You will have noticed that I continually mention a relationship with God as part of a brave life. Because life is a broken road of faith. It is hard. With God you have a chance to know that you are loved therefore you are worthy and valuable. You were purposed before you understood you were purposed. God has always been for you.

Because second, Christian values give you direction to know how to live better and resist temptation. Temptations—with their immediate gratification–are attractive to people with pain and rage.

Because third, a Christian perspective is outward-focused vs. a victimhood perspective which is inward-focused. With the love of a God who pursues you it is hard to remain a victim to your life. You desire to overcome.

From this basic Bravester truth I’ve created this checklist for you of Biblical truth. This is a bit lengthy even as I cut out so much. Because there is a lot of truth for you.

God is for you.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. Psalm 118:7

God wanted you first.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-4

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), Galatians 4:9

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8

God’s love is stronger than your roller coaster.

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:4-5

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Psalm 121:3

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. Colossians 1:21-22

God’s hold on you is stronger than your hold on him. And he has no intention of letting you go.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:18

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Romans 8:33

The Lord himself watches over you! Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. Psalm 121:5

God loved you before you cleaned up your mess.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

God sees you as a masterpiece.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. James 1:18

So you also are complete through your union with Christ, Colossians 2:10

God stoops down to be involved in your life.

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Psalm 17:6

He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. Psalm 18:16

I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:1-2

God sees you and still loves you.

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. Psalm 139:1

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. Proverbs 20:27

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:13

God’s love for us really defies our understanding. How could he love us so much and so constantly?

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10

Answer my prayers, O Lord, For your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. Psalm 69:17

God gives you supernatural power and strength when circumstances are beyond your own ability. You can lean on him and ask for that power moment by moment.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3

Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me–too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. Psalm 40:11-13

But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

God has a bigger purpose for you and your life than whatever you are going through. Your life is a long story that goes way past the chapter you are in now.

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Proverbs 20:24

The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. James 5:11

You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. Psalm 38:9

Pain is temporary and redeemable. God redeems every bit of it.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. Psalm 6:6-9

Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. Psalm 25:18

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. Psalm 90:14-15

God promises to you a love and peace beyond understanding, even in the depths of our pain.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9

God is the closest in our pain and scars.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

God is on the side of the broken.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. Psalm 31:7

The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. Psalm 34:19

Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

God doesn’t live inside your regrets. He promises to forgive and forget.

For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. Psalm 25:7

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Psalm103:12-13

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

Because God is with me in my broken-heartedness I can dare to love and dare to forgive.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13

You are beautifully broken and yet never abandoned.

Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. Psalm 109:21-22

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalm 36:5

God sees the big picture and has you in mind.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8

God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

God is faithful to you even as you are unfaithful to him.

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. 2 Timothy 2:13

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die. Psalm 48:14

God is in the darkness too.

As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was. Exodus 20:21

I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Psalm 139:11-12

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalm 40:2

God is long suffering for you. Patient too.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4

In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.  He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. Romans 9:22-23

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. Psalm 145:8-9

God’s intentions toward you include Intervening and changing the situation, sometimes supernaturally.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life–for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Psalm 138:8

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! Romans 11:33

God never forgets you.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:17

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:20

God will grow in you new values that are not dependent on circumstances. You will start noticing that things that matter to you will be eternal.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13

What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Galatians 5:6

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5

God understands you are complex because he made you that way.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14

God wants you to understand his ways. You are invited into the process.

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 1 Corinthians 2:10

That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. Colossians 1:29

God opens new doors as old ones close or bad events take them away. There is always a tomorrow with God. God even redeems our timelines.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:6

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

You will know you are loved by God.

For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. Psalm 73:23

God is a Promiser worth trusting.

So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Hebrews 6:10

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. Hebrews 6:17-18

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Hebrews 10:35

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Psalm 37:5

(photo credit:  Unsplash.com, Sam Trotman)

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