This past summer has been absolutely wild. I’ve finished school, gone to an amazing camp with Kids, been able to serve on a mission trip, and had God give me a vision for my city. Not only that, but more opportunities are coming up over the next few months. I have been able to truly feel the fullness of God’s faith in me. I’ve been looking back and am being blown away at how God has been faithful to me in my life. My church is in a season of prayer called, 21 days of prayer. We are able to come together and pray each morning at 6 am so we can encounter God and pray over our lives. During this time, God has brought this one word up over and over again in my heart, faithful. Not just faithful, but faithFULL. Yes, I know that isn’t how you spell it, but I accidentally misspelled in my journal (don’t judge, we all fall short). As I looked over it, it made me realize the truth in that, I am full in faith because God has continually shown up and radically altered my life in the most incredible ways. God uses me, even when I fear that I’ll never be used, God never gives up on me. The thing is, God never gives up on you either.

One of my favorite books in the bible is Habakkuk. Wow, so hipster! In all seriousness, this book has come up over and over in my life so many times. The book is essentially about a conversation between God and Habakkuk. Habakkuk is living in a time where the people around him are either giving up their walk or turning over to their sins, there is chaos and Habakkuk’s heart is breaking for these people. He cries out to God saying, why are you letting this happen! God responds. Calmly and coolly as he always does, and tells Habakkuk that he remains supreme in all of it. He then recants to Habakkuk asking him where he was in creation and when he showed up time and time again. Habakkuk replies (much like my heart would) and asks why so many are falling away and dying without understanding the truth. God speaks to Habakkuk telling him he has not left the people and that he is always faithful, it’s simply our job to reach out. The final chapter then shows us Habakkuk remembering the faithfulness of God in all things, and he worships. Even when the world around him has turned away, he chooses to let God use him and worship. Today I want to share with you how to remain in the spirit and be faithFULL in every part of your life.

Pray in the midst of torment.

I look back at some of the moments in my life. Many are moments that brought torment with them. Early in middle school I was bullied which made me feel pretty crummy to put it lightly. In high school, I had a calling to go into next gen ministry, which made me seem like an outsider to the people around me. In college, I was thrown into several storms, a brother in my small group committed suicide, my family experienced the pain from a hidden addiction, and the enemy kept trying to use the words of people to tell me that I wasn’t good enough. I had a choice in all those times, I could let those things consume me and control me, or I could choose to pray in all the situations. My family helped me pray, small group leaders helped me pray, and the church around me helped me pray. I had a middle school pastor tell me he saw greatness in my life. In high school, I had a chance to witness and pray for people in my school that felt judged themselves and who felt like they were worthless. When my friend died, I was able to be there with his family, and that gave me a desire to see suicide end completely in my lifetime, because God can do it. My family saw the power God has breaking addiction and the heart behind ministries, like Teen Challenge, to get people back from the grasp of the enemy. I was also able to remained focused on Christ, even when people lied about me or said that I wasn’t worthy of God’s love. I say all this because I want you to know that you can survive the storm. You can grow in the pain. The thing is, you need God, because without him it is impossible. So, pray in the midst of torment.

Rest in the spirit.

In all of our walks, whether you don’t have a relationship with God or have been a believer for countless years, we need the spirit. For those who haven’t made a choice, start today and accept the message of the gospel, because the spirit wants to work in your heart. For the person who’s been a believer forever, press into the spirit and go where he calls you. We have to lean into the spirit, to rest in him, so that we can look at what he wants to do in your life. God is faithful and he wants to fill us with faith. Just like Habakkuk, we have to remember that God is always moving, even when we can’t always see it. We have to trust and remember the power of what he has already done, and that it will be used to propel us into something greater. Every hero has an origin, a past filled with mistakes and tragedies, but in the end, they pick up their mantel and step into their destiny. God is doing the same for each of us. So, rest in the spirit.

I hope this post has encouraged you, I know it seems like I talked about myself a lot, but I want you to know that what you’re going through can be used by God. God worked in the midst of my heartache and is moving me into great things (really can’t wait to share when it all plays out). I know the same is true for you. You have suffered, you have experienced pain, and you have questioned the reasons. God wants to meet you in your time of struggle, and if you worship him, he will speak. Our God is faithFull, and he wants to radically change your life. So, enter his presence, and worship him by prayer and diving into his word.

Become faithful and abide in the spirit.

-Joshua Thomas

Worship song for the month: So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong United

Authors Note: If you are experiencing domestic abuse, physical or verbal, please call 1-800-656-463. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 1-800-273-8255. There is always help, no matter what. You are loved.