Grow in Grace

Category: Grace & Forgiveness

  • When Obedience Changes You

    When Obedience Changes You

    By:Wendy Morris

    Every time I face my fears and remain obedient to what God is asking me to do, a change takes place within my heart.

    It is powerful.
    It is freeing.
    It builds a confidence that can only come from knowing I followed God even when I was afraid.

    It is almost as if I can see my faith in action.

    We know that faith is believing in what we cannot yet see, but there are moments when obedience allows us to experience it in a tangible way. When we take the step God is asking us to take—without knowing exactly where it will lead—we begin to witness what trusting Him can produce within us.

    Obedience Does Not Always Feel Peaceful at First

    Sometimes I have fought against obedience because God was asking me to do something I did not want to do at the time.

    There have been moments when I wanted to hold on, but He was asking me to let go. Times when I wanted answers, but He was asking me to trust. Times when I wanted to remain comfortable, but He was asking me to step forward.

    During those moments, I have felt defeated, fearful, and anxious—sometimes almost sick to my stomach. But I am learning that fear does not necessarily mean I lack faith. Faith is choosing to obey God while the fear is still present.

    Obedience does not always feel peaceful in the beginning. Sometimes peace comes after we surrender.

    “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
    —2 Corinthians 5:7

    Obedience Changes More Than Our Circumstances

    We often obey God because we are hoping He will change something around us. But sometimes the greatest change takes place inside us.

    Every act of obedience strengthens our faith. It teaches us that we can trust God without having all the answers. It loosens fear’s grip and gives us the confidence to follow Him again the next time.

    The confidence that grows through obedience is not the assurance that everything will happen exactly as we want. It is the assurance that God will remain faithful regardless of what happens.

    There is tremendous freedom in realizing that the outcome was never ours to control.

    He Knows What I Want—and What I Need

    We are human, and we naturally have our own ideas about how we want life to unfold. We pray for certain outcomes, imagine what our future should look like, and sometimes struggle when God’s direction does not match our plans.

    But I am learning to keep my eyes on Jesus.

    He knows what I want, but He also knows what I need. He sees what I cannot see. He knows which doors will lead me closer to Him and which ones will eventually steal my peace.

    Surrender is learning to pray, “God, You know the desires of my heart, but I trust You more than I trust my own understanding.”

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
    —Proverbs 3:5–6

    That kind of trust is not always easy. But it is where true peace begins.

    He Has Never Failed Me

    God has brought me through both the good and the bad. There have been seasons when I did not understand what He was doing, but He has always brought me out on the other side.

    Looking back, I can see how He was protecting me, preparing me, strengthening me, or redirecting me. His answer did not always look the way I wanted it to look, but I have never reached the end of a season and found Him unfaithful.

    I may have experienced disappointment along the way, but I have never been disappointed in Him.

    He has never failed me.

    I believe God cares about the desires of my heart. But I am also learning that His answers may arrive differently than I imagined. What He gives me may not always resemble what I pictured, yet it will contain what He knows I truly need.

    Faith Becomes Visible Through Obedience

    Faith is more than something we speak about. It becomes visible when we follow God despite our fear.

    It is visible when we surrender our plans.

    It is visible when we release what He asks us to release.

    It is visible when we take the next step without knowing where the entire path will lead.

    Each time we obey, our faith becomes stronger. We begin to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly. We discover that freedom is found on the other side of surrender.

    My prayer is that everyone experiences this—the unmistakable work of the Holy Spirit within their heart. The kind of transformation that brings freedom, courage, peace, and confidence that cannot be manufactured on our own.

    Fear may still come, but it no longer has to make our decisions.

    We can keep our eyes on Jesus, obey what He is asking of us, and trust Him with the outcome. He already knows the way. And when we follow Him, He will faithfully bring us through to the other side.

    Reflection Questions

    1. Is God asking you to do something that fear has kept you from doing?
    2. Are you struggling because His direction does not match the outcome you wanted?
    3. What has God brought you through that reminds you of His faithfulness?
    4. What would obedience look like for you today?

    Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for never failing me. When fear makes obedience difficult, help me keep my eyes on Jesus. Give me the courage to follow You even when I cannot see the outcome. Teach me to trust that You know both the desires of my heart and what I truly need. Change me through every act of obedience, strengthen my faith, and free me from the need to control what happens next. May my life reflect a faith that is active, surrendered, and completely dependent upon You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

    —Wendy

  • Grace for the Days I Fall Short

    Grace for the Days I Fall Short

    By: Wendy Morris

    When I finally learned to be by myself and not feel the need to have someone in my life just because I was lonely, it released a stronghold from my life that I can’t even fully explain.

    For so long, I thought companionship was the answer to the emptiness I felt. I searched for comfort in people, conversations, attention, and temporary connections — anything to avoid feeling alone. But loneliness will make you settle for things God never intended for you.

    I had to learn that being alone and being lonely are not the same thing.

    God began showing me that I was constantly trying to fill places in my heart that only He could heal. I wanted reassurance. Comfort. Validation. Companionship. And while none of those things are inherently wrong, they become dangerous when we depend on people more than we depend on God.

    The moment I became okay sitting alone with God, healing, growing, and learning who I was outside of needing validation from others, something shifted inside of me. The fear of being alone started breaking. The desperation faded. The constant need for reassurance faded. And peace finally began taking its place.

    I realized I wasn’t actually craving people as much as I was craving wholeness.

    Galatians 5:1 says,

    “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

    And John 8:36 says,

    “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

    Sometimes the strongest chains are not visible addictions. Sometimes they are emotional dependencies, fear of loneliness, unhealthy attachments, and believing we need someone beside us to feel complete.

    But God will sometimes allow seasons of solitude to heal what constant companionship was covering up.

    At one point in my life, I could not imagine being alone. I thought silence meant emptiness. I thought if I wasn’t connected to someone emotionally, then something was missing in me. But healing taught me otherwise.

    Healing taught me how to sit with myself.

    To face my wounds.

    To stop running from my pain.

    To stop looking for temporary comfort to cover permanent issues.

    To stop abandoning myself just to avoid loneliness.

    And through that process, I began learning how to love myself the way Jesus does.

    I couldn’t even love others the way Jesus does until I learned to love myself the way He does.

    For years, I poured into everyone else while neglecting myself. I confused self-sacrifice with self-abandonment. I accepted less than I deserved because deep down I didn’t fully understand my value yet. But Jesus never called us to destroy ourselves trying to keep others comfortable.

    Matthew 22:39 says,

    “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    Psalms 139:14 says,

    “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

    The more time I spent with God, the more I realized His love restores identity. It restores dignity. It teaches you that you can love people deeply while still having wisdom, boundaries, and discernment.

    Don’t get me wrong though — I’m tempted daily by the world. I won’t lie and pretend it isn’t hard. Some days my flesh is loud. Some days my emotions get the best of me. Some days loneliness tries to creep back in. Some days I struggle with wanting temporary comfort instead of waiting on what God has for me.

    And some days, I fail.

    But praise God for His grace and mercy.

    I’m thankful I don’t have to stay stuck in my failures, shame, or weakness. Every single day is another opportunity to repent, realign my heart, and keep pressing toward Him. That is the beauty of God’s love — He corrects, restores, and keeps calling us closer instead of casting us away.

    Lamentations 3:22-23 says,

    “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your

    Reflection Questions:

    1. Am I seeking temporary comfort from people instead of true healing from God?
    2. What areas of my life reveal a fear of being alone?
    3. Have I confused loving others with abandoning myself?
    4. What strongholds or unhealthy attachments might God be trying to break in my life?
    5. Do I truly believe I am worthy of love because of who God says I am?
    6. In what ways have I grown emotionally, spiritually, or mentally over the last year?
    7. What does pressing toward God look like for me in this current season?
    8. Am I allowing shame from my failures to keep me stuck instead of receiving God’s grace and mercy?
    9. What boundaries do I need to create to protect my peace and healing?
    10. How can I intentionally spend more time with God instead of seeking validation from the world?