Celebrate Gratitude with Ginger and Larissa
More than an attitude, gratefulness is a holy habit that draws us closer to God, strengthens faith, lifts our emotions, and relieves the burden of worry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . We ...
How to Get to Know God’s Voice
Everything changes when you learn to recognize God’s voice. Join me today for an interview with chart-topping podcaster and author Jenny Randle and a review of her newest book: Getting to Know God’s Voice. Bonus fun–Don’t miss book to giveaway at the end of this post!
“What would it look like if we lived fully present to the directions, guidance, and giftings God gives?”
This is a question that kicks off the beginning of this interactive and engaging book. I love that Jenny writes about the importance of hearing God in the moment–a concept close to my heart!
Every moment is holy as you’re empowered by Holy Spirit to view the world through the gospel. Sometimes you hear God within as a still, small voice that’s a firm inner prompting with seemingly random thoughts. Other times His voice is roaringly obvious through external circumstances.
Hearing God’s voice is the journey of our relationship with God over time. It’s part of that process we call spiritual growth, or to use a church word, sanctification. Holy moments increase the more we recognize and respond to the many ways God speaks to us. We often long to hear God speak to us.
Recently I had a chance to chat with Jenny Randle.
We had a fun and deep (yes, it can be both!) conversation about listening to God. Friends, we covered a lot of ground—there’s so much great content in our conversation. Here are some highlights from our conversation about getting to know the voice of God in the many ways He speaks to us. You can listen to the interview at the end of this post.
Ginger and Jenny’s Takeaways on Hearing God
- A few of the ways God speaks include the church, his people, circumstances, creation, and His word. Jenny chatted about how being in nature opens her up to God’s voice and the key foundation of reading God’s Word to hear the Holy Spirit speak into our lives.
- When we understand that God desires to speak with us even more than we long to hear from Him it increases our confidence. This isn’t a confidence in our ability to hear correctly, but a God-confidence of trusting the Holy Spirit to enable us to listen.
- Jenny got a little emotional when talking about the profound honor of knowing Jesus. I got a little teary too. I love how she shared her heart that communicating with God is a privilege and one we never want to take for granted. Can I get an amen on that one! Oh, yes!
- Fear can prevent us from responding to God’s voice. I loved the story Jenny told of her apprehension when she sensed God wanted her to encourage someone at the gym. I could really relate to the struggle of was that God or me? The fear factor in messing something up or getting it wrong often gets in the way of responding to God’s voice, particularly when He nudges us to step out in faith. Here’s Jenny’s go-to-question on this: “I think God is giving me word of encouragement for you, would you like to hear it?”
- We chatted about recognizing God’s voice. The Word of God and the nature of God provide boundaries for discernment whether we are hearing from God or from another source. Our impressions of what God is saying to us will never contradict Scripture or the nature of God. Understanding this truth helps us breakthrough confusion. I wrote about how to recognize the signature of God’s conversation in the listening chapter of Holy in the Moment (Chapter 8).
- Hearing God through creativity and calling is a powerful way God speaks to us and through us. I love this one! The truth that God speaks to us through our gifts and creativity as we live out our calling may be a new thought for some. If you want to learn more about this, check out Jenny’s first book, Courageous Creative focuses on how God works through our creativity.
Which one of these concepts opens your ears today? There’s so much more we talked about so be sure to listen to this helpful conversation on how to get to know God’s voice. For more helpful ideas on listening to God read Jenny’s book, Getting to Know God’s Voice.
Getting to Know God’s Voice Review
I enjoyed this cool 31-day interactive journey of discovering more of the Holy Spirit in our everyday life. The message of Getting to Know God’s Voice is filled with encouragement, truth, and practical ways to get to know God’s voice. Experiencing more of God in our everyday moments accelerates as we learn to listen to God and engage with the Holy Spirit more fully. I enjoyed Jenny’s personable style that is approachable and engaging without compromising depth and truth. I also appreciate the variety of ways to practice concepts in the book. This is my favorite kind of book–where the spiritual meets the practical and the result is going deeper with God!⠀
Quotes from Getting to Know God’s Voice:
Here’s a taste of some of my favorite thoughts from the book that help us learn to recognize the many ways God’s speaks:
“When you dig into the Bible, your soul becomes focused on Jesus and fastened to truth. Your heart and mind start to feel the weight of what you’re consuming and transform into what is good and holy. Reading the Bible aligns your natural mind with the supernatural.”
“When you can’t determine what He is saying, dwell on what He has said. Our feelings don’t dictate whether God is speaking. Reading the Bible is a guaranteed way to get to know God’s voice. God is speaking; the question is, are we listening?”
“We grow in maturity as we learn to identify God’s leading and navigate circumstances with discernment.”
“God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways all the time. . .God uses people to speak and provide a heavenly wink.”
“As Christ-followers, we have Holy Spirit, who speaks, guides, and helps us step in sync with His will for our lives. When Jesus is your central focus, you begin to hear His voice in concert with your own. As you quiet yourself before the Lord throughout your day, you’ll notice the still, small voice of Holy Spirit speaking within.”
“As you follow Christ, you lead in His strength and recognize opportunities to see God’s good even in the bad, you speak words of life instead of death, you respond with hope instead of horror, and you trust that God is moving just as His Word says He is. Your obedience today sets up your opportunities tomorrow and the next day and the next. From the seemingly mundane moments to the shout-it-from-the-rooftop miracles, following God’s purpose releases His power and promises, creating new possibilities.”
Hear More from Ginger and Jenny
If you want to learn more about how to get to know God’s voice, join us for the interview.
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[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#bookgiveaway”]Hearing God clearly changes everything![/tweetthis]
Yay! Congratulations to Kathy, winner of the book bundle! Woohoo!
More Posts on Listening to God
Do You Struggle with Listening to God?
Moments to Pray, Listen, and Think Bring Us Closer to God
Discover Six Important Truths about Listening to God
Eight Powerful Ways to Connect with God When He Is Silent
Linking with Grace & Truth, #HeartEncouragement, #TuneinThursday, and Faith on Fire.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Why You Should Stop Discounting Your Anxiety
Do you ever feel like you have to take care of everyone else before you can take care of yourself?
I often feel that way.
Many women experience what I call Caretaker Syndrome. We are masters of taking care of our people and all the things—the husband, the kids, the parents, the house, the laundry. Fix the meals and feed the dog.
Have you neglected to take care of you?
Has anxiety crept into your life more than you’d like to admit? Have you put off caring for your soul, feeling the drain on your resiliency and strength?
Taking care of everybody else is what we do. And we do it well.
Until we don’t.
Until we can’t.
Until we. . . deplete our emotional strength. Experience a meltdown. Pitch a fit.
Or what ever our go-to fix is when anxiety robs us of our best self.
We put off seeking help until later. We promise to care for our soul needs when there’s time left over. Time doesn’t come in leftovers.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#emotionalhealth #overcomeanxiety”]The best time to deal with anxiety is now.[/tweetthis]
Taking Care of You is Important
Learning to attend to our needs, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual is a crucial aspect of soul care. Don’t lose yourself in caring for others. Don’t discount the toll anxiety may be making on you.
Friend, it is so easy to do.
I recently had the opportunity to join Elizabeth Meyers on the Resilient Life Hack Podcast. We had an impactful conversation about overcoming anxiety and life hacks for spiritual resiliency. If you’ve been around here long, you know that anxiety is part of my story. You can watch the podcast at the end of this post.
Anxiety doesn’t define me, but it is something I’ve struggled with. I tell the full story in the first chapter of my book—how anxiety and fear left me afraid to go out or to stay in. How excessive adrenaline that raged through my system due to Grave’s disease left me sleepless for months. You can read that first chapter here.
For me, there was a physical cause to my fear, but it’s important to know that anxiety has many faces and many causes. During those days, I tried hard to care for my three little children and do all I normally did. Over time, medical help settled my thyroid, but anxiety carved deep pathways of fear that I didn’t address for many years.
Beyond admitting anxiety.
Effective soul care involves going beyond naming our particular struggle. For me, it was anxiety. For you, it may be something else. These concepts apply to any life-sapping struggle we are tempted to ignore.
To often we have a “name-it and claim-it” mentality with our soul struggles. Our fear. Our insecurity. Our perfectionism. Our co-dependency or addictions. The messy parts of our lives—we know they are there. We may name them. And then we claim them by allowing the struggle to shape, dictate, and define us in the silent conversations we hold with ourselves.
We keep caring for others, but neglect to attend to our deeper challenges.
To admit we struggle is only part of an important life hack. Here’s the part where freedom and healing are found: we need to share our struggles and take active steps to seek support. Seek help for struggles that rob us of wholeness, health, or well-being.
Soul care comes when we no longer ignore or discount our struggles.
After battling anxiety through thyroid disease during a cross-country move in 2000, I went through three more moves. California to Virginia. Virginia to Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa back to the states.
Each transition sent me spiraling back into the previous pattern of deep anxiety even though my thyroid operated at normal levels. The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual responses were the same.
[tweetthis]Fear and anxiety left unchecked takes on a life of it’s own. Isn’t it time to take care of you?[/tweetthis]
When we fail to attend to our souls, struggles continue to rob us of strength and peace, often when we most need resiliency.
The road to help doesn’t have to be long.
It took me 13 years to finally seek help and healing for my anxiety. Why? I’m not really sure. I discounted the impact of my struggle and I ignored my needs. It was easy to do because my fears were more situational rather than constant. On some level, I believed there was just something broken in me, prone to anxiety and insecurity that ramped up during times of transition and uncertainty.
I labeled myself, “I’m just an anxious person.” (There’s that claim-it thinking again…)
Maybe I didn’t really believe God would help me overcome my fears. We think a lot of things that aren’t true when our emotions drive faith. Have you noticed that?
There are many uncertainties to feed fear during these unprecedented days of COVID, social distancing, economic shutdowns, racial strife, and high-stakes elections. Now more than ever, it’s important to identify anxiety and seek support or help.
Friend, don’t suffer in silence. Please don’t.
Let go perfectionism and the desire to control.
Make an intentional choice to trust God moment by moment. Rely on the life of Christ and the resources of Christ.
When we rely on ourselves rather than trust God, perfectionism can feed anxiety. Afraid of failure or rejection, we perform to feel safe. We try harder to control things we can’t control.
We try to fix ourselves, make ourselves follow all the rules, do all the things and get it all right, all the time. That’s so much pressure. We’re just not designed emotionally, neurologically, physically, or spiritually to be perfect or to control all things.
We’re not made to run at 110 miles an hour, seven days a week, 365 days a year, every year of our life. It just doesn’t work.
As Dallas Willard once wrote, “You’re a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to be self-sufficient.” Making intentional choices to trust God in the moment reminds us that we don’t have to be in control.
Be patient with yourself for healing happens one day at a time.
As we depend on God to bring healing, to transform our minds, and develop our character, we grow at God’s pace. We learn to trust God with our deepest needs.
We begin to remember that we have the Holy Spirit to help us. We begin embrace to the truth that our Heavenly Father will never leave nor forsake us. As we gather courage to address our pain, we begin to live in light of the truth of our identity in Christ.
For more help with addressing anxiety, consider these resources:
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How to Cope with Fear, Worry, and Anxiety –guest post and video interview with Dr. Michelle Bengtson
10 Free Resources for an Emotionally Healthy You
7 Holy Habits for Emotional Health –guest post at Living By Design Ministries
5 Powerful Choices to Free Your Heart from Fear
COVID-19 and Your Mental Health–Mayo Clinic article
Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, book by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Holy in the Moment, book by Ginger Harrington, chapters 1, 5, 9, and 10 address anxiety. Read a free chapter one with the story of my struggle with anxiety here.
Free Emotional Health Workbook
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Live Soul Strong and Embrace Your Authentic Calling
Lucinda Secrest McDowell, guest author
Today my soul sister, Lucinda Secrest McDowell, has joined me to encourage us to live soul strong by embracing our authentic calling. Her comments are from her new interactive discipling guide, “Soul Strong – 7 Keys to a Vibrant Life.”
What is your unique calling?
Our universal calling for each believer is to live as a follower of Jesus in every aspect of life as we seek to live out the grace and truth of Jesus. I love how Frederick Buchner puts it: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
But what if your life seems impossible?
Or you are still trying to figure out which path will lead to fulfilling your purpose? A mentor long ago gave me wise advice when trying to make a decision: Choose the path that appears to coincide with the arc of your life.
We can choose.
It is actually within our power to decide each day how we will live out the numerous interruptions, joys, crises, and surprises that come our way as twenty-first century women. With endless resources provided by the One who knows us best and loves us most – God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
The great news is that God is not limited by our decisions – He can confirm a call, redirect us, or even open a surprising new door of opportunity.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#Soulstrong”]Our greatest choice is obedience to His will and His way. But that looks different on each person.[/tweetthis]
God can use anything in our lives – gifts, experiences, brokenness, training – to use us as influencers for His kingdom. He further equips us as we take baby steps forward, perhaps starting with one small step of obedience.
The best part is He promises to be with us on the journey.
Lessons from the life of Moses.
I love how Moses’ story so clearly illustrates these principles. He certainly had a rich background filled with seemingly opposing roles – prince of Egypt and murderer, a solitary life on the family farm and a public life leading an entire nation. There were for Moses – as there inevitably are for us – times of drawing closer to God in the wilderness and times of boldly going forth to fulfill our destiny.
Perhaps my favorite conversation is when God asks Moses to do what he feels totally unqualified to do. In Exodus chapter 3 we find Moses going about his business tending sheep when the voice of the Lord calls his name, “Moses, Moses.”
God has been preparing Moses for this very moment as He reveals both the need and the call:
“I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt… Yes, I am aware of their suffering. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3. 7, 10)
Consider the ensuing dialogue and perhaps you can think of a time when you sought to argue with God about a certain calling:
When God said, “You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3.10)
Moses responded, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (vs 11)
When God said, “I will be with you,” (Exodus 3.12)
Moses protested “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (vs 13)
When God said, “Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3.14)
Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” (Exodus 4.1)
When God said, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign.” (Exodus 4.8)
Moses protested again, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” (vs 10)
Then God said, “Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4.12)
But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” (verse 13)
Have you ever pleaded with God to “send anyone else?”
When it seems impossible. . .
I will never forget when it became abundantly clear to me that my life story would include both getting married and adopting three children ages 9, 7 and 4 – all at the same time! I assure you that my response to God was something like “How can I possibly be the wife and mother these precious people need?” God’s assurance of his presence, provision, and power gave me courage to do just that. For the past thirty-six years.
That very year, Madeleine L’Engle had just written “Walking on Water,” a book that was feeding my soul. Even today I can recite her words by heart because they were used to help make me soul strong back then.
“We are all asked to do more than we can do. Every hero and heroine of the Bible does more than he would have thought it possible to do, from Gideon to Esther to Mary. In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualifications, then there is no danger that we will confuse God’s work with our own, or God’s glory with our own.”
I have had far greater challenges since that time, but these truths have helped me stay soul strong.
Friend, all our gaps will be filled in by God.
When He calls us, we obey and He provides.
Soul Strong: 7 Keys to a Vibrant Life
This post is adapted from the “Be Authentic” chapter in Lucinda’s book “Soul Strong,” which also instructs us to Live Loved, Dwell Deep, Pray Always, Overcome Pain, Extend Kindness, and Share Stories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Soul Strong, and it is an honor to share a book with a message so closely aligned with my heart. A legacy book for any season of your life with God, Soul Strong encourages us to make intentional choices to invest in spiritual disciplines and practices that strengthen our souls to live well in every moment.
I particularly loved the chapters on authenticity, dwelling with God, and prayer. Many times as I read, I stopped to reflect or jot down notes in my journal. Packed with personal story, biblical truth, and practical tips, this interactive book will strengthen your soul to live a vibrant, faith-filled life. A great resource for spiritual growth, holy living, and mentoring, Soul Strong will remain on my shelf for years to come.
Meet Lucinda Secrest McDowell
Lucinda Secrest McDowell is a storyteller and seasoned mentor who engages both heart and mind while “Helping You Choose a Life of Serenity & Strength.” A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, McDowell is the award-winning author of 15 books including Soul Strong, Life-Giving Choices, Dwelling Places, and Ordinary Graces. Lucinda, a member of the Redbud Writers Guild and AWSA, guest blogs monthly for ‘The Write Conversation’ and co-directs the annual spiritual retreat reNEW – retreat for New England Writing & Speaking.
Whether building leadership teams, pouring into young mamas, or leading a restorative day of prayer, she is energized by investing in people of all ages. Through “Encouraging Words Consulting” she offers hourly sessions on writing, speaking, and spiritual growth Known for her ability to convey deep truth in practical and winsome ways, McDowell shares words from “Sunnyside” cottage in New England and blogs weekly at www.LucindaSecrestMcDowell.com.
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Loved the chance to interview Lucinda as we talked about living soul strong. Lucinda is absolutely delightful! We chatted about trusting God with our calling, God’s provision when life seems impossible, parenting, writing with soul strength, spiritual rhythms, shedding a task-oriented mentality of Quiet Time, and going deeper with God through the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina–spiritual reading of God’s Word.
Win a copy of our books!
Be sure to strengthen your soul with our book giveaway. Enter below to win copies of Soul Strong and Holy in the Moment!
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Engage with other readers of Holy in the Moment
The Holy in the Moment Community on Facebook in an interactive group of readers. We encourage one another to trust God moment by moment. We will be starting a new book discussion later this week. Each week I unpack a chapter of the book with extra encouragement, beautiful graphics, practical tips, and discussion questions to help readers get the most out of the book. Grab a copy of the book and come check us out as this is the perfect time to join!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Are Your Feelings Defining Your Faith?
Join me for a guest post on the art of living by faith rather than our emotions at Lucinda Secrest McDowell. Start here and then click over to her lovely blog to read the rest of the post.
I’ve updated this post in memory of Lucinda, who passed away in March, 2023 after a month long battle with cancer. She is deeply missed-a wise and kind-hearted soul. I’m so thankful I had the chance to interview her. I’m also glad that she leaves us a legacy of wisdom through her books!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Living by faith rather than our emotions is often easier said than done. Just this morning, I had to remind myself that my feelings do not define what is true.
How about you, my friend? Have you struggled with feelings that make you feel less than, not good enough, or left behind? Have the deluge of bad-news headlines, natural disasters, and the pandemic created a whirl-wind of emotions that make you fearful of the future?
Are you navigating the challenge of virtual schooling while trying to work from home and feeling frustrated that you just can’t do it all? Have your feelings made it hard to live in the truth of who you are in Christ?
Emotionally healthy spirituality is an important part of discipleship.
Most of us struggle on some level to live like who we are rather than how we feel in the moment. Consider a conversation I had with a friend as we grappled with the truth that we really are holy in Christ (1 Peter 2:5,9).
“I sure don’t feel holy. I try to be a great mom, but then I yell at my kids . . . again. Or I get impatient with my husband. My good intentions seem to do me no good as harsh words fly out of my mouth. How can I be holy when I can’t seem to get a handle on frustration and anger? I feel like I’ll never measure up to the person God wants me to be,” Angie said with a sigh.
I could relate to her words, remembering the many times I’ve struggled with the tension between my feels and my faith.
God is at work in you.
We all need frequent reminders that we are God’s work in progress:
Do you feel stuck in the old ways of letting feelings define your value and boss your heart around? When feelings overshadow faith, it creates an internal struggle. Angie didn’t feel holy, but the truth is she is holy and loved in Christ (Colossians 3:12).
It’s tempting measure our spiritual condition based on feelings. Maybe you’ve had thoughts like these:
I don’t feel like God hears my prayers.
I don’t feel like God is with me.
I don’t feel like God really accepts me.
I don’t feel like I’m saved.
I don’t feel like I’m free from guilt.
I don’t feel like . . .
Spiritual growth accelerates as we learn to experience our feelings yet still make the choice to embrace the truth of who we are in Christ.
This guest post has been adapted from Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Enjoy Your Life.
Once you’ve entered the Soul Strength Book Bundle Giveaway, hop over to Lucinda’s to catch the rest of this post with a powerful illustration that will help you learn to align your feelings with God’s truth.
Friend, there is freedom, healing, growth, and victory for you when you hold fast to what God says is true of precious you! See you at Lucinda’s!
The book give away is now closed.
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Join us next week for a guest post and author interview with my soul sister, Lucinda Secrest McDowell! I’m thrilled to be teaming up this warm and engaging friend! Seriously, you’re going to love Lucinda! She is an encourager extraordinaire! Here’s a fun picture from last year when I met Lucinda!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Wisdom for Living Well on Life’s Journey + Author Interview
Wisdom for intentional living that aligns our lives with God’s truth is the gift of journeying well with God, ourselves, and others. These are the daily building blocks of a whole and holy life. Join me for an author interview with Maggie Wallem Rowe, part of my Books for Life series.
Ahh, the good life we all want.
Isn’t a good life something we all desire? From the psychology that drives today’s multimillion dollar advertising strategies to the daily choices that make up a life well lived, we all long for the best life possible.
Despite our plans, hopes, and dreams, a good life doesn’t just happen. It is created one day at a time, one choice at a time, even one moment at a time. This is a truth that is close to my heart and at the center of my ministry. It is a life-direction that God has worked into my life through the years of overcoming challenges, studying His Word, and following Jesus.
In Holy in the Moment, God have me these words to express the importance of intentional living:
Holiness inhabits the small things, faith for our moments, simple and short. Added together, holy moments change lives and steer destinies in God’s direction. But it all comes down to attitudes and choices made . . . one moment at a time. . . Making intentional choices to trust God is where holiness happens right in the middle of an ordinary day.
A day just like today.
Wisdom to align our lives with God’s truth is the gift of journeying well with God, ourselves, and others. These are the daily building blocks of a whole and holy life.
So often, this is easier said than done, isn’t it? We find ourselves in situations that don’t go according to plan, relationships don’t always go smoothly, the stress of work skews our priorities, or sometimes we feel distant from God. These are the days we need the encouragement of a wise friend to remember that we are not alone.
Meet my friend Maggie Wallem Rowe
Maggie Wallem Rowe is one of those friends we all need along life’s journey. She is someone who writes to remind us of the truths that are easy to forget:
Life has its epic adventures, but the dailiness of it doesn’t consist of grand moments. Rather, we live in the everyday rhythms of the intentional choices we make. Paying attention to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Caring for others and being cared for in return. Loving God and receiving his unconditional live and fathomless grace.
In her new book, This Life We Share: 52 Reflections on Journeying Well with God and Others, Maggie writes about many situations common to life, sharing a life-line of wisdom learned in her own journey with God. Each reflection is beautifully written and Maggie’s personality reaches through the words like the arm of a friend reaching around your shoulders. Here are a few of Maggie’s reminders to choose well in our own journeys.
Not feeling good enough?
“God has designed a unique path for you. No one can walk it as well as you can.”
Struggling to shed shame?
“Shame does not come from God. In Christ the bonds that tied you to past pain have been broken. Walk in freedom.”
Trying to kick anxiety to the curb?
“Worry and concern can feel like conjoined twins, but prayer has the power to sever the connection.”
Joy eluding you?
“We cannot generate feelings of joy out of sheer will power, but we can stay connected to the Source of all joy.”
Searching for peace in a painful situation?
“Peace in the midst of pain is not just possible–it’s a promise!”
Tired of waiting?
“Sometimes what we wait for is not as eternally significant as what God wants to do in us as we wait.”
Hoping for a positive outcome?
“God lives in the gap between what could have been and what is. Leave the outcome to him. ”
Last week I had the chance to catch up with Maggie for a special conversation on journeying well with God and others. We chatted about what it’s like to publish your first book at 67 and the power of legacy books. I define a legacy book as a collection of a life-time of wisdom and truth learned from years of walking with God. This kind of book gives us a big picture view of lessons learned over many years, wisdom we can garner in a few hours of reading.
We also talk about the challenge of overcoming insecurity and many of the struggles that are common all of us. Many thanks to Maggie for taking time to share with us!
As you can tell, I’ve really enjoyed reading This Life We Share! One of the blessings of being an author that I love is getting to know other writers and their books. It is a joy and privilege to share carefully chosen books that align with my heart and message with my readers. You can be confident that any book that I share with you will enhance the content you have come to expect from me for spiritual growth by loving God, embracing truth, and enjoying life.
What is one life-line of wisdom that empowers you to journey well with God and others? Have you read a book recently that has encouraged you in spiritual growth?
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Do You Struggle with Listening to God?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
5 Simple Ways Silence Can Deepen Your Faith + Printable
Discover 5 simple, biblical ways silence can deepen your faith, help you hear God more clearly, and strengthen trust in Him through waiting and uncertainty.
The world is a noisy place in this digital age. Sound becomes the white noise of our souls keeping us distracted and disconnected from God. In Quiet Times, Bible study, devotions, and daily life with Jesus, silence can deepen our faith. Becoming comfortable with silence helps Christian women to connect with God on a more intimate level.
I’ll be honest, silence is the spiritual discipline that comes hardest for me. It’s the holy habit that I rush through and try to avoid. To simply sit and cultivate quiet with God feels like doing nothing and wasting time. Becoming more comfortable with silence is an important growth step on our spiritual journey.
I struggle with silence–
- I don’t like silence when there’s a lull in conversation with others.
- It’s hard to quiet my thoughts and listen to God.
- And most of all, I struggle when God is silent.
One silent minute feels long. Empty. Silence feels like void begging for me to say something, do something, prove something, or produce something. Can you relate?
[tweetthis]Listening and connecting with God extends beyond words.[/tweetthis]
Warring with our fears of unproductively, silence settles our racing thoughts and opens our hearts to listen to God.
I recently shared 8 powerful ways to connect with God when He is silent. Recognizing that God communicates with us in different ways helps us to become more comfortable with silence as a way of engaging with God.
There are times when hearing God comes in the quiet. Remember how God didn’t speak to Elijah in the whirlwind, but in the sound of a gentle whisper? You can read about that in 1 Kings 19:12. Click here to see how “God’s voice” is worded in a variety of translations at a glance.
You can find a free printable version of this Psalm 62:5-8 graphic here.
David, a man after God’s heart, often wrote about silence and seeking God in the Psalms. His words show us how silence can bring us to God on a deeper level.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#solitudeandsilene #relationshipwithgod”]Silence helps us listen to both ourselves and to God in a chaotic, noisy world.[/tweetthis]
In this Psalm, the word wait includes the idea of being silent and still, to hold peace, to rest, or to quiet yourself.
Isn’t it easy for our resistant hearts to equate silence with not hearing? Silence increases our desire to hear from God. As I lean into the discomfort of silence, I’m beginning to relax and trust my Father on a deeper level.
When we embrace silence, we clear our minds of internal chatter and simply wait on God. It doesn’t come naturally, but I’m resisting spiritual ADD and learning to be still on the inside.
Have you noticed how the quiet can awaken you to seek and listen more attentively?
Silence Goes Two Ways
We often think of “waiting in silence” in terms of quieting our thoughts before God, which is an important benefit of silence. When we go through times when God feels distant, “waiting in silence” can also point to the importance of waiting with faith.
Waiting for God is tied to hope, a confident expectation based on His faithful character.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#darknightofthesoul”]We can wait for God because He is worthy of the wait.[/tweetthis]
5 Simple Ways Silence Can Deepen Your Faith
Notice the helpful progression for connecting with God in Psalm 62:5-8. Each step opens the way for the next. Though silence can be uncomfortable, each of these actions empower us to experience greater intimacy with God.
- Be willing to experience silence.
- Wait on God with hope.
- Declare God’s character.
- Decide to trust Him at all times (even the distant or silent ones).
- Pour out your concerns to God.
Sprawl out. Gush forth. To pour out our heart before Him is to let the hurt out, to expose the feelings stuffed down, to meet God in the midst of what we’re really thinking, feeling, and believing.
No hanging back or holding in. Sometimes silence is messy.
Remember God’s Character
Because He is—
- Our hope
- Our rock
- Our salvation
- Our strength
- Our stability
- Our refuge
Our God is trustworthy even in the silence. Even in the fears, doubts, or griefs that assault our souls. Even in the dark night of the soul. He is present. He is faithful. He is near.
Let Silence Connect Your Heart with God
Keep showing up with your heart and Bible open. Reframe silence as an invitation to trust God and pour out your heart. Rather than worry you are getting it wrong, believe God will speak in His timing.
Let this truth strengthen your soul when you struggle with silence: God is working in the silence.
If silence is the first language of God, let Him speak. My soul, wait on God in silence. . . for my hope is from Him.
Friend, are you becoming more comfortable with silence on your spiritual journey? How do you connect with God in silence?
Related Posts
- 8 Powerful Ways to Connect with God when He is Silent
- Discover Six Important Truths About Listening to God
- Do You Have Spiritual ADD?
- Do You Struggle with Listening to God?
- Overcome Three Problems of Careless Listening
- Moments to Pray, Listen, and Think Bring Us Closer to God
Need more resources for emotionally healthy spirituality? Sign up for my Emotional Health Workbook, free with other resources through my newsletter.
Author Bio
Ginger Harrington is a Christian author, speaker, and host of the Habits of Hope Podcast, where she helps women build rhythms of faith that steady them in real life. Through biblical encouragement and practical spiritual habits, she equips women to trust God more deeply in every season. Ginger is the author of Holy in the Moment and writes to help women cultivate hope, peace, and a deeper walk with God.
8 Powerful Ways to Connect with God When He Is Silent
When God feels silent, discover 8 biblical ways to reconnect with Him, strengthen your faith, and trust His presence through dry and difficult seasons.
How do you feel when God seems silent and distant?
As I talk with friends during this time of isolation and staying home, I know that I’m not the only one who has struggled during dark moments of fear, strife, pandemic, and isolation. Many struggles converge as we grow weary of wearing masks everywhere we go.
How can we not feel the impact spiritually?
I longed to sense God speak encouragement and strength to my heart that leaned toward anxious. My earnest longing and seeking was real and true.
Silence.
What?
The situations that influence us emotionally and relationally can also impact us spiritually—after all, we are spirit, soul, and body. We are impacted spiritually by this prolonged time of isolation and fear. The fact that many churches are still not meeting in person is another factor increasing spiritual disconnection.
We rarely talk about seasons of silence when God feels distant. Days when the normal ways we engage with God are disrupted make us feel off kilter. Prayers appear to linger unanswered, discouragement pushes against joy, and waiting provokes doubts and questions.
1. Be honest about what you’re feeling.
We rarely talk about what some have deemed the dark night of the soul. The phrase dark night originated with a 16th century monk, St. John of the Cross. Some call it a spiritual depression. Related terms include a desert time, spiritual dryness, or a winter season. For me, this spring was a time when God appeared to be silent and distant. Many are struggling with various levels of feeling disconnected from God. How are you doing, friend?
It’s important to share your feelings with a supportive friend with honesty. Don’t isolate yourself during times of spiritual struggle.
2. Remember that believing God is a choice not an emotion.
Isn’t it easy to measure our spiritual condition by whether or not we feel close to God? Even when I know better, I still slip into the old ways of relying on my emotions to evaluate my spiritual condition. I have to frequently remind myself of a truth I shared in Holy in the Moment: Believing God is not an emotion. Emotions are not an accurate gauge of your relationship with God.
3. Examine your heart without self-doubt.
Is it my fault? I must be the problem.
My go-to thought was to assume it was my fault. Self-doubt whispered God’s silence must be result of some wrong I’ve ignored. Blaming myself is a tendency of my flesh grown from roots of disapproval and criticism.
The first few weeks I worried.
I fretted.
I examined my heart, confessing any hint of sin I could find.
I need to hear from God. What am I doing wrong?
Prayerful self-examination is always a good first step when your spiritual life loses vitality and connection. We do have a tendency to discount or deny our hurtful actions or misplaced priorities. There are times when we need the search light of the Holy Spirit to show us what’s hidden in our hearts.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24).
After a robust heart check, I realized unconfessed sin wasn’t the problem.
4. Don’t be surprised by spiritual warfare.
Next came spiritual attack. The enemy of my soul accused me with thoughts like this: God is displeased with me. I have lost God’s favor. God isn’t blessing me. I can’t trust God to be there for me.
Not true. Not a single lie or accusation of the enemy is true.
What does the enemy whisper in your vulnerable thoughts and emotions when God feels distant? He can be relentless with condemning suggestions to your thoughts. Know that you are vulnerable to spiritual attack during this time. Don’t be surprised by the enemy’s lies and misperceptions.
Recognizing lies and misperceptions is a crucial step to walking in freedom, especially when God seems silent.
5. Stand firm in the truth.
One of the most important ways to navigate a time of spiritual silence or a dark night of the soul is to stand firm in the truth. The word of God is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare, but it is also a sweet balm to our weary and hurting souls.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:7-8).
Meditate on truths about the character of God and the wonder of your identity in Christ. Don’t allow your circumstances of feelings to preach a false gospel to your heart.
- God is who He says He is.
- He will do what He has promised to do.
- You are secure in your identity as a redeemed and beloved child of God.
6. Trust God with your spiritual condition.
Here’s the truth: God is in charge of our spiritual condition. Our role is to love, trust, obey, and respond to God as best we can, trusting the Holy Spirit to help us.
God is the One who sets the pace for our spiritual growth. When God feels distant, we need to trust He will not stop working. He is even more interested in our spiritual growth than we are.
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NASB).
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#darknightofthesoul”] I can trust God with me. You can trust God with you.[/tweetthis]
7. Recognize God communicates in various ways.
Sometimes we’re hearing from God, but we miss the subtle way He works. He doesn’t always answer our questions directly.
God speaks in various ways including His Word, the church, circumstances, godly counsel, and the mind of Christ within you (1 Cor. 2:16).
One of the wonderful roles of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth:
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak… ” (John 16:13 NASB).
Walking one morning, I soaked in the sunshine relieved to get out of the house. I remembered early days of dating my husband when we thrived on great conversations. After 30 years of marriage, we still love to talk, but our relationship has matured over time. We no longer need to be talking or doing something exciting to feel connected and secure in our relationship.
We can sit in silence and it doesn’t mean that something is wrong.
Can it be the same in our relationship with God?
God communicated this truth by bringing a memory and an insight to mind. I was hearing from God through my Spirit-led thoughts. I almost missed “hearing” Him in the jumble of my confusion.
8. Believe God has a purpose in silence.
[tweetthis]”Silence is the often the the first language of God” (St. John of the Cross).[/tweetthis]
Be encouraged with these words from Dallas Willard:
“Among the practices that can help us attend to soul care at a basic level are solitude and silence. . . This discipline can be used of God as a means of grace. In it we may even find another reminder of grace—that we are saved, justified by His redeeming power—not by our strivings and achievements.”
I appreciate what Ruth Haley Barton writes about the role of solitude and silence in our spiritual journey:
“Solitude will do its good work whether we know what we are doing or not. One of the primary functions of solitude is to settle ourselves into God’s presence. . . Most of what happens in solitude is happening under the surface, and God is doing it.”–Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, 41-42
At times, God removes the felt sense of His presence to do deep work in our souls. Silence is part of the shift from communication to deeper communion with God. When we think of it this way, it is easier to embrace the silence. When we experience times of silence, disconnection, or distance with God, be patient and believe God is working.
Friend, how are you doing? How have you been impacted spiritually during Covid-19?
Need more resources for emotionally healthy spirituality? Get this Emotional Health Workbook in the Deeper Life Collection for Subscribers.
You can also find encouragement for listening to God, developing a praying life, and navigating your thoughts and emotions in my book, Holy in the Moment.
Friend, how are you doing? How have you been impacted spiritually during Covid-19?
More Posts on Engaging with God’s Word
- Six Short Devotions to Help You Listen to Jesus + printable version
- When You Long for God to Speak to You
- Simple Ways to Meditate on God’s Word
- 8 Powerful Ways to Connect with God When He Is Silent
- Ignite Your Faith with Simple Truths for Listening to God
- Do You Struggle with Listening to God?
- 10 Benefits of Reviewing What We Learn from God
- Simple Ways Silence Can Deepen Your Faith
- Discover Six Important Truths About Listening to Go
When You Need to Transform Your Thought Life
Negative thinking entraps us in unhealthy mental and emotional patterns. Vulnerable emotions such as anger, shame, anxiety, or resentment alert us to what we are thinking and believing in the moment. This week I’m thrilled to chat with Sarah Geringer about her book, Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus. Enter to win a copy of Sarah’s book by leaving a comment at the end of this post! Drawing will be on Friday, June 14th.
Watchman Nee once wrote that “no life can be truly changed without a change of mind.” So true, isn’t it?
Every change in our life begins with a thought. I believe this is one reason why our thoughts are so important and powerful. But changing our thought patterns takes intentional effort and often hard work.
Enjoy some highlights from my Q & A with Sarah on this practical and important topic that we all struggle with on some level.
In addition to this post, you’re invited to join us on Facebook on Friday, June 5 at 12:00 pm for a live discussion with Sarah focusing on dealing with anger.
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Why do we struggle so much in our thought lives?
Our thought lives form the structure for our words and actions. Every problem we have begins in our thoughts. Since no one else knows our thoughts except God, we think we can hide them. However, what you think in your inward life inevitably spills out onto your outward life.
You can either be defeated in your thought life before you ever take action, or you can transform your thought life with the power of God’s Word. You can have victory in your thought life struggles by meditating on the truths in Scripture.
How do our past experiences relate to current thought-life problems?
Many of us experienced hurt and difficulties in our past that influence our lives now. For example, my parents divorced when I was four years old. The fallout from their divorce has affected nearly every area of my thinking.
As a little girl, I began dealing with negative, anxious, fearful, and critical thoughts in response to the wounds the divorce caused. These thoughts carved paths in my conscious and subconscious mind that still tempt me today.
I have used the power of Scripture to reroute those thought life paths. [tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#negativethinking #transformyourthoughts”]You can reroute your own thought pathways by using key scriptures in specific problems.[/tweetthis]
What does spiritual warfare have to do with thought life struggles?
Satan wants to distract, discourage, and defeat us on the battlefields of our minds. If he can do this, our words and actions will automatically follow his will instead of God’s will.
He sets up strongholds, or power centers, in the pain points of our past, then capitalizes on them in our current thought life struggles.
[tweetthis]When we fight back with the truth of Scripture, we can dismantle those spiritual strongholds.[/tweetthis]
By repeating key verses over and over to yourself, you can break the power Satan may have held over you for decades in your thought life struggles.
How can Christian meditation help someone conquer thought life problems?
Christian meditation is simply focusing on a scripture and thinking about it with intent. The more you focus on God’s Word through meditation, the more you learn about God’s will for your life.
You can apply scriptural truths directly to specific thought life problems and experience freedom. For example, if you struggle with painful thoughts, you can meditate on verses about God’s comfort.
By repeating these verses every time you experience a painful memory, you can begin to reroute the neural pathways in your brain. When you do this over and over, you begin to think differently because God’s truth replaces the lies planted by your enemy Satan.
How does a transformed thought life help someone develop a closer relationship to God?
When you meditate on God’s Word, you are hiding it in your heart and mind. As you learn God’s language of truth and love in Scripture, you will learn more about his character and his ways.
Christian meditation helps you worship God and cultivate a closer walk with him. When you experience the freedom that comes with thought life transformation, you will realize that God deserves credit for setting you free.
Scripture meditation will inspire your adoration, praise and thanksgiving to God. It has the potential to take your faith to new heights in only a few minutes every day.
How has Christian meditation helped you be victorious in spiritual warfare?
I chose 17 areas of thought life struggles to focus on in my book, because I have experienced all of them at different points in my faith journey. In each chapter, I tell stories about how God set me free from a certain thought-life struggle such as guilt, impurity, idolatry, and regret.
When I was struggling in these areas, I did not experience victory until I began meditating upon scriptures that directly counteracted those problems. As I meditated, I recognized how Satan tempted me with the same unproductive thought paths again and again. By replacing his falsehoods with the truth of God’s Word, I experienced freedom for the first time.
Now, I know to fight back immediately with Scripture, just like Jesus did when he was tempted. Through Christian meditation, I have key scriptures in my spiritual arsenal to fight back the moment I’m attacked.
What do you want readers to learn most from Transforming Your Thought Life?
I want readers to learn about the power God’s Word gives us to break free from spiritual strongholds. Many of us have Bibles in our possession, but do not understand how God’s Word literally holds the solution to all our problems.
By internalizing God’s Word in our hearts through Christian meditation, our thought lives can truly be transformed for good.
You can see why I wanted to share Sarah’s book with you! Hope you can join us for the live broadcast or the replay of my interview with Sarah as we talk about dealing with anger in healthy ways. This topic is highly relevant to the challenges our nation faces today.
My Thoughts on Sarah’s Impactful Book
In Holy in the Moment, I devote a chapter to the importance of making healthy and whole choices with our thoughts. In this key area of struggle for each of us, Transforming Your Thought Life is a valuable and in-depth resource.
I loved the way Sarah dived head first into harnessing our thoughts with the life-giving practice of meditating on God’s Word. Sharing many of her own struggles, she tackles challenges from her life with authenticity and courage.
Her candid stories draw us in, helping us to see our own struggles as we recognize our need to filter our thoughts through the lens of Scripture. Sarah guides us closer to God, demonstrating how Christian meditation can transform our thoughts and heal our wounds.
About Sarah Geringer
Sarah Geringer writes and speaks about finding peace in God’s Word. You can follow my blog at sarahgeringer.com or find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Goodreads. Enjoy Sarah’s 14 Day Guided Meditation and Scripture Writing Plan for Overcoming Anxiety.
Win a Copy of Sarah’s Book
What area of your thought life challenges you the most? Leave a comment to enter to win a copy of Sarah’s book.
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