Ellie's Tips to Conquer Envy

I remember going to a camp where literally every girl was stunningly gorgeous. Not only were they beautiful, but they had done their makeup and hair just right, brought their cutest clothes and shoes, and they all had great personalities. Every year this was the week where I was very envious of the girls around me. I felt like I wasn't cute enough, didn't have the right shoes, and in comparison, I felt like I had a bad hair day--everyday.

Envy is a struggle for many--if not most--of us. It's hard to catch, sometimes, because it can be so subtle. Even if it is just a longing glance at a model's great lashes on a magazine cover or just a twinge when your friend beats you on a test, envy is dangerous and we must learn to guard against it.

Today we are so blessed to have another 30 Days of Surrender author, Ellie Youngblood, with us today! One of her articles is Surrender Envy. Today we're going to dive into the topic of envy--one that is very relevant and applicable for us as girls.

What did you learn while writing for 30 Days of Surrender?

I learned to not be afraid of writing about my personal struggles. I realized there were other girls that desperately needed to hear the truth. It hit me that my fears could keep others from being free. Ultimately, I learned how seriously many people are chained with struggles and how the Holy Spirit can set them free.

You wrote about surrendering envy. What made you pick that topic?

I choose this topic because of a past struggle. I am so grateful to God that He opened my eyes to see how selfish and jealous I had been of a friendship. I was so close to my friend, and then a new girl entered the circle.  I did not want to lose my close bond. Next thing I knew, I was reacting sinfully. Thankfully, the Lord opened my eyes, and I slowly began to surrender the envy I held.

In Surrender Envy, you talked about dealing what seemed like a friend's betrayal. What advice do you have for girls in similar situations?

Yes, I had wanted to be deep and connect the story with what truly seemed like a friend's betrayal. It is maybe one of the deepest wounds I have felt. I wrote in my devotional that, “What can feel like desertion and abandonment from a friend can pierce the soul like arrows.” An arrow in a body must be pulled out. Skin must be stitched and then the body must heal. Surrendering yourself—your emotions, thoughts, everything concerning the friend—to Him is the exact same process. In time, He will mend your heart. Love as He loves no matter what.

Aside from the examples in the devotional, what are some other ways that either you personally have struggled with envy or seen others struggle?

Comparison is another area I have struggled with envy. When I see other girls that are achieving more than I am, I have felt the temptation to despise them for their achievements. But I must stop and remember the verse in Psalm 139 that says I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Each person is uniquely created by Him! We each have a gift given to us, to glorify Him. He deserves all the glory.

What daily habits would you recommend for avoiding a lifestyle of being controlled by envy?

I would encourage constantly reading the Bible, filling your mind with its truth, and memorizing it. When our eyes are fixed on truth—on Christ—it will be that much harder to be distracted by the flesh. Direct your focus to the Maker when you feel the sting of envy. The root of envy is discontentment in your soul. Your ultimate satisfaction needs to be firmly in Him. He alone can fully satisfy. Delight yourself in Him as Psalms says.

If you could break down overcoming envy into three steps, what would they be?

1. Surrender.

Surrendering involves being truthful about everything to Jesus.  Though He knows everything, the simple action is life changing. Admitting you are wrong is a huge part of the freeing process. Verbally say you want to change. Surrender.

2. Find your satisfaction in Him alone.

Only He can fulfill your every desires and dreams. No human is perfect, and as a result, your joy needs to come from Him, who is Perfect. Read about His character and memorize His Truth.

3. Pray.

No matter what. This is another one of those simple actions that can be absolutely life-changing. Pray for the relationship. Pray, pray, pray. Pray daily, no matter what emotion rises within you.

Ellie Youngblood is a Texas girl who loves the Lord, her Savior. When she is not pursing her degree in chemistry, her adventures lead her to faraway lands in fictional books, jamming out with music, or living out her dream as an archer. She also has a deep passion for writing, whether it be devotionals filled with God’s truth or creative writing. She currently resides in east Texas. Find out more at her blog, Broken and Beloved.

If you liked this interview with Ellie, you will love our new ebook, 30 Days of Surrender. You can purchase it here.

Can you think of a time recently when you struggled with envy? Any tips for those who struggle? Share in the comments!

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How to Overcome Overwhelming Emotions

          As many of you know, we just launched 30 Days of Surrender last week!!! I was absolutely so thrilled and touched by your reaction and the feedback we have been getting! 

          If you haven't had a chance to purchase your copy yet, you can buy it here! We are using pay-what-you-want pricing so everyone can afford it. 

          Today, I interviewed Savannah Morello--one of the contributors and author of Surrender Your Emotions, Surrender Your Future, and Surrender Your Needs. Today, we are specifically talking about how you can overcome overwhelming emotions. Savannah has such wonderful thoughts and wisdom on this topic. Enjoy!

What did you learn while writing for 30 Days of Surrender?

          Writing for 30 Days of Surrender was such a blessing and I learned a ton! But foremost was the importance of giving credit where credit is due. God has given me a passion for words, and with it – I think – some talent. But I must remember that it is GOD who gave me this talent. I cannot take credit for any good idea, inspiration, or clever wording. Everything I can do came straight from grace. As much as I want to keep it for myself, all glory must go to Him.

           Secondly, I learned not to put my identity in my accomplishments. I have never really struggled with confidence, but working with other authors reminded me that I don’t have to be the fastest, the best, or the most talented. Everything I do should be for the glory of my God, not to feed and satisfy my pride.

You wrote about surrendering emotions. What made you pick that topic?

          To be honest, I chose Surrender Emotions because I actually have the advice to share here. I scrolled past so many of the other topics because I struggle with them so much. Now, I don’t pretend to have complete control over all my feelings. But the Lord has given me enough grace to win many of the battles I fight with my emotions. I can share my plan of attack.

In Surrender Emotions, you talked about dealing with frustrating siblings. I think we can almost all relate to that. ;) How do you practically not let your emotions get control of you while dealing with your family members?            
          First, I look for signs. It probably feels different for others, but when I get really angry, right before I completely lose control, I feel a pressure behind my eyes. The edges of my vision blur. It’s like my mind is trying to shake me by the shoulders and yell, “Stop! Look what you are doing!” I have learned to take advantage of it. This sign helps me realize that things are going the wrong way and try to fix them. 

          Secondly, I must stop talking. Completely. Even if it means my brother will have the last word, even if he doesn’t completely understand the foolishness I just saved him from:  I have got to shut my mouth. And even more difficult, I must stop any ranting in my head. How will my anger go away if I keep fueling it with outraged thoughts? I try to do this before my eyes go blurry – a lot of hurt can come out of my mouth even before I lose control.

But in the middle of an argument – even a simple, quiet one about who needs to walk the dog – stopping is the last thing I want to do. 

          Even when the Holy Spirit reminds me of Christ’s call, I quickly throw up a protest. “Oh, no way I’m stopping now,” I say. “I am so right this time. He needs to see that.” But does being right justify my argument? When I finally realized that the sin does not lie in being on the losing side of a fight but in actually getting angry, it became so much easier to stop mid-sentence and tell my brother, “Wait, we are fighting. I’m really sorry.” That helps both of us to pause. After we cool down, we can find a peaceful understanding.

What advice do you have for girls who are "more emotional?"

          Ground yourself in truth. Emotions have a way of surrounding us and blinding us to reality. 

          In my experience, whether I’m angry at a simple mistake, or doubting God’s ability, my emotions to trap me in a lie. I think part of us enjoys having a hearty cry, even if it is in anger. There is a reason we don’t want to back down from a fight. Sinful emotions appeal to our flesh. But when we have hidden the truth in our hearts, we have something steady to hold on to. 

          Know who God is. 

          Know what He thinks of you, of sin. Know how He wants to use your emotions for His glory. When you know the truth, feelings have so much less power. 

          Come back next week for the rest of this interview!

          If you liked this interview, you will love our new ebook, 30 Days of Surrender! Be sure to check it out here!

Do you struggle with reacting emotionally? What have you found that helps you not be controlled by emotions? Share in the comments!

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3 Ways to Genuinely Trust in Christ

-By Naomi Hamstra

          “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalms 20:7). I appreciate how this verse shows me where the Christian girl is supposed to put her  trust in. She is to put her trust in God. How can we genuinely trust in Christ? Here are three ways. 

1. Read the Word of God

          Hebrews 4:12 tells us how powerful the Word of God is. It says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” By reading this verse, I am reminded to trust in Christ and His Word because I know how powerful it is.

          In order to trust God, we have to trust His Word too.

          We cannot say we love God and trust Him, but believe His Word is false.  “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him”(Proverbs 30:5) Everything that God has said is true and will always remain true, because of this great promise we can trust in His Word always!

2. Live out the Word of God

          As Christians, it is important that we not only read the Word of God but we must also be a doers of the Word. James gives us an example of what it looks like to hear the Word of God and refuse to obey it. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25).

          This is a good thing to ponder. The man who does not obey the Word of God is like a man who looks at himself and does nothing when he sees that he does not look good. When we read God’s Law or hear it preached to us, we must not forget about what it commands us to do. James 1:25 tells us that if we look into His perfect law and obey it, we will be blessed in those works. If we trust in God’s Word, our desire will be to live it out, and if we obey His Word, then those works will be blessed by God. Let’s make it our goal to live out God’s Word, and therefore trust in Christ more and more!

3. Keep our eyes on Him

          The final way we can genuinely put our trust in Christ is to keep our eyes on Him. When I think of keeping our eyes on Him I think of Psalm 56:3-4. It says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” When we going through hard times, we must keep our eyes on God and trust in Him. In our best days, we must keep our eyes on Him and trust in Him. Second Corinthians 5 tells us that we do not walk by sight, but by faith. We cannot live our lives focused on ourselves, but focused on Him, trusting that He works everything for our good. 

          Proverbs 3:5-6 is a very well-known verse about trusting God, nevertheless it is very important for us to remember. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” I encourage you to trust in God always by reading His Word, living it out, and keeping your eyes always on Him!

 Do you struggle with trusting God? Which of these tips were most helpful? If you could add a 4th, what would it be? Share in the comments!

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4 Reasons Scripture Memory is Absolutely Critical to Your Walk with Christ

What if I were to tell you that I have a friend who has memorized Psalm 119--the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses?

          What if I were to tell you that that same friend has memorized the book of Ephesians?

          And the books of 1 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, Philippians, Colossians, Obadiah, Jonah, and Nahum.

          Not to mention the first fifteen chapters of John and the first ten chapters of Romans.
          I don't even have time to list out all that she's memorized.

          And what if I were to tell you that THIS SAME FRIEND is with us today on the blog to talk about why Scripture memory is important?

          If anyone knows anything about memorization, it’s her.

          Let me present my friend Dani to you. She just turned eighteen and lives in Alaska. She is also the founder of A Hoe In My Hand—a wonderful magazine for girls. I just received it today and loved it!

          I have long been wanting to write a post about memorizing verses because it has absolutely changed my life and has been huge in my walk with Christ.

          So I am thrilled to share an interview I held with Dani that will help you understand why Scripture memory is CRITICAL for you, and she even shared her tips and tricks for how she has memorized so much of the Bible before finishing high school in this post.

          Let’s get started then, shall we?

Glad to have you on Morning Glory, Dani! So glad to have the opportunity to pick your brain about Scripture memory. I have a big question for you: When we can just google any verse, why does it matter that we memorize them?

          “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11) Not “googled it on my smartphone”, but “hidden it in my heart.” And that helps us not sin! How great is that?

1. Memorizing Scripture puts it directly into your head. 

          When you’ve been memorizing a passage, it will play through your head, influence your actions. It will be something you’re actively dwelling on. Psalm 1 says that the man who meditates on God’s law is blessed, but you can’t meditate on it if you don’t know it.

          “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) When God’s word is there in your head, when it is on a live feed in your mind, you won’t be nearly as likely to act against it! It will always be there, strengthening the prompting of the Holy Spirit on your conscience!

2. Scripture is POWERFUL

          The word of the Lord is proven (Psalm 18:30). You can always trust it. It is the instruction manual for all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is given that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

          “For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Scripture is POWERFUL. There is no greater weapon you can wield against the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:17) The voice that created the world, breathed the breath of life into man, and healed the sickness and sins of many also wove the beautiful tapestry of words that we call the Bible. Only those words have the power to break the chains of sin and death. When you memorize them, they are in you, and you can pour them out to those around you!

3. The Word of God should be our treasure

          David, the man after God’s own heart, loved the Word of the Lord, meditated on His law. Also, the writer of Psalm 119 loved the Word of God, and Psalm 119 illustrates that vividly. Just go and read the whole thing attentively. It is a love song about the Word of God! Shouldn’t we all desire to ‘be after God’s own heart’? Shouldn’t we all love Scripture in that way? When you love someone or something, you will have their every detail memorized. How much more should we treasure and memorize the Word of God?

4. Scripture is eternal

          “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will be no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) Scripture is the only thing given to us on this earth that will be enduring. Treasure it up, put your effort into it – everything else will be worthless in the end.

          When you have scripture memorized, it will always be there for you to use, while Google might not always be. I often think about the persecuted Christians both in the past and present who didn’t have the written Word directly available to them, but had huge portions memorized, and so were still comforted through the Scriptures, able to share the light of the gospel with those around them, and still growing through the nurture of His Word. That benefit was one that was pointed out to me by my Sunday School teacher back when I was 10 years old, and it has stuck!

          “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) 
          God’s Words are so much better than any other words we could have in our minds! Why would you even want something else there?

Dani is an Alaskan MK who loves the Lord with all her heart. A large part of her childhood has been spent competitively memorizing Scripture through the National Bible Bee. She has seen the immense blessing of the Lord in her life through it, and wants to share that blessing with others in whatever way possible. In her spare time, she does school, learns languages, and practices piano, violin, viola, or various other instruments. She also heads up a team of girls that publish A Hoe In My Hand magazine.

 

          Thanks so much for your wonderful words of wisdom, Dani! I think you can tell that her mind is full of Scripture by just how many verses she referenced! Check this post for tips and tricks for HOW to memorize the Word of God. And don't forget to check out A Hoe in My Hand!

Until then, let's chat girls! Do you memorize Scripture? Why do you memorize? What have been the greatest benefits of Scripture memory? Share in the comments!

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