Mike Browning

Tag: Faith and Life

  • You Might As Well Come Clean

    You Might As Well Come Clean

    Don’t avoid talking to God about your problems. He already knows.

    I recently overheard one of my daughters explaining to someone how they could talk to God about their problems.

    She told them that God would help them see what to do, and that He wouldn’t judge them.

    That stuck with me.

    One of the reasons people don’t talk about their failures or struggles is fear. We’re afraid other people will look down on us. And if we’re honest, a lot of us are even more afraid that if God really knew what we were thinking or doing, we’d be in serious trouble.

    But here’s the thing.

    God already knows.

    He knows everything you think. Everything you do. What you want. What you don’t want. What you want to do that you shouldn’t. What you don’t do that you should.

    He knows all of it.

    And He loves you anyway.

    That’s the whole point of Jesus. God sent Him to die for your sins so that when God looks at you, He sees the righteousness of Jesus, not your record.

    My daughter was exactly right. She has a habit of being right about things like that.

    And it’s a good reminder.

    You can talk to God. You don’t need special language. You don’t need rules. You don’t need to clean anything up first.

    You can talk to Him the same way you’d talk to a close friend. Or a counselor. Or someone who actually listens.

    Just tell Him.

    He understands. And He’ll help point you in the right direction.

    Get more here!

    PS — One other thing my daughter will tell people, and she’s right about this too, is that it’s a good idea to actually read the Bible.

    A lot of people say that. Or talk like they do it. Or sort of pretend they do it.

    Most people don’t. Not straight through.

    I’ve been reading it cover to cover once a year for several years now. You don’t wake up the next morning as a different person, and it’s not some dramatic overnight transformation.

    But it does change things over time. Subtly. Quietly. For the better.

    If you want help getting started, I put together a simple site called His Word Together. It breaks the Bible into manageable weekly readings and sends them to you by email.

    It’s free. No catch.

    You can take a look here: HisWordTogether.com

    Or, if you want the weekly readings in your inbox, you can sign up here:

    Sign Up Here

  • The Biggest Wrecks Of All

    The Biggest Wrecks Of All

    God uses flawed people. He has to, since that’s the only kind there is.

    Whenever you walk into a new church (or even one you’ve been to several times), it’s easy to feel out of place.

    Everybody looks put together. Families sitting in neat rows, kids dressed nice, smiles all around. You know in your head they aren’t perfect—but it sure feels like they are.

    And you feel like you don’t fit in. Like everyone else can see it too.

    Here’s the truth: none of us really feel like we fit in.

    We’re all sinners. We struggle to understand. And even when we do understand, we forget it the moment hard times hit.

    But here’s the good news: that’s not just you. That’s everyone. No matter how good a front they put on. And it’s by design.

    Even the apostles—the ones who walked side by side with Jesus—were wrecks too.

    They didn’t grasp who He was, even when He told them plainly. Peter could declare, “You are the Christ,” and then turn around and get rebuked as Satan because he didn’t want Jesus talking about the cross.

    They argued about who was the greatest. More than once.

    They saw Him feed thousands of people with almost nothing—twice—and still thought He was scolding them about bread when He warned about the leaven of the Pharisees.

    When the pressure was on, they folded. Peter denied Him. Most of them ran away when He was arrested. Thomas wouldn’t believe until he touched the wounds.

    Even after the resurrection, they hid behind locked doors, afraid of what might happen next. And later, after Pentecost, Peter still had to be corrected by Paul for pulling back from Gentile believers.

    In other words—they never had it all together here.

    But here’s what they did do: once they saw the truth, they never let go. They still stumbled, still sinned, still misunderstood—but they knew Jesus was Lord, and they would not deny Him. Most of them died because of it.

    Jesus used them, imperfect as they were, and He finished His work in them. Not on this earth, but in the end.

    It’s the same for us. We don’t “arrive” in this life. We don’t ever believe perfectly, understand completely, or apply it flawlessly. That’s by design, even if we don’t get it.

    And still—Jesus wants us. He needs us. He uses us.

    Look at it this way: if the guys who were with Jesus almost all the time for 3 years didn’t get it, do you really think you’re going to be able to understand from where you are? I mean, we understand intellectually from reading the Bible, but we can’t really know until it’s written on our hearts. In due time.

    So the next time you feel out of place in a church pew, remember: the apostles didn’t belong either, at least not by appearances. But Jesus made them His. And He’ll do the same with you.

    PS – One of the best things we can all do is to actually spend time in the Word.

    That’s why I think it’s a good idea to own a physical copy of the Bible (or several). Reading online or on your phone is great—but it only works as long as the power’s on and the connection’s there.

    Is it likely to go away? Maybe not. Is it possible? Absolutely.

    Either way, there’s no downside to having a hard copy of the most important book ever written.

    You can buy one here on Amazon.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.