There are times when I’m reading a book or listening to a podcast or sitting in church on a Sunday morning, and I read or hear those phrases like Trust in the Lord, abide in Jesus, give it to God, walk with the Spirit, be still and know, rest in God’s love, and even as I know their truth (I’m sure I’ve written these phrases myself in blog posts and emails over the years!), in my heart I’m asking, How? How do I trust and abide, give and rest, be still and walk in everyday life? When life is busy and overwhelming, when I’m anxious or depressed, when I’m tired or discouraged, when I’m uninspired and unmotivated, when there's hardship or conflict, when I have doubts and don’t really like myself and doubt God or anyone else likes me either? Perhaps you too have heard the phrases and thought, Yes, okay, but how? It’s one thing to know it in our heads, that God loves me, but how do we let it sink into our hearts (especially when all that stuff of life seems to be blocking the way) so that it becomes something we truly believe and embody? So in this post, I want to share some practical ways we can rest in God’s love and soak into our hearts the truth that God loves me. But before I do, there are a couple of things we should know about these practices: 1) We’re not invited to rest in God’s love as a way to earn or repay His love—as we talked about in last month’s Letter: we don’t need to. So these practices are not about proving we’re good enough or worthy or lovable, and only then will we be able to rest assured that God loves me. Rather, these are ways of engaging in relationship with God. The many spiritual disciplines God gives us (such as prayer, worship, fasting, and more) are about relationship: drawing ever closer, growing ever deeper, becoming ever more intimate with our Triune God, who loves us, cares for us, and invites us to live in love with Him. 2) These practices are also not a check-list to be completed to achieve perfection. It can be easy, once we’re given some practical application for our walk with the Lord, to think it’s up to us to do it all perfectly and make it all happen. So we strive and try and check the boxes, but continue to feel weary, broken, and empty. Again, these practices are ways of engaging in relationship with God. They’re not about perfection, but about intimacy. And it’s intimacy (deepening relationship) with God that brings rest, healing, and wholeness. If we find ourselves coming to these practices in one or both of these mindsets, don’t despair! Simply confess them to the Lord and turn to Jesus for help, healing, and renewal. So with this in mind, here are a few ways we can daily rest in God’s love: Meditate on His love To meditate is to focus one’s thoughts on something—to ponder over it, reflect on it, and contemplate it. The Psalms speak of meditating on who God is: "I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night." Psalm 63:6 (See also Ps. 1:2; 119:15; 145:5) A way we can meditate on God’s love is to read about His love in His Word. We don’t have to look far or hard to find descriptions of God’s love in the pages of His Word—it’s all over! But if you need a place to start, one of my favorite passages that speaks of the love God has lavished on us is Ephesians 1:3-14.
Prayer Communication is a basic building block of any relationship. Prayer is one of the ways we can communicate with God—anytime, anyplace, and in any circumstance. But prayer isn’t just communication, it is communion. It isn’t just conversation, it is connection. In prayer, we share what is on our hearts—any worries, insecurities, requests, emotions, questions, or doubts—with our loving Father. And in prayer, we sit in His Presence, listen to His voice, and sense Him ministering to our hearts as He draw us closer to Himself and grows us more in Christ-likeness. Worship When was the last time we stood in awe at God’s love? When was the last time we praised God for the love He has shown? When was the last time we thought about how delightful being in love with Jesus is? (I’m talking to myself here, too!) Worship can be done to a favorite worship song. Worship can also be done, like prayer, anytime, anyplace, and in any circumstance. It is a way we respond to God’s love, and it is a way we remember and rejoice in the truth that God loves me. I hope sharing these practices with you has encouraged and inspired you if you’ve ever wondered how we can rest in God’s love. Comments are closed.
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