Give it a Rest

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. ” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

I had a weird dream the other night: I was sitting at a round table with two good friends. I was agitated about a certain situation. I was pouring out my concerns to these friends, whipping myself into a frenzy of anxiety. One friend was commiserating with me, while the other friend remained silent for a while.  Suddenly, my quiet friend said in a stern tone: “Give it a rest!”

I woke up from this dream, smiling. The quiet friend in the dream was one of the kindest people I know. It was very uncharacteristic for her to say what she said in my dream. My subconscious mind was reminding me of an important truth: I needed to give my concerns to the Lord, to let them rest in His hands. In order to do this, I would have to lower my ego. I would have to admit that I can’t figure out solutions to every problem just by mulling over it incessantly. This battle in my mind could not be won under my own power. If I wanted to experience peace, I would have to abandon my worries into God’s capable care.

“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 NLT)

Choosing Friends

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26 NIV)

Recently I read a book by Kara Tippet in which she describes her criteria for picking friends. This inspired me to create a list of my own. Mind you, this is not how I have picked friends in the past--it’s just how I would like to go about it in the future. These are also the qualities I would like to cultivate in myself:

1. Authenticity--No faking or pretending. Don’t be phony in order to manipulate others. Just be your real self.
2. Transparency--Be open. Be vulnerable. Express what is on your mind.
3. Simplicity--Don’t be pretentious or ostentatious.
4. Care--Take care of yourself, but also care about people and things beyond yourself.
5. Seeking--Desire something more than what this world has to offer.

I am fortunate to have several friends who fit all these criteria. I have learned the value of these qualities from being around them. When choosing new friends, I am careful. I no longer pick people based on how fun they are, or if they have similar interests, or if they make me feel good when I am around them. Instead, I select friends that make me a better person.

Setting the Stage

“The One who established the mountains by his strength is clothed with omnipotence.” (Psalm 65:6 ISV)

A friend of mine needed help.  I immediately did everything I could do to assist her in her time of need. Unfortunately, I had neither the knowledge nor the ability to make much of a difference. I felt frustrated and incompetent. I was disappointed in myself. I took my dejected, droopy heart to God. I asked Him to help her--since I couldn’t.  My friend called me later. She was joyful--things worked out better than expected. I’m leaving out the details of this story on purpose, because they are beside the point. What is significant is that I learned a valuable lesson:

My incompetence sets the stage for GOD’s omnipotence.

This reminds me of the home remodeling shows on TV. They pick homes that are in really bad shape and demolish them even further before transforming them into spectacular living spaces. They do this so that they can highlight the skills of the show’s hosts and crew. Similarly, when we approach God with our incompetence, when we humbly ask His help in unmanageable situations, we are preparing a space for Him to work. All illusions of self-reliance are demolished before the restoration begins. Everything is renovated according to God’s design, not ours. The timeline is determined by Him, not us. The spotlight is set on God’s ability, not on our inability. We have an omnipotent God who has infinite power and resources. We have an omniscient God who has unlimited knowledge and awareness. And we have an omnipresent God who is always present everywhere.

Lord, may my life be a stage for Your Glory.

Dedication

“Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life." And they worshiped the LORD there.” (1 Samuel 1:28 NIV)

I have had the same exercise routine for a while. I run, do pushups, situps, and resistance training. However, I can’t do a single pull up. My shoulder muscles are weak. A few weeks ago, I resolved to modify my workout. In order to strengthen my shoulders and back muscles, I have been doing certain exercises that involve lifting heavy weights up and over my head.  I repeat these movements daily. I don’t know if I am getting any stronger, but I definitely feel sorer.

Similarly, my prayer routine could use some modification. I study scripture, contemplate and listen, write down insights, give thanks, praise, and request God’s help for daily needs. However, I have difficulty handing over my concerns to God.

When we dedicate our lives and the lives of our loved ones to God, we are essentially lifting everything up and over to God. We are relinquishing all illusions of control. This is difficult. It takes a lot of repetitious practice. Certain spiritual muscles that may have atrophied from disuse must be intentionally activated and strengthened.

Dedicating our lives and our concerns to God empowers us with inner strength. We are no longer limited by our inadequacies. Once we acknowledge that everything belongs to the Lord, we are free to delight in His nearness and savor all that He has to offer. Every thought and movement is uplifted by the Spirit. We are no longer operating under our own power, but instead, in the omnipotence of God.

Destructive Worry

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34 MSG)

Living in Iowa, we have become accustomed to tornadoes. They usually pop up when warm, moist air combines with dry air--creating instability in the atmosphere. We get warnings from weather radios, phone apps, television reports, and sirens. When a tornado warning goes off, we all hurry to our basements. Most of the time, it doesn’t amount to much. However, when a tornado touches down, the resulting damage can be devastating.

Worry is a lot like a tornado. It starts with innocuous ‘what-if’ questions: What-if something bad happens? What-if I don’t have  the resources to handle certain situations? What-if I am a failure in life? Self-doubt, fear, and anxiety, all build up creating an unstable atmosphere in our minds.

“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

The key is to recognize the inefficient thoughts before they gain momentum and cause destruction. It’s also important to realize that we have the power to dismiss detrimental notions from our minds. As soon as a tiny cloud of anxiety pops up on the radar, we need to evaluate its worthiness. If it is not productive, allow the Holy Spirit to blow it away. Do not allow your emotions to build up around a center of fear; instead, let your life be centered around trust in God.

Lord, help us to choose light over darkness, trust over fear, and hope over despair.

Spirit Dance

“My life is God's prayer." (Psalm 42:8 MSG)

Music, writing, and speech have all been a part of Christian worship for a long time. During the early ages of Christianity, visual art forms, such as paintings and sculpture, were also common forms of spiritual expression. The Old Testament mentions King David “dancing with all his might before the Lord.” Liturgical dancing is gaining popularity as an expression of worship in modern day Christian communities.

Prayer is communion with God.  I am more and more convinced that prayer is the answer to everything; not just praying to Jesus, but allowing Him to pray through us. Could my life be an expression of God’s prayer? What can I do to allow the Spirit to sing, dance, speak, and paint through me? How can I participate? Is my life conducive or hindering to the flow of His power? When people observe my life, do they see me or Jesus?

One Step Behind

"Come, follow me," Jesus said...” (Mark 1:17 NIV)

My husband and I have learned to run together. We have learned to match each other’s pace and cadence. It’s difficult to talk when you we are running, so we usually just listen to music on our headphones. We have developed a few techniques that allow us to stay together without exchanging words. When we run on trails, we usually run side-by-side. However, when we approach a fork in the road, I automatically run one step behind him so that I can see which direction he is going. This allows us to keep moving along without breaking our rhythm.

I have been ‘running’ with Jesus for decades now. Mercifully, He slows down His pace so that I can keep up. I used to try and get ahead of Him when it suited me. It took me a while before I realized this was a bad idea.  These days, I try to stay tuned in to His every move. Every time we approach a fork in the road, I take a step back. I watch to see which way He leads, and then, I follow close behind.

“Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)