Lysa TerKeurst | Spiritual Growth

Thursday, May 10

Sweating in church

Welcome Encouragement for Today Friends. I’m glad you popped over for a visit. We are casual here. Kick off your shoes…you’ll find the book giveaway at the end of this article…

Recently, I was studying what causes people to feel spiritually frustrated. The two top reasons? Bible study and prayer.

I get it.

I can clearly remember being a young girl sitting in church sweating because everyone else knew instantly how to get to every passage in the Bible the preacher man referenced. But not me. I was more interested in counting the preacher man’s spit droplets that came flying out with his punctuated words.

I respected that man. But boy could he get fired up and entertain this lost girl.

Others seemed all wrapped up and excited in what this preacher man had to say. They’d shout loud, “Uh-huh’s” and “Amens!” What was I missing?

And then there was my prayer life. Or the lack there-of. It’s not that I didn’t want to pray, but the whole concept of talking to God felt weird. I tried to copy the prayers of those who seemed like they knew they were doing more than talking to the air.

But then my quirky self would sneak in and leave me feeling foolish for what I’d just said to the God of the Universe. “Dear Lord, take this food to the nourishment of my body. (Good so far.) And if you could change the molecular structure of these cheesy fries to be like carrot sticks that sure would be bomb-diggity.” (Huh?)

Like the saying goes, “We’ve come a long way baby.” Except that I’m pretty sure you could still trip me up in finding certain passages in the Bible. And I’m pretty sure you might still hear me say bomb-diggity in my prayers. But according to what Jesus taught in Matthew 6:7, I think He’s okay with that.

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

For me, there are two keys to unlocking spiritual frustration with both my Bible study and my prayers:

* Sincerity — coming to God without an agenda honestly wanting Him to teach me.

* Simplicity — talking to God as the loving Father He is.

Why do we make it all so complicated?

I think a few honest moments spent with God reading His Word, sharing our heart, and listening for His instruction are quite perfect. Jesus might even say they are bomb-diggity.

What do you think? Have you struggled with spiritual frustration?

I talk quite a bit about practical ways to grow in your walk with the Lord in my book, Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.

Today, I’m giving away 5 copies! Just leave a comment below telling me of a friend you’d like to bless with this book. I’ll announce all winners on Monday.

God, I’m a little mad and a lot confused

If you are here from my Encouragement for Today devotion, welcome.

Kick your shoes off and get ready to get gut honest. When God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers it can be hard. Sometimes, down right awful.

One minute I’m determined to trust God.

In the next, I feel myself slipping. The “why” questions tumble in so hard. My heart hurts. My eyes leak. And in those raw moments I just feel a little mad and a lot confused.

Ever been there?

I don’t want to oversimplify what to do in these times. I know from the prayer requests you’ve been leaving in the comments this week, many of you are facing really tough issues. Situations where the answers aren’t easy or clear cut.

But I have discovered a few things that help me when God seems silent…

* Press in to God when you want to pull away.

When I really want to hear from God but He seems silent, I sometimes find I want to disengage from my normal spiritual activities. Skip church. Put my Bible on my shelf. And let more and more time lapse between prayers.

But the Bible says we will find God if we seek Him with all our heart. Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” All my heart includes the parts that are broken. Bring it all to God.

He can handle your honesty and will respond. But we have to position ourselves to go where truth is. Go to church. Listen to praise music. Read verses. Memorize verses. And keep talking to God.

* Praise God out loud when you want to get lost in complaints.

In the midst of what you’re facing, find simple things for which to praise God. I don’t mean thank Him for the hard stuff. I mean thank Him for the other simple, good things still in the midst. A child’s laugh. A bush that blooms. The warmth of a blanket. The gift of this breath and then the next.

Psalm 40:3 reminds me God will give me a new song when I make praise the habit of my heart and mouth. “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.”

* Put yourself in the company of truth.

That friend that speaks truth? Listen to her. Stay connected to her. Let her speak truth into your life even when you’re tired of hearing it. Stand in the shadow of her faith when you feel your own faith is weak. Let her lead you back to God time and time again.

Proverbs 12:26, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor…”

It’s okay to feel a little mad and a lot confused. Our God is big enough to handle our honest feelings. But don’t let your feelings lead you away from God or away from His truth. Press into Him. Praise Him. And put yourself in the company of truth.

As you stay with God in these ways, you will become ready to receive His answer when it comes.

If you need a truth friend, I’d love to have you stay connected to my blog. It’s free and easy to sign up. Just put your email address in the box in top of the right hand column. Then you’ll start getting my simple truth notes in your email inbox each day.

A complete waste of time

Brooke got in the car the other day and sighed. It was one of those sighs that said, “I’m going through something, but unless you ask me, I’m not freely revealing this information.”

I casually inquired, “Tell me the high from your day and your low.”

“Mom,” she groaned letting me know she secretly loved that I was asking but all the middle school in her was making her play it cool.

I waited quietly knowing she’d eventually tell me. And she did. Something hard had happened at school that day.

I put my hand on hers, “I’m sorry sweetheart. I know that makes you sad.”

To my surprise, this normally emotional child said, “Actually no. I’ve decided sometimes being sad or mad over stuff like this is a compete waste of my time.”

And just like that she smiled and was ready to get on with her day. No tears. No tirade. No lamenting and wearing herself out with a tidal wave of emotion while over-processing this situation.

Just a 13 year old’s decision that this wasn’t worth all that. The child turned tutor. The young one doling out wisdom.

Sometimes being sad or mad over stuff like this is a complete waste of my time.

I’ve mulled her statement over in my mind a hundred times. It’s good. It’s truth.

Indeed there are things to be sad about… but so much of what pulls at my emotions isn’t worth the time and energy I give it.

I love this verse from James 1:19-21 in the Message:

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends. Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation garden of your life.”

Is there something you’ve been sad or mad about that maybe is a waste of your time? Ask God to help you have a different perspective. Leave a comment today letting me know how I can pray for you… it would be my honor.