Give me the strength to do nothing

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
- Psalm 46:10 NIV

This past weekend at the Saturday evening service at my home church I found myself praying something after communion that seemed odd to me.
'Lord, give me the strength to do nothing.'
It struck me so much that I had to write it down on paper as soon as I finished. It does seem rather peculiar upon first glance. Shouldn't I be asking God to give me the strength to do something, anything?! I thought a lack of action was a sign of resignation or giving up. What good will doing nothing bring?

The verse above from Psalm 46 gives a clearer picture to what I meant that evening.
(And I should start by clarifying that by doing 'nothing' I meant that I needed the strength to resist my urge to make an outward, controlling reaction to my situation. I wanted so desperately to be in control.)
I notice from time to time that my patience is not as strong as it could be. Yes, I can calmly handle an unexpected conversation with someone when I need to get some work done, but put me behind the wheel of my car in heavy traffic or in front of my computer when the internet is down and WHOA...I snap like a twig. Lately I have learned that in traffic I just need to breathe and put in a Veggie Tales mix from my friend Tracey, and that sometimes I just need to step away from the computer screen before my rage escalates any further (and my computer lives to see another day...for now).
But I do let my frustration get the better of me sometimes. In stressful and emotionally painful situations my first instinct is to 'fix it.' "Never mind that perseverance through times of trial leads to spiritual maturity, I just want everything to be ok NOW."
No matter how many different scenarios I run through my mind, none of them ever end up happening or making things better. They just keep me dwelling on the problem rather than its purpose.

So in this sense sometimes it is more difficult to sit back and do nothing. Don't say something you will regret, don't call and text repeatedly, don't talk to everyone you know about it...
...and above all else do NOT get in God's way. 'Be still' and know that God is in charge, NOT YOU. He is the creator of heaven and earth and you. He knows what you are going through and, believe it or not, He will carry you through it. It may take a long time and it may not be easy, but you will come out of it a stronger person if you allow God to work in you through the situation.
And the truth is that there is something you can do. Can you guess what it is?

Pray.

Yes, it is that 'simple.' Some people think that praying is almost as good as doing nothing. But prayer is powerful and speaks far more loudly and clearly than actions sometimes. We've all read the verse in Matthew about asking, seeking and knocking:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
- Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

And again, we've read the story of the fig tree:

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
- Matthew 21:21-22 NIV [italics added]

I could go on about the power of prayer (and I probably will in a later blog post), but I will come back to my prayer at the beginning. It does take a huge amount of strength for those of us with less patience to sit back and let God work. We feel that maybe our prayers aren't enough for the time being. We want to be used by God and needed by God. And we are! God does want us to love and serve him. We just need to be patient with his commands. And above all else we need to "pray continually(1 Thessalonians 5:17)."

Be still and know that He is God...

What is that to you?

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
-John 21:20-22 NIV

I am the kind of person who hates conflict. It rips me up inside to watch someone I love go through a difficult situation. It hurts even more when I feel like there is something I could do or say that would make everything better. Lately I've been very good about waiting for that person to ask me for my two cents, but sometimes I will hand it out whether they want it or not. Why? Because in my mind I can 'fix' any situation.
In general we all want to fix our own problems and our loved ones problems instantly. Maybe you are watching someone go through a situation that you have already been through and you want to give them the easy road out. You know how the 'hard way' felt and you don't want to stand by and watch them go through it that way.

It's kind of like when your parents told you not to run by the pool or stick your finger in the light socket. But what did you do anyway? That's right, you ran and busted your butt on the wet concrete or you ended up with Albert Einstein hair and a numb finger.
The truth is that no matter what you have experienced and no matter how much you love someone, sometimes they just will not listen to you. And sometimes that is God's will for them. They may need to experience that difficult situation in the most painful way possible in order for him to build them up stronger than before.

And sometimes I HATE that!

But here's the point: as much as I want to, I can't 'fix' someone if God does not want to use me to help them. The best thing I can do is to focus on my own relationship with God and not become so concerned with everyone else's relationship. That is essentially what Jesus told Peter in the verse above from John. Jesus asks Peter point blank why John's future means anything to him. Peter should be concerned with following Christ instead.

We see a clear example of what happens when we interfere with God's plan in Genesis. In chapters 16-21 you can read the story about Sarah, Abraham and Hagar. Sarah was frustrated with God's lack of haste in his promise to build their family line:
'Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram,"The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said.'
-Genesis 16:1-2

Sarah took things into her own hands because she did not truly believe that God was going to keep his promise. And what ended up happening? Sarah resented Hagar and Ishmael, the son she conceived. The whole situation resulted in jealousy and turmoil between them. When we interfere with God's plan and his timing, we end up making a bigger mess of our situation. Even though our intentions seemed honorable, people will still end up getting hurt.

But praise God for the gift of grace! Nothing that we do can stump God. He works everything out for His glory. Our screw ups may be big, but He is soooo much bigger. In Sarah and Abraham's case, God did bless them with the birth of Issac, even though they thought it would be impossible to have a child at such an old age.


So the next time you feel the urge to meddle in someone else's situation; STOP! Evaluate your own personal relationship with God and ask him to watch over them. The best thing you can do is pray for them and ask God to guide them through. And at some point He may use you to help heal them. Only you can discern that by listening closely for His voice.
If you continue to follow Jesus you will be able to hear his voice more clearly.

Remember that nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)

The Word is Alive

'For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.'
- Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

One of my favorite bands of all time is Casting Crowns. Their lyrics are powerful and as a group they are devoted to sharing the gospel with their listeners. On their newest album they have a song called 'The Word is Alive.' The song's chorus is definitely inspired by this verse from Hebrews. The message of the song is that God's word is alive and relevant. Even as time has gone by, when everything else fades, His word will prevail.

I blogged about this on my bands myspace (you can check out our link on the right, Habbakuk). Christians today seem to get bored very easily. In the age of ADD it seems like everything needs to be brightly colored and shiny to hold our attention.
But what about God's word? When I walk into church I am not greeted with pyrotechnics or circus performers (although some churches seem to be heading in that direction). As a practicing Episcopalian sometimes the only unpredictable event in the service is whether the rector will preach from the pulpit or come down to pew level. And I like that. Because for me each service has a completely different mood depending on the message of the readings and the sermon. I sense that because I have made the conscious effort to pay attention. ....let me repeat that last part just in case you missed it.
"I have made the conscious effort to PAY ATTENTION [caps added]."

We've all experienced those Sunday mornings or those times at home when we have heard or read scripture and felt bored to pieces. 'What does this have to do with my life?' 'I don't live in this time period, so how am I supposed to apply this?'

The truth affirmed in this verse from Hebrews is that, new flash, God's word is alive; it is ALWAYS relevant. It cuts through all of the glitz of this world and goes straight to our hearts. But we need to be paying attention. If you have experienced, as I have many times before, those waves of boredom as a result of hearing God's word, then you weren't really paying attention. You allowed the enemy to harden your heart to the message. Imagine how you would feel if you allowed yourself to be moved by the message every Sunday and every time you read. That's how you is supposed to feel! So next time you begin to doze off, figuratively or literally as we have all seen, ask the Lord to open your eyes, your ears and your heart to His word. He may reveal something you were not expecting.


Towards the end of the Casting Crowns song I mentioned is a spoken message that sums up the power of scripture and its ability to continually awe those who read it. I get goosebumps and a huge smile every time I hear this part of the song:

"The bible was enstrived over a period of two thousand years, in times of war and in days of peace, by kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers, fishermen, singers and shepherds. The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive could have been produced by such a diverse crowd over a period of time which staggers the imagination.
Jesus is its grand subject, our good is designed as the glory of God is its end."


Who needs fireworks when we have a work of love like this right at our fingertips??

Balance in the Labyrinth

The room is so quiet. The only sound I hear is from the air vents, which act almost as white noise. My focus goes to the small 8ft. canvas on the floor – the labyrinth. It winds in 4 sections, ultimately leading to the center. It looks like all I have to do is walk with one foot in front of the other, not be embarrassed if someone sees me, and sit in the middle to talk to God.

As I go to begin walking, I feel an urge to get my bible and read as I walk. Ok. I take my bible from my purse, flip to the verses I read last night (Eph. 6:19-20), and I being to read and walk.
Now, this poses a problem to my small mind – reading and walking are difficult to do together. The mat was small and the path had lots of sharp turns. I would start to read and meditate, but immediately look down to see where my feet were going. When I watched my feet I would lose my balance, along with what I had just read.
Then I would read and allow the message to stay in my mind. I stopped only to notice that I was still on the path. I hadn’t been paying attention to my steps but on the words I read. When I focused my attention on the word in my hands, I was still kept on the path without losing my balance.

Earlier this morning I was reading chapter 10 in Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She really nailed home the idea of using God’s word and truth to negate all the lies we once believed. We need to allow His word to guide our steps.

Hmmmmm…funny how this all comes together.

I always try to peek ahead to see where I may be going. I want to see the path and watch my feet so I won’t fall. But that’s where my focus goes – down to my feet and not up to my Father. I spend my whole walk trying to stay balanced and to not fall instead of asking the Lord for help. I need to allow him to guide my steps while I seek him and not my own safety. He knows the path he has laid out for me, and the more I fight his guidance the more I lose sight of him.
- He made me this way for a purpose.
- He laid out a path for me.
- He is the only way I will ever get through it.

So why am I so afraid to surrender everything to him?

My devotional last night made the point that I need to first build my relationship with the Lord. Only then will he use me as a vessel to aid others. I need to focus on our relationship, not his relationships with others.
“…what is that to you? You must follow me.”
–John 21:21-22

Allow God to guide my steps. Focus on the relationship and building it through prayer, reading his word and truth, and taking the time to listen for his voice.