The problem with serving a living God is that He speaks to you.
Okay, so it’s not a “problem.” It’s more like a catch. Like going to a therapist. We think they just sit and ask, “How does that make you feel?” to get you talking the entire time. The more you talk, the more things supposedly clear up. We never think of getting homework from therapists, but they do give them out. They give you exercises and changes to apply in your life.
God gives out homework too. He listens to us all the time, but the catch is that He doesn’t stop there. He speaks back. Sometimes life is too noisy for us to hear, and sometimes it’s so noisy we can’t help but hear His still small voice because it stands out from the noise. And when He speaks back, it can be a problem if you don’t want to change or have your world rocked upside down.
During a recent prayer meeting at church, God spoke into my heart. He said, “You have faith, but what if it leads to nothing? It is only when you let go of your fear of being empty and be empty that you will be free. Then and only then will you receive My freedom. When you want nothing but Me, only then will you receive My freedom. I am the LORD your God. Do you really think I will leave you to nothing? To destitution? In desperation? Look at the lilies of the valley and the birds of the sky. I only want to know that you will give it all up for Me.”
And as if His loving yet convicting words weren’t enough, I finished “Simply Tuesday” by Emily P. Freeman and she wrote,
I begin to release my obsession with building my life into something linear, something I can figure out. Instead, I believe that letting go doesn’t mean I’ll be left with nothing. It means I can more fully hold on to Christ and trust in the life he is building within me (page 178)…do I really appreciate smallness because Christ’s is the hidden way or do I value it because my soul has been seduced with the promise of big things to come in the future, imagining this small beginning will ultimately lead to greatness in the end? (page 223).
I don’t know why God and Emily are ganging up on me. FYI, I now remember that I wrote about the Faith With No Return in “Faith Infused Life,” so thanks for slinging my own words back at my face, Lord.
But isn’t it some kind of wonderful when God aligns things just so to really make us pay attention? To show us that the kindly whispered words we heard weren’t of our own imaginations, but they were from His heart because He is a living God and He loves us too much to let us stay the same.
Emily’s book is about living in our smallness, our Tuesdays, those ordinary and overlooked days and moments that may feel insignificant but point to God anyway. Although I have always said that I’m a dreamer and I advocate dreaming big God-dreams and believing in big faith-things, I live in the smallness.
I’m an INFP. It’s kind of in my nature. I actually like staying home on Friday nights to read a book or knit. I like low-key birthday celebrations, leggings and dresses, and small groups of friends. But I’ve also always believed that the small leads to the big. People always say when we’re faithful in the small things, God will entrust us big things. I’ve always held onto the faith that my small workings will one day yield big results.
But what if the small leads to the small? What if all the faith living and believing we do ultimately leads to nothing? No change. No fruit. No reward. We’ve got nothing to show for our faith, and that scares me.
If it scares you too, you need to read Emily’s book because her words were like arms around a child frightened of the storm. She says that small is okay. Small leading to small is okay. Letting go is okay. It doesn’t mean I will have nothing. I will have Jesus and He is everything.
God’s been saying the same things to me. He’s been asking me to let go, assuring me that I will not be left with nothing. Instead, I will be left with more room for Him in my heart, mind, soul, and life.
The truth is, I’m still working on it. I want to reach a place where I can say, like the old hymn, it is well with my soul. I’m not there yet, but God’s loving whispers and Emily’s words are helping me get there.
By the way, if you buy “Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World
*This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, they cost you nothing extra, but may give me some coffee change. All opinions are my own, I guarantee. I received “Simply Tuesday” because I am part of Emily’s book launch team, and I’m so happy to have read it.
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