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What To Do When Pain Smacks You In The Face

Reading Time: 5 min 44 sec

The pain hit like a sledgehammer, followed by the unmistakable realization that life would never be the same. I gulped back a sob and tried to breathe, my whole-body seizing, ready to crumble. I shook my head in bewilderment, as thoughts of grief, flooded my mind. I gasped, “Everything was fine just a few moments ago. How could this happen?!”

Pain is one of those unavoidable experiences that strike each of us with deadly accuracy. The loss of a loved one, the death of a relationship, or a dream, the end of a job, or even a cross country move can leave us reeling.

We stumble around in a fog, desperate for something that will stop the ache inside. We believe that if we can just find our new normal, maybe this debilitating pain will stop, or at least not punch us in the gut when we least expect it.

We self-medicate by binge-watching tv, finding comfort in food, spending long hours at work, living at the gym, or filling our calendars so full, you have to schedule a time to use the bathroom.

God invites us into something different.

He asks us to journey with him as he transforms the pain in our lives with the renovation of our souls.

So, how do we work with the Holy Spirit when pain smacks us in the face?

1. Stop Running

2. You Can’t Do This Alone

3. Rehearse God’s Faithfulness

4. Embrace Transformation

1. Stop Running

I remember as a little kid arguing with my mom over the removal of a band-aid. I was convinced that if she went slow and took it off bit by bit, it wouldn’t hurt nearly as bad as taking it off in one brutal swipe.

She tried to warn me, but I was determined, so I started to slooowly peel the band-aid off. With my whole body tense, I squirmed, yelled and did everything in my power to fight against a quick removal.

That agonizing band-aid experience was the longest two minutes of my life.

Just like the band-aid removal, when presented with agonizing situations, our first urge is to do anything that might minimize the pain. We drown our sorrows in every distraction that presents itself. We try to outrun, to bury, or do just about anything but face our pain.

Pain is like a disease, when suppressed, it just eats away at our souls. It spreads throughout our lives leaving nothing uncovered. It affects the quality of our relationships, our jobs, and our relationship (or lack thereof) with God.

If you want to find hope, healing, and rest, you have to stop trying to submerge your pain in a carton of ice cream.

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis

Attempting to conceal your pain only adds unnecessary grief and stress to your life. Taking the time to acknowledge your agony is the first step to healing.

Take a moment and ask yourself:

In what ways am I trying to bury unresolved pain in my life?

2. You Can’t Do This On Your Own

As American’s we are obsessed with the need to control. We try to control our bank accounts, our kid’s futures, our food, and our wardrobes. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We celebrate independence as a virtue. The phrases, “He stood on his own two feet.” “He pulled himself up by his bootstraps” shout we don’t need anything or anyone. We can do it all on our own.

We take that cultural lie into our relationship with God. “God helps those who help themselves” seems to be the common mantra of the American church. I’m willing to bet that some people would even think that’s an actual Bible verse.

And so, we press on, trying to control the pain and fix the situation, desperately trying to make our lives go back to normal. We fumble around in the dark with our limited knowledge, trying to be the god (small g) in our own lives. We are so quick to assume that God wound the clock and then left us to get the job done.

But God is calling us to a different type of life. A life of freedom, peace and rest. A life where we don’t have to carry around a huge weight of expectations or operate under the constant threat of failure.

Matthew 11:30 says, “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

God in his infinite wisdom and love is encouraging us to surrender our need to try and control our world.

He is inviting us into a safe place, a place of vulnerability, a place of comfort, a place of lavish love. A place where you don’t have to have all the answers.

The weight of the world wasn’t designed to lay on your shoulders.

Like children who can play and move throughout their days in the comfort of their parent’s protection, God offers us that same benefit. We can go through our days, finding rest, and peace in the comfort of his wings.

Pause and ask yourself:

What do you think God feels (or thinks or is doing) in you as you experience this situation?

3. Rehearse God’s Faithfulness

Let’s be honest, it can feel inconceivable to think about releasing control when you are going through a painful situation. In a time when we feel so helpless, we can jealously hoard any small measure of control that we have left.

One practical way to let go is to rehearse God’s faithfulness to ourselves. God promises time and time again to never leave or forsake us. His very name “Emmanuel” means God With Us. He wants to journey with you minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, in the painful and joyful moments of your life.

Prayer Activity:

Time: 10-15 minutes

Pray and invite the Holy Spirit. Ask him to bring mind all the ways God has shown up in your life (large and small). Give the Holy Spirit elbow room to speak by sitting in silence.

Write down each moment or experience.

If you have a relatively new relationship with God it might be helpful to start reading through the Old Testament. Look for situations where God showed up for his people and write them down.

As you look over the list, share with God your thoughts and feelings. Praise him for his faithfulness to you. Ask him for the grace to surrender daily your pain to him.

The pain doesn’t go away, but it becomes easier to surrender when you have a tangible reminder of God’s proven track record in your life.

4. Embrace Transformation

So how do we embrace everything God has for us during our pain?

We have to understand that our lives are a daily (sometimes hourly) process of surrender. Acknowledging our pain, surrendering and praising God is not a one-time deal. This is a lifelong process that takes patience and perseverance. And we cannot embark on this journey BY OURSELVES.

When we are in pain, we want to lick our wounds in isolation, believing the lie that no one has ever experienced what we are going through. However, God designed us to live in community with one another. To truly embrace health, healing, and transformation, amid pain, we need each other.

We serve a God who in large part is unseen. When we encounter the listening ear of another person that is God’s tangible touch of love in our lives. He uses each of us to support, care and love one another; as his hands and feet in our communities.

Here are some ideas of ways you can find community in your local setting.

Church Services
Church Small Groups
Recovery Groups ( AA, Overeaters Anonymous, etc.)
Grief, Single Parent, or Divorce Support Groups
Accountability Groups

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to pursuing God when you are in pain? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

How To Banish The Fear Of The Boring Christian

Reading Time: 5 min 45 sec

I fell to my knees, my soul crying out for more than my controlled paper-thin Christianity. I hungered for the life of meaning and significance that King David and countless others in the Bible experienced. I started to cry out my desire to God but something had a stranglehold around my neck.

“What if he actually answers my prayer?” I thought. “What does a deep life with God actually look like? What will I have to give up? I’m not sure I want to give anything up. What will my friends think?… What if this God-life means I can’t have any fun anymore?

There are several things that can keep us from experiencing the transforming power of a WITH God life. Fear is one of the key culprits. It can easily overwhelm us; the loss of control, fear of the unknown, fear of what others think, the fear of boredom. It can keep us in pinned down barely able to move.

I feel bad even thinking this, but let’s be real, what if life with God is actually lonely and BORING? I don’t want that… Will I be stuck at home reading my Bible while my friends are all out having fun? This is too overwhelming,” I tell myself. “I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

This war between the desire for more of God and the fear of the unknown can not only play havoc in our lives, but can keep us from living a life of joy and freedom.

So, what do you do when you are afraid to go deep with God because you are not sure you are willing to pay the cost? There are three things about God we need to understand in order to move forward in a relationship with him.

1. A Relational God

2. An Invitational God

3. A Conversational God

1. A Relational God

The first thing we need to understand is that God is relational. He lives in relationship with with the Son, and Holy Spirit. God created us in his image and as such we were designed to live in relationship with him.

We can sometimes have this idea of God where he is distant, harsh, or demanding. Where he is always calling us to account and frankly, he can feel like a killjoy.

We forget that God, while to be respected, created us to live in a love relationship with him. As a Father, he delights in spending time and giving good gifts to his kids.

In Matthew 7:8-11 it says, “If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So, don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?”

When we limit him to a list of do’s and don’ts we are taking him out of the context of a loving relationship.

God showers us with unconditional love and acceptance just as we are today. Imagine living life under a waterfall of his never stopping, never giving up love. We don’t have to get cleaned up to walk in intimacy with God. We can come to him with our doubts and fears and be met with love and acceptance. How freeing is that?

God demonstrates his love by being present to us every moment of every day. He is a master listener, totally engaged in our every word. He puts out his hand and invites us to spend time with him, to live life with him, while we fold laundry, participate in a 5k obstacle course, and play games with friends.

C.S. Lewis said, “God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with him as if you were the only being he had ever created.”

God takes delight and joy out of spending time with you. A life with God is built on the foundation of a love relationship. Every interaction with God, every nudge, every invitation, is God reaching out, loving, protecting and caring for his precious child, you.

2. An Invitational God

What’s amazing about pursuing a deep relationship with God is that he doesn’t push or pull you towards a life with him. What can be scary about pursuing God is the fear that our whole life will change overnight. But God isn’t a vicious dictator that forces you to do things you don’t want to do.

Have you ever visited someone’s house who was an excellent host? You walk in the door and they shower you with kindness. They usher you to a comfortable chair, encourage you to put your feet up, offer you tea and some warm chocolate chip cookies.

As a guest, you don’t have to worry about making a meal, doing laundry, or running errands, you get to completely rest. How does that experience make you feel?

God is like a gracious host who sees to your every need showering love on you through his words and actions. He does not yell, demand or cajole. He graciously offers, again, and again. He demonstrates his overwhelming love for us by giving us a choice to say yes to him. Not just one time but countless times but every day.

He asks, “Will you trust me? Will set down your cell phone and be present to me right now? Will you fall in love with me?”

He doesn’t stop there but lovingly challenges us to a deeper experience of him. He wants us to experience the depths of his lavish love. He invites us to live a life of excitement and surrender. When you say “yes” to God you want to follow his leading.

Paul in Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

When we learn how to live a life of love we experience freedom and adventure far beyond our wildest dreams.

3. A Conversational God

God is a talking God. He wants to spend time engaged in ongoing dialogue with YOU. He wants to hear about your thoughts and feelings even if they are scary, overwhelming, and shameful. Nothing you can say fazes him, his love for you is not conditional on your performance.

There is nothing you can do to make him love you any more or any less than he loves you right now.

“Prayer is the human response to the perpetual outpouring of love by which God lays siege to every soul.” Richard Foster

He encourages you to have an ongoing honest conversation with him. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your circumstances, relationships, your pain, and your joy. He doesn’t just lay down the law and demand obedience he invites you to walk with him towards a life of freedom.

I would encourage you to stop right now and spend some time talking to him about your desires and your fears.

1. Name the things that are keeping you from going for it in your relationship with God. It could be the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure or that you will feel isolated or bored.

2. Spend a couple of minutes in silence (some find it helpful to set an alarm on your phone for 2-3 minutes). Allow the Holy Spirit elbow room to speak to you by just sitting with God.

3. Finish by asking him for his grace, a deeper desire for more of him, courage, wisdom, and perseverance.

Do not underestimate the power of prayer. “In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He Loves, to will the things He wills.” Richard Foster

We follow a God who is relational, conversational and always overflowing with grace. When fear threatens to stop us in our tracks we remember that we are not on this journey alone. We can stop, name our fears, and take them to God in prayer. As we live in daily surrender he is faithful to draw us into a deeper relationship with him.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to pursuing a deep relationship with God? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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How To Pray When You Are Out Of Words

Reading Time: 4 min 35 sec

I flopped down, my head buried in my hands and gasped to God, “I am here…barely. I got nothing. No words. No thoughts. I don’t even know what to pray.” I just sat there. My mind, my body just too numb to move.

We all go through times in our lives where we are so physically and emotionally depleted that we have no words, no thoughts, and no energy with which to pray. We can feel like we have hit rock bottom with not even enough energy to call out to God for help.

This feeling of exhaustion can creep slowly into our lives or hit us like a freight train; one minute we feel fine, and the next we are on the floor gasping for breath. Life changes, busy schedules, addictions, tragedy, fear of the future, sin, or worry, can brutally strip away our feelings of self-sufficiency, leaving us feeling breathlessly vulnerable.

These are times when our illusions of control are shattered and we are left staring at the pieces of our lives. How do we ask God for help when we are a blubbering mess? When we have no idea how to troubleshoot the pain in our lives? How do we pray when we don’t even know what we need?

1. Remove Distractions

2. Be Present

3. Let Go

1. Remove Distractions

It can be easy when we are utterly wiped to sink into a quagmire of intense navel-gazing. You laugh but it can be so true. We can so quickly turn inward, trying desperately to find the exit out of this hole of misery.

When we are in the depths of despair (a little drama, to see if you are still with me 🙂 we can be so worn out that all we want to do is indulge in activities that numb the pain. Chocolate, longer hours at work, losing ourselves in social media, an increase of activities, you name it, we’ve explored it.

We have this idea that going to God is WORK. We feel already beaten down and we don’t have the mental energy to have a conversation with the almighty God.

Before we can even come to God in prayer we have to make a conscious decision to stop burying ourselves in distractions to try to handle the pain. Those distractions are band-aids which do nothing to heal the hemorrhaging inside our hearts.

Unlike the world, we can go to God in our agony and know that he can handle anything we put before him. Stepping away from our latest Netflix binge is a way we can actively participate in the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

That means that whether we feel like it or not, broken and battered, exhausted and discouraged, we are invited to put down our empty distractions and create space for God to speak.

2. Be Present

God, in our place of utter vulnerability, gently invites us into a with God life. Jesus talking to ordinary people in Mathew 11:28-30 says this,

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

God is inviting us to learn how to rest and live life with him. We do this by setting aside distractions and THEN making the conscious decision to spend time with Jesus. Easier said, then done, right?

Even when we go to spend time with God, it can be a challenge to remain present with him. It can be so easy to move into a place of mental gymnastics, desperately trying to figure out solutions to our issues on our own.

So how can we be present with the one who is ever present with us?

Here are Some Ideas:

Invite God into this moment. Ask for his grace to help you be with him. If you get distracted, gently pull your thoughts back towards him. This is a time where there are no expectations. You are just intentionally carving out time to be with God. No words are necessary.

Take a walk or sit in silence with God. Notice the intricacies of creation around you.

Pull out blank paper and colored pencils or paints. Start doodling what’s on your heart. No rules.

Spend some time drawing words that encapsulate how you are feeling. Ask God to speak to you during this time.

Read Matthew 11:28-30 slowly several times. Is there a word or phrase that jumps out at you? Bring it before the Lord and just sit with it. What would look like to live freely and lightly?

It can feel awkward to initially be quiet before God. You can feel this pressure like you should be doing something. But the amazing thing about friendship with God is that you can sit together in the good and tough times and find rest in his presence.

3. Let Go

When we present ourselves, the Holy Spirit is faithful to show up, often when we feel like NOTHING is happening. He serves as our advocate, confidant, and friend. When we are broken, weary, or desperately seeking relief, he goes to bat for us.

Paul in Romans 8:26-28, describes the role of the Holy Spirit this way,

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.

He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

I love how it says that the Holy Spirit ‘knows us better than we know ourselves’.

Our comfort in times of intense vulnerability and pain is that we don’t have a plan, we don’t have to find the perfect words, we don’t need to know what we need, the Holy Spirit is already at work, advocating for our good.

When we actively participate in the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives by being present with God, he is faithful to transform our pain into something beautiful. He brings about the transformation of our souls and a deeper intimacy with the Father. We live with expectancy knowing God is at work in our lives.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to talking to God when you have no words? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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How to Experience God When You Hit A Plateau

Reading Time: 5 min 5 sec

Have you ever felt stuck in your relationship with God? Things are moving along beautifully, your times with God are rich, and you are growing in your faith. You feel like every day the Holy Spirit is revealing something new, and you are hungry for more of God in your life.

And then suddenly, almost overnight your relationship with God seems to come to a grinding halt?

You are still doing everything you did before, but those practices seem to have lost their effectiveness. You start to wonder what is going on as you continue to slog through your daily devotional and toss up some prayers to God throughout the day.

You went from excited, your heart full with love for God, to a feeling of emptiness. It feels like you aren’t on the same wavelength with Jesus anymore.

The longer this feeling of emptiness prevails the harder it is to find the motivation to keep actively seeking God. Honestly, you start to feel like it’s a waste of time. You know God loves you, but right now you just feel dead inside.

You long for the passion of yesterday, you desire to know and experience God, but you are at a loss as to how to move forward. What do you do when you reach a plateau in your relationship with God?

The Journey

2. God’s Invitation

3. The Power of Community

1. The Journey

EVERY follower of Jesus goes through periods of time when it feels like we are talking to an empty room. You know you have reached a plateau when one of your friends starts waxing eloquent about their amazing relationship with God and you want to clock them. (Did I say that out loud? )

You can breathe a sigh of relief because everyone (even great men and women of faith) have experienced plateaus in their walk with God! Yay! That should be encouraging news!

The commentary from Life with God Bible actually speaks to this topic,“God is intentionally present to us in our spiritual infancy and then allows us to be increasingly “on our own” as we spiritually mature. God works to establish a balance between his presence and his “seeming absence” so that we will develop character.”

So, throughout our relationship with God, he arranges times for us to be on our own. He is ALWAYS present but sometimes he will withdraw his tangible presence so that we can develop character and a profound hunger for a deeper experience of God.

Your feelings of dissatisfaction and desire for more of Jesus is a huge sign that God IS on the move in your life! So, YAY! When you reach a seeming plateau this is great news because it means that you are entering a new season and maturing in your faith. I would encourage you to stop and celebrate how far you have come in your relationship with God.

2. God’s Invitation

Okay, so how do we partner with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we enter this new season? First, we need to understand that some of the tools that may have worked in the past such as devotionals, prayers, spiritual books, etc. might not fit this new period of your relationship with God.

Instead of trying to finish or press on with a resource give yourself permission to place it on a shelf. You can always come back and reacquaint yourself with that resource in the future. Our goal is not to finish a devotional, but to partner with the Holy Spirit in what he is currently doing in our lives.

So, how do you know what tools would be a good fit for this new season?

Ask yourself the question: What is God Inviting me into? What draws you and sparks your interest? What tool feels invitational to you when you think about an aspect of your walk with God?

Do you feel a desire to go deeper in prayer? Are you hungry for authentic Christian relationships? Do you crave a deeper dependence upon God? Do you want to weave prayer into your everyday life? Do you want to experience the lavish love of God?

If you are struggling to figure out what God is inviting you into, here are two more questions that you can ask yourself, “What Things Are You Talking to God About Right now?” and “How are you most aware of God in Your Life today?” The answers to these questions will be a great starting place for you to explore.

As with everything, talk to God about your desires and ask him to provide the right tools for this season of your life.

Here are some resources that I LOVE to help get you started:

3. The Power of Community

As a follower of Jesus, we were not designed to live life on our own, but in community with others. One of the great ways that we can partner with the Holy Spirit is to live in relationship with other Christians.

Yes, it is messy. Yes, it can be at times uncomfortable. The church is full of broken people who are all dependent upon God’s lavish love and grace. However, investing in authentic relationships built on trust with other Christians is CRUCIAL to your ongoing growth.

Ruth Haley Barton really unpacks the power of community here, “The purpose of journeying together in spiritual friendship and spiritual community (whether there are just two of you or whether you are in a small group) is to listen to one another’s desire for God, to nurture that desire in each other and to support one another in seeking a way of life that is consistent with that desire.”

We need other people to come alongside us and affirm what God is doing in our lives. When we develop relationships of trust and vulnerability, it allows others to speak Gods truth into our lives. Spiritual Friendships encourage us to press on in pursuit of a love relationship with Jesus.

So how do we find and develop authentic, nurturing relationships with other Christians?

You can seek to develop spiritual community in your local church, through small groups, and one on one friendships. You can develop relationships with the intercessors, who will cover you in prayer.

This won’t happen by chance. You have to pray and intentionally seek out friendships with people who are going for it in their relationship with God.

If you desire to embrace all that God has for you in this new season; I would encourage you to celebrate where you are, ask God what he is inviting you into, and intentionally seek out authentic Spiritual Friendships with others.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is God inviting you into in this new season? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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What Happened When I Got Sick and Tired of Superficial Faith

Reading Time: 5 min 38 sec

Do you as you get done with the endless rounds of church services, volunteering shifts, small groups, and food pantry donations, ever stop short and ask yourself, “Is this all there is?”.

Seriously, do you ever feel like a poser always projecting this vibrant relationship with God when frankly you are not even sure you could tell the difference between his voice and the pizza you had for dinner last night?

Do you ever feel like all your running around for God leaves you feeling even emptier inside? Your devotions and all your knowledge of God feel pointless because it never seems to transfer into real life?

You feel discouraged, unmotivated, and maybe even a little guilty. This is not what you imagined a living breathing, relationship with God would look like.

I was there. I had reached the end of what I could work up for God. My endless doing for God felt exhausting, overwhelming and never enough. My relationship felt stagnant like someone had pressed pause, and no conference on the earth was going to change that outcome.

I grew more desperate as the dissatisfaction continued to grow. There had to be more to a relationship with God than my current experience of him.

So, what do you do when you reach a wall in your relationship with God that you can’t scale, you can bury under, and you can’t knock down?

The Desperation

2. The Invitation

3. The Transformed Life

1. The Desperation

I grew up in the church. I was there every time the doors were open. I was involved in various ministries, attended all the classes, and pursued learning as much as I could about God and how to be a good Christian.

I went on staff at a local church and served as part of their elementary team and later as their youth pastor. I created and led events that were designed to help students and their families grow deeper in their faith. I was all about producing more, accomplishing more, and working more all in an effort to prove my worth not only to others but to God.

I would run from conference to event to workshop hunting for an encounter with God all the while burying this deep sense of dissatisfaction and exhaustion. I believed the lie that “good Christians” (especially in ministry) don’t give up, they stick with it. I found myself running from one thing to the next trying to serve my way into encountering God’s love and approval.

If you would have asked me I would have told you that without a doubt God’s love for me was not conditional on my performance. And that there was nothing I could do to make God love me any more or any less than he did right now. I thought I believed it, but I obviously hadn’t experienced God’s transforming love.

Can I tell you that it is exhausting to try and outperform God? Okay, that might be a little over dramatic (:) but it felt like the harder I “ministered for Jesus” the more dissatisfied I became. My quiet times felt stale and lifeless and I couldn’t figure out where to go from here.

2. The Invitation

I had grown up hearing stories of men and women of faith. Who not only exemplified the fruits of the spirit (the holy grail of the Christian life) but who even more surprisingly had actual deep relationships with Jesus.

They had actual conversations with God which were captivating because if I were honest, my conversations with Jesus were more me talking and him listening. They completely surrendered their lives to God, it wasn’t always pretty, and yet shockingly they were at peace. That’s it, I thought, I want what they have. Little did I know that an invitation was about to be presented to me.

I was sitting in a staff meeting when I first heard about several people I respect journeying through a book (Journey with Jesus) that was based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatian. I wasn’t familiar with St. Ignatius at the time, and a coming from a conservative evangelical background I was leery of anything with a saint in front of it. 🙂

However, I remember sitting there and hearing the stories of these leaders whose lives, ministries, and intimacy with Jesus were transformed. I knew this was something I had to check out.

One of the things that I learned about St. Ignatius is that he was a man who strongly desired to help others encounter a deep experience of Jesus. The key for me was the word Experience. I did not need more head knowledge about God, I wanted a relationship with him.

The process was a little daunting, you commit to nine months of not only meeting with God for an hour a day but also meeting regularly with a Spiritual Friend. After time spent in prayer I felt like this was God’s bold invitation to me.

I am not going to lie. This experience cost me something. I had to rearrange my life so I could participate in this journey.

As a mom, who at the time had several kids under the age five (and a brand-new puppy), finding an hour to meet with God each day was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. I had to be creative when it came to carving out time with Jesus. But it was so necessary for my soul.

3. The Surrendered Life

Those nine months (that actually stretched into a year and a half) changed my life. Through daily scripture reading, prayer, silence, and hands-on activities, I encountered the lavish never-ending love of the Father.

I discovered that as I experienced God’s love by indentity started to undergo a transformation. God used this tool (for that is all that it is) in my life to allow me to experience the height and depth and breadth of his lavish love. It was like a breath of fresh air. Finally, I could cease striving to try to prove my worth and rest in my identity as one chosen, adopted and unconditionally loved by my Father in heaven.

I learned that the basis of my relationship with God is learning how to be rooted and grounded in love. It is out of my great love relationship with him that I can, in turn, share his love with others.

My whole paradigm shifted, my identity, security, and outlook on life changed drastically. I don’t have to jump from conference to conference trying to figure out the missing key to a deep relationship with God. My relationship with God has grown significantly. I get to step off the treadmill of performance and actively participate with the Holy Spirit in my life.

I am, like all of us, on a journey. Every day, I discover something new, and it feels like I am just scratching the surface of a relationship with Jesus. Life is still challenging but you get to rest in the peace that you are unconditionally loved by God. This changes EVERYTHING!

You get to embrace of life of freedom instead of constantly worrying about how you measure up. You get to live everyday in anticipation for you know there is SO MUCH MORE to a relationship with Jesus.

So, my friends, are ready to experience God on a deeper level? Here are some ways that you can get started in actually EXPERIENCING the love of the Father.

Everyone’s journey to a deeper life with God is different. If you feel drawn to the Ignatian Exercises you can check out this book Journey with Jesus by Larry Warner. I love it because it is written in a very accessible and experiential way. You actually get to participate in activities that help create space for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Did I make it clear that I LOVE it? 🙂

If that seems like a bit much, to take on right now, I would suggest reading Surrender to Love by David Benner. It is a short but powerful book (its worth it even if you hate reading) that has played a huge part in my walk with Jesus.

I pray that you will experience the height, depth, and breadth of God’s lavish love for you.

You will never be the same.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide(below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is God’s invitation to you? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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