The Hot Water Test

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James 1:2-3 — Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

You’ve probably heard the saying that a woman is like a teabag—you never know her strength until you drop her in hot water.

Yeah, I feel like I have been dropped inside of a pot of boiling water lately, and honestly, I don’t really like the hot water. None of us do.

None of us ask for it. We don’t wake up hoping for illness or heartbreak or disappointment. We don’t put financial struggles on our calendars or pray for uncertainty.

But sometimes the hot water comes anyway.

When it does, it can feel like everything is being tested all at once. The things we thought we could handle suddenly feel heavier. The questions get louder. The answers seem farther away. And sometimes we find ourselves wondering how much more we can take.

But maybe there is something happening in those moments that we can’t see yet.

James tells us to consider it joy when we face trials because the testing of our faith produces perseverance.

That can be a hard thing to hear when you are actually in the middle of the trial. It’s one thing to read about perseverance when life is going well. It’s another thing entirely when you are the one sitting in the hot water.

But James isn’t saying the trial itself is good. He’s showing us that God can use what is hard to produce something good in us.

The pressure can reveal things in us that God is using to grow our faith, and maybe that’s why the hot water matters. The strength we thought we didn’t have can show up. The faith we thought was small can hold on. The trust we thought was fragile can somehow make it through another day.

And maybe you are in that hot water right now. Maybe you didn’t ask for it, and you certainly wouldn’t have chosen it.

But you are not there alone.

God is still working in you, even when you can’t see what He is producing, and the faith He is building in you may be stronger than you realize.

Sometimes you don’t discover your strength until you are tested.

And sometimes you don’t discover how faithful God has been to strengthen you until you find yourself in the heat.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “hot water” are you walking through right now, and how is it affecting your faith?
  • When life gets difficult, is your first response to ask “Why me?” or to ask “God, what are You doing in me?”
  • Can you think of a difficult season when God strengthened your faith or helped you endure more than you thought you could?
  • What might God be growing in you through the trial you’re facing right now?
  • What would it look like today to trust that God is still working, even if you can’t yet see what He is producing?
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What If They’re Wrong About You?

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2 Corinthians 6:18 — “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to let other people’s opinions define you.

Over the years, I’ve been called a flake because I’ve moved around so much. I’ve been told I talk too much and too loud. I’ve even been told I’m not a very good friend because I spend so much time focused on work, exercise, and getting enough sleep.

And sometimes criticism can help us grow. But sometimes, we start carrying labels God never intended for us to wear.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I’d been letting other people’s opinions speak louder than the voice of God.

God doesn’t call me a flake. He calls me His child.

And I didn’t earn that name. He chose to welcome me into His family.

He doesn’t define me by my mistakes, my weaknesses, or someone else’s opinion of me. He calls me His.

The loudest voice in your life will eventually become the truest one in your heart.

So the older I get, the more I realize I need to spend less time listening to what people say about me and more time listening to what God says about me. People see a snapshot. God sees the whole story.

Your identity doesn’t begin with what people say about you.

It begins with what the Father declares.

So when another label tries to stick, I’m learning to ask one simple question: Did that name come from people—or from the Father who calls me His child?

Maybe that’s a question you need to ask today, too.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What label or criticism have you been carrying that may not be God’s definition of you?
  • What does it mean to you that God calls you His son or daughter?
  • Whose voice has been the loudest in your life lately—and how can you make more room to hear the Father’s voice?
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Dare To Dream Again

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Joel 2:28 — I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

Have you ever noticed how life has a way of making you dream a little smaller?

I know it has for me.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I don’t dream much anymore. I seldom even set big goals.

Disappointments have a way of knocking the wind out of you. And if you’re not careful, it’s easy to start believing the lies:

You’re too old.

You can’t do that now.

Just get over it.

For a while, I started believing them.

But then I remembered something about the heart of God:

He doesn’t retire purpose. He renews it.

He keeps awakening dreams in ordinary people.

And if that’s true, why would I let disappointment have the final word?

The Bible is filled with people who dared to dream with God.

Joseph held onto God’s promises even when he was sitting in a prison cell. David was anointed king while he was still tending sheep. Noah built an ark before there was ever a cloud in the sky.

Their circumstances didn’t look like the fulfillment of God’s promises.

But God was still working.

And Joel reminds us that God’s Spirit isn’t reserved for the young, the strong, or the people who have everything figured out.

He pours out His Spirit on His people, young and old, and He continues to awaken hearts to His purposes.

Now, not every dream we have is from God.

Some are selfish.

Some are distractions.

Some are simply things we want for ourselves.

But I believe God can plant holy desires in our hearts—to serve, to create, to encourage, to give, and to make a difference in someone else’s life.

So don’t bury the gift God has placed inside you just because life has been disappointing.

Don’t assume your age disqualifies you.

Don’t let fear convince you that your most meaningful days are behind you.

The safest place for a dream is surrendered, not buried.

Bring those dreams to Jesus.

Pray over them.

Hold them with open hands.

And if He opens the door, don’t just stand there admiring it from a distance.

Walk through it.

Because the God who placed purpose within you is also faithful to lead you wherever He’s calling you next.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What dream or desire have you allowed disappointment, fear, or age to make you bury?
  • Do you tend to believe that your most meaningful days are behind you? Why or why not?
  • How can you tell the difference between a dream that comes from God and one that simply comes from your own desires?
  • What would it look like to surrender one of your dreams to Jesus instead of either forcing it or burying it?
  • If God opened a door you’ve been praying about, what would it take for you to have the courage to walk through it?
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Still Breathing, Still Called

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2 Corinthians 4:16 — That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

The other day, I caught myself thinking, Well, Tammy, you’re a whole lot closer to the tomb than you are the womb.

If that doesn’t make you want to eat a Little Debbie snack cake and crawl back into bed, I don’t know what will.

I can get discouraged when I look at my life and wonder what I’ve really accomplished.

I’m supposedly in my golden years, but nobody told me gold came with reading glasses, knee pain, and a deep appreciation for a good orthopedic shoe.

I didn’t become a famous singer.

I never won an Olympic medal.

I still can’t fold a fitted sheet.

But somewhere in all that, God reminded me of something better.

While this body may be wearing down a little, God is still renewing me every day.

He’s renewing my purpose.

He’s renewing my perspective.

He’s reminding me that my life isn’t measured by what the world considers impressive.

He doesn’t measure my life by applause, but by obedience.

Not by achievements, but by faithfulness.

Did I love people?

Did I encourage someone?

Did I point somebody toward Jesus?

That’s the kind of life that matters.

Moses was eighty when God called him to lead Israel. Abraham was one hundred when Isaac was born. Scripture is full of people who discovered that God’s purposes don’t come with an expiration date.

God has never been in a hurry, and He has never stopped giving purpose to willing hearts.

So yes, maybe I’m closer to the tomb than I am the womb.

But I’m also closer to heaven than I’ve ever been before.

And that’s not something to be discouraged about.

That’s something to celebrate.

If God is still giving you breath, He’s still giving you purpose.

So instead of counting what you’ve accomplished, start counting the opportunities you have today to faithfully love, serve, encourage, and obey Him.

Your body may be getting older, but your spirit can still be growing.

And maybe—just maybe—we’ve still got a few more adventures left in us after all.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What tends to discourage you when you think about getting older or looking back on your life?
  • How does 2 Corinthians 4:16 change the way you think about aging?
  • Where do you see God renewing your purpose, perspective, or faith right now?
  • Are you measuring your life more by achievement or faithfulness? Why?
  • What is one opportunity you have today to love, encourage, serve, or point someone toward Jesus?
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Truth Bombs from Trustworthy Friends

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Proverbs 27:5-6 — An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

One of the greatest acts of love isn’t giving someone a compliment.

Sometimes it’s telling them the truth when they need to hear it.

Yeah, I know for me, sometimes people can be brutally honest, and I actually appreciate that… even when it hurts my feelings.

When someone lets me know my outfit isn’t the most flattering, that hairstyle isn’t working, or maybe that phrase isn’t quite as funny as I think it is—if they say it kindly—it can actually be a good thing.

I’ve realized the people who care enough to wound my pride are often the very ones protecting my future.

See, a comfortable lie leaves you stuck, but a caring truth helps you grow.

Proverbs says, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”

Notice that word: sincere.

God isn’t calling us to be harsh. He’s calling us to be honest in love.

Sometimes the people who love you most are the ones willing to say the hard things. They care too much to watch you make a bad decision, stay trapped in sin, or slowly drift away from God without speaking up.

That’s the kind of love God has shown us all along.

He’s committed not just to our comfort, but to our growth.

And so often, He works through honest friends to get our attention.

Now, that doesn’t mean being rude or judgmental. It means speaking the truth with grace, humility, and genuine love.

Because let’s be honest, most of us would rather avoid conflict. We’d rather keep everyone happy.

But real love isn’t always comfortable.

Sometimes love looks like a friend sitting across from you and saying, “I love you too much to let you keep going this direction.”

And sometimes, being a good friend means having the courage to say it.

So here’s my challenge:

Don’t just surround yourself with people who applaud you.

Stay close to the people who love you enough to tell you the truth.

And then be that kind of friend for someone else.

Because the right word, spoken in love, might hurt your pride for a moment—but it could help protect your future for a lifetime.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • How do you typically respond when someone lovingly corrects you?
  • Who is someone you trust to tell you the truth, even when it hurts?
  • Is there an area of your life where you may be resisting loving correction?
  • What’s the difference between speaking truth with love and simply being harsh?
  • Is there someone God may be asking you to lovingly speak truth to?
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The Greener Grass Trap

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1 Thessalonians 4:11 — Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

Why do we always think the grass is greener on the other side?

It could be a lot of things. But I can’t help thinking about how every time we scroll, social media shouts that everyone else’s life is better than ours. They have more. They travel more. They seem happier.

But pictures don’t tell the whole story.

“They” still have to pay the bills, raise unruly kids, mow the yard, and take the dogs out… or clean up after them when they couldn’t wait. Life is hard, messy, and exhausting sometimes, and every now and then it makes our crazy… crazy.

And sometimes it isn’t even about greener grass. It’s about burnout. You’re worn out, running so hard that every other pasture starts looking better than your own.

That’s why I love Paul’s encouragement in 1 Thessalonians. He tells us to make it our goal to live a quiet life, mind our own business, and faithfully do the work God has given us.

Instead of chasing someone else’s pasture, maybe the better answer is to tend the one God has already entrusted to you.

That’s where gratitude grows.

That’s where peace takes root.

Because the grass isn’t greener where you wander. It’s greener where you’re willing to water.

Invest in your own life’s landscaping, and one day you may be surprised to find your neighbors looking over the fence, wondering how your yard got so green.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you been comparing your life to someone else’s lately? How has that affected your contentment?
  • What has God already placed in front of you that deserves your attention instead of your comparison?
  • In what ways can living a “quiet life” bring more peace and joy into your daily routine?
  • Where might burnout be making someone else’s life look more appealing than your own?
  • What is one area of your life you can intentionally “water” this week instead of wishing for someone else’s pasture?
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Clear Truth in an Upside-Down World

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Matthew 10:39 — If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

My pastor, Greg Clark, recently preached a series called Living Right Side Up in an Upside-Down World.

It really challenged me. He said, “Do you know we’re actually born upside-down? Most babies enter the world headfirst. We spend the rest of our lives trying to get right side up.”

That got me thinking about how upside-down life can feel sometimes.

The world says, “Look out for yourself.” Jesus says, “Serve others.”

The world says, “Get even.” Jesus says, “Forgive.”

The world says, “Chase more stuff.” Jesus says, “Store up treasures in heaven.”

Maybe that’s why living for Christ can feel uncomfortable. We’re swimming against the current. We’re choosing God’s way in a world that often chooses its own.

But I think that’s the point.

The life we naturally reach for isn’t the life we’re ultimately looking for.

Jesus invites us to let go of the life centered on ourselves so we can discover the life only He can give. That’s exactly what He meant when He said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

When we surrender what we can’t keep, we find what we could never lose.

So today, before you follow the crowd, choose to follow Christ. When the world seems upside down, His way is the only way to stay right side up.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where do you see the world’s values competing with Jesus’ teaching in your own life?
  • Is there an area where you’re clinging to your own plans instead of trusting God’s?
  • Why do you think following Jesus sometimes feels like swimming against the current?
  • What does it practically look like to “lose your life” for Christ in your everyday life?
  • What is one decision you can make today that reflects God’s way instead of the world’s?
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The Unfiltered Invitation

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1 Samuel 16:7 — The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Isn’t it funny how polished life can look on social media?

You see it all over Instagram and Facebook. People wearing nice outfits, driving new cars, announcing promotions, and smiling in perfectly filtered photos. Yet underneath all that “put together,” there can be a whole lot of falling apart.

The truth is, not everyone has it all together. Some people just have really good lighting and a great outfit.

But we can’t dress it up, title it up, or cover it up forever. Behind closed doors, God sees what’s really happening. While everyone else is focused on the outside, He’s looking somewhere much deeper.

He’s looking at the heart.

God isn’t impressed by your image; He’s interested in your heart. And honestly, that’s freeing.

He never asked us to fake it until we make it. He didn’t say, “Get your life together and then come to Me.”

He simply says, “Come to Me.”

Messy.

Tired.

Confused.

Without filters.

Friend, the more we pretend, the more we hide. The more we’re honest, the more God is able to heal what only He can see.

So maybe today is a good day to stop managing the image and start opening your heart.

Come to Him just as you are.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Do you ever feel pressure to appear like you have everything together? Where does that pressure come from?
  • What areas of your heart might God be inviting you to be more honest about today?
  • How does knowing that God looks at your heart—not your appearance or performance—change the way you approach Him?
  • Is there anything you’ve been trying to cover up instead of bringing to God?
  • What would it look like to come to Jesus “just as you are” today, without pretending or hiding?
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Protect What God Is Growing

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Proverbs 4:23 — Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The Bible tells us to guard our hearts, and lately I’ve realized I apparently need to guard my strawberries too.

Yeah, I planted this little strawberry patch in my backyard, and I live in town, okay? I’ve babied those things and encouraged them like they were family members.

But I walked out there in the morning, and just before they turned that perfect shade of red, some little critter had already come in during the night and eaten the whole thing… or just taken a bite out of it. And I was so frustrated.

Now I’m basically a detective going, “Okay, wait a minute. Was that a squirrel, a bird, a raccoon, or somebody’s freeloading cousin?”

But then it hit me: I’m not upset just because the strawberries are gone. I’m upset because something keeps getting to what’s growing.

Isn’t that true of our hearts too? What grows unguarded rarely grows unharmed.

Just like we protect things that are growing, the seemingly small negative influences can quietly steal our joy. Fear, bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. They don’t usually show up all at once. They sneak in a little at a time and start taking bites out of the good things God is growing in us.

That’s why Scripture tells us to watch over the wellspring of our lives, because everything else flows from there. Guard the source, and you’ll protect the fruit.

So maybe today, before you go looking for what’s wrong around you, just ask what’s been nibbling away at your heart. Then you can deal with it before it steals any more joy.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What are some things that have been “taking bites” out of your heart lately—fear, worry, resentment, comparison, or something else?
  • Proverbs 4:23 says to “guard your heart above all else.” What does guarding your heart look like practically in your daily life?
  • Are there any influences, habits, or thoughts you need to remove because they are affecting what God is growing in you?
  • What is one “fruit” you want God to grow in your heart right now—peace, patience, kindness, forgiveness, joy, or something else?
  • How can you invite God to help you protect your heart this week?
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Comfortable Isn’t Always Better

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Psalm 143:8 — Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

Ever notice how the older we get, the more we like things just so?

We sit in the same seat.

We follow the same routine.

We order the same thing at the restaurant.

And we don’t really like surprises.

Well… unless it’s a surprise gift or dessert. Those are always welcome.

But then God comes along and says, “Hey, Tammi… let’s go a different way.”

And I’m like, “Lord, I love You, but I’m pretty comfortable right here.”

So I dig in my heels.

Or I start negotiating like I’m at a yard sale.

“God, I’ll follow You… but could we keep it on my schedule? Maybe use my plan? And let me bring my snacks.”

Meanwhile, Jesus is simply saying,

“Trust Me.

I’ve got something better.”

I’ve realized that every morning gives me a choice.

I can wake up clinging to my own plans…

Or I can pray the words of Psalm 143:

“Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You.”

That’s a risky prayer.

Because sometimes God leads us somewhere unexpected.

Sometimes He changes our plans, stretches our faith, or asks us to trust Him before we understand where He’s taking us.

But I’ve learned something.

Peace doesn’t come from having the route mapped out.

It comes from knowing the One who’s leading the way.

The tighter I grip, the more anxious I become.

The deeper I trust, the more joy I find.

Because joy isn’t found in controlling the path.

It’s found in walking it with Jesus.

So maybe today…

Loosen your grip a little.

Say “yes” a little quicker.

Ask God to show you where to walk.

And be just spontaneous enough to let Jesus lovingly interrupt your routine.

You may discover His plans are even better than yours.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where you’re holding tightly to your own plans instead of trusting God’s direction?
  • What would it look like to begin your day by praying, “Lord, show me where to walk?”
  • How have you seen God’s unexpected interruptions become blessings in your life?
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