Children Leading
The day had been a stressful one, and my patience had ebbed away, when my son Brett looked at me and said, “Dad. Chill.”
In one word he told me to slow down, not take lifeor myselftoo seriously. Not bad advice.
I’m not sure I know how to chill. I see kids milling around, not doing anything, and they say they are chilling. Chilling is apparently the absence of activity, and that is something I find difficult. Yet if I am willing to follow my son’s example, I just might learn this fine art. I have a feeling it will prove beneficial.
It’s been said that children laugh three hundred times a day, and adults average five times a day. When it comes to enjoying life and living each moment to the fullest, we need to let our children [ … ]
Grace
The best prescription for the Slump Syndrome is grace. We give ourselves grace when we refuse to expect more from ourselves than we can possibly deliver. We give ourselves grace when we grant ourselves permission to rest, sleep, play, take a break, and get alone with God. A few minutes of quiet interaction with God can get us out of a rut much faster than striving, trying harder, and forcing ourselves into overdrive…
Next time you’re in a rut, be gentle with yourself. Rest. Take a break. Quiet your mind. Clarity will more likely come when you are peaceful than when you are pushing so hard. Close the door on the clutter and open your heart in the throne room. Ask God to speak to you. Listen carefully.
Excerpted from Espresso for Your Spirit by Pam Vredevelt
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Ministry Happens
When we don’t pace ourselves, we tend to miss divine appointments right and left. In fact, they seem like human interruptions. We get so consumed with trying to get where we think God wants us to go that we put on spiritual blinders and miss the Goose trails He wants to take us down. The key is slowing down your pace, taking off your sandals, and experiencing God right here, right now.
…Spiritual maturity has less to do with long-range visions than it does with moment-by-moment sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And it is our moment-by-moment sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that turns life into an everyday adventure.
Excerpted from Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
Daily Reflection: How can you slow down and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit today?
A Divine Calling
If we ever wonder if we have what it takes to live in victory, we have only to look at the life of our Savior. Jesus walked by the Spirit, the same Holy Spirit who lives in us We have the same Spirit, the same authority, and the same power.
Our problem is that we don’t know it, or we know it and don’t appropriate it, or we don’t believe it’s for today. Our faith is small. It moves sandcastles, not mountains.
Just before Jesus ascended, He said:
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and
on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am [ … ]
Keep Wonder in Your Worship
Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth Don’t let your worship decline to the performance of mere duty Don’t let the scenery and poetry and music of your relationship with God shrivel up and die. You have capacities for joy that you can scarcely imagine. They were made for the enjoyment of God. He can awaken them no matter how long they have lain asleep. Pray for His quickening power. Open your eyes to his glory. It is all around you: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 ESV).
Excerpted from Desiring God by John Piper
Daily Reflection: How does the Lord quicken your desire to worship Him?