The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

A declining follower count or an unexpected unfollow can stir up feelings of loneliness, rejection, and insecurity. But our value is not determined by social media approval or by how others choose to treat us. God sees us, loves us, and invites us to bring our hurt to Him.
Matthew 7:12 teaches us to treat others the way we want to be treated, both online and in person. While we cannot control other people’s choices, we can choose how we respond when their actions hurt us. Instead of returning rejection with rejection or allowing bitterness to take root, we can seek God’s comfort, practice kindness, and remember that our identity is grounded in Christ. When social media leaves us feeling disconnected or discouraged, God offers refuge, healing, and a love that does not depend on followers, friendships, or approval.
Highlights
Why being unfollowed or unfriended on social media can trigger feelings of rejection
How social media approval can influence the way we view our worth
Why our identity and value come from God rather than other people’s opinions
What Matthew 7:12 teaches about treating others with kindness online and in person
How to bring feelings of hurt, loneliness, and rejection to God
Why responding to hurt with kindness is more consistent with following Jesus
Encouragement to find comfort in God’s unfailing love when relationships change
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Full Transcript Below:
Unfollowing Social Media
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
Each time I see my follower count go down on social media, I automatically feel like the little kid I was in sixth grade. My feelings get hurt, and I start feeling bad about myself. Depending on who the person is, it can hurt even worse. Recently, I had someone I thought was a real friend unfollow me. Their unfollowing caught me off guard, but I figured that, like everyone else, they didn’t like me much either.
Even though this person chose to unfollow me, I didn’t choose to unfollow them back. Clicking the unfollow button is intentional, often with the thought that you don’t care about the person anymore. Since social media is one of the main ways we connect with others today, unfollowing someone can feel similar to leaving their life and choosing not to engage with them anymore.
Even though I am an adult and I’m doing better mentally than I have in a long time, I cannot shake the pain it brings when someone I thought was a friend disconnects from my life. However, while talking with a wise friend, she told me that they were never really my friends to begin with. This was the second time someone had said something like this to me, which showed me that God was trying to tell me something.
We don’t need to seek approval from humankind. Instead, we must remember that God already accepts us as we are. If other people don’t like us, that’s okay. And if they are offended when we share our honest feelings, then that’s okay, too. However, that doesn’t mean what they did didn’t hurt us. In truth, when a friend unfollows us, it can make us feel worthless.
Bring these feelings to God and set them at His feet (1 Peter 5:7). Tell Him how their words and actions hurt your feelings. It is enough to say, “Lord, my friend unfollowed me, and it makes me feel awful.” God will meet you where you are and cover you with His support. As the Bible says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
The Lord tells us, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). This passage is now known as the “Golden Rule.” It is often taught in schools to help children learn how to treat others well.
As followers of the Lord, He doesn’t want us to hurt others with our actions. He wants us to extend kindness, love, and support. Even if other people hurt us, we must turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40). Just because they are mean and hurtful toward us doesn’t mean we need to return the pain (1 Peter 3:9). If we don’t want others to be mean to us, unfollow us, or unfriend us, we don’t need to do those things to others. By filtering our actions and words through the Word of God, we will be able to truly shine brightly for Jesus.
Has anyone ever unfollowed you? How did that make you feel? How can you start treating others the way you want to be treated, both in person and online?
Pray with me: Dear Jesus, other people have unfollowed me on social media in the past, and it is very hurtful. It makes me feel like I’m worthless. Please help me to remember that my worth is in You and that You will love me always. Help to turn my heart away from evil and turn it toward You. Equip my heart with the ability to treat others the way I want to be treated and to repay evil with blessing. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.
Further Reading:
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 55:22
Matthew 11:28-30
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Scripture reminds us that opposition does not automatically mean we are outside God’s will. Sometimes challenges are part of the process, and learning to trust God’s timing can strengthen our faith and spiritual endurance.
Ezra 4:4 describes how the Israelites faced discouragement and fear while rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Their opposition temporarily interrupted the work, but it did not ultimately defeat God’s purposes. Like the Israelites, we can continue seeking God’s wisdom when doors close and people resist our efforts. Although rejection can hurt, our calling does not depend entirely on human approval. By grounding ourselves in God’s promises, discerning His direction, and remaining faithful in our work, we can face opposition with courage and renewed trust.
Highlights
Why opposition and rejection do not always mean we have misunderstood God’s calling
What Ezra 4:4 teaches about discouragement and fear when doing God’s work
How to discern the difference between God’s redirection and rejection from people
Why Christians should not expect a life without trials or opposition
How God’s promises can strengthen our faith and spiritual endurance
Why our calling and value do not depend on human approval
Encouragement to trust God’s timing and continue faithfully pursuing His purposes
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Full Transcript Below:
Staying Encouraged When We Face Opposition
By: Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
Then the people around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. - Ezra 4:4 ( NIV)
I stared at the e-mail. This was the third rejection I’d received this week. I felt confident the Lord was calling me to a new opportunity to serve Him, yet doors remained closed. In an attempt to gain clarity, I spoke with my pastor. With a background in counseling, my pastor speaks biblical truth alongside practical steps that encourage.
“How do I know if this is a sign from God, or just a part of the process?” I inquired. “Do you think I heard God wrong?” “Or maybe this is just a testing of my faith; God is strengthening my spiritual endurance, you think?”
My pastor asked if I’d studied the book of Ezra, to which I admitted to reading it, but I couldn’t recall specifics. While the author is not specifically named, it’s likely Ezra the priest, a leader of the Israelites. If I asked you to name some of the most significant leaders in the Bible, likely Ezra wouldn’t make your top 10. His name means “help”; that’s exactly what he did for God’s people who were coming out of exile and reestablishing the nation of Israel. Ezra lived a life wholly committed to surrender to God’s commands and serving His people, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
In our key verse, Ezra 4:4, we see the Israelites attempt to rebuild the temple so they could have a place to worship, yet they faced great opposition from the local inhabitants, who didn’t want to see the Jews prosper. The first verses in Ezra chapter 4 give us a glimpse into the hostile climate the Israelites faced; their enemies were great, and they were vocal about not wanting a temple built. However, just because they faced opposition didn’t mean it wasn’t in God’s plan for them to continue building. In fact, believers can expect opposition when they are engaging in God’s work and carrying out His purpose.
We should note that it’s not always spiritual warfare, or the intentions of evil people working against us; sometimes it's just the consequences of life in a fallen world. Christians are not promised an easy life, one without trials and opposition, but we know that we can “take heart because Jesus has overcome the world” (John 16:33). When we have trouble, we cling to God’s promises and trust in His plan and timing.
As I thought about this biblical text and my current situation, I began to consider that perhaps what I had perceived as a rejection of my calling was just “no” to that circumstance. While rejection still hurts, and I would need to continue seeking opportunities with the possibility of further rejection, I was reminded that I didn’t need human approval to affirm my calling; I already had God’s.
Like the Israelites, I had a choice when facing opposition; I could become discouraged and intimidated, and ultimately allow fear of humans to persuade me to give up on my calling. The Israelites had just recently been released from captivity; they would have been weary, likely with shaky motivation and faith. Ezra not only led the people back to their home, Jerusalem, but also encouraged and equipped them to build an altar and begin rebuilding the temple—a visual reminder of who they serve and of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises to His people. It wasn’t easy; they faced significant opposition, and rumors and false accusations put the project on hold for a while.
Yet, God’s purpose prevailed. Nothing can thwart God’s plan; if He calls us to something, He will certainly carry us through. Ultimately, the temple was rebuilt, and the Israelites were able to live freely and worship—God made a way. And the same is true today; if it is God’s will, nothing can hold us back from achieving His purposes. Let us continue to work as unto the Lord and not human masters (1 Corinthians 15:58) and trust in God’s timing and plan.
Intersecting Faith & Life:

Are you easily discouraged when you face opposition in your life? How can you discern if it’s redirection from the Lord or rejection from people?

Further Reading:
How to Trust God Amid Uncertainty
Ezra 4
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Do you ever compare your life, career, appearance, or accomplishments with those around you and wonder if you are falling behind? In a world shaped by peer pressure, self-improvement, and constant comparison, it can be difficult to recognize your own God-given identity. The pressure to fit someone else’s expectations can leave you feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, or disconnected from the purpose God has designed for you. But Scripture reminds us that you were created with intention, unique gifts, and a meaningful role in God’s work.
First Corinthians 12:4-7 teaches that believers have different gifts, forms of service, and ways of working, yet the same God is active in all of them. Your value is not determined by matching someone else’s success, lifestyle, or abilities. Instead, God invites you to discover and faithfully use the gifts He has given you for the common good. By seeking His direction, resisting comparison, and embracing your God-given uniqueness, you can learn to live with confidence and purpose—even in a world that pressures you to become someone you were never meant to be.
Highlights
How peer pressure and comparison can distort the way we see our value
Why God created each person with unique gifts, purposes, and abilities
What 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 teaches about different gifts serving the common good
How career expectations and cultural definitions of success can lead to overwhelm
Why your worth is not determined by accomplishments, status, or fitting someone else’s expectations
Practical ways to seek God’s direction and discover what you are uniquely called to do
Encouragement to embrace your God-given identity rather than allowing comparison to define your life
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Full Transcript Below:
Allowing Yourself to Be Unlike Any Other in a Peer-Pressure World
By: Lia Girard
Bible Reading:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
—1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why me, God?” or possibly, “Why not me, God?” You’re surely not alone, as we live in a world that’s often choking on comparison. Everywhere we turn, we hear and see messages about improving, doing better, letting go of things that aren't correct, picking up more correct things, developing new habits, buying the latest self-improvement tool, and so on.
This pervasive peer pressure—to follow someone else’s plan—can feel clamorous, confusing, and heavy. Which is why it’s worth reminding yourself of scripture that says you’re divinely designed, with holy intention, to be different. You and I are each here to serve our one-of-a-kind purpose. Tuck this in your heart: 2 Timothy 1:7 proclaims that God gave you a spirit of power and love, not a spirit of fear. So when you’re afraid you just don’t measure up to others, you’re choosing to ignore your God-given spirit.
To counteract this fear, I need to revisit 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 these days. This is because after a recent series of health struggles (although I eat clean and stay quite active), I made the difficult decision to step down from a high-stress, high-performance, full-time career and return to freelancing. My entire being was begging me to gather my senses. I needed to discern what I’m drawn to and what I’m made for.
I’d been laboring on a large, powerhouse team of creatives, relentlessly required to achieve unachievable metrics. It pushed me onto a path of continual self-criticism and overwhelm. I pressured myself against the make-believe standard that my career accomplishments represented my value before God. I was enmeshed in the corporate peer pressure and convinced myself that I owed “success” to my past, my spouse, and my children.
That was all until I was forced to start asking God what success looked like in his eyes.
Of course, I understand we all need to make a living, but spending your life as someone you’re not... is unlikely to be what God has in mind for you. That’s why it’s so refreshing to revisit Paul's truth in 1 Corinthians 12—that we are all created by the same creator, with a singularly original design. God himself purposely fills each of us with unique longings and gifts. What an honor it is to receive this! Just read Psalm 139, and you’ll know that God created a masterpiece when he knit you together in your mother’s womb.
What I feel Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12 is that instead of complaining about what you can or can't do, you could discover and celebrate your handcrafted role in God's overall plan. Even while there's constant peer pressure to wear the latest fashion, drive a better car, live a certain lifestyle, achieve a specific status ... you can, and should, still be you.
All of us collectively are God's garden of life, and I can't imagine any garden with only one type of flower. God is continually revealing that every living thing is made by him with intention and balanced by him for the common good.
So, let me reassure you today: when you stay in communication with the one who made you to be unlike any other, you can feel good about living a life that looks like you.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When you think about peer pressure to achieve or adapt in ways that don’t feel right to you, consider these suggestions:
Pray for God to reveal what feels good and fulfilling and well-suited to you
Start a bucket list of one new thing you’d like to try each week
Write down a scripture verse that feels affirming and calming to you (not what someone else tells you to write down), and tape it to your mirror
Further Reading:
Galatians 1:10
1 Peter 2:9
Psalm 139:13-14
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Isolation can seem like an easy response when we feel hurt, overwhelmed, busy, or disappointed by others. But prolonged loneliness and withdrawal can leave us spiritually discouraged and emotionally vulnerable. Proverbs 18:1 warns about the danger of isolating ourselves, reminding us that God did not create us to navigate life entirely on our own.
Christian community plays an important role in our spiritual growth, offering encouragement, accountability, support, and opportunities to reflect Christ’s love. While spending time alone with God is valuable, healthy faith also involves connecting with other believers who can strengthen us through difficult seasons. Whether unresolved hurts, a busy schedule, or fear of vulnerability is keeping you distant from others, God invites you back into meaningful relationships. As we encourage and support one another, we discover that connection is not only something we need to receive but also something we are called to offer.
Highlights
Why isolation can become an unhealthy habit after seasons of difficulty or disruption
What Proverbs 18:1 teaches about withdrawing from others and sound judgment
How isolation can pull us away from Christian community, encouragement, and accountability
Warning signs that loneliness may be connected to unresolved hurt, busyness, or unhealthy independence
Why balancing personal time with God and meaningful relationships with other believers matters
How Christians can sharpen, support, and encourage one another through life’s struggles
Why reaching out to encourage someone else can help us experience deeper connection and community
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Full Transcript Below:
The Danger of Isolation
By Cindi McMenamin
Bible Reading:
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He breaks out against all sound judgment. (Proverbs 18:1 ESV)
It was quite the thing to do to isolate from one another during that horrendous year of 2020. We sheltered in place to keep ourselves safe. We kept ourselves away from others to obey governmental authorities. We isolated because, for a time, we couldn’t do anything else.
But, during that time, we developed some isolation habits that are likely still holding onto us today. When difficulties arise, or you get hurt by another person, or you become very busy and focused on something and don’t want to be interrupted, it can be natural now to withdraw and shut others out.
The wise King Solomon told us in Proverbs 18:1 that isolating is not exercising sound judgment, and, in the NASB, we are told it “quarrels against all sound wisdom.” Look at that verse alongside Solomon’s words in Proverbs 27:17, which tell us: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (NASB). Scripture is telling us it’s not only unwise to isolate oneself, but it’s also dangerous. Isolation or withdrawing from others pulls us away from the body of Christ, where we can be encouraged by other believers, and it leaves us far more vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, who often seeks to first isolate us from other believers and then accuse us and discourage us further.
Until recently, I didn’t realize how quickly isolating tendencies can become a habit. I had been pretty independent over the past couple of years as my schedule got busier and my phone and Zoom coaching increased. I was spending less time face-to-face with my friends and more time in front of screens getting my work done or meeting remotely with clients. I was spending less time in my favorite booth at Chick-fil-A listening to others share what’s on their hearts, and more time cultivating my spiritual life apart from the accountability and encouragement from others.
And then I went through a health scare, followed by the news that my mother had less than six months to live. Going through difficulties can make you start wondering, Who do I call if I suddenly need a ride to the hospital and my husband isn’t available? and Who is in my life who can help me through this struggle and keep me trusting in my Lord, regardless of my circumstances?
You and I weren’t meant to go through life alone. So, when you start feeling lonely or the temptation to isolate from others, it’s an inner alarm that something is off. And it could be:
You aren’t cultivating enough friendships in your life.
You have some unresolved hurts that are keeping you from opening up with others.
You are unknowingly turning people away and living as a “loner.”
You’ve been prioritizing productivity over people (this is for the busy person who is lonely and doesn’t know it), and need to find a healthy balance.
It could also mean you are further from God than you should be (perhaps not communing with Him daily?), or you have been depending solely on God at the expense of no longer being among other believers.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
God didn’t intend for us to live in isolation. He created us to live in community. When you are among other believers who can encourage you and hold you up, you can continue to grow spiritually, as well as emotionally. Although God wants to draw us close to His heart through our struggles, we can grow spiritually through a healthy balance of alone time with God and time with other believers in their physical presence. God created us for a relationship with Him and with others who can help us grow, help us experience Him, and help us see Him in ways we couldn’t otherwise.
In a recent phone conversation with my Dad, in which he told me about a few opportunities he had to listen to hurting people, I thanked him for being Jesus to the people he interacts with every day. Dad was touched by those words. I realized, after I got off the phone, that he called that day to encourage me, but I was able to encourage him, too. That’s how it works in a family—especially in the family of God. God wants believers sharpening one another, supporting one another, helping one another, and “encouraging one another…all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).
If you aren’t experiencing spiritual encouragement and support from your natural family, it is waiting for you in your spiritual family—in the church, what Scripture calls the body (the human hands and feet) of Jesus. And if no one is being Jesus to you, start being Jesus for someone else. That’s often when you begin to feel less isolated and more connected with one another.
Further Reading:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
For more on growing closer to God and others, see Cindi’s books: The New Loneliness: Nurturing Meaningful Connections When You Feel Isolated, and The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.
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What is the importance of repentance, and how can turning back to God bring healing and spiritual renewal? In a culture where admitting wrongdoing can feel risky or uncomfortable, it’s easy to avoid confronting sin in our lives. We may carry guilt, become comfortable with unhealthy patterns, or assume that repentance is only necessary when we have made a serious mistake. But Scripture presents repentance as a gracious invitation from God—a pathway to forgiveness, restored fellowship, and refreshing for the soul.
Acts 3:19 calls us to repent and turn to God so that our sins may be wiped away and times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, God has made forgiveness possible, and we do not have to carry the weight of sin on our own. Genuine repentance involves humility, honest confession, and a willingness to turn toward God. As the Holy Spirit reveals areas that need change, we can trust God’s mercy and allow Him to renew our hearts, strengthen our faith, and lead us into a life of righteousness.
Highlights
Why genuine repentance involves more than simply saying, “I’m sorry”
How unconfessed sin can weigh on our hearts and affect our relationship with God
What Acts 3:19 teaches about repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual refreshing
The difference between godly sorrow that leads to repentance and worldly sorrow
How the Holy Spirit brings conviction and helps us recognize sin
Why Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the foundation of our forgiveness
Encouragement to regularly examine our hearts, confess our sins, and experience God’s renewing mercy
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Full Transcript Below:
Why Repentance Is Good for the Soul
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” - Acts 3:19
When was the last time we spent heartfelt time repenting? Not just a quick “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” but heartfelt repentance before the Lord, with genuine sorrow and possibly tears for our sins?
If we can’t remember, then are we walking around under the weight of sin, unaware of our need to confess and repent of it? Have we become comfortable with it, no longer recognizing its presence in our lives?
Repentance isn’t a popular word in the Church today. Sure, we want revival, but when it comes to repenting for the sin in our lives, that’s another story because it means admitting that we sin.
The thinking today is that we don’t ever admit to being in the wrong in relationships, careers, business situations, traffic incidents, and more because, if we do, then we become liable, making ourselves vulnerable to being taken advantage of, held responsible, and put in the position of being asked to cover all the costs.
God’s Already Has Us Covered
Still, when it comes to confessing our sin, God has already covered all the costs for us. All we have to do is repent, and we are no longer liable. He’s already taken care of it all for us, paying in advance and providing a way for us to be set free and refreshed in the process.
Although we know we are already forgiven, repentance brings closeness and renewal in our relationship with the Lord. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Scripture describes repentance as refreshing, like what comes in a revival, where we yield to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and experience the refreshing that comes from the Lord after repentance. Jesus explains in John 16:8 what the Holy Spirit will do: “When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.”
As Micah 7:18 describes, “Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”
Repentance Comes in Measures, Steps, and Seasons
Repentance, too, may come in stages in our lives because if God revealed all our sins to us at once, it would overwhelm our hearts and minds. We couldn’t bear the weight of it; no one could. It’s why Jesus carried our sin for us, because God knows we cannot bear up under it, as the weight of sin is too heavy.
As 1 Peter 2:24 explains, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed.’”
The High Price God Paid for Repentance
Without the high price God paid through Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation, we could repent until our faces turned blue, but it wouldn’t cancel out our sin. As Isaiah 53:5 explains, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Paul also explains in Colossians 2:13-15: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Some argue that Jesus and the New Testament don’t preach repentance, but as Matthew 4:17 describes, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
Likewise, Acts 2:38 says, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When was the last time you spent time in repentance? If it’s been a while, set aside some time to spiritually check your heart and mind to see if there are things you need to confess and repent of in your life. Ask God to lead you, wipe your sins away, and bring refreshing to you now.
Further Reading:
What Makes for A Repentant Heart?
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