What’s in Your Teabag?

A Reflection on Faith Under Pressure

I want to share something simple — yet deeply powerful today — a teabag. It's a small thing that reveals so much.

A teabag doesn’t look like much on its own. It’s small, quiet, unassuming, and contained. But the moment you place it in hot water, everything changes!

You don’t really see what’s inside a teabag until it’s placed in hot water. And when it is, what’s inside begins to come out.

The color changes. The aroma fills the air. The contents are revealed. And the same is true for you and me. Trials don’t create what’s inside of us — they reveal it. 

Life has a way of placing us in hot water, doesn’t it? There are moments of pressure, pain, and uncertainty. And it is in those moments that what is inside of us comes out.

Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” In other words, what’s in us will come out of us—especially when life gets hard. And the truth is, we all face these moments.

Jesus told us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble…” Not might have trouble. Not maybe have trouble. You will have trouble. 

Life brings all kinds of trials — loss, disappointment, illness, stress, loneliness. Not one of us is exempt. James 1:2–3 reminds us that these trials test our faith.

When you are placed in the hot water of life, what comes out? Is it fear? Frustration? Bitterness? Or, is it faith? Peace? Trust in God? This is why it is so important that we are grounded in God’s Word. 

Psalm 1 tells us that the person who delights in the Word of the Lord is like a tree planted by streams of water — whose roots run deep. And when the storms come — and they will — that tree does not wither, because its roots are deep.

We want to be women like that, don't we? Of course we do. We want to be women who are deeply rooted and steady in the storm.

Jesus reinforces this in Matthew 7:24–25, where He tells us that the one who builds her life on His Word is like a wise builder whose house stands firm when the rain falls, and the winds blow.

If the Word is not in us before the storm, it will not come out of us during the storm.

If you are rooted in God's Word, when life shakes you, God’s Word will steady you. When emotions rise, His truth will anchor you.

We cannot pour from an empty cup, friend. And, we cannot draw from a well we’ve never filled.

We must spend time in God’s Word — not occasionally, but consistently and intentionally — so when life puts us in hot water, we rise to the occasion, standing firm on the promises we know to be true.

I am thinking today of the example of my faithful mother, who endured the deep loss of a child and walked through a cancer journey with faith as her shield. Her strength didn’t appear out of nowhere — it flowed from a life already rooted in Christ. When the heat came, what poured out was faith.

Not only are we called to be grounded, but we're also called to be grateful — Grounded and Grateful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “Give thanks in all circumstances…” Not for all circumstances — but in all circumstances. Gratitude is not about what we’re going through — it’s about who God is.

• Even in the hard moments, He is still good.
• Even in the hard moments, He is still faithful.
• Even in the hard moments, He is still working.

Psalm 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”

A grateful heart doesn’t ignore the pain — it chooses to trust God in the midst of it.

What does gratitude look like? It looks like:

• Thanking God in the midst of difficulty
• Choosing praise over complaining
• Trusting Him when we don’t understand

When you are grounded in the Word of God and filled with gratitude, something powerful happens. When life puts you in hot water, what comes out becomes your testimony. Your children see it. Your grandchildren see it. The women around you see it. Titus 2 women (I'm writing to you now), the Proverbs 31 women are watching. They will see God — or not see Him — through your response.

• They see your faith… or your lack of it.
• They see your peace… or your lack of it.
• They see your trust… or your lack of it.

You may not even realize it, but your life is preaching a message. And, you may be the only “Bible” someone ever sees lived out.

Today, let me ask you gently: What’s inside your teabag? What comes out when you are under pressure? Because one day, we will be placed in the hot water of life, and when that moment comes, may what flows out of us be:

• Women who are grounded in God’s Word
• Women who are grateful in every season

So fill your heart daily with God’s Word, friend. Choose gratitude intentionally.

Let’s be women who are:

• Rooted deeply
• Trusting fully
• Giving thanks always

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” And as you do, when life gets hot, what comes out of you will reflect Him. And that is a testimony the world cannot ignore.

When life places you in “hot water,” what does it reveal about what you’ve been quietly storing in your heart—faith, fear, trust, or something else?