soul care Archives - Sharla Fritz

Sharla Fritz

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4 Reasons To Care For Your Soul

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How did you take care of yourself today? Did you care for your body? Did you care for your soul?

How did you care for your body? Did you eat yogurt and fruit for breakfast for the probiotics and antioxidants? Did you run a couple of miles to keep your heart in shape? Did you get seven or more hours of sleep? Maybe you did all of those things (or something like them) to take care of your body.

But how did you care for your soul? Maybe you didn’t even think about that part of you. After all, our stomachs growl when they’re hungry, our eyelids droop when we’re tired, our muscles get stiff if we sit too long. Our bodies demand attention.

But the soul? The soul keeps quiet. It doesn’t scream in pain or announce a problem with a 102 degree fever. We may neglect the soul for a long time before it demands attention.

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So why should you care for your soul?

I can think of four reasons:

  1. Your soul is the most important part of you. John Ortberg, author of Soul Keeping, writes, “The soul is the coolest, eeriest, most mysterious, evocative, sacred, eternal, life-directing, fragile, indestructible, controversial, expensive dimension of your existence.” Jesus pointed out to His disciples that the soul is important when He said, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Nothing in the world is more important than my soul. Yet how often I neglect this crucial part of me.
  2. Your soul is the part of you that is eternal. A good haircut lasts about a month. A fashionable new outfit stays stylish for about a year. But your soul lasts forever. God created this part of you to be with Him now and in heaven. Caring for the soul will reap eternal benefits.
  3. The state of your soul affects the rest of your life. My soul may not announce it needs care, but when it’s tired I feel pulled apart inside. I may be able to paste a smile on my face, but inside I’m dying. I may be able to carry on a conversation, but I’m not really listening. I may go to church and mumble through the songs, but my heart is far from worship. Life loses joy and meaning when my soul is worn. I’m not able to live life well.
  4. A healthy soul will enable you to love and serve the people in your life. When our souls are weak, we crave attention. We may become self-centered, even self-obsessed. But when we spend time with the Savior and allow Him to fill our souls with His love, we are then able to look beyond our own needs and care for others.

Don’t neglect your soul. Care for it by spending time with the One who loves you. Sit in silence. Read God’s Word. Listen for His voice. Ask Him to care for the most important, most fragile, most indestructible part of you.

Next step: Read Psalm 23. Let the words sink into your heart. As you read and pray, visualize the green pastures and the Shepherd who promises to restore your soul.

 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever

original photo source

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For more information on caring for your soul, check out my new book Soul Spa: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal. This Bible study devotional teaches you how to find rest for your weary spirit. Come to the Soul Spa where spiritual practices refresh you, where God is eager to meet with you and care for your spirit. Using spa analogies, this resource guides the reader to engage in the holy habits such as Bible study, Scripture meditation, sacred reading, prayer, and more! Check it out here.

7 Habits That Promote Soul Rest: Perpetual Prayer

each whispered wordof petitionor thanksgivingconnects us tothe Giver of soul rest1

This post is part 4 in my series on 7 Habits that Promote Soul Rest. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The first time I read Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians I was incredulous.

I mean, how could you possible pray all the time? Life demands things like paying attention in a class or writing a detailed report for work. If you have little ones running around you need to make sure that they don’t empty the garbage can all over the floor or feed the dog chocolate. How can you be on your knees and still do the everyday stuff of life?

Paul’s words not only inspired skepticism. It also produced…guilt. Just reading the command made me all too aware of my mediocre prayer life–often lacking in frequency and length. (Which is another way of saying, I’m lucky if I get in five minutes of concentrated prayer daily.)

But I know prayer brings rest for my soul and peace for my spirit. In another one of Paul’s letters he wrote:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

So how can we learn to pray without ceasing and find soul rest?

I realized that when Paul wrote that command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 he didn’t mean I had to stay on my knees with my eyes closed and my hands folded all day. Praying without ceasing becomes possible when I pray short prayers throughout the day. 

Here are three ways I use short prayers to connect with God:

7 HABITS #3

Turn every worry into a prayer. One day I decided to take these words of Paul literally. I realized that when I’m worried about something, I don’t think about it once in the morning and once again at night. It is on my mind constantly. The concern pops into my brain while I’m driving my car or having a conversation with a friend. So what if I turned every one of my worrisome thoughts into a prayer? 

I would be praying without ceasing.

Pray short prayers of thanks. My worries became the catalyst for my first experience with short prayers. But soon I began to add short prayers of thanksgiving to my repertoire of short prayers. When I saw a beautiful sunset, tasted an exquisite strawberry, or heard the sweet song of a bird, I whispered a quick prayer of gratitude to my awesome Creator. When I found my lost keys or got a string of green lights on my way to an appointment, I said, “Thank You, God.”

Use Scripture prayers. Recently I’ve begun another way to use short prayers throughout the day. I choose a short prayer from Scripture that I whisper back to God whenever the Holy Spirit prompts me. The first prayer I used like this is called the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.” At first, I felt uncomfortable with this prayer. I didn’t like reminding myself that I am a sinner, but every time I spoke this petition, I felt peace. I knew God answered my prayer with His grace. I felt soul rest because that prayer reminded me how much I need my Father and how little my own efforts mattered in the grand scheme of eternity.

Here are a few more short prayers from Scripture that you can use:

Not my will, but Yours be done. Luke 22:42

Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You. 2 Chronicles 14:11

Show the wonder of Your great love. Psalm 17:7

We find soul rest in perpetual prayer because each whispered word of petition or thanksgiving connects us to Jesus–the Giver of rest, peace, and soul stillness.

Each whispered word of petition or thanksgiving connects us to Jesus--the Giver of soul stillness. Share on X

Next step: Choose a short Scripture to pray throughout the day. Click to get a free resource of 15 more short Scripture prayers. Write the prayer on a card to carry with you. As you pray this prayer in small moments of your busy day, it will become a habit. And this habit will draw you closer to God–the Provider of soul rest.

And if you’d like to learn more about soul rest, check out my video course, Discover Soul Rest. Through 10 video lessons, 10 interactive worksheets, and 25+ soul rest practices, you’ll learn about God’s definition of rest and how you can find this kind of peace an wholeness for your own life. Click the link below and scroll through the page to learn about this helpful course.

Find Out More About Discover Soul Rest

Spiritual Disciplines Aren’t Just For Super-Christians

Not long ago I met with a group of women hungry for God’s transforming power. We met often one summer, exploring spiritual disciplines–spiritual practices that have been used by devout Christians for centuries. Reading about these exercises and practicing them with this small group helped me to grow deeper in my relationship with God. I learned to slow down my frenetic pace of life long enough to listen to what God wanted to say to me. The group helped me discover fresh ways to pray. I began to see God’s hand at work in my ordinary days. And I wondered: Why had it had taken me so long to discover these spiritual disciplines?

My False Conception of Spiritual Disciplines

One day shortly after I finished that study, I was searching for a book for a writing project. As I scanned my bookshelves, I was surprised to find two books about spiritual disciplines! I pulled them out and leafed through them. I had evidently read them because many passages were underlined. Why had these books not had the same impact on my relationship with God as my summer experience with spiritual disciplines?

As I reread the underlined passages, I saw the difference. When I had read the other books  years earlier, I somehow got the idea that spiritual disciplines were something I did to become more spiritual. At that point in my life I looked at the disciplines as a formula for becoming a better Christian. Take a little meditation, add a little worship, and mix in some solitude and I would be more acceptable to God.

The Real Purpose of Spiritual Disciplines

It’s easy to see how I could come up with that idea. Spiritual disciplines sound like self-discipline mixed with some very devout and religious work. But we do not practice the spiritual disciplines to look more spiritual. These exercises are not designed to make you more disciplined. The reason my most recent experience with spiritual disciplines was different was that the purpose behind them was not to make me a super Christian, but to foster intimacy with God.

Adele Calhoun writes in her Spiritual Disciplines Handbook:

Disciplines are intentional ways we open space in our lives for the worship of God. They are not harsh, but grace-filled ways of responding to the presence of Christ with our bodies.

So don’t think of spiritual disciplines as something you have to work hard at. Or something that depends on you.

The purpose of the spiritual disciplines is not to produce super-Christians, but to foster intimacy with God. Share on X

Some Spiritual Disciplines to Try

Here are some of my favorite Spiritual Disciplines with links to more information for each one:

Meditating on Bible Stories. I love this method of putting myself in a scene in Scripture. I often use this with stories in the Gospels. To meditate on a Bible story: Read the text. Close your eyes and use your five senses to imagine yourself in the story. Picture yourself as one of the characters of the story. Apply the story to your life in the present. 

Examen. I often use this practice right before I go to sleep. To practice the Spiritual Discipline of Examen, start by finding a quiet place and asking the Spirit to guide your time of reflection. Close your eyes and review the last 24 hours. Ask yourself questions like: What inspired gratitude today? What happened that was painful, sad, or disappointing? What moment do I now regret and need to confess? When did I sense God’s nearness?

SACRED Reading. This method of meditating on Scripture helps me savor God’s Word. A combination of reading the Bible and prayer, SACRED Reading helps me hear God’s voice. Click on the link for the specific steps to this practice.

Palms Up, Palms Down Prayer. This is a wonderful way to start your quiet time with the Lord. I begin by sitting in a comfortable chair and placing my palms down on my legs to symbolize my desire to release my concerns to God. I ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I need to let go. Is there anything blocking my relationship with Christ? What anxieties have I unconsciously been hanging onto? After I have released my worries, confessed my sins, and unloaded my self-sufficiency, I turn my palms up to symbolize my desire to receive from God.

Prayer Walking. If you find it difficult to sit still, you might like this more active Spiritual Discipline. I use it when I feel my prayer life needs a jump-start or when I need a fresh perspective. I go prayer walking when I sense God is calling me to pray for my neighborhood or I need a dose of nature. Click the link for 5 ways to practice prayer walking.

Spiritual Disciplines Are Like a Spa for Your Soul

Picture each spiritual discipline as a room in a spa where you can go to meet God. In this room He will accept you with open arms and lavish you with love. He will transform you. He will take your weary and tired soul and, in His presence, give it new life.

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If you would like more information about Spiritual Disciplines, check out my Bible study book: Soul Spa: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal. It is a great way to find rest for your souls. This book can be used for personal or group study. More information here and here.

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.

6 FREE Resources for Spiritual Practices in Uncertain Times

Undoubtedly, you have many emotions running through your head these days. COVID-19 has stirred up fear, uneasiness, anxiety, and doubt. Our world now faces something new and scary. When we don’t know what to do, spiritual practices can help. This post includes 6 FREE resources you can use in these uncertain days to stretch your faith and turn your heart to the God who has everything under control.

Soul Spa Kit

In these bewildering days we all need a spiritual compass. We need to reconnect with the One who can give us peace and direction. A spiritual retreat can be the conduit for that reconnection.

Every month I try to schedule one morning for a personal spiritual retreat. Jesus told His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). He knew they needed to get away from the crowds, the noise, the responsibilities. Christ offers the same invitation to us.

You might be wondering: What do you do during a personal spiritual retreat? Here’s my process. I read God’s Word and journal what I hear God speaking to me. I pour out my struggles, asking God to make sense out of everything. I spend time resting in God’s love for me.

To help others experience their own personal spiritual retreats I created the Soul Spa Kit: 59 Ideas For Creating Your Own Spiritual Retreat. Inside this resource you will discover the who, what, when, why, where, and how of soul care. This kit is a little like a three-day spa weekend for your soul.

Click here to find out more about this resource and sign up for the Soul Spa Kit.

7 Words Your Soul Needs in a Waiting Season

Right now we are all in a holding pattern. The world has slowed and we wait for answers, wait for word that things can go back to normal.

But there’s no denying that waiting is hard. What do we do in the meantime?

Although our hearts squirm at the sound of the word wait and our souls try to wriggle away from its grasp, maybe it’s a word we need.

But, perhaps we need to reframe waiting. Look at it from a different angle. Hear it in a different context. What if when God said, “Wait,” we heard one of its synonyms? What if it were pronounced “pause”? Or “Expect“? Or “Abide”? Would it make a difference?

I think it does. Although the word wait almost always has negative connotations in our culture, I don’t think God necessarily intends waiting to be gloomy and punitive. Sometimes waiting is meant to be restorative. To give us a season of rest. To draw us closer to the Father. To help us abandon our own puny efforts and rely on the almighty power of God.

That’s why I created the free ebook 7 Words Your Soul Needs in a Waiting Season. Each lesson examines one of the synonyms of the word wait and how examining a waiting season from a different perspective can help us grow in faith in the God who loves us.

Click here to find out more and sign up to get this free ebook.

Finding Enough: A

7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life

With extra time at home, maybe you are thinking of organizing closets and cupboards. Then this 7-Day Decluttering Guide is for you. It will help you not only purge the stuff you no longer need or want, but it will also help you toss out harmful emotions and thoughts.

Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life can help you reduce the clutter of your life. In the span of seven days, you will take a journey to cast out what is cluttering your closets, your schedule, and your minds. Each day, you’ll examine one area of your life and decide if it is time to keep or time to cast away. I won’t tell you what to hold on to or what to toss—that’s up to you. Some of the days, you will tackle a practical area of life like your home or schedule. Other days, we’ll delve into the cupboards of your soul to see if anything harmful or unnecessary is stored there.

If this is for you, click here to find out more and sign up for this free resource!

Spiritual Disciplines

Perhaps you are looking for a new way to spend time in God’s Word. A few years ago I discovered Spiritual Disciplines. At the time, I thought I had stumbled on something new, but Spiritual Disciplines have been used by faithful Christians for centuries, even millennia.

I love using Spiritual Disciplines because they help me focus my attention on my Savior and receive His gifts. These ancient practices help me spend time with the One who can calm my soul and reassure me of His love. These practices include prayer, listening, and meditating on God’s Word.

I did a whole series of articles on Spiritual Disciplines. Click on a link to explore each helpful practice.

Palms Up, Palms Down Prayer

SACRED Reading

Prayer Journaling

Examen

Slowing

Silence

Meditating on Bible Stories

Verse Mapping

If you’re a Bible nerd like me, you love spending time in God’s Word. You love digging into deeper meanings and discovering what it has to say in respect to your current situation.

Enter Verse Mapping. Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In Verse Mapping, you look at the individual parts of a Bible verse and then put it back together with the new understanding you have gained. It incorporates all the things I usually do to dig into God’s Word in a systematic way. Through this method, you will grasp the meaning of the verse in a new way that will help you apply it to your life.

For some of you this time of coronavirus isolation has meant more time on your hands as your normal activities have been put on hold, leaving you with more time for Bible study. I did a series of articles and videos to explain the five-step process of Verse Mapping. Check them out!

Step One Article Video

Step Two Article Video

Step Three Article Video

Step Four Article Video

Step Five Article Video

Bible Study for Busy People

While some of you have more time on your hands because of coronavirus isolation, others of you have even less time than before as you juggle home schooling your children and doing your job!

You know you want to spend time in God’s Word, but you need some strategies to find that time and make to make the moments you have meaningful.

That’s why I did a series of articles on Bible Study for Busy People. Here you will find motivation to spend time with your Savior and some Bible study methods that help you make the most of that time.

Click on the links below for more information about Bible Study for Busy People!

Bible Study for Busy People

Bible Study for Busy People: Start with Stories

Bible Study for Busy People: 7 Strategies

Bible Study for Busy People: 5 Tech Strategies

Bible Study for Busy People: Finding PEACE in God’s Word

I hope that these ideas will help you grow in faith during this unusual time of coronavirus quarantine! Whichever methods you choose, remember that God is still in control. We may be shocked and surprised, but He isn’t. And He is able to work out something good even through a pandemic!

Next step: Pray and ask God which faith-stretching practice is best for you right now. Try it out, trusting that the Holy Spirit will bless your time in God’s Word!

5 Ways to Ignore Cravings and Live By the Spirit

“Don’t do it,” I told myself as I started down the basement stairs.

“Don’t do it,” I repeated as I walked toward the shelf where my secret stash sat.

“Don’t do it,” I said again, as I opened the container.

But I did it. I grabbed a piece of mint-chocolatey goodness and popped it in my mouth. The shouts of the chocolate calling my name were louder than my own voice urging me not to give in to temptation.

I keep my stash of dark chocolate in a tin in the basement. My rationale is: out of sight, out of mind. And if the chocolate calls so loud that I can’t ignore it, at least I burn a few calories going down to the basement to get it. (Surely, going up and down one flight of stairs burns two hundred calories, right?)

Sometimes I’m able to ignore the voice of the chocolate, but sometimes, no matter how many times I tell myself, “Don’t do it,” I go down and raid my secret stash.

Chocolate Cravings and Human Desires

Chocolate cravings aren’t the most heinous of desires, but they certainly provide a good illustration of how our sinful nature does not always want what is best for us.

This week I’ve been reading through Galatians and this verse struck me:

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. (Galatians 5:16-17)

The whole discussion of desires is what motivated me to study the concept of enough. I spent a year exploring what the Bible said about finding enough, about finding contentment. (Click here for more of my posts on this topic.) Just like I sometimes ignore my own inner pleadings to ignore the shouts of the chocolate in the basement, sometimes I go against the Spirit’s nudgings and seek to satisfy more serious cravings of my sinful nature even though, deep down, I know they aren’t good for me.

As long as we live in this human body, we will have this struggle.

When Paul wrote “live by the spirit,” he used the present tense of the imperative mood in Greek. In layman’s terms, this indicates habitual conduct. We must continually listen to the prompting of the Spirit. We must always work in the power of the Spirit. Otherwise, we will constantly go back to our default mode of gratifying our sinful, human desires.

Live By the Spirit

As I thought about this, I wondered what it would mean to continually live by the Spirit. Here are a few ideas of what it looks like in my life.

  • Spend time in God’s Word. God speaks to me through Scripture. As I read, the Holy Spirit gives me guidance, teaches me about God’s kingdom, and reassures me of the Father’s love.
  • Incorporate times of silence. I find I usually need silence in order to hear God’s voice more clearly. I’m trying to start my Bible reading each day with a couple of minutes of silence to quiet my mind. Also, every month, I try to take a personal retreat–a morning to read, journal, and purposefully listen to what God wants to say to me. (If you would like to try this, read my post about taking your own personal retreat.)
  • Pay attention to feelings of dread or anxiety. These feelings may be signs that I am following the desires of my sinful nature. I take these emotions to God in prayer and ask Him to help me sort them out.
  • Memorize God’s Word. When I have Scripture stored in my heart, the Holy Spirit can pull up the appropriate verse to speak to me in His language.
  • Limit time exposed to social media, advertising, and shopping. All of these things can feed my human nature, spurring on discontent, envy, and false desires.

As I practice these things I am better able to follow the path God has for me. Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” The world and Satan will always try to make us fear and doubt God’s will for us. But Paul reassures us that God’s plan for our lives is continually good. When I remind myself of that fact, I’m able to live by the Spirit and shut out the old desires that only lead to pain, anxiety, disappointment, and disillusionment.

And maybe I’ll also be able to ignore the calls of the dark chocolate stored in my basement.

Spiritual Disciplines: Silence

This post is part of my Spiritual Discipline series where we will explore practices that connect us with Jesus in His Word. If you want to find out more about Spiritual Disciplines you can look here. 

My mother-in-law Shirley was known as a woman with the gift of gab. One thing I always liked about her was that chats with her never have any of those awkward silences.

Once when I was with her, we went to visit an old friend of hers. The mother of the friend was with her and this mother also possessed the ability to make continual conversation. In this woman, Shirley had met her match.

When the visit ended and we got back in the car, Shirley expressed her frustration, “Oh, that woman!” I couldn’t get a word in edgewise!”

I wonder if that is how God feels sometimes. When we come to Him, we often come with our long lists of complaints, our litanies of needs. Our time with Him is often a one-sided conversation.

And when we’re not talking to Him, we fill our ears with music on the radio, chats on the phone, and movies on the big-screen TV.

Maybe God feels like He can’t get a word in edgewise.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says:

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

Silence

In order to hear God speaking to our hearts, we sometimes need to practice the Spiritual Discipline of silence. We live in a noisy world.  It can be hard to hear God’s voice above the din. God may be speaking, but we may not be listening.

In my job as a music teacher at a Lutheran school, I have one rule for my students: When I am talking, they are to be quiet. This rule is necessary for them to hear the instructions for the next activity. When they are talking, they are not listening. If the class follows the rule reasonably well, I give the class a sticker on a chart. Ten stickers equal a reward of a movie day. But somehow, this simple rule is extraordinarily difficult for the students. We are already 24 weeks into the school year and one of the classes has only earned 3 stickers. Go figure.

I guess we all like to talk more than to be still. But that’s the beauty of the discipline of silence.

Silence enables us to listen. 

King David wrote in Psalm 62:1

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

I cannot hear God’s words of grace if I’m always talking. I can’t listen to His gentle words of salvation if I’m not waiting in silence.

Sometimes I need to wait for some time before I hear God’s voice. Even if I’m in His Word, the noise in my head may drown out His voice. The conversation between me and my distracted self doesn’t allow me to listen.

Practicing Silence

So how can we practice silence? How can we hear God’s more clearly? Here are some ways that work for me.

Practice silence before reading God’s Word. Before jumping into your Bible study time, take a few minutes of silence to quiet your mind. Turn David’s words in Psalm 62:1 into a prayer: “God, my soul is waiting in silence for You alone. Enable me to hear Your words of grace and salvation in Scripture. Help me hear Your message to me in Your Holy Word.

Write down the noise in your head. Perhaps you have noticed that when you sit in silence, your thoughts are definitely not quiet. The voices of Doubt and Defeat speak up. Worry and Anxiety seem intent on not letting God get a word in edgewise. You feel like a failure before you even begin.

But you can use these noisy thoughts to your advantage. Sit quietly and pray David’s words, “I wait for God in silence.” As you quiet your mind, have a pen and paper ready. When distracting thoughts pop up, don’t berate yourself. Instead, write down a word or phrase that describes that thought. Quiet your mind again and repeat the process. After ten minutes, look at your list of distracting thoughts. What do they tell you about your life? What do they tell you about your relationship with God? Then take the whole list to God in prayer.

Schedule a personal retreat. This is one of my favorite things to do–but I’ll admit I don’t do it enough. Block out a day–or a morning–for a silent retreat. When I have a personal retreat, I love to go to a park if the weather is nice. But you could look for a retreat center in your area, book a hotel room, or simply find a quiet corner in the library. Bring only your Bible, journal, and willingness to wait in silence. Read a portion of Scripture and then wait for God’s words to you. Journal what you sense God is speaking to you in His Word. You could also use the disciplines of Palms Down, Palms Up Prayer; SACRED Reading; and Examen during this time. An extended time of silence like this refreshes my soul. (For more ideas for a personal spiritual retreat and get my Soul Spa Kit read here.)

Wait in silence. Let God get a word in edgewise. He is longing to comfort your heart and care for your soul. He will faithfully speak words of love and forgiveness as you come to Him. Quiet your heart and hear His words of grace.

Next step: For the next five days, schedule some time for Silence. Read the following Scriptures for inspiration:

  • Psalm 62:5-8
  • Ecclesiastes 3:7
  • Habakkuk 2:20
  • Revelation 8:1-4
  • Luke 5:12-16

Spiritual Disciplines: Slowing

This post is part of my Spiritual Discipline series where we will explore practices that connect us with Jesus in His Word. If you want to find out more about Spiritual Disciplines you can look here. 

I once heard a story about an American traveler on an African safari. A typical type-A American, he wanted to see as much as possible in the time he had on the continent. And because he wanted to see parts of the land where travel was difficult, he hired some local people to carry his supplies.

On the first morning, they got up early and made encouraging progress. The second morning everyone once again rose with the sun and they covered a great distance. The third day the party traveled far. But on the fourth morning, the local people simply sat under the trees and refused to move on.

The American tourist became impatient, but no amount of coaxing would get the men moving again. Finally, through an interpreter, the tourist asked what the problem was.

The translator relayed their message, “They are waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies.” [Adapted from Soul Keeping (p. 130), by John Ortberg]

Have you ever felt like that? Like you have hurried through your days, sped through your tasks, even rushed through your time with God so quickly that your soul has been left behind?

I know I have.

Our society is built on hurry. We try to pack our days like we pack for a 2-week vacation–into a carry-on suitcase. I see this in the lives of my piano students who hurry from school to piano lessons to soccer practice to math tutoring. I see it in the lives of those in ministry as they rush from church services to Bible studies to community volunteering to board meetings.

I’ll bet there are days or weeks or months when you too, live in a state of hurry. Modern lives are filled with a myriad of good things and we feel we need to rush to fit them all in.

But when we stop long enough to breathe we realize that our soul has been neglected. It’s Tuesday, but it feels like our soul has been left behind at Saturday.

Slowing

To remedy this situation, I suggest we practice the Spiritual Discipline of Slowing. Perhaps this is not a typical Spiritual Discipline. A search in the concordance confirmed that God’s Word does not say “slow down” in those exact words. Yet we see this concept in Scripture when God talks about our need for rest.

God Himself rested on the seventh day of creation. He commanded His people to rest on the Sabbath.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God told the disobedient Israelites:

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

And the prophet Jeremiah declared,

Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
    and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
    and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (Jeremiah 6:16)

God does not want us to live a life of hurry. In these passages, we see that hurry happens when we insist on relying on our own strength and knowledge. When we feel God’s way is simply too slow and we try to hurry Him along. We step out of His ancient paths in an effort to achieve our objectives–faster.

Jesus’ Example

Perhaps the best Scriptural example of slowing was Jesus Himself. His life was not one of idleness. He was always occupied with preaching, teaching, and healing. Yet in reading the Gospels, I never have the feeling that Jesus hurried. He always took the time that was needed. Even when he was on His way to a very sick twelve-year-old girl, He stopped to speak to a woman who had touched His cloak and been healed of a long, painful illness. (Mark 5:21-33)

Jesus told His disciples:

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)

Jesus didn’t say that we should sit around and do nothing. Instead, we should work with Him. A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to a plow or cart. The yoke enables the animals to work together. Jesus invites us to take His yoke, work alongside Him.

I don’t know about you, but hurry frequently enters my life when I attempt to accomplish more than God intends. When I insist on trying to carry all the burdens of this life on my own. In the words of Matthew, I hear Jesus say, “Stop that. Work with me. Don’t take on too much. Don’t try to do it on your own. I have wonderful tasks planned for you, but when you work with Me, it won’t feel like hard labor or a heavy burden. It will be more like rest for your soul. Hurry won’t even enter into the equation.”

Practicing Slowness

So how can we practice slowness and eliminate hurry?

Here are a few suggestions:

Sabbath.The Lord commanded the Sabbath for a reason. He knew we needed it. Time to worship. Time to rest. Time to tend to our souls. If you don’t already observe the Sabbath, I encourage you to take one day a week to engage in corporate worship. To spend time with family and friends. To close the computer or put away the broom. Instead, spend time in God’s Word, read a good book, or take a walk in the woods. (Read more about observing Sabbath here.)

Examine your activities. Is your life one big hurry because you have taken on more than God intended? Take an hour to list all your activities and your family’s activities that involve your time. Prayerfully ask the Lord where you have stepped out of the yoke He has planned for you and tried to do things on your own.

Build a little margin in your day. I’ll admit this is still a hard one for me, but another suggestion for eliminating hurry is to allow more time between appointments and activities. Try not to schedule things back to back. When you need to go somewhere, estimate how long it will take to get there and then allow twice that amount of time. If the drive to the dentist’s office normally takes ten minutes, allow twenty. The extra margin gives you time to notice the lilacs on the way. Or really listen to the words of the song on the radio. If you arrive early, you have time to relax and breathe.

Modern life is fast. We feel we need to keep up. But Dallas Willard, an author who often writes about Spiritual Disciplines, reminds us:

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.

God knows we need soul rest. And He will provide it.

Next step: Over the next five days, take time to read what God says about rest. Ask Him to teach you and invite Him to point out any changes that need to be made in your life. Thank Him for His promise of soul rest.

Scriptures about Sabbath and rest:

  • Exodus 20:8-11
  • Isaiah 56:2, 6-7
  • Hebrews 4:1-11
  • Matthew 11:28-30
  • Jeremiah 6:16
  • Psalm 116:7
  • Psalm 127:2

Spiritual Disciplines: Examen

This post is part of my Spiritual Discipline series where we will explore practices that connect us with Jesus in His Word. If you want to find out more about Spiritual Disciplines you can look here. 

Another busy day. Teaching music at the Lutheran school in the morning. Piano lessons in the afternoon. Dinner with my sweet hubby. Bible study with my small group in the evening.

I fall into bed exhausted. But before I step into dreamland, I take time to practice Examen. I close my eyes and watch a “video” replay of my day.

I thank God for the good things: a big hug from a preschooler at school, time with my husband, laughter with my awesome Bible study gals.

I ask the Holy Spirit to show me where I messed up that day–yep, I lost my patience with those antsy third-graders–forgive me. Lord.

I look for God’s presence in the ordinary moments of my day and I see Him in the unexpected warm weather in the middle of winter, in the faces of the children as they sing of God’s love, and in the words of hope in God’s Word.

I go to sleep forgiven and grateful.

The Spiritual Discipline of Examen

The practice of Examen is one of my favorite Spiritual Disciplines.

I know intellectually that God is always with me. I grab onto God’s promise:

I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)

But sometimes I forget. I get caught up in my to-do list, in the hectic activities of each day. I forget that God is always with me to love me, guide me, and cheer me on. Examen helps me be more aware of Christ in the mundane moments of every day.

You too?

To practice the Spiritual Discipline of Examen, start by finding a quiet place and asking the Spirit to guide your time of reflection. Close your eyes and review the last 24 hours. Ask yourself questions like:

  • What inspired gratitude today?
  • What happened that was painful, sad, or disappointing?
  • What moment do I now regret and need to confess?
  • What moments of my day were life-giving?
  • What moments of my day were life-draining?
  • When did I sense God’s nearness?
  • When did my hectic pace of life crowd out a sense of God’s nearness?
  • When did I give and receive love?
  • When did I feel an absence of love?
  • What did God teach me today?

Spend some time thanking God for His presence throughout the day and thank Him for the things that brought joy. Confess the sins the Spirit brought to mind and receive forgiveness because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Visual Examen

Recently, I discovered a more hands-on way to practice Examen in a book titled Praying in Color:  I have adapted this method for our Spiritual discipline journey.

For this practice,

  1. Start by downloading and printing a sheet with a geometric pattern that will guide your experience.
  2. In the center of the pattern, write the words of Joshua 1:5: I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
  3. Then, in the spaces closest to the center, write down things for which you are grateful. Did you get a hug from a preschooler? Did you see a spectacular sunset? Write down anything from the last 24 hours that brought you joy.
  4. Next, ask yourself a few questions about your day. In the outer ring of the pattern, write a word or two that recalls these moments:
  • When did I feel closest to God?
  • When did I feel distant?
  • When did I mess up and sin? Where do I need to confess and receive forgiveness?

End with a time of confession and thanksgiving. If you like, color the spaces of the design while you pray. Many people find the act of coloring focuses their thoughts. (I suggest that you at least darken the spaces listing your sins so the words are no longer visible–symbolizing God’s cleansing mercy.)

God is with us. But sometimes we forget. Examen helps us appreciate the Lord’s presence in the ordinary and mundane. 

Examen helps us appreciate the Lord's presence in the ordinary and mundane. Share on X

Next step: Download and print the Examen pattern. For Use it to guide your Examen practice today. Here a few Scriptures to focus your time with God:

  • Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Psalm 139:1-6
  • Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 139:23-24
  • Psalm 139:7-12, 1 Kings 8:39
  • Psalm 73:23, 1 Samuel 16:7
  • 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 1 Chronicles 28:9

Spiritual Disciplines: SACRED Reading

This post is part of my Spiritual Disciplines where we will explore practices that connect us with Jesus in His Word. If you want to find out more about Spiritual Disciplines you can look here. 

One of the most memorable meals I ever had happened in Brussels, Belgium. My family and I were on a European tour–a bargain bus trip. One of those if-it’s-Tuesday-this-must-be-Germany tours.

We arrived in Brussels around 5:00 pm and were informed that we only had the evening to explore the city. Early in the morning, the bus would be on its way to Luxembourg. So my husband and two teenage kids strolled from our hotel to the city center. We had every intention of finding a nice restaurant for dinner, but then I saw it–the famous Leonidas Belgian Chocolate shop. I couldn’t resist a peek inside, thinking I would come back after dinner for dessert. But inside, I saw the hundreds of chocolate possibilities and had the bright idea: Why don’t we have chocolate for dinner?

So we all picked out a bag of our favorites and went out into the city square to savor our chocolate treasures. Each bite was so delicious I wanted it to last forever. I let each morsel melt until it was gone, enjoying each chocolatey moment.

SACRED Reading

SACRED Reading is a way to savor God’s Word like I reveled in those chocolates. It helps us to meditate on Scripture. As we savor God’s Word, it melts into our hearts and the Holy Spirit transforms us.

To focus on Scripture in this way, I choose a short passage of no more than eight verses and use the word SACRED to guide the process:

Silence your thoughts. Begin by quieting your spirit. Call on the name of the triune God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your time of listening. At first, your wandering thoughts may seem to crowd out any quietness, but simply bring your thoughts back to the Father and eventually the cacophony in your head will die down.

Attend to the passage. Read your chosen verses. Ideally, you will read the passage out loud. Read slowly. Pause when it seems that God is drawing your attention to a particular sentence or phrase. Let the words resonate in your heart.

Contemplate the Word. Meditate on the passage, especially on any words the Holy Spirit seems to be speaking directly to you today. Do not hurry this time. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring up any feelings, doubts, or fears buried deep in the recesses of your soul. Thoroughly explore your soul for your most genuine response to these words of God.

Respond to the text. After you have taken time to listen, speak. That is, pray, pouring out your heart to God in response to what He has just spoken to you. If the passage inspired joy, offer thanks. If it brought a sense of conviction, confess.

Exhale and rest. Read the text again and rest in the love of God. Simply wait with the Lord who loves you more than you can know.

Dwell in the Word. As you come out of this restful state, ask the Spirit, “What truth can I carry into my day?” Think about a truth or promise you received that will help you live out God’s Word.

SACRED Reading helps me slow down long enough to hear God’s voice. It’s the difference between gulping down a sandwich and letting every bit of a Belgian chocolate melt on my tongue.

Savor and Receive

Let’s savor God’s Word. God longs to speak to us. In His Word we receive His wisdom and instruction for our everyday lives. We receive His unfailing love and His transcendent joy. We receive peace and stillness for our souls.

As we savor God's Word, it melts into our hearts and the Holy Spirit transforms us. Share on X

Next step: Try SACRED Reading for the next five days. Here is a list of Scriptures to get you started:

  • Psalm 1
  • Isaiah 40:28-31
  • Isaiah 43:1-7
  • Matthew 5:3-10
  • Ephesians 3:14-21

204196 - Copy (2)This post is adapted from my Bible study book: Soul Spa: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal (CPH). This book examines Spiritual Disciplines as a way to develop intimacy with the Savior and to care for our souls. It is available here and here.