Talk about Ripe

Oh, friends. So many of us are walking in such depth of longing for more - more peace, more life, more wholeness, more of who we are meant to be - free. This weekend at church, there was more.

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." Philippians 2:13 NLT The desire is so ripe in us for more - that's from God. Stay near Him. He wants more for us even more than we can want it for ourselves.

Saturday night Pastor Van put before us different fears we might have, one of them being fear of failure. So, how is it possible to press into God in the reality of this fear in our lives? Humility (confess need for Him) and Dependence (transfer dependence from ourselves to God). Is it really that easy? Well, yes and no. When we confess our need for Him and realize that in Him alone is our dependence, then we stay near to Him, and there is the answer.

Be close to Him when you wake up (even 10+ minutes of sharing/listening or reading His words of love to you). Be close to Him when greeting your children for the morning (right then asking God to guide you in loving them). Be close to Him while making breakfast or while setting boxes of cereal on the table as they already have their spoons, bowls, and milk ready and waiting. :0) Be close to Him as you read them a dynamite Bible story at breakfast. Tuck those story-truths in your heart also for the day ahead. All these little intentional things. Oh my goodness. Then when you want to set a standard too high for them or yourself, God's spirit in you will still you. And when you or your children look embarrassingly imperfect in public, you will be seeking God's approval, not man's and be able to respond to your children out of love. And when you have no idea how to love your child who has just been completely disrespectful to you, God's response as He received the greatest disrespect of all through the person of Jesus will be near, and you will be able to trust that God is capable of loving your children through you without you going ahead of Him. What??!!

He just wants our hearts. More of our moments, the good and the ugly. He even made Himself in Spirit so we wouldn't have to drop the emotional child out of our arms to text Him or call Him about how to love her best right then. And then, Tim Hughes had to go and write this song. Be near to Him.