Category: Dwelling in Christ

      15 October 2026

Today I want to discuss the importance of having an attitude of gratitude, especially changing our language from ‘have to do this’ to ‘get to do this’. 

For example, saying ‘I have to get up at 5 AM’ makes it seem like it is a chore to do so. 

However, saying something like ‘I get to wake up at 5 AM’ makes it seem like you have an attitude of gratitude. 

I am not denying the fact that it is hard to wake up early but saying get instead of have makes it easier to be grateful. 

At Journey, a conference I went to last weekend, I said this and I recognized that some people do not wake up the next day. 

I think it is important to have an attitude of gratitude because it acknowledges that this life is not guaranteed. We should be grateful for all of the opportunities that are presented to us in this life. 

  5 October 2026

Today, I want to talk about 3 layers of affliction. 

But first I want to take a step back and discuss purgation. 

According to Dwelling in Christ by Jonathan R. Bailey, purgation is the slow process of being cleansed from the negative patterns and attachments that distort love. 

Purgation is a season of purification, where we begin to slowly root out of the sinful habits that prevent us from loving like God loves. 

Bailey writes that the Bible does not use the word purgation; however scripture consistently names that we have seasons of surrender, stripping, and slow interior change. 

Now, let’s discuss the three layers of affliction. 

The first is irritation. 

Irritation represents the everyday annoyances that disturb us. Francis de Sales calls irritation the “school of humility”. Where cracks form, growth follows. 

The second is hardship. 

Hardship refers to the challenges that persist for a season. There are two types of hardships: 1) self-inflicted where we cause it ourselves and 2) uninvited. Hardship has a way of teaching us valuable lessons and shapes us in ways that we don’t expect. 

The third one is tragedy. 

Tragedy is the kind of affliction that alters life in a way that cannot be undone. It brings profound loss and overwhelming sorrow. Tragedy requires us to sit with the unknown, to walk forward in the dark, trusting. 

Understanding these layers can help us understand our own experience of purgation. 

It is not just these three layers of affliction that shape us. It is the opportunities they present and the grace that flows from it. 

Affliction provides an opportunity–not a guarantee–for transformation. 

By choosing to mourn, wait, and to stay open, we are allowing grace to work within us bringing about the change we long for. Even in ways we could never engineer on our own. 

This reminds me of Proverbs 3:5-6. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6.

We can not orchestrate our own salvation or understanding. God will help and guide us.