Entry 3: The Wonderful Mystery of God

Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and welcome to blog #3! On the agenda today, I would like to tell you about some interesting aspects of God’s character and give you the promised details about my upcoming missions trips!

First of all, I realize it’s been a few weeks from my last post. I was pretty overwhelmed with dance and studying for finals, and I decided to take the holidays to spend time with family and friends. However, I was taking note of things to write about, and I’m excited to share it with you!

For anyone who has wanted to grow in relationship with the Lord, you would probably agree with me that God is quite mysterious. Even as scripture reveals so much about God’s character, there is still so much about him that we just don’t know. And, at least for me, this mystery can be frustrating. I just want answers, clarity, and direction, especially amidst difficult periods of my life. But as I’ve wrestled with these questions, I’ve realized just how beautiful the mystery of God is. Because no matter how long you’ve been on your walk with the Lord, there’s always something new to learn about Him. There are always aspects of his character to discover and learn about. There are always new questions to ask Him and new circumstances to trust Him with. So yeah, sometimes I’m trapped in pain or confusion, and I say to God, “Why can’t you just give me all the answers?!”. But then later on down the road, I can see what he was doing, what he was teaching me, and I find myself in awe at his wonderful plan.

One aspect of faith that God has given me clarity on is repentance. A few weeks ago, the Woodridge elementary director, Anni, preached to us on this subject, and I believe that God was transforming my view of repentance through her words. First of all, my definition of repentance was all wrong. I thought repentance was the same as confession, admitting your sins and promising to do better. However, what I learned is that repentance is a change of mind, and a response to God. Repentance means to agree with what God says about sin, and expressing your willingness to follow God’s guidance to deliver you from sin. Additionally, there IS no repentance without God. Seems pretty obvious right? But at least for me, I kept trying to get everything right before I came to God. When I failed, I was too ashamed to go to Him so I would try even harder to succeed on my own, and you can probably imagine how well that went. I learned that Satan is going to use your sin to draw you away from God no matter what the sin actually is. So, the best thing we can do when we fall into sin, is to turn to God in repentance. Trust me, the devil hates that. Another aspect of Anni’s sermon that resonated with me, was when she gave clear steps on how to repent. If you know me, you know I don’t like abstract ideas and I need clear instructions, so I loved this part. So how do you repent? first, be honest. God already knows your heart, and when we are honest and open about our feelings, we are putting our trust in God. Secondly, invite the spirit into your soul. The holy spirit will not fill you without an invitation. Third, put measures in place to prevent you from sin. While repentance is about trusting God, it is also important that you take action to make it easier for you to avoid sin. And finally, spend time with God. The more you come to know Him, the more you will be drawn away from your sin.

That was one important lesson I learned. What repentance really is, and how to do it in a way that allows for God to transform your life. Oh— but this isn’t the only lesson God has taught me these past few weeks.

Another thing that I have learned about God is how he views our emotions. This is difficult for me to admit, but it is true. Sometimes, I don’t want to spend time in God’s word. Sometimes I don’t want to follow God’s direction. Sometimes I’m angry at God. Sometimes I blatantly choose the things of this world over God. I don’t always FEEL God’s love, or his mercy, or his kindness, or even his spirit. It’s this fear, deep down in my gut, that I don’t really love God and I don’t really know him. And I’m willing to bet you’ve felt this way. So what? Does that make you a bad christian? NO! What I’ve learned is that God is not looking for our feelings. He’s looking for our devotion.

It’s not about whether or not you feel like reading the bible but reading it even when you don’t feel like it. God wants consistency and discipline. Only a week ago, my old pastor gave a sermon on the importance of building habits in our faith. It’s not a mistake that we become what we do repeatedly, God created us that way! building good habits and a strong routine isn’t about what you feel like doing, in fact, most of the time, it’s the stuff you don’t want to do! But when we establish habits centered around God, we invite him into our daily lives, and we put ourselves in his path. It is through this consistency that we start to see God so clearly, and we are transformed through Him. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— This is your true and proper worship.” When Paul says to offer your body to God, he does not mean a one-time commitment. It is an everyday decision to devote your body, mind, and soul to God, despite what you may be feeling that day. This is the best way to worship the LORD!

Now that I’ve gotten to tell you a little bit about what God has been revealing to me, I’m excited to tell you about the two missions/vision trips I’m going on this year!

First of all, from April 25-28, I’ll be going to New York with a group of other dancers to perform with an organization called “Project Dance”. The organization was founded after 9/11 to bring hope to the city by spreading God’s light through dance. We’ll be there performing in Times Square with other dance studios and learning from prominent dancers who are rooted in faith. I have been on this trip before, and it makes me even more excited to go again! Secondly, from June 15th to the 21st a group of Woodridge students has the wonderful opportunity to partner with Next Step Ministries to travel to Guatemala. We’ll be there building homes, serving the community, and spreading the gospel to the people living there. This will be my biggest mission trip yet, and the one where I will need the most fundraising and support. If you are interested in supporting me in either of these trips, please reach out to me through my email, abbiehoeft@icloud.com, and I will send you more details and how to support!

Thanks for sticking with me through that, and I hope that these words on God’s character encourage you to continue getting to know God. As I’m getting ready to go on these mission trips, it’s been lessons like these that reignite my passion for God and my excitement for what’s coming next. As you move into 2025, let these lessons ring true for you too, and continue getting to know who God is. Delight in the mystery of who He is and look for His glory in the world around you. Have a happy new year!