Today I want to take a couple minutes and ask you, ‘how’s your heart?’
Who are you looking to for your peace and guidance during these times? Are you listening to the voices of the world and giving in to fear and chaos?
Or are you turning your attention to the Prince of Peace and receiving what your soul needs?
Your peace doesn’t have to depend on whether the world is “going well.” This is difficult, I know, the situations of our lives profoundly impact us. In these troubling times, we have choices to make. Your behaviors don’t have to be dependent on the circumstances of your life. Your behavior can be dependent on your relationship with Jesus. The world may choose to live in fear, but you don’t have to choose this path. “For God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7
A spirit of fear is from the enemy – sent to tie you up and imprison you. But that’s not the Spirit sent from God.
Power: In the original Greek this word is “dynamis.” The definition is: force, specifically, miraculous power, ability, abundance, mighty. This is where we get our root word for dynamite.
Love: In the original Greek this word is “agape.” The definition is: benevolence, good will, affection, brotherly love. This unconditional love is believed to be the kind of love with which God loves us.
Sound Mind: (Some translations use ‘sound judgement’ or ‘discipline’). In the original Greek this word is “sophronismos.” The definition is: an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind, to moderation, and self-control.
These three characteristics are describing the Holy Spirit. God the Father sent the Holy Spirit to us after Jesus ascended into heaven. (John 14-16, Acts 1:8, and Acts 2) We have access to these things by the Spirit of God who lives in us.
If you are in Christ, then these things belong to you!
You don’t have to be shaken by what’s going on in the world. You get to rest in Jesus and walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Can you be concerned about things going on? Absolutely! Should you care for the marginalized and stand for justice? Every time! But should you choose to let worry, fear, and anxiety paralyze you or drive you into a frenzy? No way!
You choose the direction you allow yourself to go.
The bottom line here is that you have a choice. You may not be able to control what information comes across your social feeds. You may not choose each anxious thought that pops into your head. But, you do have a choice about what stays inside your mind. You get to choose what thoughts you allow to live inside of your mind and in your heart. You get to choose what you read and watch and how much of it you consume.
“In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” – Psalm 94:19
There’s a spiritual discipline I want to share with you that isn’t talked about very much in many Christian circles.
It’s the spiritual discipline of soaking – others call it abiding in the presence.
In John 15, Jesus invites his disciples, and all believers, to abide in him. This occurs when we choose to let his words stay in us and we dwell in his love.
We let his words stay in us when we read them and meditate on them. These are both powerful spiritual disciplines, but they aren’t my focus here today. I’m focused on this part,
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.” -John 15:9
Remain in my love – abide – soak. I didn’t come up with this term, soaking, but when I explain what it entails, you may agree that it is a fitting word.
To soak is to abide in the presence of God, loving him and enjoying his love for you. People soak in the bathtub to relax, bringing release to sore muscles, or detoxing from an illness. The soaking allows the hot water and bath salts to do the work they are able to accomplish.
When we soak in the presence of the Lord, we are allowing his tender love to get into all the small places of our hearts and souls. Places we may keep hidden day to day. Places ‘toxins’ have hidden and wounds have formed. All the places we’d rather just forget.
Soaking also increases intimacy with the Father and allows us to hear more clearly his heart for us. (Intimacy is a deep personal closeness and knowing shared between two people, or between a person and God.) It takes time to build intimacy with a romantic partner in this world, and it takes time to build intimacy with the Lover of our Souls.
No one else can accomplish this for you. You can’t higher someone else to grow intimacy with your spouse or friend. You must invest the time yourself. You must share parts of yourself as the intimacy increases. So too with the Lord. You must invest the time yourself. You must open every door on which the King knocks, and allow him full access to all parts of your heart. He is a gentlemen.
Soaking is spending time in adoration of God until you sense his presence enter or increase in the room. When this occurs your response is to be still. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 You should follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes there is weeping, sometimes laughter, sometimes simple stillness and quietness.
When beginning the practice of soaking, some may begin with worship songs that have words to help them focus their mind on the Lord. Then they’ll switch to an instrumental soundtrack to be still in God’s presence. (Search soaking worship on your music player for some good options). Others turn on a soaking worship track right away and praise the Lord with their words; inviting his presence to come.
No matter the approach you use, abiding in the presence of God will change you. It won’t happen quickly or all at once, you may not feel any different after the first time or two or even after the first ten times. But I promise you, if you make it a point to soak daily in his presence, you will find a reward worth more than gold, intimacy with the Father.
James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, and what better gift can he give than himself? The question is, will you remain still enough to receive him?
So, let me ask you again, how’s your heart?
If you find yourself caught up in the cycles of fear, worry, and anxiety, begin to soak in the presence of God daily. Turn on some soaking worship and set a timer for 20 minutes. Lay down on the floor and worship the Lord. Invite his presence to come into the room and listen for what he may whisper to you in the stillness.
The time you invest into this spiritual discipline will be worth it. Don’t believe me? Try it out for 30 days and then tell me what you think.
Love (Agape) & peace (Shalom),
Sarah
Sarah Louise 