The Path: With God or On Your Own
Your body distracts you. Worry distracts you. Comparison distracts you. Doubt distracts you.
Jesus loved Me. He knew He was never alone.
It is incorrect to believe we are alone. And yet, how often do you go through your day believing you are in charge and that there are decisions in front of you you don’t want to make? How often do you feel overwhelmed or sad, a victim of circumstances you cannot remedy or control?
In today’s Encounter, Holy Spirit leads us through some important questions that help us recognize how we choose self-sufficiency and independence at the cost of a life of connection with God and faith.
To begin, clear your schedule and your physical space. Remove distractions, like work and noise. Can you go to a clutter-free space? Can you reduce the volume of sounds around you?
Get comfortable where you can be undisturbed for at least half an hour. If it helps to block out potential noise distractions, consider putting on earphones and listening to soft, instrumental music.
Breathe deeply and slowly for a few minutes, inhaling deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand, and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Inhale for a count of four; hold for a count of four; then exhale for a count of four. As you breathe, invite your mind and heart to turn to Jesus, surrendering to Him every worry and thought.
Jesus, I am here.
Fill me now.
When you feel ready to move on, get out your journal and ask Holy Spirit to help answer the following questions about your behavioral tendencies and patterns when you feel alone. Below are two questions, followed by prompts to help you consider your mind’s patterns. Do not rush through them. Rather, converse with God about each one, expecting His presence and voice to lead you to uncover understanding and meaning about your heart. What does God want you to know? What is He saying to you now? Try to spend at least five minutes on each question before moving on to the next one.
What circumstances make you feel most alone? (Is it when you feel misunderstood? Is it when you are afraid? Is it when you regret?)
I feel most alone when….
What do you do when you feel alone? (Do you run to God? Do you feel sad and believe you are helpless? Do you ask for help? Do you remain alone?)
When I feel alone, I usually…
Don’t rush. Give yourself time and space to soak up God’s wisdom as He guides you.
When you are ready to move on, read Galatians 5:16-17 a few times. Below are both the NIV and Message translations. What is Holy Spirit speaking to you? How can you surrender self-sufficiency for freedom as you rely upon God rather than yourself?
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:16-17, NIV).
“My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day” (Galatians 5:16-17, MES).
Lord, how do I struggle with the temptation to rely upon myself rather than turn to You? What action are you inviting me to take in response to Galatians 5: 16-17)?
In prayer for us, I heard these words:
“Together, let us do things! I have made you for this. There is much pressure on you to perform, achieve, or earn. Yet, consider this: the pressure of the world can move through you and not stick to you. I am your counselor. I understand all the pressure you can so easily feel.
Your mind easily rebels. It races ahead, impatient to figure things out. Let your mind engage with Me. Your heart wants this, but it must practice, and your mind must practice. Be yourself with Me. Do not strive to be someone different. But surrender completely, and the war you feel within yourself will subside. When you are at war with yourself, you are at war with Me.”
In what way are you at war with yourself? What does this look like? What are the effects of this rebellion? How does feeling like you are alone make this war impossible to fight?
Stay here, with God. Holy Spirit is within you, your guide, counselor, teacher, and friend. Stay, stay. stay.
Amen.
