Encouragement Archives • Most Important Work

How To Find Your Faith When You Get Sidetracked

Reading Time: 4 min 46 sec

Developing our faith can feel so elusive. We all have these great intentions of starting a new devotional, studying our Bible, praying for our loved ones, or even journaling; only to get sidetracked, when life gets in the way.

We struggle with feelings of discouragement, embarrassment, and even feel a little ashamed. Why is investing in our faith so hard? Doesn’t God want us to have a deep relationship with him? Surely, at this stage in our lives, we should already know how to develop our faith. We lay awake at night and wonder, is my current experience of God all I can expect on earth?

We secretly hope our friends never find out the real state of our spiritual lives. We feel like an imposter, as we say all the right things while trying to stuff our discouragement deep inside. We paste on a smile, throw ourselves into more church activities, hoping against hope that God will transform our lackluster relationship into a vibrant friendship with him.

So how do we find our faith when we get sidetracked? How do we experience a thriving relationship with God? How do we throw off our feeling of imposter syndrome and embrace everything God has for us today?

Here are three practical ways to move towards Jesus without having to become a nun. 🙂

Finding Faith: The Goal

Finding Faith: Journey Together

Finding Faith: All About Community

1. Finding Faith: The Goal

We can sometimes get so distracted with the beautiful new cover of the latest devotional that we forget its purpose. We need to ask ourselves, why are we using this resource? Is it because all our friends are using this devotional and we don’t want to be left out?

The completion of spiritual resources does not equate with a deep relationship with God. Let me say this again, God desires a relationship with us, not the completion of a spiritual tool. “Spiritual people are not those who engage in certain spiritual practices; they are those who draw their life from a conversational relationship with God.” -Dallas Willard

Our focus as followers of Jesus should be an authentic relationship with God. We can’t lose sight of the goal. So, what does this practically look like?

First, we spend time in prayer, talking, and listening to God. This is key because we could go for days on a nonstop monologue of our thoughts and feelings. It can be easy to forget that just because we can’t see God doesn’t mean he isn’t talking to us. We need to practice listening for God’s voice.

Second, don’t feel the need to complete a book, resource, or practice because you need to get all the information to grow. Transformation is not the result of a firehose of information. It is about thoughtful interaction with the current work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Third, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for direction. He is always faithful to lead us to the next step (or resource) in our spiritual journeys.

2. Finding Faith: Journey Together

In the United States, we have several unspoken values as a country. One of those values goes by several names: autonomy, self-sufficiency, independence, etc. Our culture will tell us that we are so evolved that we can develop our faith in isolation. As long as we have access to the trendiest tv preacher and the latest women’s devotional, that we can grow all by ourselves.

And we can…until we can’t. You see, we forget that Christianity is a counter-cultural way of life. We were not designed to live a life with God in isolation. We were created to live life together in community.

Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We wonder why our relationship with God consists of good intentions and half-finished conversations. We need each other to offer support, encouragement, and accountability. We need to surround ourselves with like-minded people to grow in our faith.

Ruth Haley Barton says it this way, “The purpose of journeying together in spiritual friendship and spiritual community (whether there are just two of you or whether you are in a small group) is to listen to one another’s desire for God, to nurture that desire in each other and to support one another in seeking a way of life that is consistent with that desire. ”

She says community is all about listening to each other, nurturing the desire for God in each other, and supporting each other in pursuing him. Life will happen. Spiritual community offers you encouragement and accountability to pursue Jesus even when your schedule is busy.

When we are tempted to push God to the back burner, our community reminds us of who we are and where we are going. We need each other.

3. Finding Faith-All About Community

So, what are we looking for in a community? We need to understand that there is no perfect group. As followers of Jesus, we are all broken people at various stages in our spiritual development. We all desperately need God’s grace (and each other’s) as we pursue Jesus together.

Dallas Willard says like this, “Spiritual formation cannot, in the nature of the case, be a ‘private‘ thing, because it is a matter of whole-life transformation. You need to seek out others in your community who are pursuing the renovation of the heart.”

There is no perfect community. Life together will be messy. We are all in the process of transformation. However, here are some of the key values to look for when you are joining a group. One of the ways you can find community is by participating in a small group at your local church.

Authenticity- The value of saying the real thing not the right thing.
Encouragement– The value of an encouraging and supportive environment.
Accountability– The value of accountability spoken with grace, wisdom, and love.
Like-Minded– The value of intentionally pursuing Jesus together
Prayer Support– The value of intentionally praying over each other.
Relationships– The value of intentionally forming relationships with each other.

Are you hungry to know and experience a deeper relationship with God? Do you dream of participating in an authentic community, where together you encourage one another, in your relationship with Jesus? If so, join our waitlist for the Deeper Life Community. While you wait, you will receive for FREE our Deeper Life Beginners Guide and will be the first to know when registration opens. Grab your guide today!

Remember these three steps to finding your faith when you get sidetracked. Our focus as followers of Jesus should be an authentic relationship with God. Second, we are on a spiritual journey together. Third, we find support and accountability by participating in community together.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to pursuing a relationship with Jesus when you get sidetracked? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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3 Lies Satan Wants Moms To Believe

Reading Time: 5 min 42 sec

Mom life can be tough. From the second we wake up in the morning, until the moment our heads hit the pillow, there can be a constant assault: of tasks, activities, questions, and concerns filling our thoughts. Did we take the dog outside? Is Junior hitting a growth spurt? What are we eating for dinner tomorrow?

We worry over our child’s health, our financial situation, our mounting to-dos, and our dreams for the future. We warn our children about spiritual attacks and pray protection over our families.

We live-in full-blown Mama Bear mode ready to protect our loved ones at any moment. In fact, we can be so focused on caring for the needs of others that we fail to recognize the web of lies that has invaded our lives.

Satan loves to prey upon our insecurities, fears, and need for control. These lies are insidious. They infiltrate every aspect of our lives, from the decisions we make, to how we relate to our spouse and parent our children.

So, what are the subconscious lies that we believe? Most often, they are the phrases that play in our heads at three am; or in our overreaction to a trivial issue. They mess with our feelings of control. If we do not stop and identify the lies we believe, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

Developing awareness and replacing the lies with God’s truth is a lifelong process. Here are three common lies that Satan likes to use to keep us from walking in freedom.

Mom Life: Lie #1- I Don’t Have The Time

Mom Life: Lie #2- I Have To Do It Myself

Mom Life : Lie #3- I Should Be Doing More

1. Mom Life: Lie #1-I Don’t Have The Time

How many times have we told ourselves, consciously, or unconsciously that we do not have the time? We do not have the time today: to take a walk, to spend time with Jesus, to go for coffee with a friend. There is this popular idea that a good parent equals a busy parent. We believe that to take care of our family, we are called to sacrifice our own health: spiritually, physically, and mentally.

This is a lie regarding our identity. We subconsciously believe that we are what we do. That our family will fall apart if we are not available 24/7. That our God-given role as a mom is who we are as a person.

Being a mother is not who we are; it is what we do. Yes, we are passionate about nurturing our families, but we are first, and foremost, followers of Jesus. We are, as author Larry Warner likes to say, “Forgiven by God, chosen by God, adopted by God, belonging to God, containing God and beloved by God.”

As followers of Jesus, we are actually commanded: to invest in our relationship with Jesus, to live in community with others, to take care of our bodies, and even to rest! All throughout the Bible, there are examples of how to live a sustainable lifestyle. At Creation, it says that God worked for six days, and on the seventh, he rested.

As moms, we are the model for how to live a healthy lifestyle for our children. When we intentionally spend time with Jesus, when we say no to all the things we could do, so we can invest in activities that truly matter, those decisions form how our children operate in life.

Do not buy into the lie that you are what you do. You are a beloved daughter of the king. Your relationship with God, the health of your body, mind, and spirit is vitally important. It cannot be regulated to the cracks in your schedule. Be intentional about scheduling time to invest in your health today.

2. Mom Life: Lie #2- I Have To Do It By Myself

As a culture, we celebrate the myth of Super Mom. This unattainable woman equally juggles raising a family with a demanding career. Her hair and makeup are flawless while her meals are organic and homemade. Her house is perfectly decorated. Her kids are beautifully dressed, and she is professionally successful in all of her endeavors.

The lie that we have to be a super mom; has been perpetuated throughout social media. Images of picture-perfect meals, activities, and vacations assault our attention on every platform.

We start to believe that if our lives do not look like an Instagram feed, that we must be doing something wrong. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy: discouragement, exhaustion, isolation, and loneliness. We subconsciously worry that if we showed our true colors that we would be rejected or judged.

God has a different plan in store for us. We are not supposed to wear ourselves out trying to compete with impossible (and fake) standards. He actually designed us to live in an authentic community with others. A life where we can depend on another. Where we do not have to act like we have all the answers to life.

It says in Hebrews 10:24-25, ^“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We are called to be live in real authentic relationships with other Christians. Practically, this means participating in your local church small group, practicing hospitality, doing life together, caring, and praying for each other. We need to fight the lie that it is up to us to do and be everything by intentionally seeking community and not isolation.

3. Mom Life: Lie #3-I Should Be Doing More

This lie piggybacks off the last one. Have you ever felt like you were always behind? That no matter what you do, it is never enough?

The foundation of our culture is based on the qualities of hard work, achievement, and success. Those qualities aren’t bad until they are taken to the extreme. In the United States, we value burning the candle at both ends, which at its root, fosters a workaholic culture. We push ourselves to do more, believing the lie that more is the answer to life’s questions.

This attitude bleeds into every aspect of our lives: spiritually, professionally, and personally. We have bought the lie that our productivity determines our worth. This lie attacks our very identity.

Who am I outside of what I produce?

Are you trying to prove your worth by what you accomplish? Are you trying to earn God’s love and favor?

God invites us to a different type of life free from the rat race of performance.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

As a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to prove your worth to God. You can take a huge breath of relief, resting in the fact that you are beloved by God, regardless of what you do.

Spend some time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any area where you are trying to prove your worth through productivity. Ask God to replace those lies with the truth of his word.

We need each other to recognize the lies in our lives. We were designed to live together in community. We need to have a strong support structure of like-minded people around us.

We can find community through our extended family, friends, and our local church. Be intentional about investing in close relationships with other women. Join our community of moms (below), who are serious about pursuing a deep relationship with Jesus. We are truly stronger together.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God: grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to recognizing the lies in your life? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

30 Powerful Bible Verses That Destroy Toxic Anxiety

Reading Time: 5 min 3 sec

Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately needed to hear bible verses on anxiety? I remember sitting listening to the doctors, my mind racing with the implications of their words. My head felt stuffy like everything was in slow motion, and I found it hard to concentrate.

“Wait, what?” I asked.

“There is an infection that is spreading throughout his body. We need to hospitalize him for the next several days as we try and figure out how to fight it.”

The words infection and hospital stood out like blaring sirens; my anxiety skyrocketing as I imagined all the worst-case scenarios in the blink of an eye.

Where is God when your feelings of helplessness and fear grow out of control? Anxiety is an ugly master. And Satan loves to use its grasping stranglehold to cripple us.

We live in a world filled with uncertainty, pain, violence, and disease. So how do we fight the lies of the enemy? We combat fear with truth. Check out this article for how to handle the pain in your life.

Mother Teresa who was faced each day with the utter pain and desperation of humanity, said this about anxiety,

“The future is not in our hands. We have no power over it. We can act only today. We have a sentence in our Constitution that says: ‘We will allow the good God to make plans for the future – for yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come and we have only today to make Him known, loved and served.‘ So, we do not worry about the future.”

If you desire to walk in freedom, to live a life of peace, despite the latest headline, you need to hide God’s words in your heart.

Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Memorizing and meditating on scripture is not just a good idea or something Christians should do; it is mission-critical to destroying the lies of Satan in your life.

Here is a list of thirty powerful bible verses that will help you destroy toxic anxiety and allow you to live with peace.

I have also created beautiful cards that you can print and post around your home with these verses.

1. Anxiety Bible Verses Exercise

2. 30 Anxiety Bible Verses

3. Anxiety Bible Verses Download

1. Anxiety Bible Verses Prayer Exercise:

As you read through these verses, I would challenge you to read slowly and reflectively, inviting God to speak to you through his word.

1. Pray and invite God to speak to you through the verses below.

2. Read through the verses slowly and notice any phrase or quote that jumps out at you.

3. Bring that phrase or verse to the Lord in prayer. Ask him to speak to you through those words.

4. Read through the phrase or verse again slowly. Then sit in silence allowing elbow room for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. If this is your first time sitting in silence I would highly recommend setting a timer for two-three minutes. It keeps you from constantly checking the time. 🙂

5. Close your time in prayer by thanking God for his presence.

6. Journal any thoughts, feelings or impressions you experienced during this exercise.

Check out this article for how to spend time with God when you feel awkward.

2. 30 Anxiety Bible Verses

These are great verses to remind yourself of God’s desire that you walk in freedom. He wants to carry your worry and surround you with His peace, love, and wisdom that surpasses all understanding.

Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Matthew 6:25, “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.”

Matthew 6:31-32, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

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

Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”

Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God, I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 143:8, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 112:7, “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

Psalm 118:8-9, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”

Isaiah 26:4, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him”

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Psalm 4:8, “In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 36:7, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Psalm 5:11, “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

Matthew 6:27, “Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Matthew 6:28, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.”

Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to fighting fear? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

How To Combat Fear When The World Is In Crisis

Reading Time: 6 min 17 sec

How do you combat fear when you are in living in a state of crisis? Are you tired of the news playing havoc with your emotions? Does each press conference, or latest update feel like a stranglehold on your desire for security? Are you desperately searching for a safe haven in the midst of a storm?

At the time of this writing, COVID-19 is assaulting the world. We are daily hearing stories of toilet paper skirmishes, mask shortages, and how hoarding has become the norm. The mainstream media continue to stir the pot of fear each trying to outdo each other with elaborate headlines.

We wrestle with the idea (turned reality) that in our age of advanced technology, and strong healthcare systems, a pandemic can have such an effect on our lives. We subconsciously believe that we are too evolved for viruses that we can’t control.

But pandemics, wars, natural disasters, widespread poverty, and pain are not a new phenomenon. These life-altering events have been affecting humans since the beginning of time. We fight against it because it forces us to come face to face with our own helplessness, our own vulnerability, our innate humanness.

We are not God, and that is never more apparent than in a time of crisis. You wonder is it even possible to live with peace when fear is the common currency? We are going to be talking about three practical ways to combat fear:

1. Fight Fear: Recount His Faithfulness

2. Fight Fear: Praise God When The Sky Is Falling

3. Fight Fear: Practical Tips To Turn Your Eyes Toward Jesus

1. Fight Fear: Recount His Faithfulness

The Israelites from the Bible were very familiar with overwhelming odds and near-death situations. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites were caught between the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army pursuing them from behind.

I can’t imagine how terrifying and helpless it would feel to see a huge army, including 600 hundred of Pharaoh’s fastest chariots hurtling towards you, as you are stuck on the banks of the Red Sea with no way to get across.

The Israelites responded to the crisis in the typical human fashion, “They said to Moses,“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Exodus 14:11-12

When faced with overwhelming odds, instead of looking too God, they started planning their own funerals. They forgot that they served a God who had just unleashed his mighty power through plagues, rescued them from Pharaoh, provided a pillar of cloud to guide them by day, and a pillar of fire to guide them by night.

So, what do we do, when we feel like the world is closing in around us and there is no way out? We need to learn from the Israelites and remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness. Nothing that is or will ever happen is a surprise to God. He is not scrambling to try and figure out a solution to the issues at hand. When we are tempted to panic, we need to stop and remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness to us. So, let’s get practical, shall we?

Recounting God’s Faithfulness Prayer Exercise:

a. Grab a piece of paper, or journal and a pen. Find a quiet place and get comfortable.

b. Optional -Light a candle as a visual reminder that God is with you right now.

c. Close your eyes and invite God into this time of prayer. Spend a couple of minutes in silence just spending time with God.

*If this new to you, set a timer for 2-3 minutes, so you are not constantly checking your watch wondering if it broke. 🙂

d. Ask God to remind you of his faithfulness in your life. Record those events by writing down any time, large or small, that God has shown up.

Option 2: If you are finding this is difficult, or you have a relatively new relationship with God, start by listing all the ways he showed up for:

People in the Bible
Members of your family
Current Godly men and women that you admire
In the lives of Christians throughout history

e. Post that paper in a prominent place as a daily visual reminder of God’s presence in your life.

2. Fight Fear: Praise Him When The Sky Is Falling

The story continues with Moses challenging the panicking Israelites to not be afraid and to trust in God. With everyone watching, God made history yet again. 🙂 He saved the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians, by dividing the Red Sea and allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground.

Exodus 14:28 says, “The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”

The Israelites spend an entire chapter, singing a song of thanksgiving to God praising him for his mighty power.

I don’t remember a majority of the sermons that I have heard over the years much to my dismay. However, I once heard a pastor unpack the story of Moses and the Israelites in a way that I have never forgotten. He said that the Israelites praised God on the wrong side of the river.

In the face of adversity, they promptly forgot his track record of faithfulness, and they demanded proof yet again that God was who he said he was. Anyone can praise God AFTER he shows up in a mighty way.

God is inviting us, built on our love relationship with him, to trust him. To praise him when it looks like everything is crumbling around us, and the world is screaming, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

We need to remember that we serve Immanuel, which means God with us. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us of God’s character as it says,

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”

Will you choose to accept God’s invitation to trust him and to praise him on this side of the river?

3. Fight Fear: Practical Tips To Turn Your Eyes Towards Jesus

Take a breath and remind yourself that there is nothing new under the sun. The Bible alone is full of men and women faced with extraordinary challenges, completely helpless, and chose to accept God’s help to see them through.

David hiding from Saul in the mountains. Daniel in the lion’s den. Esther facing death. Ruth facing starvation. Baby Jesus and the threat of King Herod are just some of the examples.

I am always looking for ways to take head knowledge into practical heart transformation. I have compiled a list of practical ideas to help you when fear starts to creep up. They are not in any particular order.

a. Place Restrictions on Media Consumption.

I am not advocating burying your head in the sand. It is important to be an informed citizen. However, be wise at how much control the headlines have over your mental and emotional health.

b. Set Parameters on how Long you will Discuss the Latest News.

Along those same lines, be intentional on how much time you spend discussing the latest headline.

c. Spend Time in the Bible.

I would highly recommend reading through the Psalms. They are full of David’s sometimes brutally honest cries to God for deliverance. I would recommend reading a Psalm or two a day and using them as your own personal prayer to God.

d. Don’t Isolate Yourself

Find ways to connect with others, even if it can’t be in person. FaceTime, phone calls, text messages, and yes, even letters. Skype with your small group. Get creative! 🙂

e. Memorize Scripture

The great Christian mothers and fathers throughout history have used meditating on scripture as a way to live in peace, not fear. You can focus on topics like peace, hope, and joy.

f. Exercise

This is so important to your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Go for a walk around your neighborhood, try out a new exercise video on youtube, play outside with your kids. The point is to get moving!

g. Be Honest With God

Talk with God about your thoughts and feelings. Be honest. He wants to hear from the real you not the “good christian” you.

h. Eat Healthy Foods

I know you want to indulge in comfort foods 24/7 to help manage the stress. But eating whole foods is crucial to supporting a healthy immune system. The little choices you make today affect your overall health tomorrow.

i. Get Rest

Don’t use the latest restrictions as an invitation to binge watch tv until one am. Be wise and set aside six to eight hours for much-needed sleep!

j. Engage in a Hobby that Brings You Joy

Seriously, now is the time to try out that new hobby. This should be something that allows you to decompress and invites you to experience joy, wonder, and beauty in this world. Explore music, exercise, art, fix a car, learn to knit, try a new card game, or a new recipe. The skies the limit and there are no acorns in sight. 🙂

To God be the Glory, Forever, and Ever, Amen.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to fighting fear? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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13 Inspirational Faith Quotes for When You Are Discouraged

Reading Time: 4 min 2 sec

Stories of inspirational faith can be used by God powerfully in the dark and dreary seasons of life. Have you ever felt utterly discouraged? The I want to stay in my sweat pants, eating ice cream and binge-watching Hulu forever seasons?

You know, those times where nothing seems to be going right and you are out of answers. Have you ever wondered where is God when you feel so miserable?

In times of great discouragement or disappointment, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The feelings of helplessness and discouragement can threaten to overwhelm you. However, there is hope! God in his infinite wisdom did not design us to journey alone through life. We were meant to live in community with others.

One way we can do that is to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness even in the midst of unbeatable odds. It is these stories of faith that bolster our sagging spirits. Throughout the Bible, stories played a powerful role in the encouragement and instruction of future generations by proclaiming who God is and what he has done.

I see quotes as mini-stories of God’s power at work in the lives of men and women of faith. Today, I have compiled a list of my favorite quotes and scriptures specifically for discouraging seasons. I would encourage you to use the exercise below to allow God to speak to you through their words of hope.

When we read articles with bullet points it can be extremely easy to want to speed through the article. But I would challenge you to engage, by inviting God to speak to you through the words of godly men and women by reading slowly and reflectively. Their inspirational faith can serve as a catalyst for our own spiritual growth if we can slow down long enough to listen.

Inspirational Faith Exercise:

a. Pray and invite God to speak to you through the quotes below.

b. Read through the quotes slowly and notice any phrase or quote that jumps out at you.

c. Bring that phrase or quote to the Lord in prayer. Ask him to speak to you through those words.

d. Read through the phrase or quote again slowly. Then sit in silence allowing elbow room for the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

If this is your first time sitting in silence, I would highly recommend setting a timer for two-three minutes. It keeps you from constantly checking the time. 🙂

e. Close your time in prayer by thanking God for his presence.

f. Journal any thoughts, feelings or impressions you experienced during this exercise.

Here are 13 Inspirational Faith Quotes from great men and women of faith that if read reflectively can serve as a catalyst to a deeper walk with God even in times of discouragement.

13 Inspirational Faith Quotes

1. “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles it empties today of its strength.” Corrie Ten Boom

2. “If you want to get warm you move near the fire. If you want joy, peace, eternal life, you must get close to what has them.” C.S. Lewis

3. “O God, when my faith gets overladen with dust, blow it clean with the wind of your Spirit. When my habits of obedience get stiff and rusty, anoint them with the oil of your Spirit. Restore the enthusiasm of my first love for you.” Eugene H. Peterson

4. “When I trust deeply that today God is truly with me and holds me safe in a divine embrace, guiding every one of my steps I can let go of my anxious need to know how tomorrow will look, or what will happen next month or next year. I can be fully where I am and pay attention to the many signs of God’s love within me and around me.” Henri Nouwen

5. “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.” Hebrews 11:1

6. “Let us come alive to the splendor that is all around us and see the beauty in ordinary things.”-Thomas Merton

7. “The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow or require our minds to dwell upon.” Dallas Willard

8. “Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.” Henri Nouwen

9. “One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus.”-Eugene H. Peterson

10. God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.” Lamentations 3:24

11. “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” Corrie Ten Boom

12. “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” C.S. Lewis

13. “But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would do it.” Luke 17:6

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to pursuing a deep relationship with God? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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