Category Archives for "growth"

Solitude Reflections

Yesterday, I shared that I was taking some time for solitude – some time away from my normal routine to listen for God.  I’d like to share my reflections on this time.

As I sat on my front porch yesterday morning, the skies were still fairly dark and the water was still dripping down the gutter drain pipes after a night of rain.  It’s a challenging this to clear ones mind of all the distractions and thoughts.  For some reason, I kept repeating the phrase “Seek first the kingdom of God” as I tried to center my thoughts away from me and onto God.  Over and over again, “Seek first the kingdom of God.  Seek first the kingdom of God.  Seek first the kingdom of God.”  And that’s when it happened.

God sends his messengers of nature to speak into my life.  As I was sitting on my porch trying to quiet my mind, I first heard the loud droning of bull fogs in the pond across our front lawn.  I heard the garbage trucks in the distance as the morning sky began to brighten.  I tried to block out the distractions of life – what will I blog about next, what do I need to do at work today, what will I eat for breakfast.  And then it appeared – a simple sign from God.  A buck walks slowly across my front lawn.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon —from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

These are the words I needed to hear this day.  God is the only “stream” that can satisfy the longings, cravings, and desires of my heart.  I strive after so many earthly things, but God alone brings refreshment and contentment.

I’m not sure that I’ve been depressed, but I’ve certainly been discouraged by the onslaught of headaches and lack of energy over the past few months.  I have sought all kinds of human remedies to alleviate these symptoms, but I wonder if I’ve failed to truly give these things to God.  Do I get it that God loves me and that God wants what is best for me?  It seems so easy to depend on things that I can control.  In reality, I need to give these things to God.

My time of solitude was refreshing.  It refocused me on God – where my life should be centered.  “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”  Thank you for the reminder.  May I always seek the only Water that satisfies.

Any thoughts to add?  How has God been speaking to you?

What’s your favorite drink?

Solitude

Webster’s Online Dictionary defines solitude as “the quality or state of being alone or remote from society.”

Why would anyone want to “practice” solitude?

Limited amounts of solitude can give us a chance to get away from the distractions of regular life and routine.  We live in a day and age when we are bombarded with noise, activity, and motion.  These things can crowd out the voice of God.

So for today, I’m going to keep my post short.  I’m going to get away in solitude even if it’s for a short time this morning.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

When was the last time you practiced solitude?  How has God been speaking to you lately?

Foundations Class Week 2: Growth

Yesterday morning, I led week two of a Foundations Class at my church. If you remember from my post last week, we talked about grace during the first class.  This week, we continued along with the five Gs outlined in Fully Devoted, a study guide by John Ortberg, with the topic of growth.

Growth is an interesting topic.  When I think of growth these days, I think about growth in my running, in my writing, and in my engineering management career path.  In each of these areas, growth doesn’t just happens.  It takes work.  If I want to run a marathon, I have to go into strict training.  If I want to become a better writer and maybe someday write a book, I have to keep practicing and learning.  If I want to keep up with the ever-changing engineering and leadership fields, I have to stay in training so I can learn about new technologies and about new leadership techniques.

Spiritual growth is somewhat similar.  It doesn’t just happen.  It takes time, experience, and some effort on our parts if we’re serious about growing spiritually.  Sure, God could just zap us with spiritual maturity, but we would then miss out on all the experience and training.

So, what does this kind of training look like?

That’s a good question.

I think it includes an attitude of learning – we need to learn God’s Word.  We need to develop a heart for prayer.  And we need to listen for God.  Listening to God can happen in a corporate setting of worship and small groups, but it also happens in solitude where the distractions of this world are put aside for a brief period of time. Honestly, this is the area where I struggle with now.  I feel so often that I’m running from one thing to the next.  I even wrote about this last week.  How can I hear God’s calling when I’m typically too busy even to hear myself think?

As we walked through our discussion, we talked about a few verses that encourage us to be intentional in our spiritual training.  I would encourage you to read these verses and see how they relate to the topic of growth and spiritual transformation.

I Corinthians 9:24-27, I Timothy 4:7-8, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:22-24

It’s funny how God hits you on the head with a message when you’re in the spotlight leading.  This is a message that I need to hear over and over again.  It should be a fun week.  Leanne and I are leading a discussion on discipline at the week’s MOPS meeting at our church. Sounds like another blog post and some more challenging lessons.

What does your spiritual training look like right now? What steps do you need to take to grow spiritually?

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