christian

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 2

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When God speaks, how confidently do you listen?

This past week I spent my time in a foreign land. Though incredible, my heart faced one of the most spiritually refining moments it has had in a while. Time after time, I stumbled into situations that called for a new perspective and humble obedience. These scenarios required genuine listening. The kind of listening that you not only seek understanding for and prayerfully discern, but the kind that you feel compelled to follow through with in faith-driven confidence.

The trip I went on was one that required a lot of flexibility. The daily plans were not extremely clear until the day before and the stories we heard from others were unimaginable. To say the least, this was a trip full of the unexpected. I knew that very well before I ever signed up for it, and before going, I even prayed God would keep it unpredictable. But when each new day arose, I struggled to properly get my heart prepared.

As you may know, I am a heavy-duty planner. I thrive in routine and consistency. But as I was on the first flight, I heard this song called, “When you walk into the room” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt. The lyrics go a little like this:

When You walk into the room
Everything changes
Darkness starts to tremble
At the light that You bring
And when You walk into the room
Every heart starts burning
And nothing matters more

When You walk into the room
Sickness starts to vanish
Every hopeless situation ceases to exist
And when You walk into the room
The dead begin to rise
‘Cause there is resurrection life in all You do

Moral of the message, when God enters a situation, the unexpected in bound to happen. But the good kind of unexpected. The kind that brings light and life in ways we could’ve never fathomed. But what I have come to realize on this trip is that we must hunger for the heart and perspective of the Father if we wish to see the same goodness He sees in the “unplanned”. We must live intentionally interruptible. Not only by our neighbors as I discussed in part 1 of this series, but also by God and the unpaved, yet beautiful, roads He wants to take us on.

There were many accounts in this week that left me in baffled positions. I didn’t know what to say, do, or how to turn something into a good and glorifying thing. But on the first flight to my destination, I challenged myself to pray through. Praying through is something Mark Batterson often promotes in his book “Circle Maker”. It is when one prays with a humility in their humanity and a strong confidence in their God. It is when you choose to praise God for His faithfulness in the past as well as the faithfulness He promises to hold in the future regardless of how long the waiting takes. So in each and every moment of anxiety, confusion, heartache, frustration, and impatience, I prayed through.

I refused to allow my circumstances cloud the miracles and wonders God was unraveling in the unexpected. This called for proper lamenting. To lament is to be completely honest in your feelings but never dismissing the authority of God. As I said before, I love good consistency, and thank heavens, God is just that. In His unchanging character, we are able to find rest and peace that even though the world may sprout out a million crazy scenarios, when we tune into the guidance of the Lord, He will help us see how He turns it for our good and His glory. But again, I emphasize the honesty of your feelings. Without this, there can be no change in the position or perspective of your heart because in an attempt to “have it all together”, you build walls between God and the most vulnerable parts of your heart. Vulnerability is what allows growth to occur. And with growth, comes peaceful availability as you begin to become more comfortable with your life laying fully in the hands of the Father.

But PLEASE understand I am not saying this is easy. I told you earlier that this week was a big spiritually refining moment in my life. And believe me when I say, refining is no easy or fun task. Like a sword being welded, the fire is always hot and the molding is always extremely uncomfortable. But the end result is nothing short of beautiful. This is the process I experienced, not once, twice, or even just three times, but probably around once every day on this trip. It was humbling, but also freeing.

To know that we do NOT have to have it all in our own control and to know that even in the unexpected, our God remains consistent in His character, there is a peace unlike any other that begins to cultivate in your heart. Making each new refinement, not always less painful, but most definitely more hopeful.

So my dear friend, as you challenge yourself to pray through, lament, and respond in a faithful confidence (again, in the Lord’s power, not your own), I assure you it will be a greater blessing than a hardship. We must not underestimate the power of responding to the voice of God with a genuinely listening heart and soul. Your mind can run a million miles an hour in times of anxiety, frustration, confusion, etc. Do not let that be what drives your actions.

We are called followers of Jesus for a reason. Followers obey. But to do so correctly, they must listen and trust. May hunger for the Father flood your heart and may it mold you in a way that establishes a life eager for the unexpected. I pray you come to a point where you can confidently predict God to be unpredictable in your every day life. So Christian, again I ask you, how confidently do you listen to God when He speaks? Are you willing to make the changes in your heart that turn your life into one that thrives in the interruptions of the Father?

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 1

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When looking into the lifestyle of Jesus, one of the most amazing characteristics of His is the way He is so compassionately open to those who “disrupt” His plans. Whether it’s by someone cutting a hole in the ceiling and dropping their friend at His feet to get healed (Luke 5:17-22), or two blind men shouting for just a second of Jesus’ time as He walks by (Matthew 20:29-34), or two women requesting Him to travel a days journey to heal their brother (John 11:1-44), in each circumstance, Jesus responds in love, intention, and compassion.

For the first time in a long time, I have free time. This past week, I found myself sitting in the Starbucks I frequently spend an average of 5 hours doing homework, but this time, I ran out of homework after just an hour and a half. So there I sat. Reconsidering my purchase of a venti as I was only a quarter finished, pretending to look up emails as I thought about what I could possibly spend the next two and a half hours doing there. Then it hit me. I missed the chance of being interrupted.

For the past few weeks, people have been asking to catch-up or get to know me over coffee, a meal, or even just a call. And every time, I answered with the same, “I would love to but I will have to get back to you after I finish all of the work I need to get done.” To say the least, disruption was not my cup of tea. I had things to do and I refused to let time with people take away from my responsibilities. But isn’t it just dandy that the most important command of God includes loving people. And loving people can only be done when time is spent with people.

I had to drop this mindset that my to-do list was too jammed to squeeze in a few divine disruptions.

In the second half of Mark 5, as Jesus stepped off a boat and into a large crowd of people, He was met by a man falling at His feet. Jairus, a leader from the synagogue, let out a plea with the last bit of hope he had. His daughter was ill and near death. So in hopeful desperation, he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his child. And without hesitation, in the very next verse, “Jesus went with him.”

Jesus was faced with the opportunity to be a blessing to another person. And in a perfect display of a kingdom mindset, He made room for that “disruption” to be seen for what God intended. A divine appointment. Far too often, we think we need a moment to be specifically set up in order to result in a miracle. But my dear friend, that could not be more wrong. God is capable of turning every concern into a beautiful example of His glory. And luckily, we humans have a LOT of concerns.

Yet this was not the end of Mark 5. As Jesus went on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman suffering from a bleeding disease for the past twelve years, saw Jesus crossing her path and extended out her hand for not His time, but the power that came with His presence alone. After the woman was immediately healed, Jesus could have continued walking as though nothing happened. After all, she did nothing more but touch His cloak. But instead, He sought her out and insisted on recognizing her and her suffering even if it was simply for a moment.

Mind you, it was not as though Jesus was on a stroll. He was in the process of helping Jairus. So Christian, how open are you to the Jairus’ and bleeding women that cross your path? Both scenario’s carried a hurt far deeper than that which was revealed in their first encounter, but Jesus chose to make room without hesitation. As you step into each day, do you wait for people to uncover their severe brokenness or do you respond in immediate and intentional compassion?

I believe we live in a world far too broken to delay our help for when it crumbles. I would argue that Jesus lived a life of no interruption. As He allowed every moment to be used to glorify His Father, these encounters were nothing less than a divine appointment. However, as we see, they only resulted in a blessing when Jesus matched His perspective with the heart of the Father.

In other words, until we let go of our own schedules and endless lists of to-do’s we will continue to miss the divine disruptions that cross our paths day after day. To love God’s people is to spend time in deep fellowship with them. This is not to give up on your responsibilities, as Jesus continued His journey of saving Jairus’ daughter after encountering the sick woman. Rather, acknowledge the flexibility of the perfectly timed day God makes new every morning.

As someone who relies desperately on to-do lists and calendars marked three months in advance, living intentionally interruptible is no easy task. But as I once heard and often say, much like many other spiritual disciplines…it may not be comfortable, but it is biblical and necessary.

To make room is to make time. And to make time is to give up the one thing humanity often tries to make the most of as it is impossible to gain any more. But like every other aspect of this world, when chosen to be placed in the hands of God instead of oneself, the blessing received becomes far greater than one could have ever imagined.

Dear friend, may you allow your days to be open to “disruptions” and allow your heart to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice that you do not let another uncovered blessing pass in the name of “busy”.

Get Away and Draw Near

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“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you...“

– James 4:8 (ESV)

The story of Jeremiah is quite a sad one when you dive deep into it. Jeremiah, a prophet of God, spent forty years desperately trying to save his fellow Israelites from the judgement coming. But they would not listen. He spoke with the authority of a messenger of God and even then, it was not enough to persuade the Israelites to give him any attention. Why were they so resistant? Well, the Israelites had an idolatry problem. Yes, the same Israelites who were lead through the wilderness seemingly forgot about the glorious God who freed them and traded Him in for countless other random deities. Appalling and heartbreaking, am I right?

Oh but wait. Giving one’s attention and heart to something besides God actually sounds oddly familiar. Maybe it’s your phone. Or your job. Or your friends and family. Whatever it is, I am sure you can pinpoint an area of your life that you have become slightly obsessive about. Though, the tricky thing about that is how easy and un-sinful it can look.

Hanging out with friends is not a sin, rather it is encouraged. It is how you spread God’s love. Being on your phone or social media is no crime either. It is a great way to stay connected with others and share your life with people too far to see often. And working has been a thing since Adam and Eve. God called them to tend the land since their creation. So what makes these activities dangerous, and really anything else capable of stealing your attention, is that they can so easily become an idol in the mask of a blessing. One of the greatest ways I have seen God’s goodness is in the stories of those around me. But that does not mean they ought to take the place of the one giving the blessing.

Much like the Israelites, we can get so captivated in the blessings God gave us that we make them our idols. In their case it was the beautiful land of prosperity that started it all. But instead of depending on some old prophet like Jeremiah to whip us back into shape, we have the privilege of the Bible at our finger tips.

Just yesterday I spent a few hours at a park in hopes to get away from the crowd and business of school and to honestly just soak in the presence of God. After getting sprinkled on by the rain, I was forced to move my settling under a tree. I never sit under trees because of my fear of spiders jumping on my head. So in order to make the best of it, I laid down and stared at the branches above. At first, I did this with the intent of being prepared to run the moment I catch a glimpse of one of those disgusting eight legged creatures. But as I leaned back and was listening to worship music, I realized how cool the tree looked from underneath.

The branches intertwined in a messy, yet beautiful and supportive way. They provided the perfect formation to hold one another up while producing a fantastic shelter from the rain around me. And then it hit me.

Not a branch, but a good word from the Lord.

Those branches went in a million different directions, but when the time came, they fulfilled the purpose of producing shade and shelter. It was a mess, made perfect by it’s creator. The tree, with respect to the authority of God, allowed it’s every move to be obedient and available for whatever use God had intended for it.

Very often I find myself in the same situation as this tree. Crazy, going a million different ways, uncertain of where each branch of life will end up. But there is a difference between us. The tree submits every part of itself to God’s direction, and I sadly, do not. Instead of seeing scripture as my modern day Jeremiah, promoting a lifestyle centered on worshipping God alone, I take the blessing God gives me, and like the Israelites, I turn away and watch as my life branches out in a terrible mess following the unstable pursuits of my fleshly heart instead the wise provision of God.

And I realized in that moment, the longer I live a life idolizing those things around me, when the time comes for God to use me like He used this tree for a perfect shelter, I will not be ready. My branches will be too far to block the rain or shield the sun.

So my dear friend. Will you get away from the world promoting idolatry like the Israelites, trading your glorious God for temporary things, and will you instead, draw near to God so He can reveal the beauty He wants to make with your life? Please do not wait for a Jeremiah to convict you. Get away and draw near.

Ruthless Faith

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As I sit in this middle row seat of a plane and stare out into the night sky after a two-day conference that I thought would make me feel exhausted from being rushed and packed to the brim with the late night and early morning schedule, I find myself in the completely opposite position. I feel relaxed, restored, and refilled. Don’t get me wrong, I was expecting to be filled by the Christian speakers, but the filling I thought I’d receive was more knowledge and discipline based versus the wisdom and…conviction, yes, but also encouraged fullness I feel now.

How interesting that slow is so foreign to me. As I sat at the conference and watched the “quick thirty minute break” become more like a forty five minute intermission, I realized that when there is fruit being produced, like there was in the deep conversations being had between the hundreds of sisters in Christ, rush and hurry becomes so distasteful. Yet it was how I lived out almost every one of my days.

It is in this moment that I realize what it may take to not just decently defend, but to attack and overcome the lies of the enemy.

Ruthless faith.

Scripture tells us that’s the devil watches and prowls around us like a vicious lion staring at little Bambi after a hot summer day and a growling stomach. So if the enemy tempts, plans against, and attacks us ruthlessly, is the only way to claim victory to be ruthless back?

In Exodus 3, God gives directions to the Israelites on how to literally “plunder” the Egyptians. Sounds pretty ruthless to me, but if it’s from God, we should consider why it was necessary.

The Egyptians were initially living right beside the Israelites without an issue. That was until they began growing (aka. fulfilling Gods promise of becoming as numerous as the stars). When the Egyptians realized the power of the Israelites numbers, they began enslaving them. Hmm. Sound familiar?

When we begin pursuing God’s will in our lives, it is not uncommon that we also begin facing some pretty harsh attacks from the enemy. And sometimes, he will do it in the most subtle ways possible. It starts with a busier schedule, a sickness, or maybe a big fork in the road with no clear direction. Whatever it may be, it is intended to distract you from God.

So how exactly does God guide the Israelites to respond to such a ruthless attack? Well, as we see in verse 22, He calls them to plunder. But not in the way you may be thinking.

When God says “so you shall plunder the Egyptians”, He first says, that because of the hardship their enemy will give them, He will stretch His hand over them and drop some miraculous wonders. So if this was in a step order; step one is to step back, listen, and watch God as you invite Him into your circumstance.

Once He claimed to take the first action, He promises redemption and provision in verses 19-20. So here’s your second step; pursue a confidence in God’s faithfulness through reading His word, praying, and replacing your doubts with His truth. You cannot have faith in the promises you never read about.

And the last thing God says to do in order to plunder the enemy is to walk out in faith. He calls the Israelite women to wholeheartedly trust that He has brought compassion into the Egyptians hearts and because of that, He tells them to boldly ask those Egyptians; not for water or something understandable like some new sandals for the trek their about to make. Nope. God tells them to ask for silver, gold, and clothing. Crazy, I know. But there’s your last step; walk boldly in the promise of God, even when it seems insane and unlikely to lead to success.

That my dear friends is how you ruthlessly plunder the enemy. Empty yourself in humility and replace your doubt, anxiety, loneliness, depression, pride, and fear with a confidence in Christ. Listen intently, wait on your cue, build up a truth-centered faith, and walk confidently in the faithfulness of your all-loving God.

If there’s anything I learned on this trip, it is how easy we let the enemy fill our lives with distraction after distraction in the mask of productivity. I experienced fruit during the slow…something I was always taught was impossible. Now I can never look at my days the same after getting a glimpse of freedom.

How bad do you want to live in the way God intended you to? Be ruthless, but ruthlessly biblical.

Freed From The Lie Of Comfort – Stopping Fear from Being Your God

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 “And Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?'”

Judges 4:14

Debora was a prophetess and judge in the Old Testament. One day, she confronted a man named Barak, asking why he has yet to make a move after being promised victory over a battle. In response, Barak said “if you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” Deborah knew the importance of obeying God and the power that followed His promises…so she went.

This was no easy battle. During this time, the Isrealites were being pursued by a man named Sisera and his great army. But to Deborah, she was willing to get involved because of her confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness. He promised to make a way, and she had full faith in His word.

Long story short, after a miraculous battle that not one of Sisera’s men survived, Sisera took His last breath as a woman named Jael, hammered a tent peg through his temple. Graphic, I know. But if you can manage to look past the gory ending of this story, you will see three people who stepped out of their comfort zone and one amazing God who has yet to break His promises.

Barak: a man whom hesitated because of his unbelief, yet eventually stood strong against an army that logic would claim he had no chance at beating.

Deborah: a woman who believed in the promises of God and carried the burdens of her friend because of her faith in God’s guidance.

Jael: a woman whom knew the Lord’s people have been hurt and the man guilty of doing so was about to get away, so she stepped out, risking her reputation and her own safety for the sake of protecting the people of God.

More often than not, I feel as though we look at Barak, Deborah, and Jael as people with a unique bravery. As God calls us to new assignments we hesitate, move slowly, or refuse to make a move until it is forced upon us. When we find comfort in a circumstance, people, or thing, it is not common to want to give that up. I too, find myself exhausted of change, leading me to hold tightly to any breeze of comfort that passes my way. To the world, it is a beautiful thing to get to the point in your life where you can claim “you’ve made it”. But to God, that belief is the beginning of your self-imprisonment.

Last year, college was not a place I would consider joyful or beneficial. I struggled a lot with making friends, finding jobs related to my major, and building connections with teachers. So as this summer went along, I was convinced this year would be exactly like the last. As the days got closer to moving back on campus, I began to tell myself, “expect nothing different. This is just the life of an introvert.” But oh boy, was that a lie from the ruthless pit of hell.

Reading into stories like this one in Judges, God has begun to show me what it means to truly be free. Spoiler alert: it is found far beyond the walls of your comfort zone. We serve a God of new beginnings. What that means is that we no longer have to rely on the things of this world to bring us identity or security. God promises to be by our side in any and every circumstance. When we decide to become a child of God, a new seed is planted in us.

So this week I aimed to make things different. Waking up at seven o’clock in the morning to read my Bible before my day starts was not easy or comfy, but I wanted the discipline it produced. Going to my teacher after class and asking to meet for coffee and talk about how God lead her to where she is now nearly made me sick, but I wanted to know the peace and joy she gained over her career that sounds a lot like my dream. And accepting invites to hangout with a bunch of people I barely knew made my little introverted heart extremely terrified, but I wanted the to know the love and community God says is found in fellowship with others.

Was I tired of doing things alone most of the last few months? Not really. But I was a little tired of not seeing much fruit for God being produced. My comfort in the countless days alone gave me the idea that because I felt “good”, I didn’t need to change. But that is not how God calls us to live life.

The people in the story mentioned before stepped out in different ways. But what I want to focus in on is that they stepped out in ways that were unlike their norm for the purpose of bringing God glory.

It is not always easy to want to make a change in your life when the waters finally feel settled. But I think about the way God calls us to be anything but lukewarm in our faith. The moment we begin believing our life is “good enough” is the moment we stop expecting God to do wonders. It is only through stepping out in confidence of His power to remain unpredictable that we are truly available.

The last thing I want to live like is someone who thinks life is really about themselves. Although I am not a huge fan of change, it wasn’t until I forced myself to remember God’s promises and desire for obedience that I could walk through the muddy pit of fearing discomfort. In my living room reading just after sunrise, in class, and with friends, I pushed myself to do the unpredictable with an expectancy for God to do the same. Not because I think I deserve it, but because I know He already took care of my future and the only way I can live out His plans to the fullest is by living boldly with that trust.

Believe me. I know it is not easy to step out of your comfort zone. But as a witness to the goodness and faithfulness of our ever-present Father…there is no way I would ever want to go back to being surrounded by the walls built out of the lies of comfort.

So if you want to experience…

the blessing of being a blessing then serve others. Take the first step in building new friendships.

the confidence in your identity then lean into who God says you are through the renewing of your thoughts AND your actions.

the wisdom of God then reach out and find mentors, therapists, counselors, etc. and be consistent in that relationship.

discipline for God then force your actions to reflect that desire in your heart to obey those Christ-centered goals.

Freedom is what is found at the end of your comfort zone. Do not underestimate the wonders of the God. He is the same God who claimed victory over Sisera through Deborah, Jael, and Barak. Do not wait for a Deborah to confront you about your stillness. God made promise after promise to you about joy, hope, salvation, love, peace, etc. Until we become truly available to the endless possibilities God could do through us, we will always be tied down by the manipulative chains of “comfort”.