Proactive
Do you want to grow closer to God?
Did you know that you can do things that will accelerate your growth in the Lord, that your relationship with Him can be so much more than just trying to get it right amid all the craziness life is throwing at you?
You can be proactive. You can reach for the hem of His robe and hang on until you get more of Him.
Commit
Start by inviting God to deal with you, to touch the things He wants to put His finger on. No conditions. If there are some areas of your life that are just too scary to think about letting Him access, have you thought about giving Him permission to change your mind?
Set yourself, now, to obey. And when you know it’s time to act on something, do it. Don’t wait until it feels right, don’t pause to talk yourself into wanting to. Just obey.
Don’t be surprised when God takes you up on the offer.
Cooperate
Lay aside your expectations. Of what God’s going to deal with first, what it (whatever it is) will look like, what your involvement will look like. Because whatever you think it is--it probably won’t be that.
Get into the Word. There’s no way around a serious investment of time and effort in the Bible. Start with learning how to handle the Word of God well, then get into a study that will make demands of you. Make sure it’s more God’s Word than words about God’s Word. Memorize and meditate. Start consciously living what you find there.
Lean into the hard parts. When you feel yourself starting to squirm and you really just want back into your comfort zone, remind yourself that your growth will stop if you stop. Practice in your intentions a deliberate openness to the lessons God may be trying to teach you.
Persevere
Do you see how God is dealing with your values and your focus? Have you discovered in skin and bones living some of the head knowledge you’ve always had about God but never really experienced--like how much He loves you--really--and how much more interested He is in your holiness than you are?
Don’t stop and coast when you realize how God has been dealing with you. And when the lessons seem to be really hard tests coming one after another, don’t back down on your commitment to trust and obey. You started a journey that will never be finished on this side.
This is how it’s worked for me, anyway.
How can I encourage you to press in to God this way, to find the accelerator and go all in?
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. Psalm 25 (Read it all!)
Toward the promise,
Lana
#337
Just once
I would like to present You with
Something beautiful and pure
So that it may give You pleasure
But my attention is erratic and
my skill is shoddy
My best withers on the vine
if the seed even sprouts
So please accept this
My few fragments of undimmed
You-ward desire
my crumbling attempts
And my deep gratitude that
Your own vast heart
makes up the difference
2-19-23
Here’s the link to the last issue Holding space
If you want to get this newsletter in your mailbox and you aren’t, you can sign up here!
Thank you Lana. Your last post, I tried to comment on and there were tech issues. Tech errors . So not sure if anything got through and stayed. Just letting you know you are noticed. [insert smiley here]