Even If….

Even if....

I am abused.
Abandoned.
My loved one(s) doesn’t live.
I die..
My friendships leave.
My church rejects me.
My husband leaves me..

Even if….

Even if the constant bombardment keeps coming… Even if I'm nothing but a shell of faith…

Even if….

Ever have to lay it all on the altar? And still believe? Still have faith that God is who he says He is and it is all true? I have.

Christianity wasn’t a serene path for me. I couldn’t relate to the ‘perfect’ prayers, with peaceful groups of people filled with happiness. I was broken. I needed someone to put all their 'ugly' on the table and still profess that Jesus is Lord. And praise God, He brought me that person over twenty some years ago.

One who didn’t pretend to have it all together, but one who still had hope in God. That is what led me to faith.

For years I searched for depth of understanding, pursued degrees to find meaning and purpose in it all, and yet, I struggled. But, that seed of hope grew and grew, and then I found it.

A peaceful, joyful community that led me to Christ and walked me through the brokenness to healing. Then poof! It was gone. People had turned on one another, sin was brought to the surface, and the church broke up and split onto sides, and yet, God took all that faith and spread it far and wide.

I saw that through the heartbroken relationships, He was growing the church, spreading the gospel, and equipping more to share what I had experienced-Him. That is what it was all about.

Then more challenges came: death, cancer, loss, financial—you
name it, it was there.

And guess what? I am not alone in facing a tough, hard life. Many of you reading this will have had to endure more, harder, deeply more painful experiences than I have. The question of Christianity becomes, is it your story or God’s?

It has taken me 52 years to bridge the gap between my secular psychology training and Christian theological understanding to know, without a doubt, there is framework for humanity to flourish.

For years, I studied what philosophers and psychologists called “human flourishing.” They spoke of happiness, meaning, and purpose. But every model I found lacked something essential – objective truth.

Then, I realized the framework for flourishing was already written in Scripture.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” — Galatians 5:22–23

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” — Jeremiah 17:7

Human flourishing is not found in circumstances but it’s found in Christ.

The world’s version says, “You are enough.” In contrast, the gospel says, “Christ, in you, is enough.” (Colossians 1:27)

No worldview explains purpose, meaning, suffering, and hope more clearly than Christianity does. No other religion I’ve studied offers both truth and grace with a Savior who not only redeems suffering but transforms it into testimony.

So, the battle for your mind in 2025, might look different than those of Christians before us, but it’s the same war: to remain steadfast and proclaim the gospel in a culture that resists truth.

Why? Because God is still the same faithful sustainer through it all.

I tested it. I arrogantly asked God to prove Himself to me. And in His goodness, He did.

It cost me. It cost me my old life. My comfort. My control.

Was I willing to say “yes” anyway?

Yes. And it’s still my “yes” today.

Because once you’ve truly encountered Him, nothing else satisfies.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.” — Psalm 73:25

I pray that in your meekness, in your brokenness, and in your trials, you never imagined- that you, too, would say yes.

It is worth it.

It is better, because with God on your side, all those 'things' are 'things' in His control. The one lifeline you cannot toss out is Him. Because He lives in you.

“In Him we live and move and have our being.” — Acts 17:28

And yet, now I have more friends, a stronger church, better health, and my husband still by my side—more supportive than ever. Yes, my loved ones did die, but that doesn’t mean God didn’t hear my cries. He did.

He was present—physically and spiritually. Even in my grief, I saw His goodness breaking through sorrow. I found treasures—the “gems” that Scripture talks about—the hope that is Christ Himself. (2 Corinthians 4:7–9)

He doesn’t promise all things will be enjoyable, but He does promise to sustain us through all things. He can carry you like a firefighter, slinging you over His shoulder until you can breathe again, live again, and sing again.

So choose Him.

Say “Yes.”

“Even if He does not… we will not serve your gods.” — Daniel 3:18

Even if…