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Girl's Conference, High School, Middle School, Theology

A Word from Gretchen Saffles: Living Unshaken in a Shaky World

Last month, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of girls and leaders at the Lifeway Girls conferences in Nashville and Dallas. Getting to meet so many girls face-to-face was the greatest joy, and the moment it ended I was sad and already looking forward to the conference again! To be quite honest, even though I was set to be the keynote speaker, I was nervous, anxious, and feeling “shaken” before the event. Speakers are supposed to have it all together, right? Wrong. No one has it all together except Jesus! He is the one who holds us together, and I knew that He would have to work in and through me when the time came to get on stage.

As I prepared to speak and studied the Word, God brought me to my knees in humility as I surrendered my shaky feelings to our unshakable God. It is my desire to “practice what I preach”, and God was giving me ample opportunity to do so! What I teach from the stage I seek to live in my everyday everyday life. It is only through Christ that the unshaken life is ever truly possible, and it is Christ I proclaim.

A year prior to the conference, I helped brainstorm the theme of the conference which ended up being Unshaken. It was a word the Lord had been stirring in my heart over the past several years as I had prayed Psalm 55 and sought to grasp what it means to live unshaken in Christ. In this fallen world, we will be stirred, shifted, and shaken at times. But in Christ, we can live unshaken when we come to Him and surrender every worry and care before Him. Living unshaken doesn’t mean you never experience trials, feelings, worry, fear, or doubt! It means you bring those cares TO Christ in the midst of your circumstances and walk away with His peace.

Know Who God Is and Who You Are In Him

In order to live unshaken, you first have to know who God is and who you are in Him. Though our circumstances change, God never does. He is unchanging and it is on His promises we build our life and find our identity! In Psalm 55, King David knew who God is: faithful, true to His Word, present, able to do all things, and just. In knowing WHO God is, He was able to live out His true identity as a child of God: redeemed, made whole, protected, and chosen.

Knowing who God is changes everything about who we are and how we face our circumstances. It changes our perspective in trials and hardship. It changes how we use social media each day. It changes what we think when we look in the mirror. And it changes our beliefs and pursuits altogether. Who He is changes everything about who we are.

Run To Christ In Your Troubles

Next, we deepen our faith roots by coming to God in persistent and faithful prayer. Rather than allowing our problems to push us away from Christ; we run TO Him in the midst of trouble. David also wanted to run away from his problems! He had been betrayed by a dear friend and felt lonely and forsaken. Even in his feelings of despair, he came to God in prayer, casting every worry, anxiety, and fear upon Him. He didn’t fight his battles alone or in his own strength; he fought with the power of God’s Word! He claimed truth as his weapon and his shield of defense. David put on the armor of God in this Psalm and went to battle in the victory of Christ!

Suit Up in the Armor of God

This is exactly what we are to do in times of feeling shaken. We admit how we feel and run straight to Jesus with our problems, cares, hurts, and strongholds. Like David, we are to come boldly and humbly before the Lord to receive His mercy and grace which is available to us in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We are to suit up in the armor of God each day, stand firmly on His promises, and then surrender everything to Him. THIS is how we fight our battles.

We fight them knowing Jesus won the battle on the cross.

We fight them by coming to God in prayer when we face problems.

We fight them by memorizing Scripture and preaching truth to ourselves, even when we don’t feel like it.

We fight them when we suit up in the armor of God; His provision and protection over our lives. 

And we fight them when we sing praises in the midst of the war that wages all around us and within.

We fight because Christ fought for us and won the battle on our behalf. This is what it means to live unshaken in a shaky world. When our lives shift beneath our feet, we stand firmly on God’s faithful promises. After all, this is how Jesus fought the battle of sin and won.

Preach It To Yourself Over and Over

As I shared this message to the girls at the conference, God spoke through His Word and broke down strongholds, including the ones that were in my own heart. That’s what God does! He is the Way-Maker, Stronghold-Breaker, and Peace-Bringer. He is the Unshaken One, and in Him, we too can live unshaken.

This is a message I need to be reminded of over and over again. And it is one you need to remember as well. I am not sure what you are facing today, but know that you do not face your battles alone. You face them with the God of creation by your side! You face them as a conqueror in Christ.

Now, let’s go live unshaken in Him–casting every care on Him who cares for us, preaching the truth to our hearts, and praising Him for His faithfulness that endures forever.

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Gretchen Saffles is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to dig into the Word of God and find their identity and purpose in Christ. She is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide. She has written several Bible Studies including Redefined: Defining Identity Through the Mirror of God’s Word and Proverbs 31: Women of Dignity, Washed in Grace. She is also the creator of the Give Me Jesus quiet time journal for women. Through her online ministry she longs to meet women right where they are with the hope of the gospel and to ignite a desire in their hearts to know Jesus more. On any given day you can find her with a coffee cup in hand, her boys by her side, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon.