Hope for the Girl Who’s Sad and Lonely

Hope for the Girl Who’s Sad and Lonely

I can remember a time when, as a teenager and young adult, I was lonely.  Really lonely. It was a constant struggle and I always felt like I was on the outside looking in as I watched my friends and peers in their budding relationships.

I have vivid memories of crying and praying that I would somehow find the person God had for me. My study bible had tears on the pages as I searched for scripture that would be encouraging in my moments of intense loneliness.

There were times I felt miserable. 

Since that time, I have learned so much about where some of those thoughts and feelings originate. I have since become a wife and mother and I’ve also realized more and more just how our spiritual enemy works against us. 

I’ve learned that what tends to happen is that in daily life, ideas are planted in our heads. Some are encouraging and true, while many are definitely not. If we dwell on and feed into those unhelpful and unhealthy thoughts, they take root they begin to grow. Those roots go deeper and deeper until they become core beliefs, or “strongholds” as scripture calls them.

They become the information that we use to view and interpret the world around us.

Basically, those thoughts are going to impact how we see ourselves, how we see those around us, how we see God, and how we see our own futures. 

Unfortunately, when those core beliefs are not true, and they are in direct contradiction to what scripture says, it creates a  great deal of anxiety, fear, and worry. When we look around at all the messages in the world around us and we hear the whispers of the enemy, those messages taunt us and they wear us down. 

We get bombarded by messages like, “you’re not worth anything unless you have a significant other,” or “what’s wrong with you that no one wants to spend their life with you?” In fact, I was even asked at one point what was wrong with me that I wasn’t married yet!

Ouch! 

When we make a conscious choice to acknowledge those lies from the enemy and replace them with what God says is true, while wearing our spiritual armor, it makes all the difference in the world. 

Scripture says that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces.

It says that we need to wear our spiritual armor and be on alert against the enemy. That means all of those thoughts-all of those discouraging, defeating, destructive thoughts that are planted on our heads-we need to be aware of them and replace them with the Word of God.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:12-13

God’s Word is your sword. It’s not an accessory.

It’s a weapon to be used to defend yourself against the enemy. You can defend yourself against those thoughts by choosing to dig into God’s Word and believing the promises inside of it. 

  • What are some of your favorite verses that tell truth about who you are in Christ?
  • What are some of your favorite verses about your value as a child of the King?
  • What can you choose to dwell on every time the enemy tries to trip you up with the lies he has given you?

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The Author: Keri Kitchen is the wife of her childhood friend, mother of 3 little boys on earth and one little girl in Heaven, and a daughter of the King. Keri is also a mentor, blogger, and speaker with Every Day Incredible, a ministry for Christian women seeking a Christ-centered life balance. 

Download a free prayer guide, Using Prayer to Defeat Anxiety, by joining the mailing list at www.everydayincredible.net!

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You’re Not Enough (And That’s Okay)

We loved chatting with Allie Beth Stuckey about her new book, You’re Not Enough (And That’s Okay).

If you want to break free from the never-ending battle of striving to measure up but never quite being enough, this video is for you.

Jesus came because we aren’t enough. 

There is so much freedom in recognizing our not-enoughness and Christ’s total enoughness.

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How Mentorship Can Radically Change Your Life

As most of you know, I’m the second oldest of eight kids and I grew up in a really big family. With five girls and three boys (and most of us being taller than 6 feet), we’re quite the sight walking into a restaurant together. I have honestly loved being a part of such a large and fun family over the years. However, being the oldest of all the girls, I’ve always felt the weight and responsibility of being a good influence on my younger sisters. I knew they were watching me. I knew they were learning things (whether good or bad) from the personal choices that I made.

This reality didn’t weight as heavy on my heart until I hit my early twenties.

I was attending a conference with my entire family and I heard a message about mentorship that radically changed my perspective.

The speaker talked about the importance of older siblings taking their role seriously in a family by being intentional to disciple their younger siblings. He talked about the impact that an older sibling could have on a younger sibling by simply pursuing a loving relationship with them. He challenged older siblings to ditch the worldly mindset that younger siblings are just “pests” and “annoying kids,” and to instead embrace a mindset of care and genuine love for them.

He challenged older siblings to become godly mentors toward their younger siblings. 

My mind was blown.

Up until this point, I thought I was doing a great job of being there for my siblings. But I really wasn’t. I was living side by side with them…but that was about it. I wasn’t reaching out to them. I was intentionally pursuing a deep relationship with them. I wasn’t getting to know them on a heart level. I wasn’t genuinely concerned about their walk with God.

This eye-opening reality was convicting to me, to say the least. I left that conference feeling ashamed that I had done so little, but also fired up about making some much-needed changes. Over the next few weeks, my mindset and actions toward my siblings took a 180 turn. But before I even had a chance to pursue anything more intentionally, one of my sisters, Ellissa, (who’s six years younger) approached me asked a question that shocked me.

“Will you be my mentor?” She asked one morning. 

“What?” I asked back in surprise.

“Would you become my mentor?” She asked again. “There are some specific areas of my life that I really want to grow in…and…I think having a mentor would really help me with that.”

I was excited and a little nervous all at the same time. I had never really mentored a girl one-on-one before. I wasn’t exactly sure what it would look like. I wasn’t sure how to do it, but I knew we would figure it out.

“I would love to!” I responded excitedly.

That day marked the beginning of my journey into mentorship.

Ellissa and I met on a weekly basis at a nearby coffee shop and talked about everything from current life happenings, to specific struggles, to accountability stuff, to Scripture memory, to studying the Bible together, and more. After each meeting, I would assign her a few “homework” items so she could work on some things during the week.

Well, the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years. As time went on, I was amazed at how God was growing both Ellissa and me through our mentorship relationship. We could both see, firsthand, the value and importance of mentorship. Titus 2 (which talks about older women mentoring younger women) was no longer just a nice Bible passage to read, it was coming to life right before our eyes! We got to experience and witness the benefits of God’s good plan for discipleship and mentorship in our own lives.

After the first few years, Ellissa had grown so much that she even become a mentor herself by meeting with a younger girl every week. This was something that would have scared her to death just a few years prior. But God had grown and changed her. She was a different woman now. I also started mentoring a few more girls as well as finding a mentor for myself!

Godly mentorship was changing many lives. 

Now fast forward to today. Just this past week, Ellissa and I met up again for one of our regular mentorship meetings. But this time, it was extra special. We officially celebrated over five years of mentorship together. Five plus years!

We reminisced about the past five years and couldn’t believe how fast time has flown. I looked back at some of our earliest mentorship notes and shared with Ellissa the ways that I’ve seen God grow and change her. She is serving God in ways now that would have seemed impossible to her when we started. She mentors younger women, leads Bible studies, speaks in front of people, teaches online courses, loves God more deeply, loves studying the Bible, isn’t afraid of social settings anymore, memorizes God’s Word regularly, cares about her younger siblings, goes on mission trips to China, and much more.

God has used mentorship to radically change her life for His glory. 

I have simply been the tool that God has used to do the real work in her life. If there’s anything I’ve learned over these past five years it’s this: Having a front-row seat into Ellissa’s life has affirmed and re-affirmed the value and importance of godly mentorship. God knew what he was talking about in Titus 2. Mentorship changes lives.

As long as God keeps the door open for Ellissa and me to meet regularly, we will! I mean…who knows what awesome things could happen in the next five years.

Regardless of your age or stage of life, mentorship and discipleship are God’s good plan for us, as Christians.

I hope you’ll prayerfully consider joining Bethany and me for our online mentorship course. This is an incredible tool to help you grow in your own relationship with God and gain the tools needed to one day mentor someone else.

GIRL DEFINED MENTORSHIP COURSE

I’d love to hear from you below! 

  • In what ways do you think having a godly older mentor would impact your life?
  • What is keeping you from reaching out to a younger woman and becoming her mentor?

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When You Don’t Feel Like You Love Jesus

The last thing I wanted to do was get up.

It was early. I was tired. And honestly, a few more minutes sleep sounded more soul-refreshing than trying to keep my gritty, not-quite-awake-yet eyes open long enough to read and absorb Scripture. I’d been struggling with finding fresh truth from the Bible, my mind wandering whenever I tried to focus. Maybe I could just skip it today and sleep in…

The battle raged—my love for my warm and cozy bed warring with the fact that I knew if I didn’t start my morning with Bible reading and prayer, I wouldn’t have another chance all day.

But I just didn’t feel like it.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time my feelings distracted me from my pursuit of God. I’ve often not “felt” like praying or going to church. I’ve often not “felt” like my faith was strong. I’ve often not “felt” passionate in my love for Jesus.

My feelings are so fickle. They come. They go. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the goodness of God and my love for Him. Other times my heart is dry, the emotions non-existent.

The rollercoaster of my feelings plummets into guilt. Am I just a bad Christian or something? Strong Christians always have their emotional ducks in a row and are always on fire with passion for Christ, right?

The longer I’ve followed Christ, the more I’ve realized feelings are not the most important part of our walk with God. If we make emotions the sum of our relationship with Jesus, we’re in a dangerous place.

Love Rooted In Action

Jesus set our priorities straight.

“‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

I used to think this meant Jesus wanted our emotions. But the love Jesus talks about goes far beyond emotion. Not only does His list include our mind and strength (two things not rooted in sentiment), but the Greek word for love here is agapaó. You may recognize this word because the well-known agape has its origin in agapaó. Agapaó is a verb, while agape is a noun. The root definition of both far surpasses our culture’s view of love.

While culture tells us love equals flutters in our stomach, gushy feelings in our heart, or the heady desire that can blind us from reason, God knows such feelings are transient. So He designed a better and different kind of love. A love rooted in action and choice.

That’s agapaó.

If you look up other places this word appears in Scripture, it’s often used in the context of action. Loving our neighbors (Matthew 22:39), loving our enemies (Matthew 6:23), loving each other as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). It’s even the word for love in John 3:16, “God so loved [agapaó] the world…”

The direct call is summed up in John 14:15, “If you love [agapaó] me, keep my commandments.”

Obedience over Feelings

We often get caught in the trap of believing our feelings for God matter more than our obedience to God.

Like I say in my book Love Riot, “I’ve learned that my relationship with God can’t be motivated by my fickle feelings, but rather by my intentional decision to come before God in obedience. Love is a choice, as well as an emotion…I’ve found that this love—one of obedience and seeking hard after God—is more constant than if I waited to seek God until all the ‘feels’ lined up.”

One of our enemy’s strategies at keeping us from pursuing Christ is to convince us we need to wait until our emotions are aligned. If our faith is strong only when the feels line up, we’re building our faith on a shaky foundation that can collapse at the slightest pressure. If our obedience to Jesus is contingent upon the moments when the passion is running high, we’re not actually worshipping God. We’re worshipping an emotion.

I know what a struggle this is. I crave the emotions because that’s when I feel closest to God. It’s also important to remember that we shouldn’t we fall into a legalistic pattern devoid of passion for Christ. In truth, feelings are good in and of themselves. They’re gifts from God, a picture of His mercy in providing what our human hearts crave—soul-deep love. The problem comes when we elevate emotion above the One we’re experiencing the emotion for. While our feelings ebb and flow, our commitment to God cannot. Our God is worthy of all love and obedience, no matter our fickle hearts. We love because we obey. We obey because we love.

As C.S. Lewis says, “Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.’ He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot create them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right.”

When we struggle through a dry season, how can we be intentional to love and follow Christ, even if the feelings aren’t always there?

1. Repent and do the first works of love

In Revelation, the church of Ephesus is described as a “loveless church.” They were doing many things right, but their love for Jesus was no longer fervent. Because of their struggle, they were given instruction. The task? “Repent and do the first works.” (Revelation 2:5)

When sin is allowed in our hearts, our love for God grows cold. When our relationship with God hits a dry season, we need to honestly evaluate “Is there any sin in my life?” If there is, repentance is the first step.

The next half of their instruction is the second step: “Do the first works.”

When I’m struggling through a season of dryness, the temptation to push aside prayer, Bible study, and church is strong. But the more we struggle with a lack of feelings, the more intentional our pursuit of Christ and our obedience needs to be.

Like a new believer first discovering the beauty of God and His Word, seek Him daily and faithfully. Dig into His Word. Invest time in intentional prayer. Spend time worshipping. Gather with other believers. Obey His commands. Do the first works of love…whether you feel like it or not.

2. Don’t give in to shame

You’re a mess. You write about these things, but here you are, still struggling to live them out. What a hypocrite.

I’ve heard every one of these lies whispered deep within my heart. I’ve battled shame telling me I’m unworthy and don’t deserve a relationship with Jesus. In a way, it’s true. In my sin and brokenness, I am unworthy and I don’t deserve a relationship with Jesus. But that’s not the end of the story. Jesus has made me worthy through His death on the cross and covered my sin and unworthiness with His blood and perfect sacrifice. Because of Christ, I don’t have to live bound by shame. He has set me free.

Our enemy hurls lies at us because shame hinders our intimacy with God. You cannot cower in shame and freely love at the same time. Author Esther Smith encourages, “It is impossible for me to feel shame and worship at the same time. When I look directly at Jesus, when my eyes are on Him, there is no room for shame to grow in my heart. I care only about the focus of my attention . . . When we’re distracted by shame, we struggle to engage with our Savior.”

Guilt and shame are not the same as conviction. Deal with conviction and repent of sins, but reject shame, because shame will pull you farther and farther away from Jesus as you believe the lie that His death on the cross is not enough to cover your sin.

The more I look at myself and my feelings, the more discouraged I become. But the more I fix my eyes on Christ, the less my feelings (or lack thereof) matter. I cannot look at Christ and my emotions at the same time.

3. Fix your eyes on Christ’s perfect love

C.S. Lewis also wrote, “The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not.”

Christ’s love is the foundation that can hold firm through the storm of our ever-changing emotions. The power and beauty of the gospel are that Christ has already completed all I need for a relationship with Him. My feelings of love don’t save me, because Christ’s self-sacrificial love already has. Our job is obedience and accepting His love.

My sweet sister in Christ, if you’re struggling with a lack of emotions, if you’re wondering if your faith is strong enough to battle through a dry season, or if you’re afraid that because you don’t always feel “in love” with Jesus maybe you’re not even saved, hear this. Your feelings of love may come and go, but Christ never has and never will. Make the choice of love. Do the first works of love. Don’t give in to shame. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Choose agapaó.

I’d love to hear from you!

-Have you ever not “felt” like praying, reading your Bible, etc.?

-Have you ever struggled through a season of dryness in your walk with God?

-Why does obedience matter more than emotions?

Bio: Sara Barratt is a writer, avid reader, chocolate lover, and lead editor for TheRebelution.com. Her first book Love Riot: A Teenage Call to Live With Relentless Abandon for Christ released May 2020 from Baker Books. Her passion is challenging teens to live sold-out and set-apart for Jesus. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and her website sarabarratt.com.

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Maybe You Already Have a Mentor, but Don’t Realize it

We were in a small group together. Maggie was vivacious, friendly, and clearly passionate about Jesus. She was a wife and mother of three. I’m not sure how long she had been a Christian at that point, but she and her husband were mature believers leading the small group my husband and I attended. I knew having a mentor was important. I wanted one, and she seemed like the perfect candidate.

Many Tuesdays my husband and I were early because fifteen minutes early means on time to my husband, Jim. As a result, I got to spend extra time with Maggie. I remember clearly one night, I was sitting at her counter while she was doing dishes. Heart pounding, I spit out my question, “Will you be my mentor?” To my surprise, she asked what I meant.

Shrugging my shoulders and feeling rather pathetic, I admitted I didn’t know.

She listed some options: do a book study, walk through questions I had…? I never ended up doing any of those formally with Maggie. Our relationship remained mostly the same. So, did we fail?

It didn’t dawn on me until later that we hadn’t failed. It made sense years later, when another young woman reversed the roles and asked me to disciple her. We had been writing letters back and forth to each other for about seven years. I felt surprised and confused at her request. What did she think I had been doing? In any case I thought I might need to change something.

I looked for good discipleship books and asked friends to recommend a method or resource. What we hadn’t considered was that discipleship was already happening.

What is mentoring? What does it mean to make disciples?

Mentoring is God’s idea in the first place. He gives us the best possible example in Jesus. For three years Jesus walked around with his disciples. He ate with them and talked with them. He taught and ministered in front of them. Jesus mentored by living his life in front of and beside his disciples.

This is what Maggie was doing; I just didn’t realize it. She was leading others, praying with others, displaying hospitality, instructing me and other women. Her life was on display to me. She was a great mentor. If you want a mentor like Maggie, you may not have to look past your own home. You may be blessed to have a Christian mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, or older cousin. Watching, observing, and working with women around you IS discipleship.

Imitate them as they imitate Jesus.

If not, maybe you have relationships like this in your local church. Is meeting with an older woman intentionally regularly wrong? Absolutely not! But if you are not already doing that, look around for who is in your life already. God knows what you need.

He put these instructions in His word, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3-5).

His sovereignty is bigger and better than any plans we have. He will provide for you. Perhaps along with looking for a woman you can meet with formally every week or two, recognize the women God has already placed in your life as mentors.

Let’s continue this conversation in the comment section below: 

1. What is your current view of mentoring/discipling?
2. What other Biblical examples of discipling can you think of?
3. What older women are already mentoring you in some way?
4. What younger women in your life see you as a mentor, even informally? How can you be more intentional in sharing the grace of Jesus with them?

This guest post was written by Anna Hannigan. 

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What a Former Crush Taught Me About Sufficiency in Jesus

The Facebook announcement stopped me mid-scroll.

Brandon Hayes became engaged to Katie Lewis.*

I stared at it for a few seconds, their two pictures joined together with a ring.

Brandon Hayes, the guy my young teenage self once had a crush on, was engaged. I hadn’t even known he was in a relationship. Thoughts spinning, one question rose to the surface: Who on earth is Katie Lewis?

A few clicks later found me scrolling through her feed, seeing pictures of a smiling blonde with family and friends. I kept scrolling until one post from several years back made my jaw drop.

Brandon, this sweet, mega-godly, in-full-time-ministry guy was marrying a bikini model?!

I closed the screen, frustrated with myself for even caring.

Throughout the rest of that day, my thoughts kept drifting to Brandon and his new fiancée. Not surprisingly, that evening found me digging up my old skill of Instagram stalking. Without much difficulty, I located both accounts and went to work. Scroll by scroll, I went through their gram, my thoughts providing commentary. I can’t believe she’d wear that. Honestly, this is not the kind of girl I imagined Brandon marrying.

A few minutes of wasted time later, I headed downstairs to transfer a load of laundry. As I pulled clean clothes from the dryer, conviction pricked my spirit. Why do you care so much, Sara? It wasn’t like I wanted to be in a relationship with Brandon. We hadn’t been in touch for years.

So why did I feel this way?

Then the real questions came.

Why do girls like Katie seem to get a guy’s attention, but not me?

Do guys only care about the way a girl looks?

Are girls like me with an always-been-a-Christian-good-girl reputation just boring or something?

I realized then that these questions and struggles didn’t have anything to do with Katie or Brandon. After all, who was I to judge when I knew close to nothing about their relationship? These struggles were rooted entirely in my own sin and insecurity.

I share this peek into my heart because while it was sin-ridden and ugly, it was also real. I’m not the only girl who’s wrestled with these kinds of questions and battled this kind of comparison and yes, even jealousy.

But as followers of Christ, this is not the heart-attitude that should mark our lives.

Focus on your calling, not competition

The question that most often arises is why her, not me?

Our insecurity plays into this, making us wonder if there’s something wrong with us or if we’re not worthy enough to catch the eye of a godly man. When we question our worth and place the value of it in the hands of a man, we allow our hearts to veer into a place of competition. If we think our worth will finally be affirmed when this guy or that guy (or any guy) pays us attention, we sign up for a competition where the best girl gets the guy. The catch happens when that girl isn’t us. When another girl enters into a relationship and we’re left sitting on the singles bench, instead of rejoicing for her, we’re left thinking what’s wrong with me? Her joy becomes a blow against our worth. No longer is it just about our relationship status, it’s about our very identity.

This kind of competition is all too common, but oh so destructive.

And it’s not the lifestyle for a girl secure in Jesus.

As followers of Christ, we have a clearly defined calling. Not only has Jesus defined our worth, but He’s also given us a mission.

1 Corinthians 7 is one of the rare places in the Bible that speaks specifically to us as single gals. There’s not a lot throughout Scripture addressing single women directly and exclusively, so this is a passage we should take note of.

“There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:34)

Despite the clear address to single women, I confess I usually take a closer look at the “how she may please her husband” part. I’m such a sappy single, I know. But do you see our calling outlined in this verse?

We’re to care about the things of the Lord.

In other words, seek Him and work diligently for His kingdom.

We’re to be holy in both body and spirit. In other words, live a life above reproach in purity and holiness, seeking to become more like our Savior.

This verse doesn’t say anything about our journey from singleness to marriage. In fact, the entire section expounds upon the blessings of singleness! Instead, it paints a contrast that shows us how much our eyes should be focused on Christ as single women. More than married women, we have a unique opportunity to be undivided in our pursuit of Christ.

Where in that undivided pursuit does competition fit?

Nowhere.

Competition and jealousy have no room in the life of a girl pursuing holiness.

Your life purpose is not defined by marriage. Your life purpose is defined by Christ. Your worth is not defined by marriage. Your worth is defined by Christ.

If we focus on undividedly serving and seeking our Lord, competition, and insecurity must give way to a higher purpose. Not only are we freed to serve Jesus as we’re called to do, but we’re also freed to love as we’re called to love.

A heart of competition has no room to love like Jesus, but Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves and do nothing in selfish ambition but to esteem others higher than ourselves. (see Matthew 22:39 and Philippians 2:3, 4)

In a culture of desperate women clawing above each other on their way to a place of empty self-worth, this is a radical, countercultural stance to take. But it’s absolutely the way of Jesus. It’s also the only way to true peace and joy.

Find perfect love in Christ

Hidden below every question and struggle is an underlying hunger. We hunger for worth, affirmation, and mostly love. The world tells us we’ll find those things in a relationship or person. Deep in our hearts, we believe it.

That’s why we wrestle with those questions of “Why her, not me?” and “Will it ever be me?” What we’re really asking is: Will this hunger ever be satisfied? Will I ever reach a place of complete fullness where this aching need disappears?

We think it’ll disappear when we get the guy and our happily ever after. We think we’re craving a relationship.

But what if we’re really craving Christ?

We’re all born with a deep need for love. Throughout our lives, when we first recognize this need, we seek to fill it with tangible things. For many women, that tangible thing is a relationship.

God placed that craving in our souls for a reason. Not so we’d long for a guy or forever feel empty.

But so He could fill it. He designed us to crave what only He can give—perfect love.

We just get confused along the way and start looking for the perfect love in imperfect places.

But God is still the source of everything we crave and hunger after. His love is the only love that can make us whole. Because two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ—God made flesh—went to a cross to show us His perfect love. There at the cross, perfect love was personified. There at the cross, the pursuit of our hearts long after was fulfilled. Jesus gave everything to win us back to Himself, if only we accept His love.

You see, we’re not actually hungering for a guy. Or a relationship. Or anything else tangible in this world.

We’re hungering for wholeness in Jesus. Our fractured souls, broken by sin, cry out for a fix. Only Jesus can be that fix, as He makes us whole and forgives our sins.

That’s why everything in this world comes up empty. Because it’s not what we’re searching for, to begin with.

Sister, hear this: if you’re struggling with unfulfilled longings if your heart feels like a never-ending desert if everything you look to always comes up empty—look to Jesus. Seek His face. Focus on His love. Live for His glory. That’s the splendor of the gospel—no matter what brokenness we face, no matter what sin marked our hearts in the past, no matter what fears fill our hearts now, the blood of Jesus can cover it all.

Single or married, He’s the only answer.

I’d love to hear from you!

-Have you ever struggled with the same questions I did?

-Why do you think we so often ask “Why her, not me?”

-How can we truly find satisfaction in Jesus?

Bio: Sara Barratt is a 20-year-old writer, avid reader, chocolate lover, and lead editor for TheRebelution.com. Her first book Love Riot: A Teenage Call to Live With Relentless Abandon for Christ released May 2020 from Baker Books. Her passion is challenging teens to live sold-out and set-apart for Jesus. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and her website sarabarratt.com. 

*Not their real names

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