It is the ninth day of the new year and it is Monday. My mind is spinning with a long list of things to accomplish today and I'm having trouble quieting my thoughts so I can hear what God wants me to write about. I've been looking through my Bible for the past hour and a half but I'm still sitting here with an empty page.
So, I busy myself with changing the bedding, sorting the laundry, wiping down the stainless steel appliances, fluffing the pillows and finally make my way back to my desk. The blog hasn't written itself so will try again to find the message for today.
As I listen, I hear my washing machine shaking away, the pounding of carpenters across the street, and the furnace kicks in to warm up the house. It is surprising how noisy a quiet house can be. I begin to focus my mind on the task at hand and I begin to hear God speak, as he often does, through my daily life.
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV).
I appreciate the quietness of being home alone, the lack of disruption, the peace and the calm around me. I realize how fortunate I am now and how rarely some houses experience this state of silence. I'm thankful that I am well and able to care for this household and myself. That could change at any time so I give thanks for the abilities I have and for the moments I have to use or to waste.
Quietness makes it easier to have purity and reverence in my life. It makes it possible to be open to God's suggestions. It is easier to meditate on God's words and make application of them in my life. I love the chance to seek God's message from His Word and to hear Him make the words come to life for me. It is my hope that even though I struggled to listen to God today, maybe He has spoken to you through my scattered thoughts. Perhaps you need a nudge to find a quiet place to seek God through prayer. Maybe God wants you to turn off the television for awhile tonight so you can talk with your family. Maybe He wants you to put down the phone or hide away the social media for awhile. Today take one small step to draw closer to the quiet life God calls us to live.
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