Wear Your Jersey: 12 Practical Ways to Show God’s Love This Summer
Summer days are slipping by quickly, aren’t they?
Today I am delighted to share with you a guest post from my friend Katy Kauffman. Katy has been a true encourager in my writing journey. Her friendship, support, and wisdom have been a special gift. The picture below is from the contest awards banquet at Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference in May. Congratulations to Katy for winning the Selah award for her Bible study, Faith, Courage, and Victory. I’m holding Foundation awards for online article (1st) and non-fiction book (3rd). I’m thankful for Katy’s editing help with my non-fiction book!
Wear Your Jersey
I loved playing scrimmage games with my church’s basketball team in high school. Some of the moms joined in as well, and it was fun seeing them block players and trying to make shots. The tough part was remembering who NOT to pass the ball to, since we all were wearing street clothes. That problem was easily fixed, however, come game time.
Just as the members of a team wear the same colored jerseys to identify whose team they’re on, the members of Christ’s “team”—the Church—wear the same jersey of love.
[tweetthis hidden_urls=”#loveoneanother”]“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 NKJV[/tweetthis]
The identifying mark of a true believer in Christ is love. Giving love, selfless love, the kind of love that Jesus Himself gives out. If we learn from Jesus, if we’re His disciples, we will learn to love like He does. And oh, the world needs this kind of love!
Wars, heartache, the misery and pain that sin causes—these are the results of a world that lives apart from God’s love. As members of the church, let’s walk in this world as a healing balm, as a light that pierces the darkness, as a team of believers whose mission is to share the love and truth of God with those who desperately need it.
Here are a dozen practical ways that we can show God’s love to one another this summer:
Invite a family to church, especially to a special event, and sit together. Go to lunch or go for ice cream afterwards.
Take notice of the clerks in your local grocery store, and ask them how their day is going.
If a waiter or waitress is having a stressful day, show kindness by asking how you can pray for them and leave a generous tip.
React kindly when you could react harshly. This will get people’s attention! It will make them wonder why you weren’t mean even if it would have been justified, and it will give grace to the recipient.
Start a Vacation Bible School for kids in your neighborhood, and give your own children jobs to do during the week. See if other parents want to help organize one.
Ask your church’s pastoral care minister (or the church secretary) if you can visit someone in the hospital or make food and take it to someone’s house.
Ask someone in your church’s youth ministry if they need volunteers for special events. You’re likely to have as much fun as the kids do.
Look for ways to verbally share the gospel. We can live out the love of God every day, but He also wants us to be ready to say the words that will minister to someone’s soul and lead them to faith in Christ. Someone said the words to us!
Participate on a short term mission trip. Pray about opportunities that your church provides, and go where God sends you.
Restart that hobby that you put aside during the school year, and make crafty things for shut-ins or people precious to your family. If you have children, get them involved in making crafts!
Pray, pray, pray. Listen to people’s prayer requests, and write them down. Or if the prayer need is urgent, pray on the spot with them. Take time each day to pray for others’ concerns.
Do something special for your family members that tells them you’re thinking of them. Put candy in their shoes, notes on their pillows, or take them out for an excursion. The ones who are closest to us need to know they’re loved, too.
What are some practical ways that you like to show the love of Christ? Tell us in the comments below, and remember how much God loves you. That kind of love we can’t keep secret. I’m putting on my jersey today. Are you wearing yours?
Katy Kauffman is a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, a ministry which seeks to connect people to God through His Word. She has taught the Bible to women and teens, and has two published Bible studies for women, 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory and Faith, Courage, and Victory. Her heart’s desire is for people to know and love God, understand the richness of His Word, and fulfill His plan for their lives. Katy is also an editor and the designer of Refresh Bible Study Magazine. You can connect with her at her blog, Life with God, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
3 Important Reasons to Let Go of Toxic Thinking
Learn to identify and overcome toxic thoughts that can become patterns of negative thinking. Develop awareness of your thoughts and choose to let go of the bad habit of unhealthy thinking. Don’t let negative thoughts impact your attitude and relationships.
Toxic thinking and holding onto negative thoughts can wound hearts and crush dreams.
In my last post we talked about 20 toxic ways of thinking that will poison your life. Are you holding onto toxic thoughts that might be impacting your mental health and well-being? Are patterns of toxic thoughts changing your perspective, attitude, or relationship? Consider examples of toxic thoughts that we need to let go of for healthier thoughts and relationships. Are you keeping a list in your head of any of the following types of thoughts that can become toxic?
Grievances against others.
Complaints or gripes about situations or people.
Resentment over things that didn’t work out the way we wanted.
Reasons we think we will not succeed in life.
Behaviors we want people to change.
Standards we expect others to meet.
Expectations that become demands.
Disappointments that consume our thoughts.
Negative self talk.
Lies we believe about ourselves or others.
Excuses we make for poor attitudes or behavior.
Hyper-focusing on failures.
Dwelling on faults we see in others or ourselves.
Allowing frustrations and irritations get the best of us.
Being consumed with fear, worry, or concerns.
Accusations against ourselves or other people.
Dwelling on times we believe God let us down.
Reasons we worry God won’t forgive our sins.
Prayers we think God didn’t answer.
Focusing on the things we aren’t good at.
*Click here to download and print the list of toxic thoughts to let go of for better mental health.
3 Reasons to Let Go of Toxic Thinking
1. Toxic thinking can become an emotional bad habit.
Left unchecked, toxic thinking will make you miserable. Have you noticed that we often keep the longest lists on those we love the most: spouses, parents, siblings, and friends? Sometimes it only takes a critical comment, an unintentional slight, or an angry retort to ignite bitterness. On cue, painful memories flash in our minds as emotions escalate. We bow to familiar accusations that replay like broken records in our heads. Words like always, can’t, and never blast our thoughts as we add another infraction to the list.
She always lets me down.
I can’t do this.
He’ll never change.
I’ll never be enough.
2. Toxic thinking is a negative filter distorting truth.
Our perspective warps when we relate to God, others, or ourselves based on hurt, resentment, or a lack of forgiveness. Are we keeping tally in an unhealthy way of proving to ourselves resentment is valid? Our list becomes a both a false truth and a cloudy filter through which we interpret life.
Consumed with our troubles, emotions spiral out of control.
Faith is hampered by false belief and defined by emotion.
3. Toxic thinking influences our speech.
We can begin to echo these words from the book of Job:
“I loathe my very life;
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:1
Have you been there? Are you giving free reign to your complaints? Are you speaking out of the bitterness of your soul?
When it is quiet, and it’s just you and your thoughts, what is your heart saying?
For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. Matthew 12:34-35
Whether our toxic thinking is personal or directed at someone else, this is no way to live. It’s just plain miserable. When you identify unhealthy thoughts that consume our energy and attention, bring your emotions to God. It’s important to learn to process frustration, hurt, anger, and disappointment in healthy ways.
How will you respond to negative thoughts?
Whether we like it or not, awareness of our thoughts brings us to a powerful moment of choice.
Will you react or respond?
Will you choose patience or anger?
Will you resent or forgive?
Will you move forward or stay stuck?
How often does this powerful moment of choice slip by unnoticed, drowned by mental noise of reciting our lists? [tweetthis]Awareness is the first step to making better choices with our thoughts, words, and actions.[/tweetthis]
A toxic internal list corrodes our soul and complicates our relationships. How much lighter would we feel if we gather the courage to let go of our lists?
What will it take to loosen your grip?
What could happen if you simply remind yourself to let go of your toxic thoughts?
Let’s encourage each other with this simple phrase:
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#toxicthinking #negativethinking”]Let go of your list.[/tweetthis]
Toxic thoughts can prevent us from enjoying life.
Only when we let go of our toxic thinking will we have empty hands and ready hearts to receive God’s blessings. This is an intentional choice we make to obey God and honor others as well as ourselves. Free from our toxic thinking, we can live lightly in the confidence we are loved, valued, and filled in Christ. Without toxic thoughts weighing us down, we find we enjoy life more.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… Ephesians 1:3-5
Join me next time for a list of Scriptures to combat our toxic lists and negative thinking. Now that’s the kind of list we need to keep!
What type of toxic list do you struggle with?
A Free Resource to Combat Toxic Thinking in Your Life
If negative thinking is a challenge for you, I’ve got a free resource for you in The Deeper Life Collection, my Subscriber Library. Overcome Negative Thinking for a Deeper Life features more information, strategies, encouragement, and 50 Scriptures to blast toxic thoughts from your life. Reflect and pray about one verse each day as you practice the strategies in the book.
Build Better Healthy Habits for Body, Soul & Spirit
Start fresh with a weekly email from Ginger packed with motivation, information, tips, journal pages, and a prayer to help you build consistent habits of heath. One topic each week for your body, soul, or spirit. Focus on consistent, simple practices to experience greater well-being. Healthy looks great on you!
Dig Deeper into Healthy Thoughts and Emotions
Tap into the healing power of practical ways to process thoughts and emotions. Holy in the Moment shares simple ways to build holy habits to overcome anxiety, insecurity, perfectionism, and other challenges that impact our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. Discover practical ways to live in the freedom of your identity in Christ with vibrant faith.
Top Posts to Overcome Toxic Thinking
Enjoy this selection of my most read posts on healthy thoughts and emotions.
Why Positive Thinking is Good for a Healthy Body, Soul, and Spirit
How to Identify and Overcome Negative Thinking
Strategies and Scriptures to Combat Negative Thinking: With Free E-book
10 Free Resources for an Emotionally Healthy You
20 Toxic Ways of Thinking That Will Poison Your Life
Do you have a toxic list poisoning your life?
We’ve been having a little fun with the lists here on the blog. We started out with humorous confessions of a reluctant list maker. I bared my soul revealing my love/hate relationship with lists, organization, and productivity. Then we ventured into the dark side of your list. When we begin to serve our list, we’ve entered the dark side. Do we define the value of our day or measure our worth based how many items we’ve checked off our list?
Then there are the lists we don’t talk about.
There’s a kind of list we all keep, the kind we don’t like to admit. Some lists we rarely talk about, but they can consume a great deal of emotional real estate in our inner thoughts.
You won’t find this list posted on the refrigerator with a cute magnet. These are the unspoken lists that are corrosive to our spiritual, emotional, or relational well being.
Tucked away out of sight, we can hold onto our toxic list with an iron grip. Sometimes we keep records against ourselves.
Have you thought about the kind of the lists that tear you down? In spite of your accomplishments and talents, do you keep a list of all the things you think are wrong with you? The ways you never seen to measure up?
Squirreled away in the nooks and crannies of our hearts are the lists we keep on other people–ways they have hurt us, let us down, or offended us. We keep records of wrongs while overlooking our own shortcomings.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#toxicthinking #negativethinking”]Isn’t it time to let go of your toxic lists?[/tweetthis]
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#toxicthinking #negativethinking”]20 Toxic Ways of Thinking That Will Poison Your Soul[/tweetthis]
Consider the different kinds of lists we keep and the ways toxic thinking negatively impacts our lives. Each item on this list is a way of thinking that will poison our lives.
This is hard stuff, isn’t it?
These are just a few of the poisonous thinking patterns that rattle in our heads, hissing with resentments, feeding doubt. Discouragement slithers like snakes in the wet grass of emotions.
Toxic lists reflect the negative thinking and the coping ways of hurting hearts. They can seethe with silent resentment behind a smile, turn pride into a fortress of anger, or stifle growth with rampant insecurity.
Just last night at dinner I had a discouraging conversation that tempted me to doubt myself. It only took a moment for my thoughts to reach down into my heart and pull up one of my toxic lists. One by one, I began to mentally list the situations that seem to show that my work will never amount to anything. Reasons why I’ll never be, can’t ever do…
Your list may look different from mine, but we all battle with toxic thinking.
Even as my conversation unfolded, I caught myself pulling up an old, painful list. I prayed, “Lord, I give you my list. Help me to not give into the temptation to dive into the pit of toxic thinking. Tonight I choose to trust you and not give into my emotions.”
This morning I shared out my concerns with God. “Lord, show me what is true. Tell me what you think.” Opening my Bible, these are the first words I saw:
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
“For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
“Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you… (Isaiah 43:1-4).
God reminds me that I am secure, called, loved by His choice. This is the opinion that matters most. When the waters of emotions and confusion rise, He whispers I am not alone. When the heat of my self-doubts accuse, I will not be burned. His word trumps the false power of my list.
Learning to identify the kinds of toxic thinking is the first step to overcome the mental trap of negative thinking. Pay attention to your thoughts, and don’t give negative thoughts free reign.
Don’t miss this free ebook when you sign up for Ginger’s emails. Already a subscriber? Check it out on the subscriber gift page!
Is one of these toxic ways of thinking poisoning your life? Leave a comment and let’s encourage and support on another in this area we all struggle with.
The Danger of Losing Your Child’s Heart
I’m excited to share the writing of a good friend of mine this week. Melanie Redd is one of my sweet, talented blogging and speaking friends. She has been such an encouragement to me in a variety of ways. Everyone needs a friend like Melanie!
Thanks to everyone who took my reader survey. The results are super helpful. Congrats to Betsy DeCruz, winner of the Amazon gift card!
The stories come in all shapes and sizes… from outright loss to more subtle cases.
I offer two stories that stand out in particular, and a quiz to assess your parenting.
The first story…
Is the story of a boy who grew up in a minister’s home.
He was the youngest of 3 brothers. The minister father traveled almost weekly to speak to groups around the globe. The sweet momma stayed home to take care of the boys.
During their growing up years, this youngest child didn’t follow the path of the older two children. He was more of a free spirit, experimenting, testing, and trying out the things of the world.
In high school, he got in with the wrong crowd and began to drink, try all sorts of drugs, and sleep around. He was quickly heading down a dangerous path.
All along, his ministry parents were almost clueless. They seemed to be too busy or maybe just too naïve to notice this youngest boy’s progression down the wrong path. Somehow they “missed” the signs and were quickly losing this kid.
In a final destructive act, the boy got in the car with another friend–both high on some drug. Their car crashed, and the boy was tragically killed.
We watched as those stunned parents tried to grapple with what had taken place, still unaware of how lost and distant their youngest son was at his death.
They had never won their child’s heart or understood his bent.
And, they lost him completely at a very young age.
The second story…
Is the story of a much more subtle loss.
This second boy was also born into a Christian home. His parents were actively involved in the church and were devout in their faith. They took their children to church, read the Bible as a family, and made sure that the kids knew about Jesus.
However, this boy didn’t grow up with much love. His parents did all of the right things but didn’t enjoy raising their children. They didn’t seem to like playing with and hanging out with their children.
They were busy, professionals who had “more important” things on which to focus.
This second boy grew up feeling unwanted, unloved, and unimportant. His needs were provided for, but he never felt accepted by his parents.
He grew up being cared for but never really feeling deeply loved. Adulthood found him empty and at a loss, in need of much counsel and affirmation.
Although this second boy never rebelled, he really struggled to understand how to love others. He had to learn to accept the love of God. His journey was a tough one.
The parents NEVER TRIED to win the heart of this second boy.
And, as an adult, he wanted nothing to do with them.
The danger…
The danger of losing your child’s heart is that they will grow up and not want to be around you.
They will leave your house at about age 18 and not want to return again.
They will have children of their own, and not want to bring those babies to see you.
Or, they will politely spend time with you, but keep their hearts protected and their conversations shallow.
[tweetthis]If you do not win and keep their hearts as little children, you will not enjoy them as they mature and grow older.[/tweetthis]
They will grow up and leave you–physically, emotionally, and in every other way.
The real and ultimate DANGER…
Is that you never even realize you’ve lost their hearts until it is TOO LATE!
So, how are you doing as a parent?
As I close, I ask you to consider, pray over, and answer some honest questions by taking an assessment.
Choose one answer to each question:
1} Do you really have your children’s hearts? All of them?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
2} Is there open communication with your kids?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
3} If I were to question each of your children, would they tell me that they feel deeply loved by you?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
4} Do you think your kids enjoy being raised in your home?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
5} Is there joy and laughter in your home?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
6} Would your kids say that you value them and see them as worthy of your time and attention?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
7} Do you think your children will want to come back to see you when they are grown?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
8} If your kids are “away” from you right now, have you been praying for God to bring them back?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
9} If they are away, are you seeking to build a bridge with them again?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
10} For all parents, are you praying for God to give you the hearts of your children?
__ Yes __ No __ Maybe __ Doesn’t Apply
*Now, tally up your score by looking back to see which answer got the most check marks:
___ Yes ___ No ___ Maybe ___ Doesn’t Apply
Most of us have some work we can do as parents!
None of us is perfect at parenting or has it all figured out.
Prayer is the very best thing you and I can do to begin to build or rebuild a relationship with each of our children.
Blogger, author, speaker, encourager and teacher, Melanie’s passion is to offer HOPE! Married to Randy for 25 years; the couple enjoys travel, eating out, and hanging out with their two college-aged kids. You can read more from Melanie on her blog at www.melanieredd.com.
Connect with her here:
The Dark Side of Your LIST
More reflections of a reluctant list maker.
List making may be an art, but list keeping is another matter.
So lately, we’ve been having a bit of fun with my reflections of a reluctant list maker. Even with the miraculous invention of the sticky note in every color of the rainbow, I can lose my list in less than 10 minutes. I have a unique hormonal chemistry that repels sticky notes. They fly away from my presence with a will of their own. I can lose my list between the bananas and the milk nearly every visit to the grocery store.
And though I know many people store lists on their phones now-a-days, I can’t bring myself to part with paper.
There’s just something about a sticky note…
These days, my lists are semi-sacred spaces. My list is a safety net bridging the gap between remembering and forgetting, between winning and wandering. With limited capacity, my brain is like a colander–too much information leaks out through the holes of my attention.
Oh yes, I’m a believer now.
Keeping a list is a practical way to organize tasks and increase productivity. I can’t tell you how, but I know this is true. It is also a good way to remember to pick up kids on early dismissal days.
The dark side of THE LIST…
A good list can produce an almost magical kind of productivity. But when your list becomes THE LIST, it’s all too easy to discover the dark side of list making.
How often have we measured our value or defined the success of a day by the items we can cross off our list?
We all love that adrenaline rush of checking off the last item on our list, don’t we? Yet when did we begin to allow productivity to proclaim our worth?
To define the difference between a good day and a bad day?
Does productivity proclaim your worth?
You see, many of us have been brain washed and fully indoctrinated into the dark side of THE LIST.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#humor #lists”]A list is a tool to help us; we do not serve THE LIST. Don’t give your list that kind of power.[/tweetthis]
I know someone (besides me) out there needed to read this truth today.
More confessions from a reluctant list maker:
Sometimes I write every thing I can think of that I need to do for the rest of my life, just to see if it can fit on one sticky note.
It’s a good thing they now make REALLY BIG sticky notes! Oh the joy of a jumbo sticky note!
Okay, so that’s a slight exaggeration.
But seriously, do you ever write down more than you know is humanly possible and then expect yourself to gloriously check off every item by dinner?
Have you spoken unkind words to yourself because you didn’t complete THE LIST?
Friend, this is a another bad habit from the dark side of THE LIST that will drive you crazy and take you captive.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#humor #lists”]Don’t give your LIST power to define a good day.[/tweetthis] The pressure will keep you scurrying around, frantic from morning till night. This is no way to live.
Find balance.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”–Matthew 6:33
Put God first and trust Him to help you with all the doing. Seeking God first can give us wisdom to put the right things on the list. With God’s wisdom, we can choose the best over the good and the important over the seemingly urgent.
Let me tell you, I’ve spent plenty of time stressing to accomplish things that I didn’t really need to do.
Plan what you need to do, but remember there are only twenty-four hours in a day. God is still good and you are too, even if you can’t get it all done. This is a truth to put on THE LIST!
Now if I can just remember where I put my list…
Have you discovered the dark side of list making? What does that look like for you?
Interested in more thoughts on what happens when we let our list become our “worthy meter,” you’ll enjoy the post, In Lists We Trust by Dana from Living in My Freedom.
Reflections of a Reluctant List Maker
“I need a notebook for my science project.”
My mom answered, “put it on THE LIST.”
“We’re out of peanut butter!”
“Put it on THE LIST, “ my mother responded.
My mother’s LIST.
My mother was a great fan of list-making.
Both a hobby and an art form, she raised a simple tool for organization to a sacred practice, bringing us all closer to God.
Yes, attend Sunday School and church was on always on THE LIST.
THE LIST held the answer to just about every need a child could mention. THE LIST ensured birthday gifts were bought and the laundry got done.
My mother’s LIST was always scribbled on 4×4 white notepaper. I was certain her handwriting was some mysterious grown-up language. I never could read it.
My mother lived by THE LIST, which was clamped to our harvest gold side-by-side fridge with a magnet. I did not inherit my mother’s organizational DNA.
THE LIST was filled with items to buy, errands to run, and events to attend. Pre-dating the revolutionary sticky note, her list was sacred, and she always managed to keep up with it. I’m pretty sure Mom would have bought large amounts of stock in sticky notes if they had been around in 1975.
The power of THE LIST.
My mother’s list had power.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#humor”]Pop-Eye ate spinach, Superman had a cape, and my mother moved mountains with THE LIST. [/tweetthis]
She never left the house without THE LIST.
Do I hear an “Amen” from the compulsive list makers in the house?
The wonder of THE LIST.
Like many children watching the strange ways of adults, I simply didn’t understand the value of keeping a list.
I was often frustrated with my mother’s sacred LIST. “I’m never going to drive my kids nuts, forcing them to put every detail on a list,” I foolishly vowed in my teen years. “When I leave this house, that is going to be the end of THE LIST!”
I wish I hadn’t said that. Hence the reflections of a reluctant list maker.
Let me tell you, those were childish words I’ve eaten many times over, served up with a heaping helping of humble pie. Somehow I survived the college years, giving a nod to a calendar in lieu of THE LIST. In my twenties, I prided myself on the ability to keep my list in my head, remembering appointments and deadlines with razor-sharp precision.
Most of the time.
Those days are long gone.
When my mother’s LIST became my list.
Babies came and I entered the parenting years where brainpower for details weakened with sleepless nights and crying babies.
Yet still I resisted list keeping.
Once my children outnumbered the adults in my house, I began to see the light.
I marched into the nearest Staples and bought a life-time supply of sticky notes in every color available. In that life-changing moment, I did not yet know I had missed the prime list-making-brain-development years.
My mother had a gift for list making honed from an early age. Waiting until my 30’s, I struggled to reach the barely-get-by skill of list making.
My chaos-bent brain matter had hardened to a chronic state of reluctant list making. Some people think in straight lines and bullet points.
Here’s a few items on my current to-do list:
Now here’s the way I naturally think:
List making is a learned (somewhat) skill that I force myself to practice. In fact, just this morning my daughter complained, “Mom, we’re out of milk.”
Guess what I said?
“Put it on THE LIST!”
Are you a list maker? Share your reflections in the comments.
Don’t miss this helpful tool to overcome negative thinking. This short ebook is filled with help and truth to renew your mind by the power of Christ. Click on the image or on this link to sign up for my newsletter and access to this resource. There are lots of great resources in the Subscriber Library.
Click here to sign up. You’ll receive access to our subscriber freebie page filled with this book and other gifts as well.
For more household humor, check out these posts:
The Can’t Get-It-Together Guide For Home Management
Help, My Refrigerator is Radioactive!
Do You Have Spiritual ADD?
Do you have spiritual ADD? Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder?
Distractions often keep us from focusing on God. Our minds wander. We wonder why our relationship with God feels distant.
For so long, I thought time with God had to be a certain way with a specific time and formula. It had to be quiet, with everything else stopped and put away. Too often, that quiet didn’t come.
And I felt guilty.
I felt lacking and displeasing to God.
I felt like a spiritual failure, as if God was depending on me to do everything just so.
I teach Sunday school for teens. Most of them read the Bible on their phones. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s so easy to begin with a good intention of focusing on God. And then just a quick look at texts, email, or FB messages. It is not only teens that struggle to develop spiritual concentration.
Quite possibly, we are the most distracted generation with all of our instant news, technology, gadgets, schedules, and activities. And it is even worse for our children who have cut their teeth on texting and social media.
Distractions hinder our ability to relate to God.
How about when we are reading our Bible? Times of prayer and listening to God through attentive Bible reading are vital to our spiritual health and maturity. To our relationship with God.
How many times have we sat down to pray and read Scripture only to have the duties of the day barge in with “Don’t forget to do this…and that… oh and this—better stop and do this one right now.” What if we begin to understand that prayer is part of being present with Christ?
Maybe we try to get up early to spend time with God and find ourselves drifting back to sleep. Can you relate?
I can’t hear you, Lord.
Listening to God is an area where we often struggle with distraction and lack of spiritual attention.
In addition to busy schedules and heavy work loads, distractions come in many forms. Some distractions are external to our environment and lifestyle. Others are internal, rooted in our thinking and emotions.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#focusonGod #LoveGod”]Do you struggle with any of these distractions from spiritual focus?[/tweetthis]
Inattentiveness
Cluttered mind
Exhaustion
Other priorities
Lack of time
Critical thought
Unresolved conflict or resentment
Negative self-talk
Over busy
Talking too much
Unconfessed sin
Runaway emotions
Worry
Lack of concentration
The first step to increasing spiritual attention is identifying our main distractors. Take time to consider what keeps you from spiritual focus and intimacy in your relationship with God. Loving God and spiritual focus go together. We give our attention to what we value.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Identify your greatest distraction to spiritual focus.
Ask God to reveal your greatest challenge in spiritual attention, one area to let Him work on. Identify your greatest distraction and pray about it. Let God show you any issues that are at the root of your distracted mind. Seek His wisdom and help.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
Intimacy with God grows as we come to know His heart and cherish His presence in all the comings and goings of our days. Listening to God transforms us—bringing us to willing obedience and forward motion.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#loveGod #focusonGod”]Loving God and embracing His Truth is the heart of living present with God.[/tweetthis]
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him…” (John 14:23).
Begin with asking God to show you one thing to focus on when you spend time in His word. Ask Him to open your ears and awaken your attention. He may draw your attention to one of these things: (Print this list to use as a resource when reading your Bible).
God develops spiritual focus and intimacy as He opens our ears, wakens our attention, and we respond…one day at a time.
What helps you increase your spiritual focus? Leave a comment, for I’d love to hear from you!
More posts on overcoming spiritual distractions.
Are You Busy, Worried, and Bothered?
The Power of Also
From Frantic to Settled: Inner Room Living in a Busy Life
How to Stay Focused in Prayer
Simple Ways to Meditate on God’s Word
When You’re Afraid Your Gift Is Not Good Enough
Why do we struggle to be bold when it comes to using our gifts? How many times have we taken a deep breath, fighting the urge to duck and cover, to hold back when it comes to using our gifts? At times, hesitant to even speak our mind or express...
Will You Choose Life Today?
There is a big project on my list of goals. Part of me wants to avoid tackling this goal in that it feels beyond my ability. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, or give into a “Why bother?” attitude.
In this moment I have a choice: I tackle the project on my own or trust God will work with me in the challenge.
Today I’m choosing life.
Our days offer more choices than we can count. The most important choices we make bring us into relationship with God.
Consider this key passage about life from the Old Testament:
“So choose life in order that you may live… by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days…” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
Choose Life
How many ways have I defined the life I want based on my desires? In this passage, God defines life in the simple terms: Love God with all your heart and all your soul.
[tweetthis]Love for God opens the door to life.[/tweetthis]
Not just the inhale and exhale of our physical breath. Not just walking and talking movements of our days. No, this heart-soul deep love for God brings the life He gives. It is His best, His plan, His way, and His presence.
Many days, I’ve worked hard to create a good life based on my plan, effort, and performance. You too?
God gives us the power of choosing in our lives. From the big decisions that move us in new directions to the countless small moments that add up to a day, we can choose life.
What does this choosing-God-life look like?
Love God With Heart and Soul.
- Love is a relational word–the deep, up-close and personal kind. We don’t love those we don’t know. We may respect character or honor position, but we cannot love the unknown.
- This love-word is wide, deep, and intimate. It spans the love of family and mate, as well as our human appetites for objects–the things we love–food, drink, sleep, wisdom, pleasure to name a few. It pulses with our human love for God, and includes the love of a friend. There is also a very simple side of this word–to like.
- The most significant thing we can do is get to know our God, the One who formed our souls and crafted our purpose for His glory. In loving God, we discover all our other needs and desires have a home in Him.
Obey His voice.
In order to obey his voice we have to do three things:
- Listen. Throw open your attention, your desire, and your thoughts to God, who enters like a breeze through an open window. The entering is His job, our choosing is to be open to His presence. Simply listen.
- Recognize His voice. Was that God or was that me? Instead of trying to figure that out on my own, I choose to trust God to help me to discern the thoughts that come from Him in whatever form they take.
- Respond with a heart set free from the promotion and protection of our self-life. This means laying down the grasping, coping, wanting, fixing ways of a heart focused on self.
- Choose to do what He says. Choosing brings us to action. It puts feet to our intentions as we walk obedience step-by-step in this love relationship with God.
Hold fast to Him.
Hold fast is a word for keeping close to the heart: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
Holding fast to God keeps our wandering hearts from straying. A child holds a fathers’s hand, secure in love and protection. Holding fast is also the desperate grip of a drowning man clinging to hope, a life-line for the soul.
[tweetthis]The real power of holding fast to God is this: He holds fast to us.[/tweetthis]
What will choosing life look like in your day? Choose life today by loving God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him.