Posts Tagged 'listen'

what would Jesus say?

Published May 9, 2012 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 2 Comments
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 Several years ago, it was really common to see the “WWJD” (what would Jesus do) bracelets everywhere & from time to time I still see them & they make me smile.  Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about what would Jesus say.  I’ve been thinking about this not in my communication with others, but more so in what Jesus says to me.  You see, from time to time, I wrestle with thoughts about discouragement, failure, disappointment, etc.  If I’m not careful, these thoughts can overrun my brain & become dangerous distractions from Jesus’ plans & purposes for me.

When I look at Jesus’ life & His words to us, they are always filled with life, faith, strength, encouragement, forgiveness, love and acceptance.  The only people Jesus ever slammed with overt offense were the religious leaders of His day who were judgmental, selfish and even ungodly.  To everyone else, His words were full of life, encouragement & faith.  When I think about Jesus’ words & their contrast with the discouragement & failure thoughts that run around in my mind sometimes, I’m faced with a choice.  I either listen to His life-giving words or I let the failure & discouragement thoughts run amuck.  I’m choosing Jesus’ words, because I’m Jesus’ sheep (John 10).  :)

The power of listening

Published March 7, 2012 Cambodia , enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , missions , prayer , relationships , spiritual , travel 2 Comments
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I find that listening is an amazing experience. Here are some reasons why. When I listen:
*i am present w the person who is speaking
*i broaden my experience & perspective by hearing another persons point of view
*i gain, learn & grow
*my relationship can deepen & grow

What has been profoundly riveting is when I listen to God. These times for me are nothing less than breath taking. It’s good to listen

an interesting chat w my mom

Published January 28, 2012 enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual 1 Comment
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 My mom & I were driving home & talking about lots of different things, but one of my favorite things to talk about w my mom is the Bible.  We both share about what God is talking with us about in various relevant events, etc of our lives & it’s often a very rich discussion.

Today, we were talking about the diversity of Christians that we both know & love – lots of MAJOR cool people.  Everyone has such good & rich things to contribute to others.  Despite all of the incredible differences, what causes Christians to be unified is love – genuine love.  Regardless of our theological positions, our beliefs about law, grace, healing, faith, prayer, . . . . pick any subject, what makes us distinct as followers of Jesus is our love for one another.  Indeed, that is to be fundamental stand out point based on John 13:35 – love for each other.  I think that the better we get at genuine love, the easier people will see Jesus :D

perspective

Published December 23, 2011 enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual Leave a Comment
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 Perspective has alot to do with our decisions & attitudes.  Here’s an example:  one of my kids just told me that they’re bored.  When I suggested that we could skip the Christmas break & head back to school, they were suddenly “un-bored”.  Lots of things are a matter of perspective.  Along this line, I’ve been thinking lately about what it means to think about things from God’s point of view, based on Biblical insights:

  • How does God see the things with which I struggle in my life?
  • What is God’s perspective on the way I treat my mate?
  • What does God think / feel about how I interact with my kids?
  • What does God think about how I behave on my job?
  • What things / values are important to God?
  • How does God “feel” about the way I use my time, money & energies?

If you want to get to know someone really well, you have to do your best to understand things from their point of view.  This takes time, intentionality, honor & humility.  Getting to know someone else’s perspective tells them that they are important to you, that their values are significant & that they matter in your life.  Getting to know God’s point of view is a noble adventure, worthy of our focus & energies :)

rest

Published December 12, 2011 Christmas , enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual 1 Comment
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This morning, I read Psalms 23 and it was super encouraging to my heart! What really stood out to me was the very beginning part when David says that God causes him to lie down in green pastures. This was really soothing because when you look at the verb in the Hebrew, the idea is that God is very much making David to lay down – almost like an enforced pause.
Here’s my thinking on this idea of a pause – I think that many of us run a pretty fast-paced & high-demanding life for lots of different reasons (some good & some lame). Nevertheless, we all need rest, a break, on a consistent basis (more than just the idea of our daily sleep requirement). If we do not integrate a break or rest into our routines (i.e. a weekly Sabbath), then we will find ourselves in a place of “forced rest,” where God causes us to take a pause.
It is super important to have consistent breaks & pauses in our lives for many different reasons:
*a pause helps to clarify our thinking & emotional inputs
*a pause allows us to re-focus our priorities
*a pause provides the space & context for our relationship with God to deepen & grow
*a pause lets us have an opportunity to slow down & listen to God

Three cheers to a busy life with integrated & intentional rest :)

dealing with discouragement

Published December 6, 2011 Holy Spirit , living , prayer , relationships , spiritual Leave a Comment
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We all have things & times that are discouraging – a job that falls through, a relationship that goes sour, a poor grade at school, etc.  I don’t think that anyone is immune from having some discouraging moments in life.  But the key is what we do with those times & situations.  Here are some things that have been helpful to me with the discouragement topic:

  • just because I failed at something, that doesn’t make me a failure
  • keeping my eyes on God & His promises are more helpful than fixating on the discouragement (we can’t ignore problems, but we can’t let them own us either)
  • keep going – if I’m not careful, discouragement can get pretty heavy & bog me down, so I tell myself to take one step at a time, even if they’re baby steps
  • working out – physical exercise is a great way to burn off some discouragement
  • laugh – sometimes it helps me to be goofy, it lightens me up which is helpful because I tend to be pretty serious in my normal living
  • listen deeply – I find that God’s voice can really help speak light & truth to the discouragement that can try to reside in my thoughts

May you be strongly encouraged today that you are deeply loved & highly treasured!

hearing God speak in a LOUD world

Published November 15, 2011 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 2 Comments
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Our lives tend to be really full with activities, relationship, things we have to do, twitter, facebook, concerns, etc.  If you’re like me, sometimes I have a hard time hearing God in the midst of the noise of life. Indeed, sometimes His voice seems so small that it is a stark contrast to the loudness of everything else.  Here’s something that you might find useful in listening to God:

H – help!  Ask God to help you to hear His voice (it’s interesting to note that Jesus called the Holy Spirit our Helper)

E – eliminate distractions.  Is there some ”noise” you could eliminate? Switch off some unnecessary noise & perhaps this “off” could be an “on” switch for hearing God better

A – available.  Make some time on a consistent basis (I’d suggest daily) to be available to God – for Him to speak with you on whatever topic He choses, or even just to be in His presence, if He choses to be quiet.

R – revere.  It is often true that whatever we honor & revere tends to grow in our lives & the reverse is also true.  I find that I express my honor & reverence in lots of different ways, but very often by how I spend time.  Time can be a very honest reflection of what is important in our lives, especially our discretionary time

Have fun listening & watching for God :D

Eavesdropping

Published November 8, 2011 enemies to intimacy , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 3 Comments
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I just started reading Job & I was reading the part where God & Satan were chatting about Job. What an interesting conversation! Makes me consider that maybe they chat about us as well, from time to time. If you would be curious to know what might be said between them about you, don’t get nervous. I’m quite confident, based on Jesus’ atoning work, that God is looking on you w great favor, maybe even bragging about you!! You can also trust that the devil’s efforts haven’t changed throughout history – he’s still looking for some way to bring you down, talking smack.
Based on this dialogue, we just need to continuously decide that our ears are tuned into God’s voice – He affirms you, believes in you & most importantly, loves you. The other voice is nothing but deception, smack & destruction.
Sure, we all need to grow, improve & do better, but Gods voice always applauds while the devil always jeers & discourages. You’re not a loser!!

I’m listening

Published November 7, 2011 enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 1 Comment
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When my kids ask me, “Guess what, mom?” my answer is always, “I’m listening”. There are lots of different ways to communicate beyond just verbal communications: through our clothes, what & how we drive, our body language, text language (hope u r feelng gr8!) and much more. Perhaps, we are always communicating, even when we don’t realize it.
On the flip side, I think that God is also always communicating – through His creation, various conversations, relationships, a still small voice, music, His Word & lots more. Perhaps God is talking even more than we listen or realize. With this thought in mind, I always want to say to The Trinity, “I’m listening”. I’m listening not only with my ears, I’m listening with my heart, listening with my emotions, listening with my mind, listening with eyes, . . . . I’m listening. May God give us hearing ears & sensitive hearts :)

some thoughts on being still & quiet

Published November 4, 2011 enemies to intimacy , family , Holy Spirit , living , prayer , spiritual 1 Comment
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 I made a comment this morning on my fb page about how it helps to hear God when we are still & quiet.  I wanted to follow up on this comment because I think that for many of us, it’s difficult to be still & quiet.  We live in a really busy, loud, active & demanding world.  Between our smart phones, the internet, twitter, conventional media, family schedules & demands, etc, it can be seemingly impossible to find quiet & still.  Furthermore, when we do get a moment to catch our breath, our mind is usually racing trying to organize schedules, figure out what we need to do next, hum a favorite tune, etc.  Still & quiet seem like elusive & ethereal ideals for people that have lived in a different era or even a different planet.

But for me, still & quiet is essential and it takes some intentionality.  For me, I’ve found it super helpful to get up early before everyone else to acquire some stillness before the demands of the day hit the fan.  Furthermore, I am also intentional about when & how much music & external stuff I listen to, focus being the operative word.

When I’m still & quiet, with God’s help, I focus my attention toward God with the intent of giving the Trinity my undivided attention (without distraction, interruption or competition).  I need to wholly be with my Creator & yes, this requires discipline, some failures & some successes.  But the rewards of greater intimacy & fellowship with God are indescribably worth the efforts & discipline – indeed, living water, breath of life & more.

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