“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
I have spent most of my life as a self-proclaimed “Christian Good Girl”. Recently, I was given the opportunity to expand my knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Raised in a church-going home and “walking life with Jesus” I learned about Him. I had become so familiar with who I thought Jesus was that I put the Trinity in a box. When life’s challenges and struggles pushed me beyond that box, that box was destroyed. I chose to work through the lies I had learned to believe and see past my limited perspective. Spending time with the King as He whispered in my ear allowed me to see layers of Him I had never known before. He was calling me into more.
You see, I was stuck in a dizzying pattern of religion. I was going through the motions and forcing the steps waiting for that final dance. The fateful day came and I tripped and fell on my face and I had a choice to make. I chose to learn that God just desires me to BE with Him. I had missed that step. He does not need me to perform for Him. The King does not need me to run myself ragged trying to keep up, stand out, be all that I was expecting myself to be. All He desires of me is to be with Him. That’s it… just be.
Intentionality to Just Be…
Intentionally choosing to slow down, I have been able to enjoy long walks and am hearing the birds’ sing. Taking time to lay in a hammock and feel the cool breeze on my toes allowing myself slow down. Now I can breathe deeply, sip a cold glass of fresh water, aware of it trickling down the back of my dry, parched soul. Learning a new way to do life with my King has given me a new perspective of who He has created me to be. The King delights in me like I delight in my own children as I watch them explore and dance in the rain. Jesus reached out His hand and invited me to relearn the steps of dancing with Him.
Could it be that simple? Is the God of the universe really inviting me into a dance? A dance of wild abandon, where I can throw my head back in the rain, spin round and around like a child and squeal with utter delight? Oh, my soul, be still!
“A dance of wild abandon, where I can throw my head back in the rain, spin round and around like a child and squeal with utter delight? Oh, my soul, be still!”
In order to do this, we must know who God is in our lives and learn to trust Him. Take time to be honest with yourself for a minute. Is your relationship with God a relationship? Or, is it more of a check in the box, church on Sunday event? Do you desire to really know who He is or are you content with keeping Him at a distance like the awkward middle school slow dance? (You know the one where the guy and girl extend both arms, lock the elbows to keep max distance between one another and rock back and forth in an offbeat pattern.)
Reflecting on your own dance steps
Spend a few minutes pondering where you are with God right now. There is no wrong answer…just be real, raw and honest. A starting point per-se. The beauty here is, that no one is judging you. Be careful then, not to judge yourself either, that is not actually your job. Remember, this is an invitation to the dance of a lifetime. The King has extended His hand. He awaits acceptance to His invitation with patience and grace beyond your wildest dreams.
Does it take pressure off you knowing that you do not have to work harder, strive more, jump through hoops to impress God? How would it feel to just BE STILL and spend time with Jesus? What would it feel like to stop chasing after Him on that hamster wheel?
Ask Jesus to lead as you’re learning new steps to this part of the dance.
To follow along with more encouragement you can check out our facebook page here: C3 Ministry
Song of the week: I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
