Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

  • Home
  • About
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Coaching & Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

When We Lose Our Faith in Humanity

May 23, 2017 by Abby McDonald

The words caught me off guard.

I pondered them and wondered if he was right. Deep in my core, I didn’t want him to be. I didn’t want to go through life questioning the intentions of every person I met. I didn’t want to always wonder if those close to me had ulterior motives.

But the sad thing was, I did.

“You shouldn’t trust anyone. Just trust in the Lord.”

I’d told him my trust was broken and I didn’t feel safe with anyone. I’d been violated in ways that were difficult for me to talk about. Pain I’d buried for too long was bubbling to the surface.

I didn’t expect him to confirm my doubts. I didn’t expect to be told to roam through life an orphan, never believing in anyone or having faith in a love which goes beyond our own selfish motives. But that’s exactly what he did.

For years I went through life continually looking beneath the surface, searching for a selfish reason behind the generous gesture or a lie behind the smile.

One day when I was pregnant with my first son I sat in church and realized I didn’t know a single soul there. I knew something had to change.

There is no place lonelier than the heart which trusts no one. And the sad truth about this lack of trust is that we will remain stuck in our walk with Christ unless we learn to see others the way he does.

We can focus on the work Christ is doing in others rather than the work we think they need.

We can focus on the log in our eye rather than the speck in theirs.

I’m not saying to be a doormat. And I’m not saying we don’t need boundaries. But God never intended us to walk through life alone, trusting no one but ourselves and him. He created us for community and unity with his body-the church.

He made us for more than a life of isolation with walls so high we can’t remember where the foundation lies. Love goes beyond those walls and reaches out to the lost, the weary and the weak.

We love because that’s what we were created to do.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Even when we have the breath knocked out of us, we continue to hope. Because the source of our hope goes beyond this lifetime into the eternal.

We trust our brothers and sisters not because they will never disappoint, but because of the work being done in them. We continue to reach out because our hope is not in human nature, but in the finished work of Christ. Our flesh may fail, but the Spirit of truth has sealed us for the day He returns.

Friends, our redemption was bought with too high a price for us to roam this earth as orphans. Let’s look beyond the walls we’ve built and be the hands and feet of Jesus today.

Let’s remember his work isn’t finished, and we can be a part of it.

 

Linking up here: #ChasingCommunity

Share if you care!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Filed Under: community, faith Tagged With: community, faith, the church

Let’s Stay Connected

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email.
And as a thank you, I’ll send you a free PDF download of
"The Daughter’s Manifesto."

Privacy Policy

Comments

  1. Kristine says

    May 23, 2017 at 10:25 am

    This is an important truth, Abby. It’s easier to stay guarded, to not let people in because of our past experiences. Sometimes we stay stuck in that place for years, but then we look back and see how our apprehension to develop community has kept us isolated. (Been there, done that!) It is a risk, but I love how your words encourage us to see past the potential hurt and focus on the work God is doing. Beautiful perspective:)

    • Abby McDonald says

      May 23, 2017 at 1:22 pm

      Oh yes, Kristine. I stayed stuck there for years. Of course, I’m also an introvert by nature but it was more than that. I’m so grateful God used our move away from the place I grew up to bring me out of my shell. It was worth it. Thank you for your sweet encouragement!

  2. Christy says

    May 23, 2017 at 10:38 am

    Abby, I’ve been there myself, thinking everyone had multiple motives. As humans we can’t help ourselves but by the grace of God. Always love your words.

    • Abby McDonald says

      May 23, 2017 at 1:23 pm

      Amen, Christy. I need Jesus, every moment of every day. Thank you for your kind words, friend. xoxo

  3. Betsy de Cruz says

    May 23, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Beautiful. I’ve had the breath knocked out of me a couple of times this past year, so this is such good encouragement. I’m thankful for the community I have, both in “real life” and online! 🙂 People like you, friend. <3

    • Abby McDonald says

      May 23, 2017 at 1:24 pm

      Oh Betsy, I have been there and am praying for you this morning. You are so dear to me. Sending hugs.

  4. Rebecca L Jones says

    May 23, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    I didn’t always trust people, like everyone else I’ve been burned. But I decided I had to trust Jesus, He can guide you the right people and help you avoid the wrong ones.

  5. Brenda says

    May 25, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    “…because of the work being done in them.” Such graceful insight. I see God in you, Abby. Thank you sharing truth, even in the hard. ((xoxo))

  6. Gretchen Fleming says

    May 26, 2017 at 7:43 pm

    So good Abby! I love your honesty and how you learned what God intended for you after you had been hurt. It is so easy to allow cynicism and negativity to creep in and really, overcome. I saw myself changing after some serious hurts in life and I finally realized, that is not what God wants for me. We can almost self-medicate by focusing on the wrongs of others and the sin in their life while we ignore the true focus God has for us- our own sin and His work in our lives. What freedom to be able to heal, allowing Christ to help us be willing to trust others again. Otherwise we live angry, isolated lives. You speak of what so many can relate with. Thanks for sharing!

    • Gretchen Fleming says

      May 26, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      Shared to Facebook 👍

Hi! I'm Abby and I'm so glad you're here. I am a wife and a mom of two very energetic boys and one sweet baby girl. When I'm not chasing them around I love to write about my love for a God who relentlessly pursued me, even during my darkest times. READ MORE...

Let’s Stay Connected

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email. And as a thank you, I’ll send
you a free PDF download of "The Daughter’s Manifesto."

Privacy Policy

Stay Connected

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Popular Posts

How God Responds When His Own Want to Die
When Fear Masks Itself as Discernment
When You Stop Praying for the Miracle
4 Truths to Hold Onto When You Think You've Let God Down

You Can Find Me Here

Take the Challenge

Categories

Recent Facebook Posts

Recent Facebook Posts

Recent Pins

Latest Instagram Feed

I pray that when I’m 90, I still have the fire b I pray that when I’m 90, I still have the fire burning in my soul that this woman has. What a joy it was to hear Katherine Paterson speak at the HopeWords conference, along with so many other inspiring speakers.

One of my favorite quotes from her talk:

“If a book has any power, then it has the power to offend.”

Oof. I will be chewing on that one for a while.

#hopewords #hopewords2023 #keepwriting
I’m so glad we got the chance to hit the snow tu I’m so glad we got the chance to hit the snow tubing slope before the season ended. It’s often those things that make me feel like a kid again that refresh my spirit the most. 

What’s something you did that refreshed your spirit lately?

#herestoresmysoul #snowtubing #wispresort
Can I share a secret with you? If I waited until I Can I share a secret with you? If I waited until I was inspired every time I showed up to write, I’d get very little writing done. Writing is sort of like working out. I don’t work out because I find it fun or because I’m super motivated. I work out because of how it makes me feel afterward.

Here are a couple of misconceptions about Spirit-led, inspired writing:

1. The Spirit is not limited to spontaneity. Yes, He is referred to as fire and wind. In Acts, we’re told He will give us the words at the moment we need them. This is in reference to testifying.

But the Spirit also moves in our preparation. He moves when we sit down at the computer and make the commitment to write, even when we don’t think the words are good enough. 

2. We don’t have to wait to be inspired to write. The discipline of showing up will invoke inspiration too.

Sometimes writing is like pushing the spokes of a rusty, old wheel. It takes some work and elbow grease to get it moving. But once it moves, the turning gets easier. The same is true for writing. As we put words down, the flow gets easier. The inspiration often shows up in unexpected places.

What would you add to this list? 

#amwriting #writingcommunity #writingcoach #writersofinstagram
Sometimes God allows the death or delay of a dream Sometimes God allows the death or delay of a dream to shift our focus toward him. It’s painful. It can make us question whether we heard God when we took an initial step of faith. But in the process of delaying our dream, God will also transform us if we let him. His word promises he will give us a new heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

A few months before my first writer’s conference, a reader made a profound comment on my blog post, and I’ve remembered it to this day: God’s promises go further than our dreams. It took the death of a dream for me to believe it, though. 

I now know it to be true, and have lived it firsthand. Here are 3 reasons his promises go further than our dreams ➡️

💫1. God sees the transformation needed for our dream to flourish.

He sees not only the person we are now, but the person we’re becoming. Through our obedience and trust in him, even when we don’t see the end result, he will refine us and prepare us for what’s to come.

💫2. God’s plans and promises are not short-term. They are eternal. 

If we look at Hebrews 11, we see a list of men and women whose faith still inspires us today. But these people didn’t see the fulfillment of God’s promise in their lifetime. It would be easy for them to think God let them down, but that wasn’t the case. God wasn’t withholding his best. He was preparing perfection.

💫3. God sees not just our dream, but the people who are a part of it.

If we look at the promises God makes in scripture, it is never just about one person. It is about generations. It is about nations and those who will follow in their footsteps. If we think our dream is only about us, God will work out this mindset before he fulfills the vision we have in our heart.

God’s purpose is never to dangle a carrot in front of our face and send us on a wild chase for something he will never give us. This isn’t his heart at all. He sees our desires and the lives of those who need our vision.

If God placed a dream in your heart and you are in a period of waiting, keep seeking his purpose. He hasn’t forgotten you.

#hisgrace #seekhimfirst #keepgoing
St. Patrick’s Day is particularly lucky for me, St. Patrick’s Day is particularly lucky for me, because it’s the day this man and I went on our first date nineteen years ago. Although I really don’t think luck had anything to do with it. 🍀😉

Our dogs led us together. It’s a story only God could write with his grace, humor and whimsy. And for that reason among others, I will forever be a dog person. 🐶

Has this particular day ever left you in awe of God’s grace? How so?

#saintpatricksday #hopewriters #hisgrace #1000gifts #gracegift
Do you lack clarity on what your next step is as a Do you lack clarity on what your next step is as a writer? I can help! With all the information thrown at us online, it can be difficult to determine what’s best for YOU. Your journey is unique, so you can’t simply copy and paste what someone else did.

As a writing coach, I help you:

👉🏼 Uncover what drives you and propels you to take action. Because if we don’t know what drives us, we remain stagnant.
👉🏼 Eliminate habits and mindsets that keep you stuck.
👉🏼 Develop doable steps to help you make progress toward your writing goals.

What do you need clarity on?

➡️ Book a free consultation via the link in my bio or send me a DM to get started.

#writingcommunity #writingcoach #amwriting #writersofinstagram
This picture is from January, but it could have be This picture is from January, but it could have been this week. While my calendar says spring starts next week, but winter is still hanging on for dear life. To be honest, I’m over it. Our winter has been mild, but my vitamin D meter is low. All the supplements in the world can’t make up for a warm day with the sun on my face.

If you’re in a long winter season, whether spiritual or physical, let me offer some encouragement God gave me recently: God can do a new thing in the middle of your winter. 

He doesn’t need a specific season or certain elements to birth new creation. His Spirit moves in the midst of our sorrows, disappointments, and things that seem dead.

When Isaiah prophesied to a nation who had gone their own way, he didn’t tell them God would make a way in the middle of a lush landscape or field of wildflowers. His new birth took place in a wasteland. There was no life. No hint of spring.

“See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Friend, the robins flocked to our yard today in the middle of a wind storm and snow flurries. They taste the coming life. As they flock around our yard, they reminded me how God works beneath the surface. He works in the cold, hard ground and under frozen landscape. May they remind you of the same promise today.

#nofilter #morningmercies #winter2023 #springiscoming
My daughter woke me up at 5:00 am on Sunday. So it My daughter woke me up at 5:00 am on Sunday. So it felt like 4:00 am. When my alarm went off a couple of hours later, I wondered what the heck was happening. 

If you’re struggling like I am on this Monday, give yourself grace. Grab that extra coffee if you need it. We’ll get through this.

#daylightsavings #momsofinstagram #mothersofdaughters
My focus can be pretty narrow at times. You too? 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m so glad God sees the intricate details and the bigger story. When I let him lead, beautiful things happen.

#encouragingquotes #keepgoing #hisgrace
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Abby McDonald | Design by The Design Diva | Development by MRM | Privacy Policy

LET’S STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email.
As a thank you, I’ll send you a free PDF download of “The Daughter’s Manifesto.”