Hey friend,
I love coming here to talk to you. It's so much fun and I love sharing my life with you. This one is a total game changer and it's one that I've had to learn over and over but I think it's just because it's one of those things that you have to practice to get better at it.
God started changing my life in big ways in 2018 when I started thinking about what I really wanted in my life and then I actually started doing them. For example, I wanted to have a church family that was really on fire for God and really worshiped wholeheartedly.
Guess what happened!
God brought a new friend into my life who told me about her crazy awesome church and I started going there.
Guess what else happened?
Making a big change like that created some intense pressure in my life. Big changes sometimes create big reactions in the people around you. Especially if they don't understand that following your God given desires is a good thing.
Yes, you read that right. Following your God-given desires is a good way to make decisions in your life.
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I've read that Bible verse wrong for so many years! You might be thinking that it means that if you please God, he will give you good things in your life? Right? WRONG!
I heard a pastor explain it once in a sermon that this verse actually means that if you follow God's will for your life, He will place the right desires in your heart that you should have. God will give your heart good things to desire.
Like what?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Watch for those underlined ones further down.
The more I spend time with God, the more He reminds me to focus on what is good, what is right and what I really want. Because the desires he's putting in my heart are what he really wants me to meditate on, ALL DAY LONG.
He doesn't want us griping and grouching all the time. Moaning and groaning about our problems.
In my old church, I used to moan about how the old people wouldn't sing new songs and wouldn't get rid of the organ and change. I could still be there, mad and complaining about my problems. But God helped me make changes in my life and actually do something that led to me to follow that good desire he put in my heart for a real church.
And there are things in my life that I still have to learn how to apply this lesson to. Like, stop complaining about my kids not listening, or my husband working too hard, or my house/yard being a disastrous mess, or having to do the farm bookkeeping.
How can I flip those around?
In my heart, I want joyful, obedient children. That's a good thing. Oh my heart is filling up right now with joy just typing these words!
In my heart, I want my husband to be healthy, happy and balanced. I want him to know what he wants, what desires God is putting in his heart, and for him to follow them.
In my heart, I want my house to be clean and efficient for all the purposes we want to use it for. Really clean! Like super spotless and fucking awesome clean! (Yes, the F word is okay. I'll write more about that soon. But for now just know that what's not okay is using any words to hurt people.)
In my heart, I want someone who loves doing bookkeeping to do our farm books and have reports and information always ready for Brenton whenever he needs it.
When I start focusing on what I really want, you know what starts to happen? I start finding solutions and thinking about ways to make those things happen.
But what if my heart wants something bad? Like to get revenge on someone because they hurt me really badly?
Go back up for a sec and read that verse again. I'll wait.
Does getting revenge feel like taking delight in God? At first glance, it might seem like it would give you delight to get back at them but if you're honest with yourself, it won't take the hurt away and revenge will only leave you feeling more empty than before. Getting back at someone, paying them back for hurting you, only deepens the negative void in your heart.
That's not taking delight in God. But forgiveness is what God wants you to do.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
You have some work to do with your heart too. God is eager to put his good desires in there for you to follow, but it's up to you if you let him do that or if you let other stuff get in the way. You, and nobody else, are the keeper of your heart. Only you have the power to decide what gets in and your life will flow from whatever you allow inside.
What has been flowing out of you lately friend? I've had some negative stuff flow out me lately and God is showing me where and how I need to clean up.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Did you let some junk in there? Ask God to renew your heart! He can help you sort it out and renew your heart. Are you struggling to forgive someone? Are they doing something they've done time and time again? You still can't let it poison your heart. And when you start keeping your heart clean, you get a boatload of benefits. You get joy and peace!
Philippians 4: 4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Is something bothering you? Is something wrong? Talk to God about it! But go to him with gratitude and thankfulness. Then he will help you guard your heart from things that are trying to get you down. The problem might not go away and you may not have a solution yet but you can have peace in your heart until your solution comes. In fact, I think sometimes, your solution will come because you held onto that peace anyway even when it was really hard.
When your kids have problems, do you want them to come to you just complaining about it? Or would you rather that they calmly and gratefully come to ask for help? What gets you to help them more, pitiful whining or polite requests for help?
God is your Daddy! He wants to help! But he ain't doing nothing until you get out your little pity party.
Matthew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
I want a pure heart because I want to see God. I want to see God leading my husband. I want to see God in our family life. I want to see God heal people's bodies miraculously. I want to see God touch people's hearts and bring them to Jesus. I want to see God everywhere, in everything and all the time.
God, my Daddy, is reminding about something else to tell you about. Sometimes you might ask God for something and he might say no, or he might say wait a while.
My 8-year-old son, Caleb, just stormed into my office complaining because he wants to play the Nintendo but it's a nice summer day and I want him to play outside and stay off of screens for a while, for his benefit.
Sometimes we want things and God says, not right now. What kind of child are you going to be? How do you want God to answer your requests and will you be a good child even if he says no? Your attitude changes everything.
Caleb stormed off, upset that I wouldn't give into his demands for the Nintendo. Then, a minute later, he walks nicely back to my office door and asks sweetly if he may have some cereal.
Then he walked away.
I've done that with God sometimes. Told him things I wanted and not taken any time to listen for his answer. Remember a couple minutes ago where I was like: "In my heart, I want someone who loves doing bookkeeping to do our farm books and have reports and information always ready for Brenton whenever he needs it."
But what if I never listen to hear what God wants to tell me about. "Daddy! I want a bookeeper please!" And then I rush off and get busy doing stuff?
How rude!
I told Caleb to get back here and if he's going to ask me for something, he should wait for my reply. I then told him which cereals he was allowed to have and which one he was not.
God wants to talk to us too and with infinitely more love than we have for our kids. We can have his love in us, but remember: He is love. He is the infinite source of the love we are able to have in our hearts.
Friend, we gotta remember this stuff.
1) Take delight in God. Enjoy his presence and his guidance. Don't be like a child who gets mad when their parent lovingly guides and directs them. Enjoy your Daddy. Even if he is saying "no" or "not right now." He still loves you. You can still have his peace in your heart.
2) Then God will give you good desires to follow. Go hard. Let loose. That's the direction, don't be afraid, just go! When you've got God's green light, you can't go too fast.
3) Protect your heart from negativity. It's not always easy to stay in the good flow and sometimes you get hurt, but don't let the pain poison your heart. Deal with the hurt, face it and do what you have to so that you can let it go and move on. Forgive people so that you can get back to being joyful and chasing God's desires.
4) Be pure in your heart. If you want to see God moving in your life, you gotta keep your heart pure. In the Bible, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus warns us that God only gives us forgiveness if we give it too. We can't be pure and forgiven by God if we refuse to forgive other people, no exceptions.
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