A time to be born
A time to die
A time to laugh
A time to cry
A time to love
A time to hate
A time to start
A time to wait
A time to keep quiet
A time to speak out
A time to grieve and mourn
A time to dance and shout
A time to heal
A time to kill
A time to take action
A time to be still
There is a time and a place for every last thing under the sun
But to know what a moment calls for, you must be present for one.
I think I know why people are uncomfortable with stillness; being alone with the quiet of their mind.
What will my thoughts be? Will I be sad? Judgmental? Angry? Hateful? What if I am tormented by my racing mind? The inevitable underlying fear behind it all remains: Who am I?
But you are not your thoughts. Nor are you your feelings. If you can grasp this truth, you can learn to separate your self from your mind. The freedom that arises from this sort of separation will change your life. You will find that your thoughts are nothing to fear afterall. And more importantly, you will learn the healing power of stillness and the truth about how amazing you are, and have been all along.
It is written, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
This is where the fruit of the Spirit lives, in your heart. It is where I reside. If you can quiet your mind enough to listen to your heart and be present in every moment, there you will find all the fruits of the Spirit and many more gifts as well.
All you have to do is stay present and open. Here you will find all the fruits of the Spirit and they will fill your entire being, intertwining themselves in your life and relationships. I will be there. I am.
“Whatever has happened before will happen again. What ever has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
Have you ever noticed how cyclical your life is? I sure have.
As unpredictable as life can be, it’s cyclical nature is just as predictable.
For everything that dies, something else is born.
For everything that ends, something else begins.
For every door that closes, another one opens.
After every high, comes a low.
After every storm, comes the sun.
After every loss, comes a gain.
In fact, the cycles are so predictable, it’s a wonder that we worry or doubt at all. Perhaps this is why we’re told to give thanks in ALL things, because another change is always just around the corner.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Neither the wise nor the fool
Will be remembered for long,
Since both will be forgotten
In the days to come.
Both the wise and the foolish
We all will one day die.
Everything seems pointless
Like catching wind from the sky.
It’s easy to fall into a pit
Of deep and dark despair.
We work so hard, then pass away.
So why should we even care?
We can fill our days with pleasure
Make achievements of every kind
Then get drunk off wine and wonder
What it takes to quiet our mind.
Yes, even this seems pointless,
When we step back and look away.
Spend enough time pondering it
We end up on our knees to pray.
Alas! It’s this! Our purpose is here.
In Him, we find it all more clear.
He came with meaning after the fall.
Now life’s not so pointless after all.
Never let your fears redefine your faith.
Discipline is not God trying to pay you back, it’s God trying to bring you back.
The problem with New Age Spirituality is that it whispers we can be gods. It plays on our desire to be able to count on ourselves, carve our own paths, and determine our own futures.
No doubt, it alludes to God, and offers reasonable tribute to God in the way of time, attention, and love but, ultimately, New Age Spirituality says these things are ours, not His.
The New Age suggests that we are nouns, when in fact we are, and always will be, simply adjectives.
We all want to know why we’re here. We all want to achieve our calling. As we grow up, we realize we’re wanderers and followers, that it’s more difficult than we thought to stay on our path. Like sheep, we’re dumb and get lost over and over again, or worse become the victims of dorsal recumbency – rolling onto our backs and being unable to get back up.
But, alas, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) God, our Shepard, tells us simply how we can achieve our calling. In His very own Word, He makes us a promise. Perhaps my favorite promise in the Bible. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:6) As believers, we cling to His promises. Depend on them. And here, I will dissect one.
The Word says if we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our path. Hint: In all our ways. Are you acknowledging Him with your words? How about your thoughts? Your actions? Your lifestyle?
If so, God promises to make our path straight. So then what is our path? “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.’” (John 12:35) Okay, so we know our path is one of light. Anything else?
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:25) Okay, so we know we are to be walking forward. But what lies ahead?
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) Aha! God is before us. What are we to be fixing our eyes on? God.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6) And we’ve come full circle. The path we walk, the path of light, and the path to God, is Jesus Christ. So what is this calling that we so desperately want clarified in our Earthly lives? Our calling is the path. Our calling is Him! I love how simple the Bible makes some things.
The Holy Spirit makes God’s power real to us and alive in us, turning doctrines into relationship.
Suddenly, sin becomes less about obeying the law and more about grieving a Person. Ultimately, the largeness of the Presence of the Father is what allows us to overcome our sinful impulses.