Sharla, Author at Sharla Fritz - Page 7 of 29
August 18, 2020

The ABCs of Praise

Too often my conversations with God sound like a long list of things I want. They resemble a child’s Christmas wish list instead of worship of the Almighty. That’s when I go back to the beginning–the ABCs of Praise.

Yes, my prayers almost always include petitions for what I want Him to do for me. Sometimes I add thanksgiving for things He has already done.

But I forget to praise Him for simply who He is.  

Praise appreciates God for His character and not only for what He can do for me. It acknowledges God as a person to be appreciated, a Sovereign Being to be worshiped and not simply a genie to do my bidding. 

And even when I purposefully set my mind to praise mode, my mind wanders. I pray, “I praise You, Lord, for Your Might, for Your Awesome power in creation.” But the next second I think, “Remember to pick up shredded cheese for tonight’s tacos.” I chide myself and pick up where I left off, “I praise You, Lord, for Your Omniscience, You always know the end before the beginning. You know what is best for me.” But then I think, “Remember to call the dentist to make an appointment.” And on it goes.

Learning from King David and the Psalms

I often look to King David and his book of psalms for instruction in the art of worship. David’s psalms are full of praise for God’s goodness, strength, honor, wisdom.

For example, Psalm 34 begins:

I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together. (verses 1-3)

This psalm uses an interesting technique–using the Hebrew alphabet as an acrostic. Each verse of the psalm begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Using the ABCs of Praise

I have also found that using our alphabet helps me focus my mind when I truly want to praise God. During my time of worship, I praise God for attributes that begin with each letter of the alphabet. For instance, “I praise you God for Your Almighty power, I marvel in Your Beauty, and I am moved by Your Compassion.”

This technique keeps my mind from wandering back to my to-do list when I truly want to be concentrating on God. It helps me to be creative as I strive to find new attributes of God each time I go through the alphabet. Praising God for His character enables me to know God in a deeper way. It strengthens my faith as I concentrate on His goodness and strength.     

Try praising God through the alphabet!  

The ABCs of Praising God

Use the alphabet to praise God for who He is. Here are a few ABCs of Praise to get you started.    

A      Abba Father               

B      Beginning and End              

C      Comforter                  

D      Defender                   

E      Everlasting                

F       Faithful                     

G      Generous                  

H      Holy                         

I       Immortal                   

J       Just                          

K      Kind                         

L       Loving    

If you want even more suggestions, check out this printable (pictured below.) It includes the whole alphabet and has more than 100 ways to praise God through the alphabet. Print it out, keep it by your Bible, and use it to guide your praise session of the Most High God!

          

Next Step: Click here to get this helpful resource. May your praise for our awesome God grow as you work through the list of God’s awesome qualities!

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With:
August 11, 2020

Distracted No More

Welcome to the season of distraction! Hectic schedules may make you feel overwhelmed. Pulled in too many directions. Unfocused.

I have something that may help. A few years ago, I was a guest on Marnie’s Friends–a podcast that consistently gives inspiration to Christian women. I shared some of my methods for staying focused. In this episode of the podcast, you’ll discover:

  • The most important step to living with focus
  • The secret of finding true priorities
  • How to align your to-do list with true priorities
  • 3 strategies to know your why
  • Why it’s important to kill multi-tasking3 simple but important routines that will improve your focus
  • The importance of periodically unplugging
  • How focus and Sabbath connect
  • 5 ways to craft your own personal spiritual retreat

Just click on the image below to access the audio recording.

Next step: Write down three current activities that are making you feel overwhelmed or distracted. Is there something you can do to change that? Abandon the activity? Change the time? Enlist some help?

Distracted No More

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.

The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world
Filed Under: Contentment, Spiritual Growth Tagged With:
August 4, 2020

5 Reasons We Avoid Solitude–And Why We Should Embrace It

Psalm46-10

Voltaire wrote, “The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.” But how many of us really believe that?

In today’s chaotic, noisy world, it’s easy to avoid solitude. We don’t really have to be alone. Even when we aren’t scheduled to be engaged with people, we can avoid solitude by stopping in a coffee shop humming with espresso machines and conversations. We can video chat and Skype with people even when we can’t be with them in person.

So why do we avoid solitude and why should we embrace it instead?

5 Reasons We Avoid Solitude

First, 5 reasons we avoid solitude:

  1. We fear loneliness. It’s then we have to remember there is a difference between loneliness and solitude. Natasha Dern wrote in the Huffington Post, “Loneliness is marked by feelings of isolation and persists even when one is with other people. Solitude, on the other hand, is a state of being alone, content with your own company.” Although loneliness can be depressing, solitude can lead to greater appreciation for who you are.
  2. We’re afraid we might miss something. If we’re not chatting with friends or plugged into social media we may fear failing to know or see something important.
  3. We’re too busy. Our schedule is filled with exercise classes, work obligations, driving kids to camps and classes. There simply isn’t time to be alone.
  4. We avoid a chaotic inner life by filling it with more noise. So much is going on inside our heads that we consciously or unconsciously don’t want to deal with it, so we keep running the treadmill of appointments and social engagements.
  5. We may be hiding from God. We know in our hearts something is wrong, but we don’t want God to confront us. We don’t want to deal with the guilt, the regret, or the doubt we are feeling.

Any of those reasons sound familiar? You may be thinking. Yep, all of those sound like me.

Why We Sould Embrace Solitude

So why should we embrace solitude?

Consider the last and most important reason we avoid solitude–hiding from God. Two famous people hid from God in the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve knew they had messed up. They were ashamed. Guilt-ridden. Afraid. So when they heard the sound of God’s voice in the garden they hid among the tress. I think they ultimately knew they couldn’t really hide from God, but they tried.

I’m like that too. I want to sweep all my guilt under the rug and hope God doesn’t notice. So I hide. I avoid being alone where God’s voice might break through in the quiet. I fill my life with activity and noise. But I know all along that I can’t really hide from God. He knows all my thoughts, so it is better to open up my heart to God and let Him deal with the mess.

The Genesis story tells us that the Lord God was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Perhaps this was a regular occurrence. After Adam and Eve had worked among the flowers and trees of Paradise, God Himself came to spend some time with them every evening. But this time they were trying to avoid Him. 

God called out, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). He calls out to us. He wants us to know that He still loves us. An article on Crosswalk.com advises, “Rather than hiding from God, denying who you are, or trying to control what others think of you, allow the truth of who you are to surface during solitude and silence – and face the reality of the person you see, flaws and all.”

The Purpose of Solitude

The purpose of solitude is to allow God to open up the hurts, the guilt, the doubts and heal them. In the silence, the Spirit reminds us of God’s words, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) and “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).

God loves us with an unconditional love. And sometimes the only way we can hear His words of love is when we quiet all the other voices.

Next Step: What is your number one reason for avoiding solitude? Bring it to God and ask Him to help you find time to get alone with Him this week. Schedule the time alone now

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: ,
July 30, 2020

Instead of Complaining, Try This

I’ve been complaining lately. The world seems to be falling apart. I feel helpless. So I gripe and grumble.

But I know the Bible discourages such behavior. Philippians 2:14 says:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

While I want to obey God’s Word, I also wonder: What–exactly–constitutes complaining? What kind of grumbling can I get away with?”

Defining Complaining

Dictionary.com defines complain as:

to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault

According to this definition there is very little I can get away with! Whining about my aches and pains is out. Making a fuss over being mistreated is out. Grumbling about my grief is out.

However, I think there are certain times and places that are appropriate for talking about our pain, mistreatment, or grief. Doctors and counselors need to understand our pain or grief so they will know how to help us. Businesses may need to know a complaint so that contracts are fulfilled.

A Biblical Definition of Complain

So what exactly does Paul mean in Philippians when he says, “Do everything without complaining”? Let’s look at the Greek word for complain. It is goggysmos which is an onomatopoeic word derived from the sound made when murmuring with the idea of complaint.

The online Bible, Blue Letter Bible, has an interesting definition of goggysmos:

a murmur, murmuring, muttering, a secret debate, a secret displeasure not openly avowed

When I read this, a little light bulb went off in my head. Often when we are grumbling about something we don’t do it openly to the person we are grumbling about. Murmuring, complaining, and griping are not usually directed toward the person or persons with whom we have the problem. We complain about our husbands to our friends, we gripe about our friends to our husbands. We murmur against our boss to our co-workers, we whine about our co-workers to our boss.

I think one key to eliminating complaining from your conversations is to talk to the right people. If you have a problem in a relationship don’t complain about it to all your friends. Instead, go to the person directly and work things out in a loving way. If you have pain, don’t talk endlessly about it, but tell those who need to know and can help you (doctors, therapists, family members). If you have grief, don’t dwell on it constantly, but take the time to talk to counselors or friends who are able to help you bear the burden. 

Maybe the kind of complaining that Paul talks about can be defined like this:

to often express dissatisfaction, pain resentment, or grief to those who are not directly involved and are unable to help or change the situation.

Biblical Complainers

The Bible is full of complainers and grumblers:

“The Israelites complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord” (Numbers 11:1). The Israelites whined to each other but did not pray to God.

“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife” (Numbers 12:1). The siblings griped to each other about Moses but didn’t talk to him directly.

“Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, ‘He is a good man.’ Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people’” (John 7:12). The people made a fuss about Jesus privately but didn’t talk to their Savior in person.

Instead of complaining, these people could have done something about their problems.

The Number One Thing to Do Instead of Complain

So what can we do instead of complain? Go to the Lord with our complaints.

God knows our hearts anyway; He knows when our hearts are anxious, heavy, or frustrated. But an amazing thing happens when we voice our concerns to Him. He reassures us that He will work things out. He calms our anxious souls.

In Psalm 142 King David models what this looks like. He said,

“I cry aloud to the LORD;
   I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
 I pour out my complaint before him;
   before him I tell my trouble.”Psalm 142:1-2

David went to the Lord because he knew God had the answers he needed. He realized the Lord could rescue him. David also understood the end result of taking his concerns to the almighty God. He knew that God could set him free from his problems:

“Set me free from my prison,
   that I may praise your name.”Psalm 142:7a

And in the end, God would make everyone notice the Lord’s goodness in his life:

“the righteous will gather about me
   because of your goodness to me.”Psalm 142:7b

I don’t think that God wants to hear only complaints. But when we take our problems to the One who can free us from our prisons of pain and help us in our troubles, others will see God’s goodness and we can praise His name.

Author Anthony J. D’Angelo writes,

“If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.”

But I say,

If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to pray about it. 

Next step: Today, when you catch yourself complaining–instead pray! God to the Lord with your complaints!

Filed Under: Taming Your Tongue
July 28, 2020

Scripture Memory: Verses to Get You Out of An Emotional Basement

I always good intentions with Scripture memory. Over the years I have memorized (and forgotten) dozens of Bible verses.

I love God’s Word–a healthy dose of it is what gets me through each day.

But memorizing? I’ve not been very consistent in committing Scripture to heart. Somehow it’s been like every other diet I’ve been on. I’m faithful for awhile and then let it drop.

Lately though, I’ve realized that having Scripture in my head and heart make a big difference in my outlook on life. Without regular review of God’s words to me, my mood is more dependent on my circumstances, I’m more susceptible to negative attacks from the enemy, and my prayer life suffers.

So at the beginning of this new year, I’m picking up a habit I never should have dropped. Like the psalmist, I want to store God’s word in my heart.

I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Verses to Get you Out of An Emotional Basement

But maybe you don’t know where to begin with Scripture memory. What verses should you choose? What version of the Bible should you use? My suggestion is to use the version that you most often read out of and store up verses that speak to your heart.

I especially love memorizing Scripture verses that speak of God’s love for me. When the world beats me down, when I doubt my worth, these are the verses that consistently pull me out of any emotional basement I get into:

All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Songs 4:7 NIV 1984)

The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. (Psalm 147:11 NIV 1984)

As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5 ESV)

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1 NIV 1984)

The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. (Psalm 32:10b)

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:4)

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. (Psalm 62:7)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Easy Steps to Memorizing Scripture

I encourage you to begin storing up some favorite verses. Don’t be intimidated. Here are some tips to begin memorizing.

Start with one verse.

Write it on a sticky note.

Post it where you will see it often.

Read it out loud every day and then try to say it without looking at the note.

By the end of the week you will have one verse memorized.

I have heard it said that when we memorize Scripture we are giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak to us in His language. When we store God’s Word in our minds, He can easily bring them to mind when we need them. That way, when you’re discouraged, disappointed, or hurt, the Spirit will bring out of storage the exact encouragement you need.

Next step: Pick one of the verses above. Or one of your own. Follow the easy steps to memorizing God’s Word. Scripture memory will help you hear the Spirit’s encouraging voice!

Filed Under: Bible Study Tagged With: ,
July 23, 2020

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10   

I love those words. These eight simple syllables bring relaxation to my body just by reciting them. They create pictures of serene sunsets in my mind. They produce peace in my soul.  

But life is hectic. How often do I actually take time for stillness?   And what does “be still” mean anyway?   Here are four looks at the meaning of that phrase.

To be still is to obey God’s command to be quiet because He knows what is best for us.  Years ago I heard author Cynthia Heald speak on this verse. She said that God’s admonition to “be still” was a little like a mother telling her children to “Be quiet” in church. She pictured a parent shaking her child by the shoulder to get him to settle down and pay attention if he knew what was good for him. God invites us to rest. But because we don’t always listen, He issues a command–a command for our own good.

To be still is to relax knowing God is God.  John Piper, author of Desiring God, writes about coming back from vacation and feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks that needed to be done. So what did he do first? He went to his quiet basement and read Psalm 46. He told himself, “Be still, soul! Stop rehearsing. Relax. Breath deep. There. Now, know this: God is God. God is God. Just be still and let that hit you. Let it grow.” (Click here to read more.) We can relax because God is all-powerful and always has our best interests in mind.

To be still is to rest in God’s love.  Pastor R.C. Sproul, also writes about Psalm 46. he reminds us that we cannot come to the point of relaxing in God’s arms until we remember His great love for us. “We will rest in His sovereignty when we remember not just that He is almighty, but that He who is almighty loves us with an everlasting love.” (Click here to read more.) We can rest in God’s arms because His Word reminds us of His relentless love and never-ending care for us.

To be still is to let go. What do these words mean in the original Hebrew? The site hebrew4christians.com tells us that, “The command to “be still” comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb (רפה) rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release), which might better be translated as, “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak.” To be still is to surrender to the almighty God who loves you more than life. To loosen our grip on our issues and problems and trust in God’s ability to manage everything for the best.

In our rush-rush world, stillness can be as elusive as quiet on a freeway. But a stillness of soul is more of an attitude of the heart than a condition of silence. When your heart becomes anxious, when your soul starts to churn, remember: God is in control, He loves me with a relentless love. He commands me to be still because He knows what is best for me. He invites me to let go of my concerns and worries because He wants to manage them for me.

Next step: Monitor the state of your soul today. When you start to feel anxious, repeat the words of Psalm 46:10 to your spirit, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Which of the interpretations of that phrase do you need most today? For more on the Spiritual Discipline of silence, look here.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: ,
July 21, 2020

Grace for the Overwhelmed

psalm 3-4

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Drowning in despair? Floundering in mountains of tasks, duties, and responsibilities?

Find grace for your life in Psalm 3.

Just a little background about this psalm.

The book of Psalms is divided into five “books” or divisions. Psalm 3 is, of course, part of Book 1 (Psalms 1-41). This first book of Psalms is sometimes called the Yahweh Psalter because Yahweh is the name for God that is used most often in this section. Most of the psalms in the “Yahweh Psalter” were written by David.

Scholars have classified the psalms into several categories including: wisdom psalms, hymns, and laments. Psalm 3 is described at a psalm of individual lament. Characteristics of lament psalms are: they often begin with an invocation such as, “Oh, Lord” and they contain a plea for help.

But what I love about this psalm is that it gives hope to the overwhelmed.

David himself was overwhelmed by his enemies when he wrote the psalm. It was written when almost the whole nation of Israel rose up against him–including his own son Absalom.

It’s no wonder he cries out in despair:

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me, many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. (Psalm 3:1-2)

Don’t you love it that we can call out to God whenever we feel beaten down and crushed by life? Yes, the world may doubt that God can help, but we who know the Lord are confident of His help.

And that is what David says next:

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. (Psalm 3:3-4)

David doesn’t stay in lament mode for long. He quickly acknowledges God’s protection and blessing. He reminds himself that Yahweh hears his prayers.

David is so confident of the Lord’s help, that he goes to sleep:

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. (Psalm 3:5-6)

God wants us to be so sure of His strength and love that we can rest in Him. Even though thousands of people (or dozens of problems) are against us, we don’t have to be afraid if God is on our side.

Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! (Psalm 3:7-8)

In the end, David call out to God again. He reminds himself that God is the one who saves.

I have to admit that when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I don’t always turn to God first.

I often try to fix things myself. I read more self-help books about time management. I look up information on getting organized–thinking that will help overcome my problems.

Psalm 3 reminds me that God is the “lifter of my head”–the one who gives victory. He is my shield–a Protector against my troubles. He is my Savior.

Yahweh is always available to listen. He longs for me to come to Him for help. Share on XWhen I turn to Him the Lord gives rest even in the midst of the chaos.

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Turn to the Lord for help.

Next step: David laments about his many enemies. What or who are the enemies in your life? Difficult people? A multitude of bills? Overwhelming schedule? Write a list and then take it to God. Ask Him for wisdom and power to conquer the foes. Find rest in Him.

Filed Under: Bible Study Tagged With: , ,
July 16, 2020

When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed: Do One Thing

come-to-me-all-who-labor-and-are-heavy-laden-and-i-will-give-you-rest2

Feeling overwhelmed? You have too many responsibilities on your calendar. Too many events in your schedule. Too many projects on your desk. It seems like you can’t even do one thing.

These days most of us have our schedules so packed full that we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and burdened.

That’s when Jesus’ words in Matthew almost make us laugh:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

We think: But Jesus, You don’t know my schedule. Don’t you see that my calendar has no slots for rest? My burden does not feel light.

At the beginning of this summer I was feeling overwhelmed. I had so many responsibilities and so many things that I wanted to do that there simply wasn’t enough time in the day to do it all. I was trying to pack 36 hours of activities into a 24-hour day and it wasn’t working. Every day I wrote down a long, detailed to-do list. But every day I felt defeated because I was never able to check off everything on my list.

One morning in June I took spent some time with Jesus at a park. I took a lawn chair, my Bible, a few good books, and my journal. As I journaled about my sense of drowning in my to-do list I felt God ask me to write down everything I felt I needed to do. The list was long. There were writing responsibilities, church duties, family needs.

As I looked at the list, I realized that many of the things on the list were things that I felt a responsibility to do, but no one had given me that duty. I was taking on a burden that God had not really intended me to carry. Jesus’ burden is light, but Sharla’s backpack of chores is a bag of bricks.

As I prayed over this list, God seemed to whisper a solution.

What if every day you asked Me the one thing I wanted you to do? What if you joyfully and wholeheartedly worked on that task that day in My power? If there is more time available you could work on other items on your list, but if I directed You to rest or concentrate on relationships you would follow My lead. Then your burden would be light. Your work load easy.

I have to admit that I am still struggling to put this into practice. My days are still too full. But step by step I am learning the power of one thing.

Following Christ.

Next step: Take a moment right now and ask Jesus, “What is the one thing You want me to do today?” Make a plan to accomplish that one thing as soon as possible, asking Him for the strength to complete that task.

To learn more about focusing on one thing avoiding distraction, check out my book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: ,
July 14, 2020

Feeling Overwhelmed? Embrace Boring

in-repentance-and-rest-is-your-salvation-in-quietness-and-trust-is-your-strength-isaiah-30-15a

Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe you need a little boredom.

The other day I sat outside and read a book. I stared out at my garden and let my mind wander. I sat so still that a robin landed about twenty-four inches from my feet and a bunny scampered right past me.

In short, I let myself be bored.

Our Culture and Boredom

Our culture shuns boredom. Watch a group of people waiting in a doctor’s office or even in the grocery check out line and you will see most of them checking out their phones–catching up on email or playing Candy Crush. It seems we need constant stimulation.

But what if this constant stimulation is one of the causes of the constant, incessant, unrelenting sense of being overwhelmed?

What if our brains need some downtime? What if we need quiet to balance out the noise? What if we need to embrace boredom–at least sometimes?

The afternoon I took the time to sit in my yard came in the middle of a hectic season. In the past two months, I have been working on an online class, finishing a new book, and completing projects for an organization I work with. In the next few weeks, I am attending a writers retreat, speaking at a conference, and attending an out-of-town board meeting. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. So I purposely took some time to be a little bored.

Boredom Can Improve Your Life

Research shows that embracing times of boredom will help you focus better when it’s time to work. Cal Newport writes in his book, Deep Work,

Efforts to deepen your focus will struggle if you don’t simultaneously wean your mind from a dependence on distraction.

In other words, embrace times of boredom if you want times of sharp focus.

God tells us something similar in Isaiah:

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. (Isaiah 30:15a)

And then He adds:

But you would have none of it. (Isaiah 30:15b)

God sees me rushing around tries to tell me that rest is my salvation. Quietness is my strength. 

When I’m overwhelmed, I’m weak. I’m trying to do it all on my own, instead of trusting God to accomplish His will in my life.

To live an “underwhelmed” life, I have to embrace times of rest and quiet and…boredom. 

God tells me that rest is my salvation. Quietness is my strength. Share on X

Because it is in those times that I am trusting God to work everything out.

Next step: If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, overwhelmed at home, or overwhelmed with life in general, take five minutes today to embrace boredom and quiet. Look out a window and appreciate God’s creation. Or quietly meditate on a Scripture, Or sit with your eyes closed, contemplating God’s love for you.

Filed Under: Contentment, Spiritual Growth
July 9, 2020

Why It’s Not Too Late to Try Something Hard

At times I have thought: I can’t do that. It’s too late to try something hard. But a trip to Zion National Park changed my perspective.

A few years ago, my husband and I went to this awesome park (it’s one of my three favorite national parks). When we first arrived, we simply drove up and down the scenic highway and took pictures. We hiked a few easy and moderately difficult trails. But on our third day in the park, we decided to be brave and try one of the most difficult trails in the park–Angel’s Landing.

Angel's Landing002 - CopyThis trail climbs and climbs through multiple switchbacks, arriving at a place where you need to climb on a very narrow ridge, clinging to chains anchored in the stone. Although we only made it a little way on the most dangerous part because it started snowing and blowing something fierce, we felt pretty good about our fitness and bravery for having made it that far.

There was only one thing that dampened our satisfaction in our accomplishment–as we were huffing and puffing our way up the section of the trail known as Walter’s Wiggles, a couple in their 70s passed us!

We had stopped to take a couple of pictures (and catch our breath) when this very fit senior couple–zipped right on by!

view from the top of "Walter's Wiggles"

view from the top of “Walter’s Wiggles”

Let me tell you–some of my bravado for even trying this insane trail fizzled out. What did it say about my fitness if someone twenty years older could outdo me?

But what if I looked at this in another way?

What if seeing this older couple helped me to realize getting older didn’t necessarily mean getting worse? What if getting older meant I could still achieve daring things? What if I could still could climb higher and realize new goals?

Wherever we are in life, God has great plans for us. In Isaiah He tells us:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

God’s plans don’t have age restrictions. If you are young and just starting out life on your own–God has a wonderful design for your life. If you are in the middle of your life, God is planning something amazing. If you are like the couple that passed me on the path, God is working out something astounding for you too. Let’s not give up!

I could let that couple that passed me on the Angel’s Landing trail discourage me.

Or I could let them inspire me. Inspire me not to use age as an excuse. Inspire me keep working at my goals. Inspire me to keep climbing higher.

And just maybe–inspire me to pass up people twenty years younger!

Next step: Is there a goal or activity that you’ve wanted to do but keep telling yourself it’s too hard? Take it to the Lord, remembering He has great plans for you! Ask Him if He wants you to step out in faith and try it.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
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