by Anna N. | Jun 25, 2020 | Life Advice, Testimonies
Just last week I was preparing dinner when the electricity in our apartment tripped. It was dark outside, dark inside and my husband was still at work. It was so pitch black, I couldn’t find my phone as a light source and for a second, I had no idea what to do. I managed to feel my way around until I found a box of matches and struck a match to light the way to the fusebox where I could fix the problem.
Life without God is like that moment in the pitch black. Not knowing one direction from the other and having no hope of finding any way out of the situation.
Psalm 119:105 says, ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ and it’s true. Jesus provides the light we need to walk the path to holiness, wholeness, peace, and joy.
At the age of 26, I know this full well with every fiber of my being. But a decade ago, things weren’t so clear for me.
I grew up in a Christian family in a small, sleepy town where not much happened at all. I guess we never think bad things will happen to us, but my relatively easy life was in for a rude awakening when I was 16 and my only sibling was diagnosed with leukemia. My family spent much of the following months split apart between home and hospital while my brother underwent intensive chemotherapy 100 miles away. It was a rough few months for all of us and the stress of the situation took its toll on my family in more ways than one. During this season of intense uncertainty, tension and turmoil, things weren’t going so well for me either. I spiraled into a pit of feeling unknown, afraid, misunderstood, and in desperate need of safety while all I knew to be secure was falling away beneath my feet. In a desperate attempt to feel seen and known, like many teenage girls, I looked in many of the wrong places for validation, only to feel even more alone and heartbroken.
After my brother relapsed, he passed away almost exactly a year after his initial diagnosis, confident he was going home to Jesus. I experienced what is called ‘complicated grief’ and ‘survivor’s guilt’, with few tools available to help me deal with my trauma. Few 17-year-olds feel understood at the best of times, and mixed with the trauma I was failing to navigate, I fell deeper into a pit of feeling unseen, unknown, hopeless and ashamed by how badly I was coping. Anxiety began to rule my life. Still grasping at unhealthy validation to mask my feelings of inadequacy, fear of abandonment and need for safety, I didn’t allow myself to be vulnerable with God. He felt far, far away and I felt unfixable and unlovable. When I looked around, my fear was so intense that all I saw was darkness.
By 18, I had gone away to college and that’s when God began to work on my heart. In reality, I’d been avoiding being honest with Him for so long, because deep down, I was convinced He was angry with me for the choices I’d made. I was afraid that he would make me walk out of the emotionally and spiritually unhealthy pit by myself. The only thing scarier than staying in the pit I was in was having to climb out by myself because I knew I couldn’t. Thankfully, that’s not who our God is and that’s not what grace is. And I was about to experience this radically.
Matthew 11:29 says, ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’
God’s grace and gentleness are true. He lit my path, walked ahead of, beside and behind me so I knew where to go. One by one, God helped me walk away from harmful situations and relationships that weren’t part of his plan for me, his treasured daughter. I began to deeply know more of God’s character and that I had never been alone after all. Over the following months, I became more plugged into my church community, helping lead worship and tapping into hearing God and receiving prophecies. Of course, my trauma, grief, and fear were still things I battled each day and some days, I was so anxious I couldn’t get up in the morning. But this time, I was battling with God by my side and I knew there was hope for me yet.
I began attending counseling, which I would recommend to anyone experiencing anxiety or working through trauma. Other things that helped me invest in my emotional and spiritual growth were:
- Honoring my body through exercise and eating better
- Recognizing my need for community by confiding in friends andmentors
- Seeking the Kingdom by listening to preaches and worship musicduring the week.
- Tapping into my gifting by pursuing art as a creative outlet.
Slowly, the good days outnumbered the hard ones.
By 21 I was engaged to my now-husband and my life was in a place full of excitement and wonderful things to look forward to. But some days I still felt suffocated by shame. That summer, at the Bethel Leader’s Advance conference, something pretty remarkable happened! I suddenly felt the shame and fear creep up on me very intensely and God told me to speak to one of the speakers after the session. I awkwardly made my way down the auditorium steps and approached him in the crowd of people around him. Before I said a word, he looked at me, put his hand on my head and recited Isaiah 61 – The Year of the Lord’s Favour. ‘Beauty from ashes’ had been the verse I’d leaned into for months by this point, and this encounter only confirmed that truth in my life.
It’s been quite the journey so far but I’m more certain than ever of God’s hand on my life, having seen His work in my life over and over again. Surrendering to God’s will for my life is the best thing I ever did and I no longer feel shame about the person I was ten years ago. Instead, I know God’s heart for who I was and feel compassion for her. So now, when anxiety and fear rear their ugly heads, I know God’s love and compassion for me. I know I have nothing to fear because God has already lit a path for me. Of course, some days are still hard and I’m still learning and growing, but it’s a journey I feel bold and equipped in because I know God has already gone before me and is working in me.
I don’t know your journey or the battles you face. But I do know this – you are not who the world says you are and the world can never satisfy your need to be known, seen and loved in the way Jesus can. You are beautiful, set apart, and if you give God your ashes, He will bestow on you a crown of beauty. My prayer for you is that you will experience rest for your soul and a firm certainty in God’s plan for you, even if you can’t see what He’s doing just yet. You can never mess up in ways God can’t free you from. God is FOR you! He loves you and wants amazing things for you. He is working in your life and partnering with Him is a wild journey that you don’t want to miss!
‘The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ – Exodus 14:14.
Anna Naylor is a wife to Josh and lives by the beach on the south coast of England. Anna is passionate about sharing truth and encouragement through words and hand lettering, cooking, travel, creating an inviting home, and growing in her relationship with Jesus!
Follow Anna on Instagram @letteredbyanna
by Kristina Washburn | Jun 12, 2020 | Life Advice, Testimonies
As we are preparing to re-enter into this new season of 2020, coming out of confinement and restrictions, it’s so easy to be distracted by thoughts “when this is over I’m going to…”. I know for myself, exciting travel and gatherings were canceled, my job changed and my expectations of what this year would be has had to shift completely. However, even though this season felt like we had zero control, how much control do we actually have…
Now listen, you who say “today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money” why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?… Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” James 4: 13- 15
In this time of quarantine, we have truly had to adopt the mind set of God’s will. We’ve gone through days of not knowing and having to let go of so much…because we just didn’t know. At the beginning of it all, it was difficult. Every day I’d go through waves of highs and lows of the what ifs/when this is over vs the contentment of the present.
I’m aware and sensitive that everyone’s experience has been unique through this season. My unique situation is that my husband is a first responder and I’m in healthcare. For the first 4 weeks of quarantine I wasn’t getting scheduled at work. In moments of strength I saw this as protection; protection for my health as well as the health of my family. I would be able to meet with the Lord daily, meditate on his word and journal through the praises and prayers of my heart. But then I would find such emptiness in points of my days and in that quiet would many times find myself disappointed/frustrated in the inability to work or spiraling in fear about my husband’s safety at work and the fears of the unknown.
What these waves showed was the real condition of my heart. High peaks of confident security in the faithfulness of the Lord’s will BUT then lows that revealed my true lack of confidence.
Going through this pattern of highs and lows was exhausting, and only life-giving half of the time…. exhaustion convicted me that I had to start making an active choice to surrender what I thought was my right to know. The future is not under my control, however I am still called to be a strong participant in it.
Isaiah 40 is a great reminder of faith and the type of participation we are called to daily,
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. “(v. 30-31)
I am finding myself returning, time and time again to these verses, and honestly the whole chapter. Isaiah 40 is titled Comfort for God’s People, even just the title brings comfort! And the comfort does not stop at the words of this passage… the more we fill ourselves with the truth of God’s will and the comfort of His promised future for us, the more our hearts are open to the Spirit.
“Accepting the will of God is not a burden. Instead, it should be regarded with all the reverence and joy that comes with following in the footsteps of God himself” – The Jesus bible
I now see this time of quarantine as an exercise of faith and a strengthening of my true surrender and participation in God’s will. Naturally we will continue to experience moments of weakness or lows but my prayer and hope for the future is that we are able to stay strong in this surrender as we re-enter the illusion of a life that we have more control.
Take some time to read through Isaiah 40, take the verses that speak to your heart and use them as tools to guide you and provide you with the comfort that the title promises.
Kristina is a Physician Assistant with a passion for speaking truth and providing care in both Women’s Ministry and Women’s health. She currently resides in Southern California with her Husband. Her favorite days involve long walks, coffee chats with girlfriends and relaxing on the beach watching her husband surf.
by Leanna Crawford | May 28, 2020 | Life Advice, Testimonies |
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Why did it take a world-wide pandemic for me to realize where I put my hope? When my sense of normalcy was stripped away, all of the sudden, I found myself standing in sinking sand. It became obvious, that although I had trusted Jesus in some areas I hadn’t put my whole hope in Him. I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to stand on things that weren’t the solid ground I thought they were – my relationships, my giftings, my career, my reputation, you get the idea. I was putting a whole lot of emphasis on Jesus every day within my daily quiet times and prayer, but I discovered that when it felt like life and my normal routine went sideways, I wasn’t standing on the fact that God is in control. Instead, I felt unstable because everything I had been standing on, as it turns out, wasn’t solid.
As an eight-year-old girl, it was simple to stand on God’s promises. I didn’t have to worry about my career, I didn’t have to worry about relationships, and I could just trust that God was in control. But something shifts as we get older, and stresses that we never had before suddenly carry so much weight. When we stand on things like relationships or our career, we can get stuck in anxiety or doubt because we find out they are nothing more than sinking sand. But as believers, we do have a solid foundation to stand on, the promises of God.
Sinking in Anxiety
I’ve never considered myself an anxious person. I’ve had moments of anxiety for sure, but I have never experienced the constant or even extreme level of anxiety that I’ve witnessed some of my friends go through. However, when my career began to take new strides, I got so caught up in trying to do everything perfectly, that I created an unrealistic expectation for myself and if I didn’t meet this unrealistic criteria, I felt like a failure. Over time, this pressure to obtain perfection grew, and eventually led me to experience my first anxiety attack. I remember that night, my body started shaking and it was hard to control my breathing. Thankfully, my sister was on her way upstairs and when she saw me crying on the floor, she came in and prayed over me. When my breathing calmed down, we went on a walk to get some fresh air and we prayed some more. That was the first of many sleepless nights that fall – nights of my mind recounting my failures of unmet, unrealistic expectations of myself.
Standing on God’s Peace
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Anxiety isn’t a new thing, though it feels like we talk about it a lot more openly now. Even the Bible talks about anxiety because since the beginning, people have been trying to figure out how to deal with it. Our anxiety is not news to God. He knew we would feel anxious about a pandemic, losing a relationship, or not meeting expectations, but He doesn’t leave us to sink in anxiety alone. He sent His son Jesus to bring peace to the anxious. If you’re feeling anxious, read through these verses (Philippians 4:6-7) and begin to memorize the truth that He promises peace (this is what I would do during those sleepless nights). God wants to know how we are feeling, not just on the wonderful days, but in the tension, all the emotions, and the anxiety. You might feel like your season of anxiety has lasted a long time. First, you’re not alone and second, God promises peace and freedom from our anxiety when we put our trust in Him. Peace that is beyond anything we can comprehend. Peace that we can stand on.
Sinking in Doubt
During this pandemic, I’ve been able to spend several weeks in the home where I grew up. I love spending time with my family and it’s also been sweet to reflect on all the memories that being home brings back. During a recent conversation with my parents, we talked about a guy I dated and how painful it was when it didn’t work out. Yet, now I can look back at that season with a grateful heart because I see how God was faithful during that time. We had been friends for a year before we started dating and started liking each other mostly because we both loved music. But after dating a few months, I realized the only thing we really had in common was music, and our opposite personalities started to clash. We argued all the time and just honestly weren’t pushing each other to Jesus the way we should have. I think we both knew that God had something different planned for our lives, something better, but it took me a long time to break it off. It took me so long because there were so many different questions running through my head like, what if this is my only shot at love? What if I ruin God’s plan for my life? What if I’m single the rest my life? Questions that kept coming, questions full of doubt. But God responded to my doubt with His faithfulness.
Standing on God’s Faithfulness:
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
God is not finished with me. I am far from perfect, but God will never give up on me and He’ll never give up on you. When I began to trust God’s faithfulness in the break up, I started to see what He was teaching me. There were a lot of nights spent crying in pain that I would’ve given anything to be healed from, but now looking back I wouldn’t choose to change any of it. Because during that time, I found a new sense of trust in Jesus that I hadn’t known before. He began to be my everything in a new way, and He became the solid rock that I stood on. He was and is faithful through everything – the pain, the heartbreak, and the healing. So now, I look back on that season of my life and I’m grateful for it because He made me stronger on the other side. I see God’s continued faithfulness even during the tough times like this pandemic.
For those of you wrestling with doubt – questioning if God sees you, if He’s even listening to your prayers, and wondering why He is letting you sit where you are for longer than you would like – you are not alone. God is faithful in this season right now and He will continue to be faithful forever. He makes beautiful things out of the messes. The more you stand on His faithfulness the more freedom you’ll feel from doubt. We can stand on God’s faithfulness.
Sinking in Fear
The moment before I stand on stage to sing, I feel a lot of things: excitement, adrenaline, and nerves. Those feelings are almost always there, but sometimes there is something else that makes its way into my head before I sing, a voice that begins to whisper things like, “you’re probably going to mess up” or, “you’re not good enough to be up here and you don’t belong.” Sometimes those nerves turn into fear and the enemy fuels that fear with lie after lie.
Have you ever felt like this? Maybe you’ve been afraid to pursue your dream because you’ve heard those voices tell you that you’re going to fail so why put in the effort. Maybe you’re fighting for something you believe in, but you’re afraid of what you’ll lose because of it. Maybe you’ve been afraid because you have some unanswered questions and uncertainty that you wish you didn’t have to face.
Fear is real, but how can we stand up against it? How can we conquer our fears? Thankfully we don’t have to do it alone.
Standing on God’s Strength
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
My favorite verse in the whole Bible is found in Joshua. God is reminding His people to not be afraid, and He commands that they be courageous and strong. I love when God says, “Be strong and courageous.” But He doesn’t leave it there and say “good luck fighting the battle by yourself.” He goes on to say that He is “with you wherever you go.” That is the best news! He IS with us wherever we go! In every part of our lives, when it feels like nothing is going right, we don’t have to face our fears alone. He is with us. The Solid Rock on which we stand, is with us.
Standing on Truth
When you walk with Jesus, He doesn’t promise an easy life. Actually quite the opposite – He promises that we will have trouble, maybe like a pandemic that shuts down the world for a time, or maybe a tough breakup or maybe it’s dealing with fear. Good news, He has overcome the world so we can stand on His promises of faithfulness when we doubt, peace when we feel anxious and strength when we feel weak. Whatever season you’re in right now, know that you can stand on His promises. He is the Truth we stand on.
Leanna Crawford, the singer-songwriter from northwestern Washington, has been writing, touring and singing for the past two years. Leanna’s grounded and honest lyrics make her feel more friend and confidante than star, more approachable than untouchable.
Leanna released her debut project, the self-titled six-song EP May 1 (click here to listen) as part of the Provident Label Group/Story House Music roster family.
Follow Leanna on Instagram @leannacrawfordmusic
Visit her website at leannacrawford.com
And check out her music HERE.
by Paula Faris | May 19, 2020 | College, Testimonies |
When you introduce yourself, what do you say? How do you answer that prolific little icebreaker, the one that often pops up during a job interview or at a meeting of semi-acquainted friends, “Tell us a little about yourself.”
I’ll go first. Here’s what I used to say:
“Hi, I’m Paula. I’m a journalist for ABC, where I anchor the weekend edition of GMA and serve as a co-host on The View.”
Occasionally, I might add that I’m a wife and a mother. That I grew up in the Midwest. That I’m a Christian. But I always, always led with my career.
Why?
My career wasn’t something I did. My career was who I was. My entire identity was completely enmeshed in my vocation—and at the time, I didn’t think anything of it. In my mind, being a good journalist and giving my all to my career was what it looked like to pursue my life’s calling. I was making the most of my natural-born talent, given to me by my Creator when he formed me in the womb. Wasn’t I?
Until God got my attention through a series of unfortunate events—that’s putting it lightly, it was a year of hell, really—I didn’t understand that perhaps being obsessed with my job, with advancing in my career, with leaning in, with making a name for myself, wasn’t the point.
So what exactly did it take for me to get there? Within seven months, I experienced a miscarriage, a concussion, a head-on car crash, and influenza that turned into pneumonia. I finally accepted that it was time to step off the fast track, and I finally left the anchor chair at GMA Weekend and departed the co-host seat at The View.
But when I did, I was utterly and completely lost.
Who was I outside of what I did?
As a Christian, I’ve heard the buzzwords “purpose” and “calling” tossed around my entire life. For the longest time, I thought calling and career were synonymous, because as great as we are at talking about callings, we are pretty terrible at communicating how to determine and pursue the all-important, ever-elusive calling.
Stepping back from the spotlight started me on my personal journey to discover my calling. I came to find that in this life, we all have two callings: a faith calling and a vocational calling.
Faith calling is our PURPOSE. It will never change. It’s why we’re on this earth. For me, it’s to love God and to love people. Notice, it has nothing to do with career.
While faith calling is who we are, vocational calling is what we do. It is sheerly the vehicle, the conduit by which we’ll love God and love people, by which we’ll fulfill our faith calling. Vocational calling can and WILL change throughout our lives. If we attach our identity and purpose to doing, to “what we do,” when that vocation inevitably shifts, we’ll have an identity crisis. I know. Because I had one.
I had to learn that living out our faith calling is the most important thing that we can do in this life—more important than our careers. But living a life of purpose requires you to know why you’re doing what you’re doing and who you are doing it for. It means never deviating from the why no matter what path you choose.
But how do you stay rooted in your faith calling when the world puts so much pressure on you to work the next hour, make the next dollar, go after the next big promotion? By remaining attached to who you are in God.
Jesus tells us in John 15:1, 4, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. . . . No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.” This verse is not primarily about vocational calling. It applies to all of life. If we’re to bear fruit in the Christian life—whether at home, in our communities, or in our vocations—we have to remain fixed to Jesus, rooted in him. We have to be about the things he was about and moving in the ways he wants us to move. We have to draw all our wisdom, all our strength, all our sustenance from the true vine. We have to let God direct all our outcomes.
When it comes to our vocational calling, rooting into the vine might mean passing up career opportunities and slowing down to be more present to your family, friends, and community. It could mean taking the promotion, or changing career fields, or becoming a freelancer, or stepping away from your career to be a stay-at-home wife or husband so that you can express the love of God to various people in different ways.
No matter the branch of your vocational calling, though, if it’s not rooted in the true vine of faith calling, if it’s not supported and nourished by God’s life, it won’t bear fruit. And what does Jesus say about branches not rooted in the vine, branches not bearing fruit?
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch
that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:2
Looking at my own career, I suppose I could say it had been fruitful in a certain sense. There were times I expressed my faith calling, my purpose through my career. I’d been open about my faith, had shared God’s love with people. But was my vocational calling completely rooted in my faith calling? Hardly. So God pruned away (using the Year of Hell, no less), ultimately calling me to take a step back and reevaluate my vocational options. As I did, as God revealed the ways I’d rooted my identity in the wrong things—my own career—he helped me correct my course. He helped me find new identity in him. He helped me see how I could use my vocational skills to spread a different message—a message of faith and purpose.
So what about you? Do you know who you are outside of your job?
Maybe you find yourself in a situation similar to mine. You’re a determined achiever, completely caught up in proving your worth by building a successful career.
Maybe the change in pace, the time off from work or the time spent working from home during the last few weeks has you realizing that you’ve invested too much of yourself pursuing a career instead of pursuing a calling. Maybe it’s revealed you’ve misplaced your significance in things that shift and shake in a crisis.
Or maybe you’ve suddenly found yourself without a job, wondering what’s next, and who you even are anymore, as so many have in the midst of these uncertain times.
I want to encourage you to look past your vocation for your worth, your identity. Your worth isn’t in your work. Your value isn’t in your vocation. Your calling isn’t in your career.
Now, more than ever, the world needs for people to be living out their faith callings. Living purposefully, showing God’s love to one another, whether that’s at work or from the confines of your home. And you have something important to bring to that table.
You are the only you—an original. God created you with unique talents and interests, a combination that is unique to only you. You’re the only one who can use that unique combination of talents and interests to spread the love of God, a message of faith and purpose, to all those you encounter. And I can assure you, there are many who need to hear that message—from you—right now.
You are so much more than what you do. You are a child of God.
**********************
Paula Faris is a senior national correspondent at ABC News, host of the popular podcast Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris, and author of the new book Called Out. An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Paula previously was co-anchor of the Good Morning America weekend edition, as well as a co-host of The View. She lives in New York with her husband and children.
by Grace Marino | May 14, 2020 | Life Advice, Testimonies |
Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month’s post from our LO sister member, Grace Marino! If you want to be a part of this global community with endless resources and daily encouragement – start your free trial today!
________________
Masks, long store lines, sitting at home waiting because the network is slow. In these crazy, frustrating times, there is one who holds our worship! We might feel as though things haven’t worked out. Finances are crashing, and we can’t go out as much. I know for me, personally this time is harder because I don’t get to see my church family of God in person and such. But there is so much good!
The Biblical character Joseph knew what hard times were like. He had been sold to the Egyptians, enslaved, and lied about by his brothers. They were angry because of his dreams. Dreams where their sheaves of grain bowed down to him. So they decided to get rid of him by selling him off to a caravan of Traders, and lie to his father about his death. Joseph’s trials didn’t stop there. While serving the Egyptians, he even got thrown into prison for the wrong reasons! Finally, the tables turned in his favor giving Him an opportunity. With God’s help He was able to interpret Pharaohs dream, telling him of the famine that would come. Because of this, Pharaoh made him a ruler in Egypt who provided grain for the people.
During the time of famine, many people gathered to get grain. His family were among these that did so. Imagine meeting someone who you had dealt with unfairly years later. Once Joseph got into contact with his brothers, they were fearful and felt the pang of guilt in their hearts. Perhaps we feel like Joseph’s brothers. We may have our stock-pile of groceries, toliet paper, or orders from Insta cart or Prime, but we feel insecure. Or maybe you’ve gone stir-crazy, stuck inside, missing friends and social gatherings. Maybe things haunt you from your past. This time has proven to be so for me.
There are many emotions that I’ve had to work through. Things that need to be given to God. Joseph’s brothers felt much like that. But as Joseph declared over his brothers “you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good,” Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) so too we can find the good in our lives. In times like these, how can we focus on what’s good? Revival. God is bringing a revival because of this quarantine. God tells us that if His people humble themselves, seek Him, He will restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Now is the time where God can move and bring about a work that wouldn’t happen normally, in this unlikely way. Although we’re practicing social distancing, we aren’t social distancing from God. He’s been here all along, and His cable connection has the greatest speed! When Solomon brought the ark into the temple he gave an inspirational speech to the congregants at that time. He was praising God. Solomon said “The land might become very dry and no food will grow on it. Or maybe great sickness will spread among the people.” He goes on.. ‘Or your people might be attacked in some of their cities by their enemies. Or many of your people might get sick.”-1Kings 8:37 (ERV) “Whatever disaster or disease there is-If your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive.” 1 Kings 8:37b-39 (NLT)
God is able to forgive us. He sent His son not just to die for our sins, but to take the weight of them. He loves us so much that He would desire to save us, even if there was just one. Even if we’ve walked away from Him, He is pursuing our hearts. He wants fellowship with us. He wants a relationship with you! You are never too far gone to take a step toward Jesus. To give your life to Him! Nothing is too hard for Him!
God is allowing this time for us to to be awakened, raising our hands up to the Lord. We are the temple of God. God lives inside us! Even as Solomon had the privilege of lifting His hands to the temple in Jerusalem, we have an even greater privilege to pray to Him from the temple of our hearts, where Jesus sits on the throne.
This time isn’t just for revival, but renewal for our souls. Jesus wants us to spend time with Him just as Mary spent time worshipping at His feet. (Luke 10:39) Renew means to change for the better. Mary had the choice to be busy or to sit listening at His feet. It’s interesting to note that while civic centers, sports, and theaters have shut down, God’s presence hasn’t. Maybe we’ve lost all these things in quarantine in order to find that one thing worthy of affection, Jesus. To listen to His heart, be willing to change and made new. Maybe we’ve gained this time to renew our souls. God knew we could be busy running around, doing other things. But He knew it wasn’t the best for our souls, so He allowed this to happen. We’re not taking the time to go to the theater, go to that game. God is calling us to come and sit at His feet. To come to His throne in the quiet of our own home, our hearts, to listen and be renewed. To let Him change us.
It’s an opportunity for us to respond. Worship. That our shift, focus and attitude would be to the one who is deserving of our praise. During hard times, it’s often easy for me to focus on the negative aspects and complain. When the feelings rush in, I’ve had to go up to my room and sit with my guitar. But it’s up to us to change our attitude and respond. What is super cool to see is how many people are focusing on the positive. Whether that’s through zoom conferencing, live teachings, or music videos, many individuals have come up with unique and creative ways to share hope. I like how LO sister is reaching out to others, sharing creative ideas, and bringing in God’s Word. LO sister is taking this time to sit with Jesus. Every week when we have LO Words and Worship, God speaks to me powerfully as I respond in worship. Fuel that energy into something good! Create art. Journal. Whatever your expression is of praise. When we respond in gratitude to the Lord, it’s a good thing. It’s isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely better than sitting in despondency or the lethargy of our moapy feelings.
Jesus is seeking after those who will worship Him in Spirit and truth. (John 4:23) He promises to draw near to us if we will draw close to Him. (James 4:8)
So let’s be like Joseph who saw the good amidst the mixed feelings, Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet, and let’s stir our feelings to passionate revival, renewal, and response.
Want to join LO sister and have a chance to be featured on the blog? Sign up today – first week free!
by Tiffany Hammer of Elevation Worship | May 12, 2020 | Testimonies |
I will never forget the night of our last live album recording. The room was electric as we gathered with our team and church community to sing our hearts out to songs that have been poured over and prayed over for months. Our latest album, “Graves Into Gardens” is a diverse and unique collection of songs and anthems that have impacted our church in ways we could not have even imagined. These songs have brought us to moments of shout-at-the-top-of-your-lungs praise and also to moments of reverent stillness, where we can just sit in awe of the presence of God. That night felt like a bunch of friends worshipping together and giving a genuine offering of praise to God, and we are so humbled that He would allow our ministry to be a home for these anthems.
While being part of a night like that with the lights and crowd and creativity is exciting, it’s the behind the scenes writing, rewriting, and journey that each song takes that keeps me in awe of the hidden beauty of the process. Each and every song on this album has found a special place in my heart. The song “Graves Into Gardens” was inspired by a sermon from our pastor, Steven Furtick. One of my favorite songs, “There Is A King,” was written on a day of mourning after our church had lost a very special man and friend. “Never Lost” was written in just a few hours while having fun with some chords on an electric guitar. One of our newest songs, “The Blessing,” was written in one day and then sung in church less than 48 hours later. I could go on and on to tell you about how each song was written, but if I’m honest it feels as though these songs were, in a way, writing me. These melodies and lyrics have gone deeper than something you just encounter with your senses. They have become memories and experiences of different encounters with God and revelations about who He is.
I had the privilege to sing the song “Available” on the album. This is one of those costly songs. It’s the kind of song you can’t just sing with your lips; you have to embrace it with your heart. I can remember the first time I sang the lyrics, ‘Here I am, You can have it all,’ in a room with our pastor and a couple other people. I whispered to myself, “Do I really mean what I’m singing?” I kept asking myself if I actually understood the cost of singing these lyrics. But these questions prompted me to take a look at my heart and do deep soul work with the Lord. You know, the kind of work where you get on your face before God, and He begins to reveal the deepest places of your soul. As I allowed the Holy Spirit to truly search my heart, I began to surrender the different motives and things that I have idolized that have kept me from truly making myself available to God. With God’s tender mercy ever so present in that moment, I began to give Him the pieces of my heart that I had learned to hold dearly, and surrender the will I had for my life for His perfect will.
What I’ve learned about surrendering to God is that it’s not just a one-time decision. Surrender is not a once and done act, but it’s a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment decision to embrace the beauty of letting go and making myself available to whatever God has for me.
1 Samuel 3:4, says “Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’” It’s as simple as that. God calls, we respond. I’ve found there’s nothing more beautiful and fulfilling than saying YES to God. There is no higher calling than being available to whatever God has for us. Psalm 27:8 says, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’” I love the simplicity of saying yes to Jesus and to making ourselves available to Him. Sometimes it looks like a grand gesture of surrender, and sometimes it’s as simple as letting your heart respond to the still, small voice, “Lord, I am coming.”
My prayer for you is that through these songs, you’d be willing to go past the sensory level, and be led to a place of surrender. I’m believing that the lyrics we have prayed and poured over would interrupt your spirit and cause you to get to know the Lord in a deeper way. Much like the process the Lord has been doing in me, I hope you have the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to search and know your heart while you learn to simply say “YES.”
_______________________
Elevation Worship is the worship ministry of Elevation Church, a multisite church based in Charlotte, N.C. led by Pastor Steven Furtick. Elevation Worship has produced multiple albums that include the RIAA-Certified Gold “Here As In Heaven,” RIAA Platinum Certified and American Christian radio Top 5 song “O Come to The Altar,” and the RIAA Gold Certified song “Do It Again.” The group currently has nine songs in the CCLI Top 100 list and just released their latest album, “Graves Into Gardens” on May 1, 2020. This ministry is passionate about producing songs for the local church that connect others to God. Their main priority is to create an atmosphere of worship so people can encounter Jesus in a real and personal way.
