Recently I had the opportunity to speak at Lakeside’s first Coffeehouse Conversations. What a true blessing to be able to share my heart and the gospel with a variety of women here at Lakeside! When I was preparing for that talk, God laid on my heart some Biblical disciplines that have carried me through some of the hardest and darkest times after becoming a believer.
In the earliest days of my new life with Christ as my Savior and Lord, I was struck with a desire and urgency to daily spend time in God’s Word, to soak in His presence each day. I love how the scriptures talk about Jesus waking early in the morning to spend time in prayer and communion with the Father. If our Savior depended on this spiritual renewal, we CERTAINLY do as well.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35
We have no idea what our future holds. We have no idea what the next hour holds. We aren’t instructed to worry about it. We aren’t instructed to stress or “what if” ourselves into a frenzy. Instead, we are told to ABIDE in Christ. Spend time getting to know who God is through His Word. Dwell on His promises. Tattoo His words on your heart. Spend time in His presence. Make it an unbreakable calendar date.
This is your most important relationship. God desires us to come to Him. To seek Him.
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
Over the years, God also worked on my heart to sanctify me in the area of my thoughts. I was letting lies, worries, guilt, fear, and anxiety reign in my heart. I was letting those thoughts and those lies stay in my mind. I would dwell on them. I would worry about what God thought about me rather than trust His Word and what HE SAYS about me.
So much like Eve in the garden of Eden, I started to question what God said. Does God REALLY love me? Does He really forgive me? Does He really care about what is going on in my life? I let those lies snowball. And soon those lies seemed more plausible than the truth of the gospel. But God mercifully brought friends and family around me to speak truth to me. He continued to draw me to His Word for truth. And He sanctified me, and helped me turn from this sin of disbelief.
It is VITAL that we do not let lies fester in our heads. God calls “this taking our thoughts captive.”
“..and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
We must stop the lies, and replace them with truth. We must remind ourselves of the Gospel.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5
So sisters, this week my encouragement to you (and to myself) is these four things:
- Spend daily time in God’s Word—spend time dwelling in God’s Word, learning more about who God is and who YOU are because of who He is!
- Rehearse the gospel to yourself daily—remind yourself of the great price that Christ paid for you. Remind yourself that you are now a blessed and redeemed, chosen and adopted child of God!
- Take your thoughts captive—don’t let the lies fester in your head. Tell your head to “Stop It!” and dwell on the promises of God. Write them on post-it notes and stick them in places that you will see. Play some gospel-centered worship music. You may have to stop those lies time and time and time again. But God is faithful and His promises are SURE.
- Have Sisters-in-Christ who can encourage or give a hard word—be willing to open up and be transparent with at least a few godly women who can encourage you. Find Christian sisters who are willing to give you a hard word if needed, pray for you, encourage you, and help you walk through hard times.
Sisters, I am so thankful for the women of Lakeside. Let us be women who lift each other up in prayer, who encourage one another, and who constantly point each other to Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!
by Nicole Young