Before I begin let me re-say that the majority of thoughts and ideas I will be sharing over the next several posts are combined thoughts coming from godly counsel, amazing books, and sweet conversations with a friend. I feel so blessed and recognize that it is clearly God’s grace that I have heard these things and been encouraged to flesh them out.
As easy as it is for me to abandon or misarrange priorities in my life- I am convinced that my top three priorities in ranking order should be: my relationship with Christ, my relationship with Aaron (my love), and my relationship with my children. It is interesting that if we operated in this correct order a domino effect would occur. If I am walking intimately with Christ and he is satisfying me completely then my cup would be full. Then as I go through my day my heart would be turned towards Aaron and his needs. I would be willing and desire to serve him and elevate his needs above my own because Christ has done that for me. I am not looking to my relationship with Aaron to fulfill me because Christ already has. Every sweet way he cherishes me, serves me, and dotes on me –just makes my cup overflow. If Aaron and I are inline with one another and both growing towards Christ our relationship with each other will then in turn be of great benefit to our children. So after considering the “domino effect” I concluded that obviously that’s what I desired.
There are so many days that come and go where I love God FAST and I mean really FAST. I might read a set of scripture say a brief prayer and honestly check that off my to-do list . Sometimes I even put it off to the end of the day and choose a sink full of dirty dishes over spending time with the Creator of the Universe. There are other days where the Spirit pricks my heart and by God’s grace my time with Christ is so sweet and intimate. Oh how I long for the latter to overshadow the others.
In God’s sovereignty, I heard a man talk back in October. This man is a friend of a friend and I cannot even remember the man’s name honestly, but I will never forget what he taught me. He taught me one practical way to love God Slow. He didn’t use those words and in fact it wasn’t until 5 months later that I had even begin to think about loving slow. But as I thought about what it would look like to love God slow, I remember what this man had opened my eyes to. What this man had described was something I had heard mentioned growing up in church but never knew how to do it-what he taught on was meditating on scripture. I knew about memorizing scripture and the importance that served, but had never understood the difference. Recently,it is as if I cannot get enough of you Psalm 119 and it is clear all throughout that chapter the importance and blessings from meditating on the Word of God.
He defined meditating on God’s Word and gave some examples that really helped me.
What is mediating on God’s Word.........
1.. -Meditating on God’s word is slowing down
- It is the difference in taking a long bath as opposed to a quick shower.
- It is the difference in taking a jet plane from California to Florida or driving for days stopping at small towns along the way, lodging with them, and fishing and talking with the locals.
- Its taking God’s word and digesting it.
- It is the difference in taking a long bath as opposed to a quick shower.
- It is the difference in taking a jet plane from California to Florida or driving for days stopping at small towns along the way, lodging with them, and fishing and talking with the locals.
- Its taking God’s word and digesting it.
How to:
1. He gave the advice that taking a psalm or proverbs and just chewing on 6-7 verses throughout the day. Thinking on each word and the implications of what each passage is saying.
2. He used Psalm 1 as an example.
“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
3He is like(I) a tree
planted by(J) streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its(K) leaf does not wither.
(L) In all that he does, he prospers. 4The wicked are not so,but are like(M) chaff that the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked(N) will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in(O) the congregation of the righteous;
6for the LORD(P) knows(Q) the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.”
-He asked us to think about what it meant to be blessed. To define that word and think on how it is to be around someone who is blessed. We also looked at what a blessed man does not do.
-He then had us look at the progression of sin- the man first walks with wicked, then he lingers a little longer and ends up standing with sinners, finally before it is all said and done he is sitting with scoffers.
3. My favorite thing that he did with us was he read the description of the tree and has us do a quick sketch of what we thought this tree would look like.
Unfortunately, since October I have lost my “notes” of everything this wise man said-but this is what I took from it. I would love to hear ways that others meditate on God’s word and favorite verses that you meditate on. Also, please share ways you love God slow-whether its being still before him, walking and praying, etc..
There are so many facets and aspects of God and because of Christ we have access to him. We get to spend the rest of our days here and in eternity loving God slow.
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