Ya, so, what’s happening in my spiritual life lately? Hmmm… here’s a little list of growth areas for me:
More than ever, I think I am learning to be OPEN about how God might work in my life. I feel like I am more willing to go where He wants me to go, and be more open to how he wants to use me. As a parent, a spouse, a neighbor, a volunteer, a friend, in my studies, in my church relationships, I am OPEN to what God wants to do. OPENESS & STEWARDSHIP are my focus lately. I am OPEN to God doing what He wants to do in my life, and I am a STEWARD of the resources/abilities He has given me.
I am learning to go to Him earlier for His wisdom when I am stumped by something in my life. This verse has spoken to me recently:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Ps. 32:8
I am learning to express joy more freely. One of my recent new habits has been at the end of each day, to write out “What was your favorite part of this day?” Instead of focusing on a to-do list (which is never really done), I am focusing on the moment of the day that brought me joy.
“A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.”
Proverbs 17:22
To follow Christ is to have joy in all circumstances. The joy of the Lord is our STRENGTH. Joy is not just a bonus; it’s our strength! Cultivating the expression of joy brings increased energy.
Last, I would say that I am continually seeking to WORSHIP more in my life. …worship that is more honest, more often, more in congruence with my personality, more “little” moments in the day that I turn to God, more awareness of His care for me, more surrender of myself as an offering to God when I am all alone. Less about appearance and more about the heart… Less about producing and more about connecting with God as my friend… Less about formality and more about forming my attitudes to be like Jesus…
Sounds intense? It’s not. My passion for God is in all the little stuff, the day-to-day stuff. I think that’s the stuff that matters. I’ve learned that he doesn’t
care so much what we produce, but He wants to produce His character in me. I am choosing to be a willing participant in the story of history that God is writing.