Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

Category: Growing in Christ

  • Peace With Who I Am Not

    Peace With Who I Am Not

    When Lisa Murray asked me to be a part of her book launch team for Peace For a Lifetime, I didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t seem like fiction –but was it a textbook? A self-help guide? A lengthy theological statement? Peace for a Lifetime is written by a counselor. A friend. A believer.…

  • New Amongst the Old

    New Amongst the Old

    “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” –Matthew 9:16 With the New Year, new resolutions are made. New outlooks are had, and, if nothing else, a sense of hope and possibility is renewed. Within weeks, it all…

  • Out of Excuses

    Out of Excuses

    “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.” –John 15:22 Many religions offer gods to admire and follow: Christianity alone offers a Savior. And with our Savior, the truth that we need to be saved. Regardless of our…

  • The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    This post is also shared on Purposeful Faith along with many other bloggers sharing about the Lord’s work in their life. Click the link to read others : )   I’m a know-needer. It’s not that I think I know it all, but that I want to know it all. The “what-ifs” of life are maddening to…

  • Saved From Self-Condemnation

    Saved From Self-Condemnation

    Photo from: pixabay.com “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:” -1 John 3:19             Oh, those words. That verse. How enticing it is to our souls. To mine, at least. A person naturally quite keenly aware of her sin, it’s…

  • Letting “It” Be

    Letting “It” Be

    Photo from: weheartit.com Moving from a place of resignation to the holy space of accepting God’s sovereignty joyfully and humbly isn’t easy. One of the benefits of resignation is that we get to give up responsibility and keep complaining anyway. We get to say “it is what is” and then harbor bitterness and doubt. That’s…

  • It Is(n’t) What It Is

    It Is(n’t) What It Is

    Photo from: www.armstrongeconomics.com The phrase has been floating around for years. It came to my attention as friends of mine from different circles and walks of life spoke the words. I noticed the phrase on television and the radio. Then I saw it on decorative signs in a couple of stores. So I tried it on…

  • The Nuts and Bolts of Building Your Faith

    The Nuts and Bolts of Building Your Faith

    Photo from: pixabay.com You know the monumental moments of your faith. When you take the first step of faith and your foundation is laid in Christ.  Days, months, years later when crucial decisions arise and you find that you indeed want to live with Him as your cornerstone, it’s big. There are moments of obvious…

  • You Didn’t Need to Make It Right

    You Didn’t Need to Make It Right

    Photo from: genius.com “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” –James 1:4 Gosh. You read all that Scripture has to say about being perfect, being loving, and acting like Christ. The Words are great. The aspirations are high. But you and I always fall short. We’re…

  • What Your Broken Heart is Worth

    What Your Broken Heart is Worth

    Photo from: Pixabay I’ll admit, this idea hit me when I misheard the lyrics to “First” by Lauren Daigle. I thought she was singing: “before I bring my need I will break my heart.” The line didn’t quite make sense, but I was convinced that’s what she was singing, and then I read this verse:…