Category Archives: Spiritual growth

Trust and obey!

Posted on by under Faith, Psychology, Spiritual growth

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I have been fasting some this week, and I find that a little hunger makes me more mindful and alert. I am finding the value of the old dude’s recommendation in the little Og Mandino book, The Greatest Salesman in the World – keep an empty stomach and a full mind.

But even with a full mind, I can miss out on being mindful. Ironically, and a bit embarrassingly, my first daily times of being fully present and mindful were in my toilet time each morning. In those moments, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be! I was tuned in to my body and to God’s presence there with me. Evidently, He doesn’t mind stinky! 🙂

Sitting there, I could set aside my lifelong fear of missing out on God’s best. Growing up, no matter what I was doing, I was always thinking about something else, worried I was missing out. If I was playing with friends, I supposed I should be studying, and if I was studying, I wished to be playing with friends.

But now, things are changing. I am learning to surrender, and mindfulness is growing as I trust God to do His work in me and release my need for certainty and control.

As I learn it is not up to me to figure things out, but to be open and obedient, things are better. I am leaning in to the truth in the old hymn I learned as a child. “Trust and obey, trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do;
Where He sends, we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

This indeed is mindfulness, to operate out of a childlike trust and simply do what it occurs to us in that deep, sweet center of peace.

Love and peas!

Posted on by under Psychology, Spiritual growth, Uncategorized

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Eat your vegetables first!

Children need structure and encouragement to do unpleasant things so they can enjoy something better. “After you make your bed, you can go out and play.”

However, some of us were not disciplined well. We grew up in homes that were chaotic and unstructured, or our parents were rigid and heavy-handed so we tend to buck authority. Either way, we struggle as adults. We buy things, intending to pay for them later. We put off unpleasant tasks and avoid difficult conversations. We want dessert, without having to eat our veggies.

As it turns out, successful people and those who are unsuccessful dislike the same things. But if those things are important, successful people do them anyway. They give themselves rewards for accomplishment and consequences for procrastination. They do what it takes to achieve their goals and remove any obstacles that stand in the way.

Self-esteem grows with self-discipline. We feel better about ourselves when we make commitments and keep them. And the better we feel about ourselves, the more disciplined we are in the choices we make and the more empowered we are to follow-through. And in some cases, we begin to enjoy the process. We develop a taste for broccoli!

Discipline in childhood thrives in a loving and trusting relationship with a parent. But if you missed out, don’t despair! You have a loving heavenly Father who will discipline you as His beloved child. He promises great rewards when we trust and obey.

With His help, every day presents a fresh start. If we have gotten derailed in our progress, we can get back on track by asking the question, “What is the next right thing?”

And if we struggle with self-discipline, we can invite a friend, a sponsor or accountability partner to check on our progress. All of us have battles that can only be won when we invite someone into the trenches with us. We just have to set aside pride and ask for help.

So declare your intention! Let God know what you want and structure your day so you get the unpleasant task out of the way first. Discipline is not fun, but when we have done the work, we have time for play!

Eat your vegetables first!

 

 

Cracked!

Posted on by under Faith, Spiritual growth

My cracked windshield is a reminder!

Soon after we got our Dodge Durango, I was on my way to work when another vehicle pulled out in front of me. In doing so they were discourteous, so I had to apply the brakes to avoid hitting them. That irked me and provoked the kind of ire that made me wish I could express my indignation directly.

I’m sure I let myself get too close and their truck threw a stone into my windshield. It was no small ding and once again I felt my anger rising. Now I really wished to ram the rear of their machine!

The crack was too big to repair and dropping temperatures the next morning spread the crack the full length of the windshield. Thankfully, it is at the bottom of the glass, so it does not interfere with driving. It is, however, a poignant reminder of my need to be meek.

I struggle relinquishing control. I resist limitations, and I often run late. I don’t like it when people are thoughtless or unkind, so I lose my peace in the face of circumstances that impinge on my freedom or comfort.

This desire for control of my life and others I call the master mind. It is the temptation I face every day to do life on my own terms and to take matters into my own hands. It shows up in my need to be right and my reflexive justification for my actions. It reveals itself in the anger I feel when my personal agenda is thwarted.

Now I like to see the crack in my windshield as God’s loving attempt to keep my attention. He uses it to remind me to slow down, to trust Him, and to exchange my master mind for a servant’s heart. It’s a big challenge for one who likes to be certain and to figure things out. But day by day, I am finding joy and delight when I surrender to him and approach each moment with curiosity openness, acceptance and love.

And when I do, I raise my gaze heavenward with gratitude and love. And when I look up, I can find peace again and look beyond that windshield with its crooked crack.

Don’t Look Back!

Posted on by under Faith, Psychology, Spiritual growth

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It’s that time of year we tend to look back, celebrating milestones and happy events, grieving losses of the year that has been. This can be valuable, but there is a risk: it is easy to slip into regret and self-judgment.

In contrast to repentance, which allows us to feel grief about choices and chart a better course, regret and remorse tend to bury us in shame and condemnation. While repentance changes us for good; self-judgment fuels destructive actions.

As it turns out, looking back to second-guess our decisions is deadly. It undermines happiness and contentment with what we have and who we are. It can poison relationships and spoil our endeavors. It can leave us obsessing, “If only…” or “What if?” and make us blind to new possibilities.

Jesus describes hell as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” – a graphic description of regret. Of course, pain is appropriate when we have a bad outcome, but we never really know what would have been down that other fork in the road. Could’ve been better. Could’ve been worse.

Thankfully, though, we have a promise. It is God’s enduring and redemptive intention and action toward those who care for Him and His ways.

The other Paul reassures us – “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  – Romans 8:28 (NIV)  We know… in all things… God works!

If we take it to heart, Paul’s message is a huge relief for us who tend toward regret and who get mired in remorse. Rather than engage in second-guessing, we may indulge in ever blessing the goodness of God and His willingness to take whatever He is given and make it better.

Naturally, turning it over to Him is the tough part, but this is where the practice of looking ever forward helps us. As we keep our eyes on Him, we cultivate curiosity about what God will do with those vexing and disheartening aspects of our lives. If there is good to come of my bad, what could it possibly be?

Jesus reminds us of our need to keep our eyes fixed on the horizon. “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  – Luke 9:62

As we serve God, we learn to live out the same intention for good that He maintains. Whatever each day brings, we work in it for good. Each day, we release the past and strive with all the energy He gives to engage moment by moment with faith, hope and love.

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”                                                                                                                                               – Philippians 3:13,14

Press on, then, into this new year! And to fortify you, enjoy this old song that says it well –

Don’t Look Back!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!

Posted on by under Spiritual growth

Joy comes through growth. Being stretched in a healthy way feels good. Children know this instinctively, and they are always up for a new challenge.

Before we work out, stretching loosens us up and stimulates blood flow to the muscles. When we eat a meal, special muscle spindles stretch as the stomach fills, releasing chemicals that signal fullness and satisfaction.

In sexual arousal, tissues fill with blood. As they engorge, they stretch and become more sensitive to touch, so stretching promotes pleasure and allows for a connection of intimacy and oneness.

Probably the most extreme experience of stretching in the body is in childbearing. Pregnancy brings uncomfortable stretching, and in childbirth it can be excruciating, yet stretching allows for one of God’s greatest gifts to be born. In a similar way, spiritual and emotional stretching makes room for life.

Makarios, the Greek word we translate “blessed”, is the first word of every beatitude. It refers to a profound sense of well-being, but it also implies enlarging or stretching. The root mak is opposite of the root micro.There is no doubt that walking the path of the Beatitudes stretches us and enlarges our capacity to love.

Is God stretching your faith, your patience or persistence? Rather than resisting, lean into it. He wants His life to grow in you. For like pregnancy, spiritual growth is difficult, but the new life it brings is worth it!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H and release!