Comfort Isn’t the Goal—Obedience Is

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Have you ever found yourself asking, “If this is God’s will, shouldn’t it feel easier?”

It’s a question many of us wrestle with. We naturally associate peace with comfort, ease with blessing, and open doors with God’s approval. But when we read Scripture, we discover a different pattern.

Again and again, God calls ordinary people to extraordinary obedience—often requiring them to leave behind what is familiar before they experience His provision.

Noah built before it rained.

Abraham left before he knew the destination.

Ruth walked away from everything familiar.

Jonah learned the hard way that comfort and calling are not always found in the same place.

God’s invitation has never been to pursue the easiest path. His invitation is to follow Him faithfully, trusting that His presence is greater than our preference for comfort.

As I reflected on this truth, I had the privilege of writing a new article for The Christian Post titled “Comfort Is Not Confirmation: Rethinking How God Blesses Us.” In it, I explore what Scripture teaches about obedience, God’s provision, and why we should be careful not to mistake comfort for His confirmation.

👉 Read the full article here: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/comfort-is-not-confirmation-rethinking-how-god-blesses-us.html

As you read, I’d encourage you to prayerfully consider these questions:

  • Is there an area where I’ve allowed comfort to influence my decisions more than obedience?
  • Am I waiting for circumstances to become easier before saying “yes” to God?
  • Where has God already made His direction clear?
  • What is one step of faithful obedience I can take today?

One of the beautiful truths of Scripture is that God doesn’t ask us to have every answer before we obey. He simply asks us to trust Him with the next step.

Whether you’re navigating a ministry transition, a career decision, a family challenge, or a season of uncertainty, remember this: God’s faithfulness isn’t limited by your circumstances. He is present wherever He calls you, and His grace is always sufficient for the journey.

I’d love to hear your thoughts after you’ve read the article. Leave a comment below or send me a message and tell me what resonated with you most. Your stories encourage me, and I know they’ll encourage others as well.

Grace and peace,

Jennifer Spivey

Yes, Jesus Gets Angry – But His Anger Reveals His Love

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Yes, Jesus gets angry – but we’ve turned Jesus turning over the tables into a catchphrase.

“I’m about to flip some tables,” we joke when we’re frustrated, inconvenienced, or simply fed up. Somewhere along the way, Jesus’ actions in Mark 11 became a symbol for venting our own anger or justifying our emotional outbursts.

But that’s not what happened at all.

Jesus wasn’t having a bad day. He wasn’t losing His temper. His anger wasn’t misplaced, selfish, or fueled by wounded pride. It was righteous, purposeful, and deeply rooted in His love for the Father and His desire for people to encounter God without unnecessary barriers.

If we reduce this moment to a clever meme or a slogan about “flipping tables,” we risk missing the very reason Jesus overturned them in the first place. Jesus gets angry – but not without a greater purpose.

So before we focus on the tables He overturned, let’s focus on why He overturned them. As we do, we may not only gain a deeper understanding of Jesus’ heart—we may also discover something important about our own.

“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers.”’ Mark 11:15-18

When we read this passage, we often focus on one thing: Jesus gets angry. Let’s take this opportunity to change our focus.

Yes, Jesus gets angry. Jesus overturned tables. He drove people out of the temple courts. He confronted what was happening in a very visible way.

But why?

Was Jesus angry because people were earning a living? Was He angry because people were selling animals for sacrifices? Was He opposed to business? No.

Jesus was angry because something had become a barrier between people and the presence of God.

The temple was supposed to be a place where people encountered God’s mercy. It was supposed to be a place of prayer, forgiveness, healing, and worship. It was supposed to be a place where people discovered the goodness and love of God.

Instead, something had gotten in the way. The very place designed to help people draw near to God had become filled with distractions.

And Jesus loved people too much to leave those distractions in place. 

Jesus Gets Angry - But His Anger Reveals His Love

Jesus Gets Angry When Sin Separates Us From Him

I have been thinking lately about the misconceptions we sometimes have about sin.

We use phrases like, “God hates sin,” and “hate the sin, love the sinner.” While these statements are often meant to communicate a feeling, I think they miss the mark. These statements can sometimes leave people with the wrong impression of God.

Especially when we are the ones struggling.

Sometimes we begin to believe that God’s anger toward sin means God is angry with us. But God’s hatred of sin is never separated from His love for people.

God hates what sin does.

He hates the destruction.
He hates the bondage.
He hates the pain.
He hates the way sin separates us from the life and freedom He created us to experience.

A loving Father does not ignore the things that harm His children. He removes them. He confronts them.

God’s desire is not to push us away. He wants to push away the things that harm us. His desire is to restore us.

He is never against us – He is for us.

Jesus Gets Angry When Sin Overshadows God’s Mercy

Sometimes people look at the Old Testament and wonder if God seems different from the God revealed through Jesus. But God’s character has never changed.

The same God who walked with Adam in the garden is the God who came near to us through Christ.

The same God who confronted sin is the God who offered forgiveness.

The same God who called His people back is the God who gave His Son.

When God revealed Himself to Moses, He described His own character: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” (Exodus 34:6-7)

Over and over throughout Scripture, God describes Himself as merciful, compassionate, patient, faithful, and loving:

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psalm 145:8-9)

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3)

This is the heart of God.

Mercy.
Compassion.
Faithfulness.
Love.

Jesus Gets Angry When There’s a Roadblock Between Us and God

Let’s go back to the temple. people in the temple were not simply conducting business – they had created a substitute.

They were offering something temporary in place of something eternal. They were focused on what they could purchase instead of what they could receive from God.

The temple was supposed to be a place where people came to:

  • experience forgiveness
  • receive healing
  • encounter God’s presence
  • learn His ways
  • draw near to Him

Instead, they were distracted by something lesser: they were self-medicating in the presence of Jesus.

If we are honest, we do the same thing today.

Not because we are trying to rebel against God.

Sometimes because we are tired. Sometimes because we are overwhelmed. Sometimes because we are hurting.

We reach for things that temporarily comfort us: the endless scroll of social media, the need for approval, the pursuit of perfection.

Busyness.

Control.

Overfunctioning.

Avoidance.

Entertainment.

The things that help us forget for a moment.

None of these things are necessarily sinful by themselves. A cup of coffee, a favorite show, a hobby, or time with friends can all be gifts from God. But anything can become a substitute when we turn to it instead of turning to Him. 

Anything can become a roadblock when it keeps us from receiving what only God can provide.

What Is Jesus Turning Over in Your Life?

When Jesus cleared the temple, He was not destroying something good. He was restoring something holy. He was removing the things that prevented people from experiencing what they truly needed.

He still does that today. Please don’t understand: God’s correction is not rejection. His conviction is not condemnation. His desire is not to push us away. His desire is to draw us closer.

Romans 8:1 reminds us: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The God who corrects you is the God who loves you. The God who reveals what is broken is the God who heals. The God who asks you to surrender something is the God who knows what you need more than you do.

Perhaps today is a good day to ask a few questions:

Lord, what have I allowed to become a roadblock between You and me?

What am I reaching for instead of reaching for You?

What have I allowed to take the place that belongs only to You?

A prayer I have been praying recently is this:

“Lord, help me see how much I lose when I lose You. My perspective on my life and all of life becomes distorted when I don’t make space for You. When I allow other things to obscure Your love for me, remind me that Your love is better than life.”

May we become quiet enough to hear Him. May we become still enough to recognize His presence. May we allow Him to clear away whatever keeps us from the fullness of life found only in Him.

He is not against us. He is for us. The God who turns over tables is the same God who gave His life for us – and when we view why Jesus gets angry from that perspective, that anger begins to look a whole lot like love. 

If today’s reflection encouraged or challenged you, I’d love for you to continue the conversation with me on this week’s episode of the Connect Podcast – subscribe here so you don’t miss an episode. And if you’re longing to grow deeper in your walk with Christ while serving faithfully in ministry, I’d love to invite you to join the Connect Mentoring Network. Inside you’ll find biblical resources, on-demand courses, mentoring, a private community of women in ministry, and practical encouragement to help you lead from a place of health rather than exhaustion.

You don’t have to navigate ministry or life alone. I’d love to connect with you through the podcast and welcome you into the Connect Mentoring Network community as we pursue Christ together – and thanks for spending this time with me today! Talk to you soon!

The weekly blog is found here if you want to check it out!

My Second Article for The Christian Post!

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I’m grateful to share that The Christian Post has published my second article, titled “What to Do When God Speaks a Second Time.”

Jeremiah 33:3 has long been one of my favorite verses. Many of us have memorized God’s invitation to “Call to Me, and I will answer you…” Yet as I studied the passage more closely, I noticed something I had overlooked for years: when God gave Jeremiah that beautiful promise, He had come to Jeremiah a second time.

Jeremiah was still imprisoned. The difficult circumstances hadn’t changed. The first message God gave him wasn’t easy to hear. Yet Jeremiah remained willing to listen when the Lord spoke again.

That simple observation challenged me personally.

How often do we welcome another word from the Lord when the first one required sacrifice, patience, or obedience?

In this article, I reflect on Jeremiah’s response, my own experiences of following God’s difficult leading, and the hope we find when we continue listening—even in hard seasons.

I pray it encourages you to keep your heart open to whatever the Lord wants to say next.

Read the full article on The Christian Post: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/jeremiah-333-what-to-do-when-god-speaks-a-second-time.html

Follow my YouTube channel here, and most of my blogs are published weekly at www.ConnectMentoringNetwork.org.

I’d love to hear what the Lord speaks to you through this passage – please comment or reach out! Love y’all!

Exciting News!

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This blog post is a little different because I have some exciting news to share!

This week, my first article with The Christian Post was published, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a publication that reaches millions of readers each month.

When The Christian Post invited me to submit writing samples, I sent several articles and waited to hear back. Their editors reviewed the submissions, and one of those articles was selected for publication. To say I’m honored would be an understatement.

The article is titled: Do You Trust God Less Than You Do Your Laundry Detergent?

It’s a simple question, but one that challenged me deeply. We trust many things every day without hesitation, yet sometimes we struggle to trust the God who has proven Himself faithful over and over again.

Writing about faith in the ordinary moments of life has always been close to my heart. My prayer is that this article encourages readers to take a fresh look at God’s faithfulness and to trust Him more fully in every area of life.

You can read the article here:

Read the article:
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/do-you-trust-god-less-than-you-do-your-laundry-detergent.html

Thank you to everyone who reads the blog, listens to the podcast, supports Connect Mentoring Network, shares articles, and encourages me to keep writing. Your support means more than you know.

Most of all, I am grateful for every opportunity to point people to Jesus and remind them that He is faithful. That’s a treasure to me!

Join me on the blog every Tuesday here and join me on the podcast every Thursday here. I’m honored to continue this journey with you!

Blessings,

Jennifer

Hi friend!

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I have something really special to share with you—my book is officially LIVE on Amazon! 365 Days, One Story is a year long devotional designed to walk with you through the Bible in chronological order.

This project has been such a journey, and I truly believe God placed this message on my heart for a reason. Many of you were with me at the beginning, when we took our first journey through the Bible in chronological order some years ago.  My prayer is that this book encourages you, equips you, and draws you closer to Him.

If you’d like to support, here are a few simple ways:

  • Grab a copy of the book
  • Leave a short review on Amazon (early reviews help SO much!)
  • Share it with someone who might need this message

Your support means more than I can say—it truly helps this message reach farther!

You can find the book by searching my name, Jennifer Spivey, on Amazon  or  https://tinyurl.com/mryrz3ta.  Kindle edition or paperback! 

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. 

Much love, 

Jennifer

Reflections vs Resolutions: An Invitation to Deeper Transformation in 2026

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I have moved the blog to www.connectmentoringnetwork.org – but this is a personal one, thought I’d leave it here. Maybe you and I will visit from time to time at this site in 2026…. Let’s visit today, friend!

This year, what if we chose something deeper? Let’s take a look at reflections vs resolutions.

As we step into 2026, many of us feel the familiar pull of a new year—the clean slate, the fresh start, the pressure to decide who we will become in the next twelve months. I was ready to let go of 2025, and I’m excited for a new day in 2026 – check in here if you missed my last blog. 

If you are like me, “resolutions” seem to come to mind at the same time we think of a new year: goals to be thinner, stronger, more productive, more organized, more disciplined. While there is nothing inherently wrong with resolutions and goals that gear toward growth or intentionality, the danger is that our focus so easily drifts toward self-improvement while quietly neglecting soul formation.

reflections vs resolutions

Psalm 65:11 declares, “You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” This is not a picture of us striving to make the year good – it’s a picture of God Himself placing a crown of goodness upon it. The year ahead is not crowned by our resolve, our willpower, or our perfectly executed plans. It is crowned by the goodness of God. That truth invites us to begin the year not with pressure, but with trust. That truth may lead you to make reflections vs resolutions. 

Reflections vs Resolutions: 

Rather than asking, “What do I want to accomplish this year?” perhaps the better question for 2026 is, “Who am I becoming in Christ?”

Where have I been tempted to trust my own effort more than God’s goodness as I look ahead?

Scripture consistently calls us away from frantic striving and toward faithful abiding. In Isaiah 43:18–19, the Lord says,“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” God is not merely interested in helping us refine old patterns—He is inviting us into something new altogether. New depths of trust. New ways of walking with Him. New levels of surrender that cannot grow in soil cluttered by yesterday’s disappointments or successes.

However – perceiving the “new thing” God is doing requires space. Stillness. Souls that are not overcrowded by noise, hurry, and self-imposed expectations.

Reflections vs Resolutions: 

Rather than asking, “How can I improve on last year?” perhaps the better question for 2026 is, “Who am I becoming in Christ as He does something new in me?”

What former things might God be inviting me to release so I can perceive what He is doing now?

We live in a world that rewards hustle and measures worth by output. Even within Christian spaces, we can quietly absorb the belief that spiritual maturity is proven by how much we do for God. Yet Scripture reminds us that transformation flows from identity, not activity. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is not a future promise—it is a present reality. In Christ, we are already made new. Growth in the Christian life is not about earning a new identity, but learning to live from the one we have been given. When we forget this, our faith becomes performance-driven, and intimacy with God slowly gives way to pressure.

Reflections vs Resolutions: 

Rather than asking, “What spiritual habits should I add this year?” perhaps the better question for 2026 is, “Who am I becoming in Christ as I live from my new identity?”

Where might I be striving to prove my faith instead of resting in who I already am in Him?

Tending a soul is slow, intentional work. It looks like lingering in Scripture instead of rushing through a plan. It looks like prayer that is honest rather than polished. It looks like creating margin to listen, repent, trust, and return—again and again. Soul care is not flashy, but it is where intimacy with God is cultivated.

Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” These words were spoken to people in exile—people living in the tension between promise and fulfillment. God’s good plans do not eliminate hardship, but they anchor us in hope and faithfulness while we wait.

Reflections vs Resolutions: 

Rather than asking, “How can I control what happens this year?” perhaps the better question for 2026 is, “Who am I becoming in Christ as I trust His plans?”

What would it look like to tend my soul instead of trying to manage every outcome?

As we enter 2026, many of us carry unseen burdens from the year behind us—losses, unanswered prayers, fatigue from doing all the “right things” without seeing fruit. Choosing intimacy with Christ does not ignore those realities, but it reframes them. Faithfulness is not measured by visible success, but by quiet obedience, daily surrender, and continued trust.

We can be confident of this: as we are faithful to God, He will surely be faithful to us. He always has been. He always will be.

Perhaps this year, we release the pressure to reinvent ourselves and instead choose abiding over striving. We choose depth over distraction. Faithfulness over frenzy. Formation over performance. Reflections vs resolutions.

May 2026 be a year crowned with His goodness. May your soul be tended with care. And may your greatest growth be found not in what you accomplish, but in who you are becoming in Christ. What a treasure that would be!

Let’s continue the conversation on the podcast! Join me on Thursday at 10:00 – subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferWSpivey

Want help achieving your resolutions in 2026? A new cohort is forming now at wwww.connectmentoringnetwork.org. All kinds of resources, all at your fingertips and all at your 

2025 Was That Year for Me

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I have moved the blog to http://www.connectmentoringnetwork.org – but this is a personal one, thought I’d leave it here. Maybe you and I will visit from time to time at this site in 2026…. Let’s visit today, friend

I don’t think I realized how much 2025 took out of me until I finally paused long enough to look back. It was a year of so many changes—some expected, some sudden, some welcome, some unwelcome. A year where my mental, spiritual, and physical reserves were stretched in ways I never anticipated. In the same twelve months, grief can sit beside joy, loss can hold hands with gain, and exhaustion can coexist with wonder. That was the paradox, the tension, the beauty of this year.

Some years ask more of us than others. Some years feel like an uphill climb. Some years stretch us until we’re not sure how much more we can give. 2025 was that year for me.

Some years give more than we ever expected. Some years feel like a downhill run with the wind at your back. Some years fill you until you’re not sure your heart can hold any more gratitude. 2025 was that year for me.

All the changes—good ones, hard ones, and everything in between—pulled at my mental, spiritual, and physical energy. There were days I handled it with grace, and days I handled it with grit. 

And then there were days I handled it only because God held me together. (Can anyone else relate to “fake it ‘til you make it”? Those 29 years of “pastor’s wife frozen smile and I’m fine” came in handy on some days…. )

Some things this year turned out exactly as I had hoped or envisioned. Those were the moments that felt like fresh air—like God placing a gentle hand on my shoulder and whispering, “See? I’m working.”

Other things turned out so differently I had to fight to keep my footing. I had to remind myself to breathe, to pray, to steady my heart.

Some things came to such an abrupt halt that it made my head spin. Change that sudden can be jarring, even when we know God is sovereign.

And then—right alongside the hard—there were moments so full of joy I could hardly contain them. Laughter that surprised me. Blessings that overwhelmed me. Grace that arrived at the perfect moment. 

This year, seasons ended. New seasons began. Some doors closed quietly, others slammed shut. Some opened gently, and some burst open wide with opportunity.

Joy and grief sat in the same room.

Consolation and celebration shared the same table.

Loss and gain held hands.

I learned—again—that life rarely separates its emotions neatly.

2025 was that year for me.

Yet through every part of it, God was in it all: not just at the points of triumph, not only in the moments of clarity. He was present in the chaos, the confusion, the uncertainty, the exhaustion.

He was faithful when I felt strong.

He was faithful when I felt undone.

He celebrated when I celebrated.

Some days, He showed me the entire picture—how things fit together, where He was leading, how the pieces connected, how the dark was overcome by the light.

Other days, all I could see was the dark contrast. I couldn’t trace the outline. I couldn’t see the movement. I just had to trust that the dark would work with the light, that His hand was still shaping something good, that tomorrow would bring the illumination I lacked today.

2025 was that year for me.

I remembered an old song, and as the lyrics flooded back with all the memories that came along with it, I couldn’t stop the tears: 

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say, “I love you, ” right out loud

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I’ve looked at life that way

But now old friends, they’re acting strange; they shake their heads, tell me that I’ve changed

Well, something’s lost, but something’s gained in living every day

I’ve looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose and still somehow

It’s life’s illusions I recall, I really don’t know life at all

The gift is that I don’t have to know life at all – I have to know the One who holds all the days that string together to make a life.  I’m so grateful He holds this for me.

I think that’s one of the hidden gifts of a hard year, a blessed year, a growing year, a year that was all things at once: it teaches us to trust God not only when we understand Him, but also when we don’t. It teaches us that His goodness is not dependent on our clarity, and His faithfulness is not limited by our strength or our weakness.

Looking back, I can say this with certainty:

  • God did not waste a single moment of my 2025.
  • He used every joy, every shock, every ending, every beginning.
  • He held every tear and strengthened every step.
  • He stayed close when my world felt unsteady 
  • He celebrated with me when new life blossomed.

And as I step into a new year, I’m carrying these truths with me:

  • Even when something is lost, something is gained.
  • Even when the scene changes, God remains.
  • Even when I can’t see the full picture, His hands are already framing the next chapter.

And the next chapter is good – it will be good for you, too. As the psalmist said in 65:11, “You crown the year with Your goodness , And Your paths drip with abundance.” He did that in 2025 – 2025 was that year for me, His goodness, His abundance, exactly what I didn’t know to ask for. He’ll do it again in 2026, in 2027, in 2028, and so on until Jesus Christ returns. We are assured of that too, that  “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). 

I don’t know what the coming year will bring, but I do know this—I will walk into it with the same God who faithfully carried me through this one. His faithfulness and steadfast love is always the treasure ❤ 

Rewind: I Like to Start the Clap

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I used to teach music in an elementary school.  Several years ago, my handbell choir and my mallet band were invited to perform at a local theater, part of benefit concert concert for a local charity.  We were really excited to participate, and we were also excited to be allowed to stay and watch the entire concert! I wrote this blog after one of our performances back in 2017, and it fit with the theme of the past couple of weeks – I thought it was worth re-visiting!

One of my students sat next to me during this concert.  He had a charming habit that I always remember: he would sit on the edge of his seat, so excited, with his hands raised to chest level and ready to go.  At first, I didn’t understand his stance (can’t he just sit still, relax, stay awhile?), but my little friend quickly explained: “Mrs. Spivey, I like to start the clap! I want to be the first one to start clapping, and the whole audience will follow me!”  It still makes me smile today, years later.  My student was quick to celebrate the success of others – what an incredible trait to learn so young! It’s a great example and lesson for us!

For my student, the concert was that: a concert.  It wasn’t a competition.  He was excited to be there and share his talents, and it didn’t take anything away from him at all that others were invited to share theirs as well.  His joy wasn’t diminished – in fact, it was the total opposite: he wanted to “start the clap”!

I love people who love to celebrate the gifts of others – they are a joy to be around, and super encouraging!  We have some great examples in the Word of people who were quick to celebrate. How about the dad in the story of the prodigal son?  When he saw his estranged son, look at his response:

“while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ranand embraced him and kissed him” Luke 15:20 ESV

He immediately had his servants prepare a party – he said to bring the best robe quickly and gave them a list of things to prepare for a celebration (Luke 15:22-24).  He “started the clap”!

The prodigal’s brother had a much different response.  He was upset at his father’s joy, and somehow got the idea that a celebration of his brother took something away from him.  His father had to explain, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad” (Luke 15:31b-32a).

Important to notice: the prodigal’s return didn’t take a single thing away from the brother  – nothing was reallocated, nothing was lost.  Actually, something was added: his brother, back in his life!  This was cause to celebrate, but the brother couldn’t because he made it all about himself.  Maybe you know someone who has adopted this attitude, centered around self.  Maybe you have been someone who has adopted this attitude, centered around self.  A friend gets a raise, gets a contract, gets an inheritance, gets a new car…. what’s the first thing that comes to mind?  Do you think, “Why them and not me?” or do you “start the clap”?

My student didn’t think that sharing the stage was taking anything away from us.  His joy wasn’t diminished because he wasn’t the only one invited.  He was happy to be there with everyone.  He did his best on stage, played an important part and did well with his group.   He then joined the audience and led them in “starting the clap”!  His joy was genuine and contagious.  He was ready to start the celebration! I love that!  If a 10 year old can do it, we can do it too!

The ability to value the gifts of others without allowing a root of jealousy to form – that’s a treasure. Romans 12:15 says to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”.  Oddly enough, sometimes the weeping part is easier than the rejoicing part. I’m praying that you will find that, in this life, there is enough joy to go around.  I’m praying that you will be able to recognize that the blessings of God in someone else’s life do not take away or diminish yours at all.

We’ll continue the conversation on Thursday on the Connect podcast – subscribe and join me: https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferWSpivey

And check out the new Connect mentoring website: www.connectmentoringnetwork.org! Can’t wait to see you there!

In the meantime, I’m praying that you will be the one to “start the clap” – because in the abundant life that Jesus offers to us, there are enough treasures to share!

Jennifer 

Cheerleaders, Not Competitors

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Competition has no place in the Kingdom of God. It’s not a principle of Heaven, and it’s certainly not the posture of a heart that understands who God is and what He’s building.

When I spent weeks blogging and podcasting about seasons of transition, I kept returning to this principle: whether you are the incoming leader or the outgoing leader, you are not the comparison—you are the cheerleader. However, this principle applies to every single person in the body of Christ. If you are serving Jesus, you are serving the Body – not creating competition within it.

Think about what comparison does. It isolates. It fuels insecurity. It says, “If you succeed, there’s less for me.” Let me remind you, friend: that is a lie straight from the enemy. God is not limited. Someone else’s blessing does not diminish your portion. If anything, it should remind you of the greatness of the Giver. There is no place for a scarcity mentality here.

When we forget this, we start comparing, striving, and even resenting what God is doing in someone else. There’s some red flags there, so hold up – Scripture reminds us over and over that we are one body. A hand should not work against another hand. An elbow should not oppose an eyeball. A shoulder should not trip up a toe. Each part matters. Each part plays a role. The body can only function properly when each part works together in unity.

Cheerleaders, on the other hand, celebrate progress and victory—whether or not they are the ones holding the trophy. They wave the banner of encouragement, not envy. They make noise for someone else’s moment, knowing that when one part of the body thrives, the entire body benefits.

Luke 5 paints this picture beautifully. When Jesus told Peter to put his nets back into the water after an exhausting, fishless night (is fishless a word? you get me!), the catch was so large that the nets began to break. What was Peter’s first reaction? Did he say, “I’ve got to keep this all to myself”? No. Scripture says he signaled for his partners in the other boat to come and help (Luke 5:6-7).

What God was doing for Peter was not just about Peter. It was about blessing others. It was about enlarging the circle of provision and letting the miracle overflow into other people’s boats.

That is how Kingdom success works. It’s never all about you. If God has given you a gift, a platform, or an opportunity, He’s given it not just to you—but through you—for the body of Christ. When someone else in ministry receives a breakthrough, launches a new program, publishes a book, grows their platform, or leads someone to Christ, it is not a threat to you. It is a reason to celebrate!

We live in a culture that often measures value by visibility and success by numbers. But Kingdom work isn’t measured that way. When one church thrives, the Kingdom advances. When another leader has a fruitful season, heaven rejoices. When heaven rejoices, that;’s our cue to rejoice as well!

Paul makes this clear in Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” This is not a suggestion—it is a command. A Christlike posture sees another’s success and says, “Thank You, Lord, for what You are doing in them—and through them—for all of us.”

Psalm 84 gives us another glimpse of God’s design for His people: “They go from strength to strength; till each appears before God in Zion” (v. 7). Notice the wording: they go—not he or she, but they. The psalmist is painting a picture of a people on pilgrimage together, drawing strength not just from God, but from one another, until every single one of them reaches the destination.

When I imagine standing before the Lord at the end of my race, I don’t want to come empty-handed or with a spirit of rivalry. I want to arrive arm in arm, hand in hand, raising up my brothers and sisters, celebrating what God has done in all of us. I want to know that I spent my life building others up—not tearing them down, not comparing, not competing—but cheering until the very end.

The beautiful truth about following Christ is that this is not a race where only one person wins. There are no podiums in heaven—only crowns laid at the feet of Jesus. We are all running toward the same finish line, all pursuing the same glory—His glory.

Friend, refuse to engage in competition within the body of Christ. Let’s cheer one another on with every ounce of faith and joy we have. When we finally stand before the Lord, my prayer is that we’ll be together—arm in arm, hand in hand—celebrating the goodness of God in all of us. Truth belongs to the Lord. Every gift, calling, or opportunity He places in our hands is not for our glory, but for the benefit of the body of Christ – and when we share joyfully, we share a treasure! ❤