Nothing.
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
This one is tough to write.
No, a tragedy hasn’t broken open in my world—simply confession time.
For the week or so, I’ve felt really uninspired. Most of the time, everything seems just fine between the Lord and me. He’s in and out of my thoughts throughout the day; there isn’t conviction lying across my shoulders like I’m carrying a dead dog, and the heavens feel open.
Much less often, though, do I feel like the Holy Spirit has started up the Inspiration Generator, and writing the Frothy Thoughts Blog entry for the week flows freely.
Not right now.
I’ve been wrestling with what to tap out on the keyboard.
Nothing.
In my mind, I see myself standing on the edge of a canyon, yelling, “Helloooooooo!” and there’s no echo. That’s disquieting.
A few moments ago, I was in the kitchen, finishing my breakfast routine. As I put the last dish in the sink, I thought, “Are You with me, Lord?” A thought flashed back,
“Are you with Me?”
Quick. Precise. Targeted.
I knew what He meant. Guilty on two counts.
One, I haven’t been dedicating myself to reading His word as a spring of Living Water. I’ve been rather academic and methodical, looking for something that sparks my mind rather than my spirit. I also haven’t been consistent, and I know well that when I cut myself off from the spiritual source, I go spiritually dry.
Two, when you turn from the source, there are always other things to turn toward. Yeah, we all know that means focusing on our little worlds, getting caught up in life’s busyness. As the vision of the Lord seems to fade, so does His voice.
Before I know it, I’m “not with the Lord.”
Oh, He’s still with me, I know that. Jesus promised that He would be with me always through the presence of the Holy Spirit residing in me (Matthew 28:20; John ). I get it.
But the experience of not being with the Lord is like my wife and I sitting in the living room together, “Watching TV,” and one of us is on their phone, completely disconnected from the environment and the other person. (Did you notice that I used vague words to leave you wondering which one of us does that? That way, I won’t implicate myself. Whew.)
The solution is simple. Put down the phone (the thoughts and attention on myself) and pay attention to the one I am with and what we’re supposed to be doing together.
That pretty much sums it all up for me.
Oh, and please don’t think I’m leaving willful sin out of the discussion. That’s just plain ol’ ignoring the Lord, and that’ll do it to. That’s walking away from the Lord with attitude.
Thankfully, I have an Elder Brother who walks with me, even when I try to ditch Him for some self-indulgent sin, or when my spiritual senses are deafened as I turn up the volume of the world clanging all around me.
Today’s theme that I’ll mull over is, “Yes, Lord. I’m with you. Help me.”
Let’s see what happens.
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Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts