The Burden of Worldliness

“The world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.” (1 John 2:16-17 NLT)

 

In our town, there is a consignment store called Stuff Etc.  People take bags of unwanted clothes, accessories, and household items to this store. Most of the ‘stuff’ was originally bought with anticipation and craving, but by the time it is dropped off, its value to the owner has faded. A few minutes’ drive from the consignment store are long rows of storage units. People rent these garages to store things they no longer want but are unwilling to relinquish. If you drive a few minutes south of town, there is a huge junkyard full of old cars. At some point, these were highly prized possessions that represented novel experiences, luxury, comfort, achievement, and status.  Now these vehicles are part of a scrap pile. 

 

Worldliness is a wasteland in the making. It pulls us down into the muck. Like pigs in mud, we spend our lives wallowing in materialism and indulging in sloppy hedonism. The craving for physical pleasure, for everything we see, for the pride in our achievements and possessions, is insatiable and unfulfilling. It is only a matter of time before the latest fashions become outdated, our possessions become burdens, our dream cars become scrap, and our amusements become passè. There is so much more to living than the temporary highs offered by worldly cravings. Unfortunately, most of us only realize this in hindsight. 

Commitments

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT) 

 

I find that commitments are easier to keep when I have accountability. The first step of any intention is to entrust everything to God. I ask for wisdom, direction, motivation, and adaptability. By putting the Lord in charge, my burden is lightened. Then, I recruit at least one human to check in with me periodically and help me stay on track. Writing down my goals is another way I remain dedicated. 

 

Five months ago, I started thinking about running another marathon. Due to the pandemic, I didn’t know if any scheduled races would actually take place. All of the races I had signed up for in the past year have been run virtually. A virtual race is where you run by yourself in a location of your choice and submit your distance and times through a GPS device. Without the cheering crowds and camaraderie of other runners, a virtual marathon is even more monotonous and grueling than an in-person race. 

 

Since it takes several months to train for such a long distance, I had to make a decision without knowing the outcome. I committed my plans to the Lord. I asked for accountability from a few people. My husband agreed to run with me. We signed up for a race and paid the registration fees. I wrote down a detailed plan. For the last twenty weeks, we have been training intensely toward this goal. Due to the recent surge in Covid infections, we have had to make a difficult decision. We have opted to run this marathon as a virtual race. 

 

Now it may seem like my plans fell through, even though I committed everything to the Lord. Although I am disappointed in the way things turned out, I am at peace. By handing everything over to God, including the outcome, I was free to focus my energy on what I had to do. I reaped all the benefits of training for the last five months. My legs are muscular. My lungs are powerful. My heart is healthy. My mind is resilient. Most of all, my confidence in God is strong. 

Blessed Thoughts

“May the LORD bless you and take care of you; 

May the LORD be kind and gracious to you; 

May the LORD look on you with favor and give you peace. 

And the LORD said, ‘If they pronounce my name as a blessing upon the people of Israel, I will bless them.’” (Numbers 6:24-27 GNT)

 

The practice of saying ‘God bless you’ when someone sneezes originated during the bubonic plague. Sneezing was one of the symptoms of the disease. The practice was started by Pope Gregory in the sixth century. Centuries later, we reflexively bless complete strangers when we hear a sneeze. And the sneezer will respond ‘thank you’ without further thought. 

 

The current pandemic has prompted me to say blessings over people who express any sign of distress. When I hear from those who are unwell, I immediately pray for them. I do this silently, because most people seem defensive about their need for Divine help. Their immediate response is to explain that they do not have Covid and how their symptoms are related to some other issue. Thus, I keep these blessed thoughts to myself and pray secretly. I am counting on God’s promise that blessing others in His name has power, even when it is inaudible. I am hoping they sense God’s goodness, healing, and peace. 

 

May the Lord bless you, take care of you.

May the Lord be kind and gracious to you. 

May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. 

Holy Simplicity

“During the entire time that they are dedicated to the LORD as Nazirites, they will be holy.” (Numbers 6:5 GWT)

The Bible describes Nazarites as those who take a vow for a certain period of time. Nazarites consecrated their lives to God. They embraced austerity as a way to holiness. They chose to be set apart. Their unconventional lifestyles reflected their values. They pursued purity, simplicity, and sanctity. 

Early Christian communities practiced asceticism in their pursuit of spiritual goals. They moved to the deserts and abstained from sensual pleasures. Some of them sold their possessions and gave everything to the poor so that they could follow Jesus unencumbered. 

Followers of Christ are directed to be holy. A consecrated life is steeped in discipline, dedication, and devotion. The pursuit of pleasure, power, and wealth might be the aspiration for most, but it is antithetical to the teachings of Christ. Simplicity paves the way to sanctity. 

Night Vigils

“Be still upon your bed and search your heart before him. Pause in his presence.” (Psalm 4:4 TPT)

Do you find yourself getting drowsy while praying? Do not fret. The Spirit of God can commune with us even when we are unconscious. Unburden your cares and stress. Relax in His presence. Invite  the Lord to cleanse your heart and fill your mind with peace.

Do you find yourself unable to sleep in the middle of the night? Do not fret. The Spirit of God is always waiting, especially for us insomniacs. Be still upon your bed and search your heart before the Lord. Pause in His presence. Keep the night vigil. Lift up all concerns and thoughts to God. Pray for every person that comes to mind. Ask for directions and clarity. Give thanks for every blessing. Wait for the dawn. 

Prayerful Writing

“Like a river bursting its banks, I’m overflowing with words, spilling out into this sacred story.” (Psalm 45:1 TPT)

When I was a child, I was taught to say my prayers out loud. By the time I was a teen, I switched to praying silently.  It wasn’t until adulthood that I discovered the power of praying through writing. 

Like a torrential river, my mind is always overflowing with thoughts and words. Writing creates channels of expression and understanding. It calms my mind, turning into a peaceful stream. 

Prayerful writing allows me to gather up the unruly impressions that run wild like horses through my head. Arranging these abstractions into sentences feels like harnessing all these horses and hitching them to a chariot. It gives power and direction to my prayer life. My communication with God becomes tangible, tethered, substantive, intentional, and grounded. 

Prayer Is Awareness

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” (Genesis 28:16 NLT)

Knowing and awareness are not the same.

How often do you think about the air that surrounds you? You know that it is there, but you are not consciously aware of it most of the time. Do you pay attention to your breathing? Whether you are awake or asleep, your lungs inhale and exhale continuously. An average person takes over 20,000 breaths a day. It happens in the background while you go about your business. You know that respiration is essential to life, but it happens unconsciously. When are you most likely to notice air and your need for it? If there is smoke, or you are drowning, or if your airway is obstructed--you suddenly become hypervigilant. You do not become aware of air until you are desperate. 

God’s presence is around you and within you. Perhaps you have always known this, but you have not been consciously aware. You go about your business, heedless of God’s constancy. Until something goes wrong. Then, in your desperation, you gasp for God. 

Prayer is paying attention to God’s presence. This goes beyond an intellectual knowing of religious dogma or doctrine. It is more than words, rituals, and tradition. It is focused awareness of all the ways God is working within you and around you all the time. 

Prayer is awareness of God 

Inhalation of the Spirit 

Exhalation of trust

Conscious absorption in gratitude  

Saturation in Grace.