When my heart is weighed down with worry, anchored by anxiety, when self-pity, condemnation, guilt, and shame are my companions, at the very core of all of them is one problem. Unbelief. It is incredibly important to my peace that I examine my theology daily, and recognize areas where I am not living out of the promises of God. Life without internal scrutiny is life without inner serenity. The consequence of unbelief is that I begin to live out of the peril of my circumstances rather than the promises of my Creator. We all fall victim to unbelief, and often unconsciously, but as with anything else recognition is the first step to redemption. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 3:20 and Philippians 1:6 are just a few of the verses I regularly have to ask myself, am I living as though I believe these promises? If my answer is no, and many times it is, I have to repent and ask God to help my unbelief. It is then that I am equipped to rest not just in His existence, but also His essence. Where are you not believing today, friend? Won’t you come home to the rich resources for which you were ransomed? It isn’t that life will become painless, but it will become more about the hope and character of Who is inside you and less about the hardship and calamity that is around you.