Tag: Jacqui Stoner

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WORDS, WORDS, WORDS!

Last week, my wife got very upset with me. After she was done ‘instructing” me about what I did wrong, I gave up and didn’t say a word in response. Of course, she came back with her usual response: “Words, use your words, what are you saving them for?” I really didn’t have any words to share (at least none that were a reasonable excuse), and so once again I was guilty of not communicating.

Once again, my lack of words didn’t accomplish anything, unlike somebody else’s words. Yeah, you know Who I’m talking about: God. He is the great Communicator. God uses words. God said, “Let there be light.” Thus, light was created. And when He used the words “Let there be an expanse between the waters”, guess what, there was an expanse between the waters. God created everything in the world by speaking; His words are incredibly powerful. (Genesis 1:3-8)

SURPRISE! GOD USES WORDS!

Words are used to both create and to destroy, as when God said to Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge. “For when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 3:1-19). Adam ate, and death descended upon creation.`

POWER OF WORDS

What flows out of our mouths can create wonderful relationships, as when a person piles on praise to a friend. Words can also destroy, as when someone shares criticism and shame with a young person who is simply trying to please. We are all responsible for the words we use and exactly what words we choose. Are our words building people up, or are we tearing people down?

WORDS ABOUT WORDS

Several proverbs are rich in ways that will help us to communicate with others. Solomon writes, “When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, but he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19). Let’s face it, some people talk too much. Others don’t say enough (yes, I’m guilty).

Words can help to heal a broken heart. They can encourage someone who is depressed and lonely.  Words can be used to unify or decimate a relationship. “The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted). (Proverbs 10:31-32).

POWER OF YOUR WORDS

When speaking to others, think about what you are saying. Are you building others up or are you tearing them down? Are you encouraging someone with your words, or are you just causing doubt to keep them from doing what God wants them to do?  You may not be able to create the sun, the wind, or the earth with your words, but you can help people to see Jesus through the kind and loving words of forgiveness and hope. So, the next time your spouse says, “Use your words”, go ahead (hopefully with wisdom). Make someone’s day!

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THE FIRST PICK

Imagine a competition of millions of contestants. The Disciples are to be picked by superstar judges on national TV. If the qualifications are hot tempers, impulsiveness, brashness, cowardness, and subpar education, Peter is a shoo-in. However, I don’t think that those qualities gain any points. Peter’s application does not make it to the first round.

PETER WOULD NOT MAKE EVEN THE LAST DRAFT

John F. Kennedy, one of our most famous presidents, was known for surrounding himself with the best and the brightest, characterized by youth, high-level academic credentials, intellectual capacity, and a blend of intense loyalty with diverse expertise. They were merit-driven, action-oriented individuals, frequently drawn from Ivy League institutions and business leaders. Peter would never be a candidate for Kennedy’s team.

WILLING TO FOLLOW

In Matthew 4:18-22 (NET) (AMP), Jesus did not call the greatest, the smartest, the best-looking, the strongest, or anything else. He chose the willing. What were they to do?  Follow. Shawne Thomas remarks, “For those first disciples, ‘following’ Jesus meant literally, physically, leaving where they were and following Him wherever He went. They left their jobs, they left their nets, they left their families, they left their priorities, they left their plans, they left everything, to follow Jesus.”

JESUS’ FIRST PICK….NOT HIS LAST

They were Jesus’ first pick. I’ve never been first pick for anything. Be astounded, Jesus calls you! He wants you! John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Jesus picks His disciples, His followers, to fish. “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” To follow Jesus doesn’t just mean to walk behind Him, but to go the way He is going, do the things that He does, and act the way He acts.  His followers participate in Divine fishing.

Where are His fishing grounds? Jesus did not tell the Disciples where He was going. Every day was new as Jesus healed, helped, taught, and carried out the mission the Father sent Him to accomplish. For those of us who like everything nicely laid out and explained, following Jesus is a wild ride. It can be scary. Just like the first disciples, genuine Jesus followers are challenged beyond their natural skills, strengths, and abilities. God gives us people and situations that stretch us beyond the scope of our imagination.

JESUS’ FIRST PICK

What are you willing to leave behind to follow Jesus? Hopes and dreams? Hurts and resentments? Money and time? Friends and stuff? Jesus calls you to a life that fulfills God’s purpose. God promises to equip us to be Jesus’ followers fully. We must leave our baggage behind. The key is to be willing to let go, follow, and obey. Maybe no one in this world would pick you for Jesus’ team, but the Savior beckons you. You are His first pick. Will you follow?

For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  (2 Peter 1:1-11)

Click to read more on becoming equipped as a disciple.

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GOD IS IN THE HOUSE

The sign read, “Apartment for Rent”, advertising the unit below us.  In the entire year the tenant lived under us, we never heard a peep.  He moved in as a stranger and stayed a stranger.  One day, I tried to exchange names but was met with hostility. Worse yet, what if he had been our housemate? What if he shared our apartment, our furniture, our utilities, our conversations, and our life?  Both his arrival and departure would have affected our lives.  Our time living together would have been awkward (to say the least!) Quickly, I would have removed the welcome mat.

THE NEW NEIGHBOR

John 1:1-14 describes someone whose entrance into the world rocked the existence of mankind. He is the divine Housemate. This new neighbor is called “The Word”. If the Word had to fill out an application to live with us, he would list His previous address as heaven. As for references, He would list God. According to John, this new tenant sent shockwaves across the universe. He rocked the world. Another name for the Tenant is: “Immanuel” (God with us).

VISIBLE PRESENCE OF GOD AMONG MEN

The Old Testament describes God living in the midst of His people. The Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple both contained the “Holy of Holies,” also called by Jewish rabbis the “Shekinah Glory, the visible presence of God among men”. God decided to dwell among a people who rarely loved or fully devoted themselves to Him.  In the Book of John, God again pitches His tent, but this time the Tent is in human form, Immanuel. Spurgeon warns us about our attitude toward the new Neighbor, “Do not let us live as if God were a long way off.” 

GOD’S FAVOR TOWARD THE UNWORTHY

Immanuel did not come as judge and executioner. All of us were already guilty before Him and doomed to everlasting punishment. John Piper writes: “The Word, the Son, who is God, became flesh to reveal a divine glory that is full of grace and truth. The Word of God became flesh to be gracious to us.” “Grace” is “God’s favor toward the unworthy”. In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, even though we don’t deserve to be treated well or dealt with generously. Piper continues, “The Word became flesh so that this graciousness to us would come in accord with God’s truthfulness. This is expensive grace. The price led straight to Jesus’ death on the cross. In fact, this is why he became flesh. He had to have flesh in order to die.”

GOD WANTS TO DWELL WITH YOU

God wants to permanently dwell with us through Immanuel. You don’t have to fight to make a connection with this new Neighbor; invite Him in. He will come to you, and nothing will ever remain the same. God is in the House! This Neighbor rocks my world. He lives in my apartment, my heart, my soul.  He promises to never leave me or forsake me.  I don’t ever have to go searching for someone or something else. That spiritual advertisement announcing room for rent has gone down, because God makes His home with me for eternity. Have you invited Him in?

In case you want to read further about this New Neighbor, click Revelation 19:11-16

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MY PERFECT HOME

We experienced a torrential downpour, and Bill was away from home. I definitely heard water pouring somewhere inside the house, but no faucets were turned on. Finally, I checked the basement. To my horror, the deep window well was flooded. Water surged out from the cement block wall. We had only lived in the house for a month.

The previous owner lied in his disclosure paperwork. The list of major repairs needed in our home expanded month after month. Thus began my addiction to home improvement shows in which contractors transform the fractured into beautiful dwellings. However, plumbing, electrical, wear and tear, and catastrophes are part of this broken planet. Even after the best home improvements, something eventually breaks yet again.

MY MASTER BUILDER

We need a better builder and architect. When Jesus said,  “I am going away to make ready a place for you” (John 14:2-3), He was not referring to our home in Paradise, PA. The Master Carpenter and Creator of the Universe is at work this moment. Can you imagine me having this conversation:

“How did you find your new home’s architect and builder?”

“I found His name in an ancient book. He created the earth, the stars and galaxies, and everything that breathes. No need to check His references!”

NO FIXER-UPPERS IN HEAVEN

According to Revelation 21:1-8 (NET & AMP), Jesus’ work on our eternal homes is perfect. There are no “fixer-uppers” in Heaven. Not only will all things be fresh and original in the new heaven and earth, but they will permanently stay that way. Sin’s corruption, destruction, and decay will be nonexistent. I’ve never lived in a brand new house, let alone an eternal, perfect dwelling created by my Savior.

GOD HIMSELF WILL DWELL WITH US

Read about the neighborhood for these dwellings. “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. I cannot fathom such a place. And God’s plan is for me and all His children to live with Him? There won’t even be a housing shortage. Jesus designs everything perfectly!

A PLACE OVERFLOWING WITH JOY

Can you imagine the atmosphere in this new locale? It constantly overflows with joy. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

God desires above all to live among His people. God dwells permanently in the neighborhood! Even on my best day, people get tired of me (and rightly so). Yet God, Almighty God, desires to live in the midst of all his redeemed children. We won’t be broken anymore! No longer will sin follow us around like a ball and chain. We will be eternally free!

NO MORTGAGES IN HEAVEN

What is the cost of this new home? It is paid in full by the blood of Christ. I inherit my home from my Heavenly Father. “The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.  What is the alternative dwelling place for those who reject His gift? “The lake that burns with fire and sulfur.”

YOUR INVITATION

Do you long to dwell with God? Are you tired of the brokenness of this world?  Take heart, God has made His perfect plan. He has paid the price, there is no mortgage, and the invitation is open. Come to Him humbly, admit there is no way you can save yourself, and make Him your Lord and Savior. God wants you to dwell with Him where nothing ever breaks again.

Click to read more about the New Heaven and the New Earth

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COMMUNICATION THAT NEVER STOPS

Prayer. That’s a universal subject. It doesn’t matter what your faith is, your ethnicity, or who your parents are. Everyone can pray. Just the other day I saw a very famous actor on TV. He invited me to join him in prayer. It didn’t matter who I am, what my beliefs are or what god I worship. If you want to speak to someone who you believe will listen to you, why not get those requests in? No one turns down free stuff!

HOW DO I APPROACH GOD?

Okay, enough with the sarcasm. I am not trying to belittle the practice of prayer. It is the most important highway available to the child of God to communicate with Him. However, I am discouraged by the proliferation of people who push prayer and ignore all the other things that come before that, like a relationship with the God you are trying to speak with. If I am a child of God, how do I approach the very throne room of the Almighty of God? What should my attitude be? So often prayer is a last-ditch effort, and we take it for granted. But this otherworldly communication is a vital to our relationship with God.

COMMUNICATION WITH A SECOND GRADER

I was talking to a second grader the other week about his actions on the playground. He communicated to me that the ball hurled at his classmate’s head did not come from his hands. It must have been someone else who flung the ball. As much as the young fellow wanted me to believe that what I saw with my own eyes didn’t happen, his argument failed. His communication with me wasn’t based on facts, or sincerity, or even honesty. He just told me what he wanted me to hear. Too often our prayers are just that. We tell God our version of the facts and what we want to happen. We ignore the His truth and Word. Our relationship with God suffers.

CONVERSATION REFLECTS RELATIONSHIP

Communicating with God is like having a conversation with a friend, but it must be absolutely truthful. This is our vital exchange with the God of the Universe. Do you speak with your best friend only when you can fit it into your schedule? Is your conversation peppered with half-truths? Do you speak only to this friend when you need a favor? Maybe you don’t actually have a deep relationship with this person you call “friend”.

MORE THAN JUST COMMUNICATING WITH GOD

Prayer is more than just communicating with the Father; it is our way of demonstrating our love for Him and thanking Him for what He has accomplished in our lives. It is an ongoing practice which we humbly participate in. John Piper observed in The Pleasures of God, “Prayer is God’s delight because it shows the reaches of our poverty and the riches of His grace” Prayer reflects our relationship with God.

DAILY STEPS

Prayer is an excellent to practice daily. The Apostle Paul always let prayer shape his attitudes and desires. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Without prayer, he could never have become a spiritual giant. How do we practice this daily?

1. Come before Him in humility. Remember who it is that we are speaking with.

2. Approach Him consistently. Make your conversations a daily habit.

3. Come before Him and expect the supernatural; ask for what only God can accomplish and wants to accomplish in His will.

4. Always remember “We do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Go ahead, start communicating! This is the conversation that can change both your own life and everyone around you.

Read a great prayer model in Colossians 1:3-14.

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WHAT IS DEAD IS DEAD

Read: Romans 6:1-11

In the movie “Weekend at Bernie’s”, Larry and Richard are overjoyed to be invited to their boss Bernie’s luxurious getaway. However, upon arrival, to their horror, they discover Bernie’s dead body. Before they can call the authorities, guests arrive for Bernie’s weekend bash. To the pair’s amazement, the guests are too busy partying to notice Bernie is dead. Large sunglasses conceal his lifeless face. Fearing being implicated in Bernie’s death and wanting to enjoy the holiday, Larry and Richard maintain the illusion that Bernie is still alive. The guests respond to Bernie as if he were alive, but in reality, he is dead.

NO LONGER ME!

Did you know we are also dead? In Christ, believers are “those who have died to sin. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with.”  Romans teaches that we have been made dead to our previous master: sin. Yet we often still live as if sin is our overlord. Instead of running from our previous master, we invite sin in. It requires courage to live the reality of not being ruled by sin.

TYRANNY HAS BEEN BROKEN

There is the story of the early church leader Augustine being accosted by a woman who had been his mistress before his conversion. When he turned and walked away quickly, she called after him, “Augustine, it’s me! It’s me!” Quickening his pace, he called back over his shoulder, “Yes, I know, but it’s no longer me!”

Who are you in Christ? Do you daily choose to live as a child of God or do you hold tight to the old patterns of your life before Christ? The Apostle Paul wrote that he was “dead to sin and alive to God”.

William McDonald explains: “A dead man has nothing to do with immorality, lying, cheating, gossiping, or any other sin. The crucifixion of the old man at Calvary means that the body of sin has been put out of commission. The body of sin does not refer to the physical body. Rather, it means indwelling sin which is personified as a tyrant, ruling the person. This body of sin is done away with, that is, annulled or rendered inoperative as a controlling power. The last clause shows that this is the meaning: that we should no longer be slaves of sin. The tyranny of sin over us has been broken.” In Christ, for the first time in our lives, we have the choice to live totally alive to God.

AN HOURLY CHOICE

We do not have to let sin reign. This is a daily, hourly, and sometimes minute-by-minute decision for a believer. Who do I choose to make Lord over my life? It is often uncomfortable and difficult as my old master sin entices me into old patterns, old behaviors, and doing what comes naturally. “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”

LIVE FOR LIFE INSTEAD OF DEATH

Romans 6 uses the word “death” thirteen times. What is dead is dead. Bernie was dead, but his acquaintances refused to accept it. They enjoyed Bernie. Are you like Bernie with sunglasses concealing your choice to habitually live in the death Christ freed you from? Augustine would say, “RUN!!!!” Run to Jesus and make Him the Lord of your life. Live for life instead of death.

Click to read more on breaking the tyranny of sin.

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HE KNOWS MY PAIN

Read: Matthew 27:15-23 and Mark 15:6-15

Stinging words, withering looks, and trusted friends who choose to turn their backs on us. Actions are not confined just to middle school classrooms and high school hallways.  Perhaps you feel verbally crucified, though you are innocent. Is your reputation ruined unjustly because of others’ envy and resentment?  Are you mocked regularly for speaking the truth or doing the right thing?  These cause deep heartache! Jesus relates to your pain.

HE CHOSE TO EXPERIENCE MY PAIN

King Jesus did not live in a palace, pampered, rich, and insulated from life. He chose to experience pain.  Religious leaders regularly questioned and assaulted Jesus with words. One (crooked) leadership team tried to stone Him for speaking the truth (John 10:19-39). Several of Christ’s best friends fell asleep even though Jesus was under so much stress that He sweated blood.  Two of his closest friends betrayed him. Judas was the first to turn his back on Him. Peter later betrayed Him three times in one day. The crowd of enthusiastic supporters cheered for Him in Jerusalem, but three days later, chanted for His death.  Jesus, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:1-6), can relate to our pain. 

BOTH PRESENT AND FUTURE HOPE

The Lord chooses to enter our pain and experience it with us.  Author Ann Voskamp tells us that when we hurt, Jesus is right there with us, feeling what we feel, ministering to us with comfort and hope.  “He knows you need one arm stretched out, pointing to the hope beyond, and He knows you need another arm wrapping ‘round you, passionately holding on to you…Jesus passionately weeps for all the griefs of life here and now…[providing] both a future hope and a present, intimate comfort right where you are.” WOW!  That’s our God!!

HE HEARS MY CRY!

How are you hurting, feeling betrayed by life? Open your heart to His comfort.  He will faithfully weep with you and lift you up with a deep soul hope that only He can provide. Join the Psalmist: “I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3).

What painful circumstance or relationship are you currently experiencing? Take time to invite Jesus into your pain and pour your heart out to Him. What might Jesus’ response to you be as He identifies with your pain?

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JESUS, DON’T YOU CARE?

A “furious squall” overcomes the small vessel. Experienced fishermen scream in terror. The storm came out of nowhere with its sudden, violent, and intense burst of wind, accompanied by rain. The winds rapidly increase, visibility is zero, and the waves break over their craft. Will their boat soon be matchsticks? This is not a night to be caught out in the pitch-black water. No wonder they wake Jesus up and yell, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:35-40)

DON’T YOU CARE IF WE DROWN?

Last week Bill had yet more medical tests. The results gave no answers. The clock ticked slowly as we endured more time without a clear diagnosis. Doesn’t God hear? Doesn’t He care? “Jesus, “don’t you care if we drown?” The waves threaten to bury us.

More than just to my waves of fear, Jesus says to me, “Quiet! Be still!” Why am I so afraid? Does God plan to abandon us in the storm?

MY CHOICES

What are my choices? Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

THE DECISION

A friend recently reminded me that years ago, we went through a life season even more challenging than this one. God presented me with a choice. I could either roll up in a ball and give up, or I could begin declaring His Word, even if I do not feel it. Right now, I choose to trust. My emotions often do not line up, but with the Psalmist, I firmly declare: “I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3).

Jesus knows the waters we pass through. He knows the waves that threaten to drown us. He cares. I choose to sing.

“He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to Him and trust in the Lord.”

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IS KNOWING GOD A LOVE OR A PREFERENCE?

Read: Psalm 119:97-103

I enjoy watching basketball and baseball. I have an infatuation with the written word. Cheesesteaks, US coins, and Polish pottery are also on my list of passions. To get to know a person, try asking them what they cherish. To get to know my first graders better, I asked them what they love. They said they love me as their substitute (of course!)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREFERENCE AND LOVE

We may often say we love things, but they are often just our preferences. The students preferred me rather than the other substitute, whom they nicknamed the “Wicked Witch of the West”. Our relationship was not deep enough to venture into love. It was a preference, not love.

FULL THROTTLE LOVE

Remember when you first became a Christian and learned there were three words for love in the Bible?  The highest form is “agape”, which signifies our love for Jesus. It’s the kind of love that causes us to worship Him and to sacrifice our lives for Him. This type of love means Jesus is not just a preference (like a Heinz 57 variety among gods). This is full-throttle sacrificial love.  

LOVING JESUS = LOVING HIS WORD

What else are we supposed to love as believers? John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. If we love Jesus, Who is the Word, doesn’t that mean we are also to love the Word of God? When you read His Word, is it just a preference or because of a deep, enduring love? Does loving His Word change your life? Paul says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” If we love His Word, we learn, grow, teach each other, and are filled with gratitude. This can only happen when we understand the words of the Bible and how they relate to our everyday lives.

By studying the Bible, we begin to see the Word of Christ dwelling in us. God wants us to experience the richness that comes with loving and obeying His Word. How did Jesus regard God’s words?  New Testament scholar Scott McNight observes: “Whereas the Pharisees taught a love for the Torah, Jesus taught a Torah of love”.

3 INGREDIENTS TO UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD

How can we best understand and love the words of God? There are 3 key ingredients in understanding the Bible. The first ingredient is Observation. This involves reading the book several times and then asking some simple questions. Who wrote this? What was he trying to accomplish? Who is his audience? What was his theme? Just get a sense of what this book is about and love your time discovering it.

The next step is Interpretation. Ask, what does this mean for today? How does this relate to the other books of the Bible? What doctrines are presented in this passage? What is God saying and teaching you about Himself?

And finally, the third step is Application. How should I respond to this text? How can my love for Jesus grow through the application of this passage to my life? For example, Ephesians says we should “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). When we take the time to study the Word of God, we will be able to speak the truth and do so in love!

Again, you may have preferences for a lot of earthy things, but until you love God and His Word, you will be missing the greatest love of them all. Truly loving God and His Word will transform your own life and the lives of those around you.

Suggested reading: Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible by Michael F. Bird

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SETTLING FOR LESS

I wanted more from God, but I settled for less of Him. I threw myself into teaching more women, leading more choirs, organizing more musical performances, and obtaining more education. If one receives a medal for “More”, I would have won it. At the same time, I spent less time being still. There I was, running hellbent toward the cliff’s edge of busyness, regardless of the cost. My husband was a pastor. We spent every Sunday proclaiming hope while quietly wondering where ours went. If you expected us to jump higher, we did so. We thought this was what God wanted and settled for it.

I settled for less quiet, less time with our sons, and fewer dates with my spouse. Worst of all, I settled for less of God. I did, and I did, and I did for years. Looking back, I don’t know how I sustained the pace. You name it, it was probably on my resume. The price was high: damaged relationships, continual exhaustion, and stolen joy. Someone said, “If the devil can make you do bad, he will make you do busy.” I thought I was getting to know Jesus better. I was busy, but I knew Him less.

And then God gradually swept it all away beginning in 2011. The pastorate went up in smoke, my deep involvement in directing and teaching music faded away, and women’s ministry exited with the church. And there we were, the calendar empty. Our busyness turned to ashes.

What did God do? Where was He amidst this? I know what I wanted Him to do: to fill our lives with all the activities we had before. God didn’t listen to me. Instead, He pulled me further and deeper toward the solitary life. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is hard for someone who is a creative workaholic. I cried. God laughed. He finally caught my attention.

God tugged and lugged me into Himself. It was not a pretty sight. I resisted and wanted my calendar full. My heart grieved with a lack of purpose. What was my identity? That’s when I began taking long walks. I printed out verses and memorized them. “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:1-2). God told me to wait. He irritated and annoyed me. Slowly, He untangled my iron grip around my former life so I could grasp the fuller life. I thought that busyness was more. In God’s eyes, it was less.

On paper, my present life appears empty in comparison. Rarely am I on stage, I don’t run marathon music programs, the number of women I disciple is limited, and my voice is muted. Surprisingly, I find my new life far richer than the old. I spend time with Jesus, not because I’m preparing to teach a Bible study, but because Jesus and I are having coffee together. I talk to Him, not because it is the expected thing to do, but because He is the One Who constantly loves me. His words pull and stretch me far beyond my comfort zone; they are amazing. I write for hours, not because my audience is huge, but His voice whispers to me. I coach writers not because I’m the best teacher, but because others also need to discover their voices. The quiet of this path is right where He wants me.

All those years, I settled for less. Thank God, He robbed me of activity and gave me Himself.

Click to read more about how “being still” can impact your life.