Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Isaiah 55:6
I’ve really enjoyed the messages that have been shared over this past month at Life-Spring. Gabe, Donna, and Mae-Tuin all spoke into different aspects of our journey as a church. Gabe spoke on the topic of faith, Donna on identity and the armor of God, and Mae-Tuin shared her testimony of seeking and finding God in community in the midst of trials.
Something that Gabe mentioned in his first message about faith in July stuck out to me through the month. He talked about how one important thing we need to do is to remember to stop, listen, and pray.
Sometimes, we get so tied up and involved in the things that are on our minds and hearts that we forget to inquire of God. I think to some extent, we can all become accustomed to solving our own problems and figuring out our own solutions. And for the most part, learning to solve our own problems is a good thing. If our internet suddenly goes down, it’s pretty helpful to know some basics about solving that problem. So we pick up skills in life for learning how to solve things on our own, and this is pretty important.
What we need to remember though is that for the most important things in life, and the things that are most weighty, only God can truly make a difference. For issues that are important and really matter to us and others, we need to know what God is doing and saying in those situations. We need to make a real effort to hear God, and be obedient. Is there a friend we’re trying to help through a difficult situation? Are we considering applying for a new job? What can we do to address social injustice in our communities? These are all serious questions! And for these kinds of questions, we shouldn’t rely on our problem solving skills and our ability to come up with solutions, regardless of how capable we are. We need to stop, listen, and pray.
A major part of the reason we need to stop, listen, and pray is because in many situations, it is only God who can provide a real solution and make a real difference. I think we’ve all encountered situations where despite our best efforts, things don’t seem to change. No matter how brilliant our solutions seem, they aren’t helping the situation move forward. When we find ourselves here, we need to remember to stop, listen, and pray. Even better, before we find ourselves in situations where our solutions stop working, let’s remember to stop, listen, and pray.
In the end, it’s only through God and by God’s grace that we can see real change and receive real guidance for life. And for this, hearing God, obeying, and praying is the key. So let’s put into practice what we’ve been learning about over this last season at Life-Spring. Let’s make “stop, listen, and pray” a habit as we grow and mature in faith.