Life gets hard sometimes. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to trust my gut instinct. Trust that inner voice that yells out with WARNING. Trust that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Trust that creepy feeling when the hairs stand straight up on the back of your neck. Trust it because you already know.

In his letter, John acknowledges the readers do not need to be taught the truth—they know it already. But he warns of those out to deceive us and reassures us that we already know the way.

I like to think of myself as a strong person and one who would stand up when faced with a challenge, a fear, a wrong. I know from my life that that has not always been my answer. I let fear get to me. And I sat down. There was no standing. I let it get to me again. And I sat down. But, one can only sit so many times.

I think each time we are faced with these difficult situations where we feel out of our depth, we learn a hard lesson. From that lesson, we emerge stronger, but with some distrust and some wariness.

I grew up pretty naive about life. I trusted the good in people. I trusted people at their word. I trusted people to be nice, to do the right thing, and just be good. I trusted people to follow through. I trusted people to have good intentions.

As you jump over the hurdles in life, you quickly learn that this is not the case for everyone. There are people in the world who do things deceivingly, do things to hurt people, do things to try to sway you away from your own morals.

I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught.

1 John 2: 26-27

Go with your instinct. Remain steadfast and live deeply in what you were taught. For you already know.

Tonight’s prayer: Jesus, we know you. Because we are yours, help us sense the Christ in others beyond the superficial. We pray this always, Amen

Tonight’s photo is from our vacation to the North shore last summer. In it, I find peace. I find my voice. I find strength.