In a recent conversation with a friend, she mentioned how she keeps hearing the same message repeatedly. From television commercials to devotionals to preachers, a consistent theme seems to be popping up all around her.
“I love how God does that,” she smiled, “how He is intent on getting my attention.”
I can relate.
The call to make space continues to come across my path. I keep stumbling upon this theme in Scripture, blog articles, devotional messages, and random readings. Apparently, it is a reminder I need to receive.
I tend to be an active person and can quickly fill my days with all sorts of busyness. If I do not intentionally guard against it, I can crowd every waking moment with all manner of responsibilities and tasks, leaving no margin on the pages of my life. This too-full schedule leaves limited space for Holy Spirit surprises, as well.
Over-crowding is true in individual lives and church services alike. We schedule every minute, programming each detail to run efficiently, giving us a sense of control while effectively scheduling divine appointments and Holy Spirit intervention right out of our day.
Despite our penchant for micromanaging, we must prepare God room to come as He wills and show up when and how He desires, even if it runs contrary to our carefully-laid plans.
The question is: Will we make room in our lives for Jesus to come in and change everything?
If there is no space in our hearts or our church services for Jesus to disrupt our time, how can we expect to experience the overflow of His presence?
How can we fail to feel anything but overwhelmed and under-transformed?
We must make room for what is essential and give ourselves an honest assessment.
Where does Jesus fit into everything?
Or perhaps the better question is:
Where does everything fit in Jesus?
The things that fill our schedules and consume our minutes proclaim our priorities.
If you find yourself challenged by this thought, the good news is, there is still time to clear a space for Spirit breath. You still have the opportunity to make room to receive a miracle as you invite Jesus to come in and take over.
But doing so will require relinquishing control.
It may mean giving up what we view as productivity in exchange for a purpose outside the box of our Day-timer.
It might require scheduling some blank days on our calendar or ceasing a few extracurricular activities that have become more of a drain on our souls than a satisfying stimulus.
It may mean less video chats and more conversation with God.
It may even mean loosening our grasp on ministry for the sake of the greater good, or should I say greater God ?
I can hear the audible gasp!
But as sacrilegious as it sounds, sometimes walking away from what we deem to be worthy Christian activity is the very thing needed to make more room for our relationship with Jesus.
I’m not telling you to abandon all church services, Bible study groups, or ministry outreaches. I’m merely encouraging you to reevaluate your priorities and see where your relationship with God falls in the line-up.
If He is not at the top of your list, some shifting is due.
Jesus once told Peter that Satan had demanded to sift him like wheat (see Luke 22:31-32). Christ’s enemy determined to shake Peter to the core, but Jesus reassured his friend that after the sifting, Peter would be stronger for it.
I believe the same holds for all followers who dare to endure the spiritual threshing floor. A few fallacies of our faith may fall by the wayside as we face scrutiny. Some foundations we’ve built upon will need to be restructured, grounded more securely on the Word of God and how that plays out in our lives.
In Peter’s case, some sifting revealed a superficial love for Jesus. But after it was shaken loose and discarded, truth and grace grew in its place, giving Peter a testimony that endured even to the point of death.
Though painful and undesirable, every bit of sifting led Peter to freedom. His struggle produced a deeper love for Jesus than he had ever before known.
What will your sifting reveal about you?
Will there be idols to lay down?
Lies to be exchanged for truth?
Sacrifices necessary to allow more space for the kingdom of God to move and grow within and through you?
In short, what do you need to free yourself from to become more liberated in Jesus?
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FOR REFLECTION
Is there a recurring theme that keeps showing up in your life? Does God seem to have a special message for you in it? If so, I encourage you to give pause to it.
Perhaps, like me, you need to make room for more of God’s presence to grow in you, or maybe He has a different message in mind.
Regardless, I pray you heed His voice and allow Him to sway your heart with the truth of His Word coming to life in you. After all, the more we give attention to His message, the more we make room for Him to get comfortable in our lives.
And inviting Jesus to get comfortable in us is always worth it, even if it comes at the cost of our own preconceived comfort.