You Don't Have To Be Perfect Podcast with Vanessa Luu

Have you ever wondered why Jesus is called our healer when so many people remain suffering and sick for years? I have. I have prayed countless times to Jehova-Rapha, the God who heals, to heal my Mom, my mother-in-law, myself, and many others. They remain sick, and so do I.

Waiting for a solution in times of sickness, misery, or affliction tests our faith. I'll go far enough to say that waiting for healing is where our faith is forged. Does it exist? If so, it will grow stronger. If it doesn't, we may need to see if we ever had it to begin with.

Other Resources:

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

The Wilderness Remains by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

Worry is a form of anxiety. God the Father and Jesus the Son tell us not to worry because God is with us. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus tells His disciples not to worry four times. Each time, He gives them a reason why worry is unnecessary. These scriptures make me wonder if I'm sinning each time I worry about what I'm wearing or what I'll eat that day because children of God aren't supposed to worry about such things.

God might get frustrated when we worry about something but His compassion for us outweighs that. When I attempt to understand God's compassion, I look to my children. If they disobey me I might get frustrated because they chose the poor option with no benefits, but I don't get so upset that I give up on them. I take time to get my words just right. I seek God for guidance and my love for them never breaks.

This is what I know: I don't want to worry, be scared, or be discouraged. Those emotions are not fun. But they happen because I'm human. As followers of Christ, we are called to rise above these emotions because of who we put our faith in. God doesn't want us obsessing over things that we can do nothing about, so He tells us not to worry because He's already taking care of it. He tells us not to be afraid or discouraged for the same reason. I've determined that God's command to be brave and courageous is given as a comfort and an encouragement.

Maybe it doesn't feel like God has you. I know that feeling but I'm here to tell you, it's just a feeling, it is not true. God is always there for us, it's us who lean away from Him in search of tangible comfort. And though we may find tangible comfort it's always short-lived, just like everything else the world has to offer us.

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

In Forty-Four years, I've seen something consistent in the church that hinders true community. We may have great discussions about being honest with our struggles or hardships, but there's also a stiffness around its practicality.

Many times, after sharing a struggle or being honest about my emotions, I receive a message that says, you'll have to figure this out on your own. People may offer to pray for me but may also look down on me because I need help. However, God says we will always need help because we aren't Him. If we could break that cycle of shaming those who are brave enough to share their struggles, we'd begin to see true community.

When we encourage others to be honest with their struggles and then shame them for needing help, we send a very confusing message. I don't think we intentionally do this, but maybe if we were aware, we could end the cycle.

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

How can we know God’s will? Tensions are high as we have elected a new president, so it felt like the right time to release this brand new episode on the You Don’t Have to Be Perfect podcast.

The world is filled with Christians, preaching love and tolerance, but their definition of love is extremely distorted. a far cry from the love of God. Tolerance and love are not the same. So how can we discern what is right in the eyes of God? Tune in to this episode today!

Is it enough that we believe in our hearts and declare in our mouths that Jesus is Lord? Does faith truly save us through grace in our Lord Jesus Christ? The Bible says so. It also says that dead branches on the vine (of Christ) will be cut off and thrown on the fire. The Bible says that many will hear, "Depart from me; I never knew you" on the day of judgment. (Matthew 7:23) These are scary verses, can we agree? These verses do not refer to unbelievers but to those who believe or have believed in Jesus. If you have yet to guess, this is not a light-hearted article. It addresses some severe questions that believers should care about.

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

God's ways rarely align with our expectations, and this reality is the source of the human struggle. (Prefer to read it? Grab the full article here: https://www.ibelieve.com/christian-living/when-god-doesnt-fit-in-your-pocket.html

I strive to live in the goodness of God and share the goodness of God daily, but I'm always aware of how far I fall below the mark. For years, I've been told, "It sounds like you're trying to be righteous in your own strength and not His." I haven't heard that in a while but feel it in these humbling moments. I'm not trying to try in my human strength because I know I can do nothing apart from Him. I breathe because God puts breath in my lungs, but my human striving still happens. I deflate when I read the Bible and see God's commands for us. How far I am from your ways, oh Lord. In those moments, the Holy Spirit gently reminds me of how He has guided me into those commands and continues to mold me as the potter molds the clay.

God's way rarely makes logical sense to us—not because He's illogical but because He's so much bigger and better than we could comprehend with our human minds. Yes, we were created in His image, but we're not created with the capacity to think like Him. We have the mind of Christ to understand the truths from God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13-16), but those truths are picked by God and shared with us for our good. We can't ever know the fullness of God while on this Earth because we're not meant to.

God never called anyone to impress. He calls us to love Him and others. I entangled impressing others with being effective in carrying the gospel. I was told no one would listen to what I had to say unless they liked me first. Have you been told that, too?

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

Do Christian women need to practice self-compassion? Join the conversation in the newest episode of the You Don't Have to Be Perfect podcast!

My guest is Jennifer Holmes, a Biblical counselor, speaker, writer, and podcaster. Jennifer works with churches in people's mental health and relational care by offering resources, seminars, and one-on-one care. I invited her here today to discuss self-compassion.

Follow Jen on IG: @Jensnewsong

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Other Resources:

⁠You Don't Have To Be Perfect⁠ by Vanessa Luu

⁠Truth and Tools Workbook⁠ by Vanessa Luu

⁠The Relevant Old Testament⁠ by Vanessa Luu

⁠The Wilderness Remains⁠ by Vanessa Luu

To Support

Leave a review and help spread the word about this uplifting podcast. You can also support it financially here:

⁠https://anchor.fm/vanessa-luu 

Do you feel like you're losing the battle against aging? Do you feel discouraged with how you look and feel? This episode will bring life to your soul.

Heather's new book, Aging Gratefully, is not a quick fix or how-to guide but rather a loving message of truth and grace. You will find freedom inside the pages of her book and this interview with the author.

"Somewhere between then and now, the Church, the body of Christ, has grown weak. We say we love, but like the Jewish people of Jesus's time, we've put our own rules and standards around it. It didn't work for them, and it's not working for us."

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Other Resources:

You Don't Have To Be Perfect by Vanessa Luu

Truth and Tools Workbook by Vanessa Luu

The Relevant Old Testament by Vanessa Luu

The Wilderness Remains by Vanessa Luu