If God is really a loving God, why doesn’t he just forgive everybody? Why did Jesus have to go through suffering into death? Why did he have to be a ransom?

Here’s the beginning of an answer: Jesus didn’t have to die despite God’s love; he had to die because of God’s love. And it had to be this way because all life-changing love is substitutionary sacrifice.

Think about it. If you love a person whose life is all put together and has no major needs, it costs you nothing. It’s delightful. There are probably four or five people like that where you live. You ought to find them and become their friend. But if you ever try to love somebody who has needs, someone who is in trouble or who is persecuted or emotionally wounded, it’s going to cost you. You can’t love them without taking a hit yourself. A transfer of some kind is required, so that somehow their troubles, their problems, transfer to you.

There are a lot of wounded people out there. They are emotionally sinking, they’re hurting, and they desperately need to be loved. And when they are with you, you want to look at your watch and make a graceful exit, because listening to them with all their problems can be grueling. It can be exhausting to be a friend to an emotionally damaged person. The only way they’re going to start filling up emotionally is if somebody loves them, and the only way to love them is to let yourself be emotionally drained. Some of your fullness is going to have to go into them, and you have to empty out to some degree. If you hold on to our emotional comfort and simply avoid those people, they will sink. The only way to love them is through substitutionary sacrifice.

that everyone starts as a beginner. no one wrote/made/created the masterpiece they’re famous for without years and years of some kind of practice.

your taste in art is the reason you started in the first place which is a pretty high standard to set. as our own worst critics, we’ll probably never fully reach that standard but it’s important to remember why we started and what we’re working towards. you’re here to join the conversation of the people you admire. you’re here because you have something to say.

you only can find success by creating things and finishing things. you need to write poem after poem, story after story. make painting after painting. you learn by doing and finishing the projects you start. you become successful by having many pieces to show off - something is bound to gain attention.

sometimes all you need is to step away from it for a while - come back to the piece after time has passed. we are our own worst critics and it is hard to be objective when you’re still so connected to the piece.

creating even when you don’t want to create, when you feel like you have nothing to create - that’s when you push yourself out of your comfort zone and create the most interesting pieces

sitting down to free write for a set amount of time before doing any kind of writing/creative project will allow you to unload all the thoughts in your head and start fresh