I usually don’t talk about my beliefs because the comments section of any well-thought-out article can be pretty brutal and I’m just now mastering the ability not to reply to stupidity. On top of that, it irritates me that people don’t realize that just because I believe in God doesn’t mean you have to, but at the same time–don’t disrespect Him in my face. Honestly, for me, it will cause the same reaction you get when you instantly defend your mom if somebody tried to throw shade at her. To put things frankly, I’m not having it. So, proceed with caution. This isn’t intended to offend, but instead to defend those of us who know God’s love and power. Here are 9 reasons why I unapologetically believe in the power of God.

1. I gave birth.

There isn’t a single soul on Earth that can convince me that we can endure such a challenge as giving birth on our own. Speaking from (very recent) experience, there is no way I could have given birth to such a beautiful, innocent vessel as my baby girl without the help of God, himself. From the pain to the pleasure–nobody but God. Don’t try to convince me otherwise because it won’t work. If you haven’t had a baby on your own, do you not get the same feeling when you set your eyes on such an innocent, perfect creation as a newborn child?

2. I have survived more than one near-death experience.

I am a firm believer that only God could have delivered me from what was once a very sweet taste of all my favorite drugs–that’s right. I’m not gonna tell you about how much I love God and then deny how I’ve experienced His power firsthand. He’s delivered me from many things–depression, addiction, envy–and the list goes on. I’ve had my life spared on numerous occasions and with all the turmoil going on in the world right now that makes me feel even more thankful for the times God has saved me. Those weren’t things that I could mentally beat, it was literally the grace of God.

3. It’s easier to trust God than to worry about things I can’t control.

My mama always said if you’re going to pray, don’t worry. If you’re going to worry, don’t pray. As a child, it was simply easy to repeat. As an adult, I completely understand what she meant now. It is so exhausting to sit and stress about things we have no control over. It’s silly. The God I serve will carry those burdens for you. He won’t make you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don’t believe me? Try Him for yourself.

4. God sees me in brand new light every day.

Unlike friends, family, and followers, God sees us new every day. Every time he blesses us to open our eyes to a new day He gives us a fresh start to get things right. He is a forgiving God. He doesn’t say, “Oh there’s Isis, the former drug abuser.” On top of that, He sees us all the same. God loves all His children. I don’t know about you, but I feel honored just typing that. We are so lucky to be loved by such a merciful God. Lord knows, if it weren’t for His grace and mercy, I would have already been burning in hell.

5. God is better to me than I am to myself.

When I compare how I treat myself and how God treats me, all I can say is “thank God that He is in control and not me.” I’ve tried to end my life on many occasions, but none of the attempts ever worked. Not even taking it as far as suicide, there are times where I’ve just let negative energy defeat me and God doesn’t want that for me. God doesn’t only love me on my good days. He loves me unconditionally with every breath that I take. Now that I’m smarter and stronger in Him, I thank Him for always loving me more than I love me. I know it seems like hub-bub I really do, but I know that anybody who has ever felt completely alone, down-and-out and still pulled through knows exactly what kind of love I’m talking about. Feeling God’s love is truly an experience.

6. I have never been in a more promising relationship than the one I’m in with God.

He’s my father. My best friend. My lawyer. My doctor. My teacher. In other words, there is NOTHING too big for my God. He is everything I need Him to be, anytime I need Him to be it. When I’m lonely, He is my comfort. When I’m hurting, He is my healer. When I’m scared (or stupid), He is my protector. He has made promises to His believers that I have yet to experience because I’m still growing in Christ, but there are also many promises that I am witnessing in my life firsthand.

7. I started paying my tithes and now I make more money than I ever imagined–no lie.

Y’all. I kid you not. I started giving God my 10% and when I tell you He blew my mind EVERY week thereafter. I. AM. NOT. LYING. This is a personal journey that I encourage you to learn more about. All I can say is that within a 3-month period of paying my tithes willingly and selflessly I went from making a few dollars here and there to five figures! God (and my best friends) as my witness.

8. I have identified, acknowledged, and accepted my purpose in life.

I’ll admit that when I started writing I just identified it as something I loved to do. I didn’t really look much further than that. Sure, I told myself that I was a good writer, but I didn’t expect to be getting thousands of shares on my work. I didn’t expect to touch the lives of individuals all over the world that I’ll never have the pleasure of meeting. And I certainly cannot fathom what God still has in store for me! Since getting closer to God I have been able to work in my passion, better yet my calling in life and this is only the beginning.

9. Nothing feels better than glorifying God.

At the end of the day, nothing feels better than knowing I’ve tried to honor God. Whether through song, worship, writing, pray, or praise all the glory and honor goes to Him. I have never experienced a more fruitful and meaningful life than this one I’ve spent unapologetically chasing God. I’m not afraid to say that falling in love with His son was the best decision I have ever made.