Renewing Faith │ Restoring Hope
A world within a world slips into sight . . . .
Few things strengthen Christian faith more than seeing God at work in one’s life. Likewise, few things weaken faith more than failing to recognize such divine activity. Spiritual vision is so vital for Christian faith that I don’t think it is possible to overemphasize its importance. Yet, such vision does not come without a cost. For most of us, we pay through the sacrifice of stillness. Continue reading “Unveiling the Eyes of Faith”
Awkward silence succumbs to comfortable quietness.
I love stillness. When I find it and remain there long enough it changes me. When before I had been anxious, I there find peace. When previously confused, I then find clarity. When I enter with discouragement, I leave with hope. I have reaped so many blessings from this humble little gift. Continue reading “Remembering Stillness, Reclaiming Silence”
Standing in the place of stillness, was it only a figment of my mind?
Stillness is like a two-edged sword. Sometimes it has a way of nurturing our faith and sensitizing us to the presence of God. While at others, it feels painfully uncomfortable and we want nothing to do with it. How can this be? Continue reading “Stillness: Use It or Lose It”
In the place of stillness, I am learning how to live.
“Don’t just stand there, do something!” This well intended advice is often driven by the unspoken assumption that stillness is laziness and, therefore, ineffective at best or dangerous at worst. The problem isn’t so much with this counsel (sometimes, activity is needed!) but with the attempt to import it into our relationship with God. If we desire a stronger faith, we must learn to think differently about stillness. Continue reading “Less Is More”
This special place is now my life, absence long results in strife.
Sometimes stillness can affect us in profound ways. We’ve all experienced it in one form or another—a brilliant star-lit night stops our heart, an awesome mountain vista demands our attention, or the fiery hues of an ocean sunset leave us speechless. Somehow these moments add to us and we leave with more than we came. Creation clearly has a way of unveiling the majesty of God (Psalm 19:1). Yet there’s something even more breathtaking than the wonder of creation before us—the glory of God within us. Continue reading “Where Hearts Come Alive”
Then my God reminded me of that place that used to be.
Cherished memories are among the most precious gifts one can possess. The clearer the memory, the more powerful its effect. So too with our faith when we’ve encountered the presence of God; such memories remind us that the God who met us yesterday is the same God who yearns to meet with us today . . . and tomorrow. While our faith is not based on such experiences, they do have a profound way of motivating us to diligently nurture the health of our souls. Continue reading “Restoring the Hunger”
Where You and I are set apart, in the chapel of my heart.
We carry within us a world of unrelenting noise. This never ending stream of regrets, ambitions, hopes, and fears is so pervasive it’s hard to imagine our lives without it. Though we may experience unexpected moments of inner silence and peace, we usually presume they’re too infrequent and random to count on. Surprisingly, however, such times often leave us so impacted we find ourselves yearning for more and wondering if maybe . . . just maybe they don’t have to be so infrequent after all. Continue reading “Silencing the Soul”
This week we begin rethinking the meaning of stillness for our quest of a practical faith and tangible hope in 2017. In looking back over the past year, we’ve learned that a dynamic and vibrant faith must be earnestly sought; in other words, we must be desperate for God. For the last five months we’ve discussed how important the heart attitude or “posture” of spiritual brokenness is for nurturing a lifestyle of holy desperation. Now we turn to the posture of stillness. Why is such a posture so important? Continue reading “Rethinking Stillness”
Until I’m alive to your love once again.
Sometimes we take for granted the things we cherish most. We live with such jam-packed schedules that the time and energy needed to nurture our greatest treasures are often relegated to the margins of our calendars. Such is true of our families, friends, and even our relationship with Christ. Continue reading “Distracted to Death”
For the sealing of its holes made it sadly deceived, claiming the echo inside was the real thing indeed.
Have you ever felt totally confident and content one moment and the very next, overwhelmed with uncertainty? How is this possible? You’ve been hijacked by doubt. Such ambushing is especially true in our relationships because doubt challenges the very trust on which they are built. This is the story of the flute and I think it is often ours as well. As Christians, the festering question takes root in our hearts and threatens our faith, “Is God really enough?” Continue reading “Hijacked by Doubt”
