Letter From the Editor: Spring 2025
Hello Friends,
Thank you for opening to this page and reading what I consider one of the greatest pleasures and sacred responsibilities in my life. I don’t take this space for granted. I pray and mull over every word. I believe my God-assigned task is to motivate and challenge you to always be growing up in your faith—your saving faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord, because… without faith, it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists (Hebrews 11:6 CSB).
Faith is not some trendy church word used by Christ-followers, or a word to be tossed around in a casual manner. Isaiah 6:7b says, If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all. God takes our faith in Him very seriously and we should, too.
In every issue of Living Real, I pray our content will either plant a seed to ignite a faith-walk with Jesus or cheer you on to continue to grow up in your already established faith journey. Either way, spiritual growth only happens when we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, willing to change our minds to think like Christ.
A deeply rooted faith is like that of a giant oak tree planted along the river’s edge. (Psalm 1) Its roots are alive and strong because of its delight in what the river of life offers. The Word of God is our river of life and He is our delight. But if we aren’t firmly rooted in our faith, we will not be able to stand against the winds and waves of godlessness which invoke chaos, confusion, false hope, and our ultimate destruction. A strong and confident faith, locked and sealed with God’s truth, is the only defense against the ever-changing, godless cultural climate.
Inside the pages of God’s Word we find nourishment for our soul, answers to questions, peace beyond all comprehension, and an understanding of history and the future. His love letter to us never grows old or becomes stagnant because it’s always alive and working. Though filled with wise counsel, we will never fully understand it all; but God will allow us to connect more and more dots if we seek Him and His kingdom first as we trust and obey.
Faith is our saving grace. It ignites the light of Christ to shine bright in a dark world. Real people, living out real faith, are people who are not content with their sin, but are drawn to repent, turn away from their sin, and submit to the authority of Christ. Living REAL is living out the ongoing transformational process in every aspect of our lives. God never said it would be easy, but He does say it will be eternally worth it.
Keepin’ it Real,
Melanie
