Category: Encouragement

Categories
anxiety

I’m Taking a Break!

I just wanted to update you all that I will be taking a break from my blog to focus on free writing. I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I’m finished!

I’ve been studying the topic of soul care, and as I’ve asked the Lord how I can better take care of my soul, I felt that the Lord was leading me to focus more on the inward places of my heart. To be completely honest, my writing has felt surface level, and part of that is because I’m afraid of what my audience will think of me. I also don’t want to give too much information, to a point where you’re cringing and wondering, Why did she just say that? The only cure for that is to learn to listen to the voice of God, and to pray about what He wants me to write. So, I’m going to take the next couple of weeks to write from my heart, in my journal, and away from the public eye. I’m also going to be making some minor changes to my novel and sending it out for approval!

If you have benefited from this blog thus far, here are some ways you can stay connected with me:

  • Read my content from the last couple of years. I’ve been writing on this blog since 2014! I’m sure there’s something you haven’t read yet.
  • Share my posts with those around you. You might have been blessed from reading one of my posts, but maybe you have a friend or family member who could use some encouragement as well.
  • Leave a comment! I’m literally fishing for compliments. Please leave me a note of encouragement to let me know that you’ve been blessed by my blog. Your motivation is the fuel that keeps me going. I’d also love to hear if you have any topics you’d like me to discuss.

See you soon!

Categories
anxiety

Crazy Favor

The other day, I went to a Chinese auction, completely not expecting to go to one when I had woken up that morning. It was my mom’s ticket, but she was unable to go, so she gave it to me for free. Since I’d had a panic attack at work, I wasn’t sure I’d be up to going. But my sister was going, and one of our good friends was hosting the event, so I slid out of my comfy pants, put on my jeans, and drove twenty minutes to the auction.

I didn’t want to stay at home and “rest,” because I’ve learned that just because I’m home doesn’t mean I’m resting. I’ll find stuff to do, like wash the dishes, put clothes away, or organize my closet. As a matter of fact, while I was listening to a podcast about how to deal with burnout as a writer, I was putting clothes away! There was no way I was going to get any rest at home, so I figured that a little getaway might be good for me.

When I finally found my sister in the crowds, we caught up, put our stuff down, and placed our tickets for the auction. For those who have never been to a Chinese auction, there are multiple prizes you can win. When you walk through the door, they hand you a sheet full of about twenty tickets. You can place as many tickets as you want in the box/bag for whatever prize catches your eye. They had some nice prizes, so I put a handful of tickets in a couple of good ones.

Although I wasn’t set on winning any particular prize, my sister had her eye on this kitchenware set that contained bowls, servers, and plates. I imagined her winning this prize, and seeing the excited look on her face putting it into her car.

Finally, it was time to give away the prizes. We excitedly held our tickets and leaned over the top step. Our friend read each ticket number, and no matter who won, my sister and I clapped for them. Then, we reached a prize where I had put in a couple of tickets. Wow, wouldn’t it be great if I won? Long story short, that night, I won not one, not two, not three, but four times! I felt so guilty that I had won multiple times, especially because I was only allowed at the event because of a sheet of tickets that my mom paid for me (and a sheet of tickets my sister also paid for me).

Anyway, that night, I learned about the favor of God. We don’t deserve it, but when we receive it, we receive it with gratitude and praise. Sure, I strategically placed the tickets in, but I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for my mom giving me the ticket. People were criticizing me, which reminds me that people might make me feel guilty for having the blessings that God has given me.

Oh, and by the way, my sister did get that prize. And despite all four prizes I won, the best was seeing the look on her face and hearing her excited squeal as she ran over to receive her prize. I imagine that’s why God loves to bless us. He loves it when we show gratitude for what He has given us. He loves to show us favor.

Romans 8:28 tells us that God works everything out for the good of those who love Him. God’s favor means that in each and every situation, He is looking out for our best interest. It’s amazing to me that God can have both our individual situations and His grand design for the universe in mind.

As I’ll share more next week, the favor of God does not always look the way that we expect. The day after the Chinese auction, my husband and I woke up to no hot water, and snow coming down fast and hard while I had to bring him to work early. I know I have no right to complain when there are people around the world without hot water, cars, or jobs, but when I’d a wonderful experience like I had the other day, and then the next day I’d hit all those road blocks, I started to wonder, Was I wrong about God’s favor? Next week, I’ll be sharing more about what I’ve learned. Until then, share your thoughts below:

What does the favor of God look like to you? Where have you seen God’s favor in your life?

Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

Praying for Your Spouse

Today, I was in a stressful situation at work that sent me into panic mode (which rarely happens at this job, thank God!). I sent a quick text to Lenny and told him how I was feeling. He sent me a text back that he was praying for me. Just knowing that he was on my side and that he cared enough to lift me up in prayer made my anxiety seem less intimidating.

Every night, before we kiss each other goodnight, my husband and I ask each other, “How can I pray for you?” Making that intentional time to pray for my spouse has helped us stay close by reminding me what is going on in his life. It also continually brings our relationship to God, who ultimately gives us success in our marriage.

In the beginning of this blog series, I told you that it’s tempting to pray for God to change our spouses. That’s why we have to remember to pray for ourselves first. Jesus says that we must examine the plank in our own eyes before trying to remove the speck from someone else’s (Matthew 7:5). When we pray for our spouses, an attitude change needs to take place; we need to develop an attitude of humility. If you come to God as if you’re perfect, you will try to manipulate God into fixing your spouse. However, if you remember that you are just as in need of grace as your spouse is, you can approach prayer for your spouse in a way that actually helps him to change.

A couple of years ago, I shared about how much I wanted to control my husband, but how controlling him doesn’t work. If I tell him what I want him to do, eventually, he does it. I’ve learned over the years that Lenny is more laid back than I am, so while I want things done now as if the world is going to end tomorrow, Lenny knows that they don’t have to get done right now. I wanted to change this about my spouse, but I realized that he has been teaching me how to rest. Instead of having a neat house and being a nervous wreck, I’ve found comfort in having a little mess if that means I’m less anxious.

In this moment, there’s a pile of clean clothes on our couch that need to be hung up and put in our closet (and while I always joke about my husband leaving his socks on the floor, this is a real story!). Although it’s bothering me that there’s a mess within a fifteen-foot radius of me, I’ve learned, through my husband, that typing this blog post for you and doing what I love (writing!) is more important than having a clean house. I’m not going to be a slob and leave my stuff everywhere, but I am going to recognize that sometimes, there are more important things in life than being tidy.

I share that story with you because, if I had nagged my husband and prayed to God for him to want to do the chores more often, I would have never learned how to rest. That’s why searching our heart is so essential for praying for our spouses. We don’t want to pray for God to fix our spouses, but for God to bring out the best in our spouses.

In this case, when I would pray for Lenny, instead of praying for him to help me around the house every once in a while, I could thank God that he feels safe in the home that we’ve created, and that he would continue to carry God’s peace everywhere He goes. My perspective has changed. I’ve noticed that he likes to work when he can, but he knows when to rest. I need to continue to learn that as well.

So, in praying for your spouse, I would encourage you to think about what draws out the best in your spouse. Pray for a new perspective for your spouse, and maybe what is bothering you about your spouse is actually a good quality. God can use what is different about your spouse to change you as well.

Photo by Caroline Veronez on Unsplash

Categories
anxiety

Pessimism is NOT Realistic!

I generally tend to be optimistic. However, in light of my optimism, people tell me that I’m sometimes unrealistic. And when people look at the negative side, they tend to tell me that they’re just being realistic.

One day, when I was in college, I looked outside and said, “Wow, it’s a beautiful day outside. The sun is shining, and the clouds are white and puffy!”

Without hesitation, my friend said, “Yeah, well, it’s going to rain tomorrow.” So, basically, the sun isn’t going to last.

This short scene from my college days reminds me that “pessimistic” is not a synonym for “realistic.” I chose to focus on the positive, that it was a beautiful day and that the sun was shining. My friend chose to focus on the negative, that the sun wasn’t going to last and the rain was coming tomorrow. Both were true, but which one did I choose to focus on? The one that made me happier.

Life is all about perspective. For example, my apartment is both a great place to live and a terrible place to live. Our little home is clean, spacious, and affordable, but we also have noisy neighbors, and it’s a little far from our friends and family. Everything I told you is real and true, but because our apartment is neutral, I choose to focus on the positive. We truly are blessed to have such a great place!

By definition, optimism is: “the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.” On the other hand, by definition, pessimism is: “the belief that the evil and pain in the world are not compensated for by goodness and happiness” (both definitions are from Dictionary.com). So, in essence, pessimists believe that the evil in the world outweighs the goodness. While the world isn’t perfect, I know that God has given us power to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). God is good, and He is the all-powerful, Almighty God. There is no power greater than His. To believe that God is not enough to overcome the evil in front of us, is to be a true pessimist. It doesn’t sound too faithful, though, does it?

Ultimately, we don’t know the future. Only God does. If we claim that our situation will definitely get worse, we are taking the place of God. Sure, our circumstances can make us believe that the future isn’t bright, but God is in control. Whether it rains or shines tomorrow, let’s thank God for the sunshine He’s put in our lives today.

Photo by LIU HSUAN YU on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

Prayers for the Impossible

Three years ago, I wrote a post on Facebook:

“Sometimes we go through impossible situations so that we could truly know and believe that nothing is impossible with God.”

How appropriate for the conversation I want to have with you today about impossible prayers!

Think of the impossible situations in your life. I want you to really think: If God could answer any prayer in my life, what would I pray for? What fears would He remove? Which ways would He provide? Which miracles would He perform in your midst? Which blessings would He pour out on you?

Maybe you’re saving for a house, and your budget is tight. Maybe you’re pregnant, and you don’t know how you and your spouse are going to do this whole parenting thing. Maybe you have a house full of kids and you are still overwhelmed. Maybe God is calling you to start a ministry or serve in your local church, but you feel totally under qualified. Maybe you just aren’t on the same page as your spouse, and the happily ever after you expected is never going to come true for you.

Whatever impossible situation you’re facing, God can make a way. God is healer. God is provider. God is our wonderful counselor.

It’s not a prosperity gospel thing to say that nothing is impossible with God. He can and will answer the impossible prayers that we pray. He wants us to trust Him with the obstacles in our lives, especially if He is calling us to go through them.

Steven Furtick said in his book Sun Stand Still, “…if the size of your vision for your life isn’t intimidating to you, there’s a good chance it’s insulting to God.” God wants us to come to Him boldly, fully believing and expecting Him to do the impossible in our lives. If you are a follower of Christ, you are living by faith daily. And when you follow God and learn to listen for His leading, He will not lead you astray.

The same God who fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish can provide for you and your family.

The same God who multiplied the oil in the empty jars of the widow can give you everything you need to take on this next step of your life.

The same God who made the Sun stand still (a scientifically impossible task) can still the storm raging in your heart right now.

The same God who sacrificed His Son for us, and raised Him to life, will resurrect and restore your broken relationship.

When praying for the impossible, I must warn you that it will be uncomfortable. You might feel spoiled at first, or even unworthy. But remember that in Christ, who is our Great High Priest, we can have boldness and confidence to approach the throne of grace, to find mercy and help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

With that in mind, begin to pray for the impossible task that God has called you to accomplish:

Name the impossible. Put a name to what you want God to do. Really, think about the most impossible situation that comes to mind, something that aligns with what God is currently working on in your life. I gave you some suggestions above. For us, it’s having direction, provision, and unity of heart for our next living situation. Be specific, not because God needs to know the desires of your heart, but because you do.

Ask God. It’s that simple. Truthfully, if God has put this desire in your heart, it is part of His will for you to have it. It may not be exactly what you expect, but it will be exactly what God intended for you. Simply ask God for whatever you listed above.

Do I have a part to play? We need to take responsibility for the impossible situations that God has called us to overcome. Using our example of saving for a house, we’re not just sitting around waiting for a check to come in the mail. Lenny and I are both working and tightening our budget so we’re saving as much as we can each month. It’s not that God can’t give us a check in the mail, but He wants us to be invested in the life that He has given us.

Find accountability. I find it powerful to speak the impossible prayer to a friend. That way, you’re not just asking for it from God; you’re believing for it by declaring it to someone else. Over the weekend, I told a couple of my friends about our exact plan for saving for a house, and how we wanted God to provide. My friends each stated their agreement with our prayer, and now I know they are all praying for us as we take on this task.

Photo by Giorgio Parravicini on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

Prayers for Eyes to See

Marriage is hard. It’s not impossible, and it’s definitely worthy of fighting for, but marriage really is a fight. It’s a fight against our own will, against our spouse’s idiosyncrasies, and against what society expects of us.

The hardest part of marriage is that you realize that your Prince Charming, or your Queen, is a human. A human who burps, says the wrong thing sometimes, and leaves his socks on the floor (in all seriousness, I left my socks on the floor yesterday!). A human who talks too much, nags sometimes, and leaves her hair ties everywhere.

We need to pray for eyes to see our spouses the way that God sees them.

God made man and woman in His image (Genesis 1:27). When God created us and put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He called His creation “very good” (v. 31). In light of that knowledge, doesn’t that make our spouse a little more valuable in our eyes? But instead of focusing on that, we tend to focus on their flaws, slip-ups, and imperfections.

Since the Fall of man, it is true that we are not perfect. We have been stained by sin, and the image of God has been distorted in us. But by the grace of Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross 2,000 years ago, we now wear the righteousness of Christ when we accept Jesus as our Master. Now, when God looks at us, He looks at us with grace. We are no longer marred with sin in His eyes; instead, we are His precious, beloved children.

Are you viewing your spouse with grace, or with judgment? Are you nitpicking his every mistake, or are you choosing to look past his imperfections? Choose today to pray for eyes to see your spouse the way that God sees him.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some Biblical tips to help you pray:

Search your own heart. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus tells us to remove the plank in our own eyes before we judge the speck in our brother’s eye. Before you say a word about the faults in your spouse, think about your own faults. As I mentioned before, God looks at you with grace. Forgive your spouse as the Lord has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). When you realize how much God loves you and how much He has forgiven you, it makes it easier to overlook your spouse’s shortcomings.

Make a list of what you love about your spouse. Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective. Your spouse may seem like a loser, but that’s only because you’re focusing on his flaws. Focus on what makes him a winner. Write down a list of things you love about your spouse. Think especially back to why you first married him. Thank God for this person that He has given you, the one who will be doing life with you from now until the day you die.

Surrender your idiosyncrasies to God. Admittedly, I’m a control freak, and I often want to fix everything about my spouse (truthfully, there isn’t much to fix!). But I’ve realized in the twenty-six months we’ve been married that I can’t fix him, nor can I control him. What I can control is how I respond to his shortcomings. If I find some flaws more difficult to overlook than others, I need to let them go and surrender them to God. You can tell God how you feel about your spouse, but ultimately, you need to get to a place where you put the issue in God’s hands.

Choose grace for your spouse. Grace is a choice, and it’s a choice more easily made when the God of grace is with you. In light of all that we have discussed, choose to have grace-colored glasses when you look at your spouse. You’ll find that whatever bothered you about him is no longer as apparent.

Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash

Categories
anxiety

The Price of a Woman

This post may be inappropriate for those under age 18 due to the subtle mention of sexual language. Reader discretion is advised.

Yesterday was Shine a Light on Slavery Day, a day to promote the #EnditMovement (Did you wear your red X?). Today, I’m ready to share how I feel about human trafficking, not only in the United States, but all over the world.

For those who don’t know, human trafficking is “the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation” (Google Dictionary). Not only does modern day slavery involve sexual exploitation, but it also involves unfair wages for laborers, physical and emotional abuse, and a debt that can never be repaid. Young men come to America in hopes that they will have the money to support their families back home, but when they arrive, their new owners put them to intense work, often sexually abusing them and refusing to pay them. Young women are enticed by men who promise to give them a good life, only to sell them into prostitution and make their lives living nightmares.

After praying and doing my research, I realize that we all have a part to play as the body of Christ in tackling this issue. My part may not be traveling around the world, busting down brothel doors, rescuing innocent babies, and counseling victims of human trafficking. However, my part may be writing about it. God has given me the gift of writing, so I intend to use it for His glory, to further His Kingdom.

Think about it: there are 40 million people in slavery today around the world. Including in your backyard. Including in the sweat shops that make your clothes. Including in that sketchy hole-in-the-wall store around the corner from you. Like little ugly cockroaches, these pimps are everywhere, and if we continue not to do anything, they will multiply.

When we first hear about human trafficking, it may seem overwhelming. How can we stop such a dangerous industry? Well, as a writer, I hope to offer you some practical tips that you can start doing today.

At every For King and Country concert, Joel Smallbone talks about their song “Priceless.” He says that the human trafficking industry is all about supply and demand. As long as there are men who look at pornography and buy the services of a prostitute, there will always be a need for sexual exploitation. However, I also believe that women also gain from this. Obviously, there are women who look at pornography and buy the services of prostitutes (and there are also males who are sexually exploited), but I’m talking about a different type of satisfaction. Many of the women who are brought into this industry feel worthless. Sometimes, their families even sell them as sex slaves because they do not have the money to support them. As I mentioned before, boys will woo these women by buying them jewelry and cars and making them feel valuable.

So, what can we do today? Let’s start with the simplest (not the easiest) step, and then move on from there.

First of all, every woman needs to know her worth. From the time a girl is born, she needs to be told that she is priceless. No one can put a price on her. She is beautiful, she is loved, and she is enough. Start to see people as those who bear God’s image, not as those who can be sold for any dollar amount. That is the first step, but I believe it is the fundamental step to seeing any real change in this industry.

You can also pray. International Justice Mission sends out a prayer letter e-mail. Pray for victims all over the world, and pray about how God can use you. You can also give financially to the work that International Justice Mission and other organizations are doing. Some organizations even have short-term trips where you can see this evil first-hand (definitely prepare your heart for that!).

If you feel led to do something more tangible, such as breaking into that sketchy store and bringing the exploited workers into your home, I suggest that you read this brief page from Homeland Security. They encourage us to leave any suspicious activity to the authorities, but they do tell you what actions you can take to alert the authorities and what to look for.

For more information, I highly recommend Nina Belle’s book (she published an updated book which is found here. In addition, here is the website to Priceless the movie.

Photo by Tiko Giorgadze on Unsplash

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Categories
anxiety

The Spirituality of God

As I’ve started working out on a regular basis, it has reminded me of God’s Spirit. I feel more in tune with God as I’m focusing on my breathing and specific muscle movement. Because there are so many spirits out there, I believe that most Christians have shied away from the spirituality of God. While there are demonic spirits that we should be careful not to entertain, we can also trust the Spirit of God to guide us, comfort us, encourage us, and strengthen us.

God isn’t just spiritual. Christianity isn’t just spirituality. As a matter of fact, in the Christian faith, we believe in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17). Each of the above mentioned are equal in power, essence, and authority.

For most of us, the Person of the Trinity that is most relatable to us is the Son, Christ Jesus. This obviously makes sense, because Jesus came to Earth and walked among us. Humans have physically seen Jesus with their own eyes. They have heard Him speak, and He has humbled Himself to understand our weaknesses and struggles. Of course, His ultimate sacrifice and resurrection have also caused us to cling to Him for our salvation.

The Holy Spirit is Jesus and God the Father in Spirit form. As I explained before, He is the third “Part” of the Trinity, but He is not like God or a form of God. He is God. Before Jesus was crucified, He explained to His disciples that it was better for Him to leave than for Him to stay on the Earth: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7, NIV). Forty days after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the promised Holy Spirit came to the world through tongues of fire (see Acts 1). Ever since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has lived in and among those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, for the glory of God the Father.

In addition to God being Spirit, we are also spiritual beings. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16, NIV, emphasis added). God communicates to us (generally) through the Holy Spirit. If we are not filled with God’s Spirit, we can become spiritually dry. This can cause anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness, and stress in our lives.

How do we know it’s the Holy Spirit speaking to us and not our flesh, or another spirit? God does not lie, and God does not contradict Himself. If the words you hear do not line up with God’s Word, you may be hearing something different. It will take time to learn how to hear God’s voice (whether audibly or in your heart), but if you read God’s Word, His voice will become more clear to you.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells us to keep in step with the Spirit (5:16-26). In light of this, how can we be more in tune with the Spirit of God? Here are some ways that help me to feel God’s presence on a regular basis:

  • prayer
  • meditation (of Scripture or a prayer)
  • silence
  • contemplative prayer (intently focusing on a phrase or Scripture)
  • dancing/creative movement
  • exercise
  • stretching
  • spending time outside
  • creativity (writing, drawing, painting, singing)
  • worship music

For more information about these topics, check out Francis Chan’s Forgotten God and Craig Groeschel’s message series called The Ghost.

Photo by Davide Cantelli on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

Prayers for Unity in Your Marriage

Relationships are essential for our well-being. Studies show that people who have healthy relationships live longer and have an overall higher enjoyment of life. There’s no better relationship (besides God) to invest in than the relationship we have with our spouse.

I believe that there is an enemy of our souls that wants to keep us isolated. Jesus says that this enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Based on the fact that relationships help us live longer, he literally is killing us by destroying our relationships and stealing our joy.

When I fight with my husband, it’s usually about selfish stuff. When I get mad at my husband, I’m not thinking of him. I’m only thinking of myself. While it’s important to have needs and to express those needs, we also need to be aware that ultimately, we are a team.

When you pray for your marriage, after praying for yourself, it is imperative that we pray for our unity. That is what the enemy of our souls attacks the most. That is what society thinks is the most archaic part of our relationships. But it is also what we need in order to have a thriving marriage.

Obviously, you should pray this prayer with your spouse, but you can also pray it individually on behalf of your relationship.

Thank God for your marriage. Your marriage is a gift from God. Start your prayer by thanking God for the unity you have with your spouse. By thanking God, you not only acknowledge marriage as a gift from God, but you’re also declaring that there is unity in your marriage. Decide to put God first in your marriage, starting today (if you haven’t done so in the past).

Acknowledge the areas in your marriage where it is hard to have unity. Last week, we prayed for ourselves. Specifically, we discussed praying for what is hindering us from being the best husband/wife we can be to our spouse. Today, we can apply the same prayer to our unity as a couple. Where do you struggle with being a team? Do you try to take control of the finances? Do you parent your spouse when it’s time to do chores? Do you make decisions before consulting your spouse? Ask God to show you where you need improvement in your unity.

Surrender those areas to God. When you acknowledge these areas where you need improvement, give them over to God. Allow Him to help you grow in these areas. If it’s an area you can’t control (like outside relationships such as how your in-laws treat you or how loud your neighbors are), surrender that fully to God. You can’t control other people, but you can control how you respond.

Ask for protection. The enemy of our souls will try to attack your marriage when you least expect it, or when you’re most vulnerable. For me, I’m exhausted by ten o’clock at night, so of course, most of our fights happen at ten or eleven o’clock. Pray that God would protect you during those times, and be on your guard. Now, when we get snippy with each other, I check the time. Okay, it’s ten-thirty. Whatever our issue is, clearly has to do with the fact that we’re both tired.

Make goals together. Aside from putting God first, nothing brings you closer to your spouse than creating common goals. When you’re working toward the same goals, you tend to work together rather than competing.

If you comment below, I will pray for unity in your marriage as well! God bless 🙂

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Categories
anxiety

Intimacy with God

Intimacy with God is made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are able to draw near to God when we accept Jesus’ sacrifice as truth, because we now have the righteousness of Christ.

A couple of weeks ago, I read Tauren Wells’ devotional on the YouVersion app called “Known,” based on his song of the same title. He said something on Day 3 that has stuck with me for about a week: “Access to information and an invitation to intimacy are two very different things.” Basically, God knows everything about us, but He doesn’t just want to know about us; He wants to be invited into those details.

As much as I hate to admit it, anxiety reminds me to invite God into my day.

Yesterday at work, I had a mini panic attack where I felt nauseous and dizzy. I looked down at the plaque on my desk: “Pray more. Worry less.” Taking a few deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth, I prayed that God would meet me in the office.

I hate to admit that my anxiety reminds me to invite God into my day, because without anxiety, sometimes I forget to invite God into my day. I feel like I don’t need God unless something is wrong with me. But the point of intimacy with God is, God doesn’t just want us to need Him. He wants us to want Him.

I’ve struggled with writing about this topic for several reasons, the most prominent being that I struggle with this topic in general. I’m a practical, to-do list kind of person, and intimacy is just not that easy. I wish I could give you a step-by-step guide to help you grow in intimacy with God, but there is none. I wish I could tell you exactly what to do to have the perfect relationship with God, but we’re all different.

All I can tell you is to be.

Unless we micromanage the other relationships in our lives, we can’t expect that micromanaging our relationship with God will work. While we should be intentional about spending time with Him, instead of squeezing Him into our schedules, we shouldn’t think that if we follow a magic formula, we can expect God to act a certain way. God is faithful, but He does not fit into the box we’ve created.

So, the point of this post is to tell you that intimacy with God is important. We were created for relationship, and that’s starts with a relationship with God. God is the only One who can fully know us and love us. When humans fall short, God reaches into the depths of us and pulls out things we didn’t even know were in there!

In Christ, there are multiple ways to experience God. Whether you enjoy music, journaling, dancing, meeting with other believers, studying the Bible, or taking a long walk outside, God can meet you when you invite Him into what you love. (As a side note: All of those things are necessary! You still have to read the Bible if you want to encounter God, even if you don’t like it).

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” While it’s not easy, it is simple. When we make time for God, when we invite Him into our day, He miraculously comes to meet us. Today, invite Him into your day, and begin that journey of intimacy with Him.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash