Quiet My Soul

Saviour I come, quiet my soul, remember,

Redemption’s hill, where Your blood was spilled, for my ransom.

Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss ~ Lead me to the cross, where Your LOVE poured out…Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down, rid me of myself, I belong to You…Oh lead me, lead me to the cross…to Your HEART, to Your HEART!

(Hillsong United)

There is just so much to distract us these days in our modern world from being still with The Lord to keep our minds better aligned with His…

However, I am beginning to see that even this ‘modern-day’ reasoning  is just another excuse from my flesh…You see, I think it’s actually more a pre-existing, human condition, where our fleshly human sinful-nature tries to dominate us, over God…and this is regardless of our age, sex, race, culture or modern-aged societies.  Do you know what I mean?  Let me explain further…

As Christians we are called to live our lives following the example of Jesus Christ...Christianity is NOT just a box one ticks on their Census Form or something for our resumes.

I understand this may sound harsh, but let me assure you that I blog from my heart and own life experiences…Sadly I know what it’s like to say, ‘Yeah I believe in Jesus’ and then live my life as a pagan, for this is how I lived the first decade of my adult life.

Yet we all know (even if it is by our conscience alone) that a Christian lives their life following the example of Jesus Christ, with God’s help and by His grace.

We are saved by Him – and there is NOTHING we can do to earn or deserve this, yet when we are re-birthed by the perfect Holy Spirit we are given a new heart and mind which DESIRES to live our lives on a LOVE PILGRIMAGE towards the new earth and heaven which are to come when Jesus returns.  It is only through Jesus we are able to live our lives truly dedicated to Him reaching others with His gospel.

Yet even though we are re-birthed, we are still in our mortal human bodies for now which rage war with us (even if we know it or not)…

At this stage in my life I am now able to understand better why there have been Christian hermits in the past – people retreating from the world to better connect with God and trying to live their lives in purity as Jesus did – for our human flesh has always tried to tear us away from having God as number one, to the place of having ourselves as a god…it is our human sinful nature and we will ALWAYS find something to distract ourselves with…so the internet is actually an invalid excuse!

Today however, so many of us are blessed to be able to read and study scripture in our native language, regardless of our race or gender and we know that Jesus did not retreat from the world and people...but in solitude He would pray to The Father for extended periods.

How many of us today slow down and sacrifice time from our day to follow Jesus’ example of one-on-one, time in solitude prayer with The Lord?

How often are we getting down on our knees in HUMILITY – laying ourselves down before The Lord of all creation and our lives – pouring our hearts out – interceding – Remembering the cross as our example of a life sacrificed and dedicated to Jesus?

We need to STOP, get rid of any distractions, quiet ourselves and SEEK Him…and what is stopping us when we can choose to sacrifice time and have our own bedrooms?  I think we know the answer, it’s actually our own self (our flesh) which stops us…

Relationships are two way and require our active participation…we must CHOOSE to connect…we must be DEVOTED to pray as it says in Colossians 4:2.

Is He calling You to a closer walk with Him as He has been of me?

If so, please don’t feel like a failing Christian, rather be encouraged because He loves You, and desires for You to be closer to Him, to be more like Jesus, to partner with Him or continue partnering with Him in reaching others for His glory and Kingdom.

I know what my flesh does to me to try and stop me having Jesus as number one and sometimes it really is like the Casting Crowns song suggests – a slow fade.  From my own personal experience my anxiety can begin and I start to feel like I need to make myself extra-busy to be less anxious – I then can get so busy with doing things (even deeds I think are good) that I am too tired or lack time to spend in solitude with The Lord.  This behaviour can then continue for too long, manifesting into a habit and slowly over time resulting in a relationship which is estranged and in need of restoration - and we can wonder how it ever happened.

Yet The Lord in His wonderful way, still draws me back to Him, to a place of humility and dependency upon Him first and foremost – a place of close relationship and connectedness found upon my knees, where my flesh can be properly laid down and His LOVE can fill me, instead of me leading myself and running ahead of Him.

Be encouraged you are dearly loved.

In His service and love, Melanie :)