Sick and Tired of Your Circumstances? Try This.
I spent about eight years feeling sick and tired all the time and needing a nap every afternoon because I was just too tired to stay awake. Back then I didn’t know what I know now. That God was just waiting for me to ask Him for His perspective on my dismal situation so He could set me free.
Slow Down, Sit with God, and LISTEN
Back then, I also didn’t know how to slow down and listen to God’s voice. I would pray to Him all the time, pouring out all my complaints and requests without taking the time to sit in silence and just listen to what He was communicating back to me. What I needed was to slow down. Typical life in Silicon Valley and elsewhere has us running around and doing all kinds of things. Staying busy. Performing all kinds of tasks and jumping through a myriad of hoops. It seems like we’re rewarded and patted on the back for being busy and accomplishing lots of important things.
Some of you may be so bogged down with illness and pain that it’s hard to focus on anything else but the misery you’re in. I get it. I was there too, when my daughter, Ariana, was chronically ill. I’d spend days and even weeks wallowing in fear and anxiety. It took me a while, but over the years I learned that busyness and focusing on negativity are not God’s way. God wants us to rise above our circumstances and LISTEN to what He has to say to us. He longs to love us, encourage us, and lift us up.
The importance of taking time to sit and listen to the Lord is what Jesus taught Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was frustrated that her sister Mary wasn’t helping her with chores and serving. So she said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.” Jesus answered, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing [emphasis mine] is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
One thing. The one thing Mary chose was to sit and be with Jesus. To listen to Him, to be filled with His Presence. And this is the one thing Jesus said was necessary. Spending time with Him is “the good portion.” The NLT Bible translation says the one thing is “the only thing worth being concerned about.” The NIV version says, “Mary has chosen what is better.”
Start the Day with Jesus
When I start my day with Jesus, by listening to worship music, reading the Bible, or meditating on a devotional, everything seems to flow better. I am less anxious or worried when problems arise. I’ve also noticed this with others, too. Once when I was visiting friends, the days we listened to praise music in the mornings were our best days. When we forgot to start with Jesus, we were grumpy, anxious, and negativity seemed to dominate the day.
It may sound strange that such a simple thing could affect your day so radically. But I encourage you to try it. Play Christian worship music every morning, or anytime during the day, and notice how your mood changes. For example, this morning on KLOVE Radio (a Christian music station), I heard a woman share about how for years after her husband died, she’d wake up every morning with thoughts and memories of his gruesome, tragic death. Then she started listening to KLOVE and now she wakes up with praise songs ringing in her head and with thoughts about how God loves her. That is a radical transformation! And it happened simply by her listening to praise music for a few weeks! I encourage you to try it. What do you have to lose? Nothing but your negativity. 😉 (You can listen to KLOVE Radio online at Klove.com, or by downloading the KLOVE app on your cell phone or iPad.)
Take Time to LOOK – Notice Things You’ve Never Seen Before
Back in 1999, I started attending silent half-day monthly retreats aimed at helping women connect with God. On those retreats, I learned how to hear God’s voice by going out and spending time in silence outdoors, appreciating God’s creation and taking the time to notice the big and small things in creation. We were encouraged to ask God to give us a metaphor in nature of what God was doing in us.
One day when I was having a quiet time outside, I noticed a leaf hanging from one of our big oak trees in mid air. I looked at it and thought, yep, that’s what my life is like. Me spinning in circles, running around like crazy. I walked up to take a closer look and saw that an almost invisible spider web thread was holding it up. That reminded me that God, even though He is invisible, is upholding me all the time. Even when I can’t see Him or feel Him, He is there. I can rest in the truth from Scripture that Jesus said:
I am with you always, even until the end of time. Matthew 28:20
By stopping, looking, and listening, I was able to sense God with me that day. For weeks, I pondered the image that He gave me that day of that leaf being held up by Him. Meditating on that truth for days, the truth that He has me, that He is holding me up, allowed me to internalize it and to know deep in my heart that God was not only with me, but that He was supporting me in all I did. Even when I as spinning out of control, He was there, holding me up.
Ask God to Do New Things in You – Then Ask Him to Show You the New Things He’s Doing in Your Life
This morning the old oak leaves on my deck and the new bright green foliage on the tree branches remind me that God is making all things new in me and in those around me. Our job is to let the old pass away, let go of old ways of thinking in order to make room for new things, new beginnings. Pastor and speaker Dr. Tom Jones said if we’re clinging to the old ways, if our hands are gripping old things, we won’t be able to catch or hold the new things that God wants to give us.
Take the time to ask God what new things He wants to do in your life. Also ask Him to show you those new things. Then take the time to listen to what He says.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43: 18-19
For your listening pleasure, here’s a song called “One Thing” by Bethel Music.
What are the old things you want to shed to make room for the new?
What are you noticing when you stop, look, and listen to God?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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