Originally published Tuesday, 20 October 2015.
A primary offender of stillness is people. We tend to find ourselves hurt by others and that seems to steal the ability to remain still. But God calls us to love one another, right? Yes, He does. We cannot run away when we’re hurt. We can’t build walls and pretend that’s going to solve our problems. Sometimes, we have to face why we’re really hurting.
There is NO question that people have legitimate pain that says, “I’m running away or removing that person from my life.” And maybe God has provided an escape route. But what if He hasn’t?
What if He wants you to deal with matters head on so that you can move on?
I don’t know about you, but I hate confrontation. I don’t like to deal with it where others are concerned, and I don’t like to search my own heart and deal with it there either. However, sometimes we don’t have a choice.
Let me ask you these two questions…
- Do you expect people to meet expectations that only God can meet?
- Are you looking for someone tangible to fill a void that only God is capable of filling?
Those are questions we often need to look at when we are having issues with people.
My two youngest children are only seven years old, so when they come to tell me about someone who has hurt them, I always ask them the following question, “What did you do first?”
It might seem harsh, but let’s look at it this way: none of us can be perfect all the time. And then there’s the old saying that goes something like this… There’s two sides to every story and then there’s the truth.
What is God’s truth in the situation you’re dealing with? Have you evaluated that?
I’ve found it possible to be still smack dab in the midst of flesh and blood turmoil. It’s not always easy, but I’ve learned along the way that if I seek God’s truth in my circumstances by asking Him to reveal it to me, even when I think I’m right and know it all, that He will intervene inside the struggle and provide the stillness I’m desperate to obtain.
Seeking God’s truth in every single area of our lives will lead us to the center of stillness.
I have a challenge for you today…
If you’re struggling in a relationship and convinced you’re right, seek God’s truth in the circumstance before burning bridges and making catastrophic, relationship ending decisions.
And here’s the really important part…
Even if you think you already know what the truth is, seek Him anyway.
SEEK. HIM. ANYWAY.
Too often when our emotions become tangled and our pride is wounded, we find ourselves hearing our own truth rather than God’s. And then we run into danger because we confuse our truth with His.
Stillness is inside His truth and the one beautiful privilege we have is the ability to discover it.
Go ahead, friend, discover it!
Seek Him!
Love,
Jennifer
PS: If you’ve missed any of my October Series, The Struggle to Live a Still Life, click here and scroll down for previous posts.
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