nature is a balance of these two energies. We’re made of both positive and negative energies. Masculine and feminine.

Living in polarities oversimplifies the world and reduces it to black and white.

Reality is a haze of gray.

Nuance is the essence of existence, making it so damn pesky to peg down. It’s constantly changing and evolving. So anchoring to anything and refusing new information is a dangerous place to be.

This is where many of us find ourselves.

When we forget our one human family, it is easier to diminish the ‘other.’

It enables us to dehumanize one another and cling to our polarities. When we forget our connection to one another, a dark and destructive pattern emerges to fill the void.

The uprooting of our human family makes us all susceptible to this manipulation. I’ve fallen victim to it many times throughout my life. It’s what sparked my journey to awakening. Seeing the lies, I fell for in this world. I wanted to rise above the madness and find what was true and honorable in this world.

When we live in polarities, we become engaged by selective information. The particular information reinforces our bias. We dig further into the divide as we seek to find others who see the world the same way. It locks us out of new and freeing information.

It pulls us back to tribalism and leads us to a lost identity as a country. We’re no longer united in our vision.

The divide on how we need to run the country is growing. This divide also stops any material progress from happening because were all too busy arguing.

The world needs strong, honest, caring, and courageous servant leaders who seek to be of service to the improvement of our planet and species.

Inner Strength Empowers Us

To live courageous lives, we must find the source of inner courage. Without the internal source, we’re pulled into the vortex of the world, chewed up, and spit out. Without an inner source to rely on, we become dependent on the world for our sense of self and identity.

The other path is to find within us our sense of self and who we are.

Small things begin to change when you do inner work that can build positive momentum over time.

Far too many of us are dependent on the world for our sense of self and the value we hold as humans. This external dependence creates vulnerabilities with information and ideas perpetuated by our society.

Our inner landscape can provide us with tools and guidance to clarify what is reliable or not.

The inner self is connected to our greater reality all of us are part of. It’s where we gain our power from. This connection to the Universe from within is what allows us to live as free and sovereign beings when we reclaim our heritage.

So the inner self is not some mythical concept; it’s a tangible aspect of the infinite Universe.

God is literally within each of us.

When we anchor from this power, we become immovable forces upon the Earth.

We create freedom for ourselves beyond what others think of us.

The inner self empowers us to filter through the world’s noise and use our logical mind combined with our intuitive sense to navigate the tumultuous world of misinformation and propaganda.

We’re all being manipulated regardless of whether we believe it or not. Those who seek to exploit us understand the deep feelings were capable of and how to trigger irrational responses based on what matters to us.

By knowing the things that bother us deeply, the media and leaders of the world can trigger responses in us based on our beliefs. When we anchor ourselves, this power becomes significantly reduced because we’re in a place to slow down and process what is being shared.

Too many of us react instead of respond.

By exploring how we react to initial news headlines and current events, we allow ourselves the chance to understand better the true nature of our feelings and what may be ailing us.

Inner Strength Creates External Exchange

When we have inner strength, we don’t need to fear new information or being incorrect. This all becomes part of the process of our growth. Our inner strength allows us to discuss and share ideas with others we may disagree with.

When we understand our truth is our own and that others cannot define it, we are free to live life on our terms. New ideas we may not hold become potential to explore and consider for an expanded worldview.

There is nothing more empowering than being able to hear perspectives we disagree with and not lose our shit over it.

Our world is currently built in reverse. Everything is driven by ideas of external power and confirmation from others. It’s also why so many cannot separate their sense of self from the thoughts and beliefs that they carry. It’s all smashed together to create the social self.

Being able to listen, think, consider, explore, and disagree is a requirement for society to progress.

We can consider a position, empathize with those who have it, and still disagree. Without the ability to hear and empathize with those we disagree, we will continue our societal decline.

We no longer live in a civilized society when we don’t value and respect one another. We’re dangerously close to reverting to tribalism.

We must recommit ourselves to pushing our thinking and exploring ideas we disagree with. We also have to seriously consider if our beliefs are not reconcilable with others in our community.

Does this make someone evil or less than if we don’t view the world the same?

Expect more chaos

Seeing the recent news cycle around the supreme court rulings here in the US, we should expect more chaos. With the inability to reflect upon our emotions and how the media positions many stories, people will continue to be outraged.

The best way to combat this is? Pause and reflect.

Take the time to understand positions we disagree with and explore their differences. Spend time thinking about things that matter to us and why we care about the things that do upset us. We need to have specific and clear reasons for our values. Without this intention and thought, we will continue to be ruled by news cycles.

When emotions rule us, we are easy to manipulate.

Rise above this and take the time to think and reflect on what matters to you. Spend time with your thoughts and explore different perspectives and ideas. If people are unwilling to explore and share their views without attacking those who don’t share them, walk away.

Too many live in extremes and cannot hear anything outside their worldview.

A great act of rebellion in today’s world is the ability to pause and reflect. The act of waiting can often reveal information that wipes out the initial fear and outrage many experience when living by the headlines.

As cheesy as it is, living as the example of the change you hope to see is truly the most potent act of living we can do.

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