enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

Desperate Apologies

As a child growing up with a father who had temper issues, “I'm sorry” was something often heard coming from his mouth in the aftermath of a tirade. He was a follower of Christ, but often times he would repeat the same offense he'd just apologized for, sometimes in a matter of minutes! So, I grew up with the feeling that apologies were meaningless – mere ways to get ones self off the hook of guilt. I couldn't believe that after twenty-seven years of life, it finally clicked. I'd been stuck in a dark place for a few days and my attitude towards my husband and kids confirmed it. One night ... Read the Post

Different Good or Different Bad?

“You look different today,” my friend said to me when I stopped by to visit her at work. “Different good or different bad?” I immediately asked trying to make sure the difference she saw was a good thing. “I don’t know, just different,” she said. I could not figure out what she was talking about. I had not changed my hair. I was not wearing any make up, which is a common thing for me. My outfit was one she had seen before. The idea of me looking different simply escaped me, and her comment stayed with me all day. I thought about it as I sat for a job interview, studied for class, made ... Read the Post

Don't Shrink Back

We strive to use our gifts and talents for the Lord and give Him our best until something difficult happens to cause us to stumble: we see someone with a “better” gift pass us by. We start to feel insecure and stuck. It’s one of the enemy’s most common tactics. We compare. We don’t mean to do it, but so many times we give in and allow ourselves to begin to dig the pit. You know the pit. It’s the “I’m not good enough; I’m not talented enough; I’m not spiritual enough; I’m not outgoing enough; I’m not (fill in the blank) enough PIT!” This thought process spirals into the next phase called, ... Read the Post

Every Day Miracles

I’m sure everyone knows the story of Esther, the most beautiful woman in all of the land who won the favor of King Xerxes; the woman who was given a royal crown and banquet in honor of her beauty; and the woman who with prayer and courage chose to stand before the king in order to save her people. Her story is amazing, and I know that I aspire to be just like her—beautiful, intelligent, and faithful to my Lord. What I find so incredible about Esther is that she was not untouchable; she was a real woman with fears and doubts about her beauty, her abilities, and her faith. She struggled with ... Read the Post

Faith or Fact

I recently had a conversation with a dear friend about a topic that many Christians have had to address. She was sharing her struggle in witnessing to a friend about Christ. She considered herself a “baby Christian” and the person she was witnessing to was very set in his non-Christian belief system. He had grown up in a communist country, and he was (understandably) bitter about religion. However, he did seem to want to engage her in debate over the shortcomings of Christians and theological conundrums in general. My friend was frustrated trying to answer his questions about the loving ... Read the Post