Finding the Quiet....ANYWHERE

Today's Unglued Blog Update

Another one of mostly my rewording & adding some of my own to what Lysa said. I just think she hits the nail right on the head!

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~1 Peter 5:8

 

So, I must remember my goal--whether I am exploding & shaming myself or exploding & blaming others--is imperfect progress. When I have exploded, I feel a lot more imperfect thank I do progress. But I'm dealing with emotions & relationships, both of these can be like...

...trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. It can be complicated, mess, & unpredictable progress....as long as I'm making progress. Sometimes I get worn out & wonder if I am every going to stop exploding & feel like I've reached my breaking point & I'm ready to give up. But before I give up, I must learn to hush, hit the pause button, & find a quiet place somewhere.....ANYWHERE! Which means I might even have to slip...

...into a bathroom stall (they can make great prayer closets). The point is that the only way to see what God is doing & attend to what He reveals is to get quiet with Him.

 

There are five things that are balm for the raw edges of a soul on the precipice of exploding:

1. In the quiet, I can feel safe enough to humble myself. The quiet is what enables me to "humble [ourselves], therefore, under God's mighty hand" (1 Peter 5:6).
2. In the quiet, God can lift me up to a more rational place. The only way out of the pit is to make the choice to stop digging deeper & turn to God for a solution, so "that [God] may lift you up in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).
3. In the quiet, my anxiety can give way to progress. I claim the promise that says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
4. In the quiet, I can acknowledge that my real enemy isn't the other person. The wisdom of Scripture says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9).
5. In the quiet, I can rest assured God will use this conflict for good--no matter how it turns out. God's Word promises that "the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10).

Lysa suggests I add this to my own list as I discover my own benefits for intentionally getting quiet when all I really want to do is explode. She even provides a good prayer: Oh God, help me. I want to be a passionate woman reined in by You and Your grace...not an exploder who shames herself or blames others. I want to sip the shame so I won't have to guzzle the regret. I want to be the one who holds her tongue and keeps the Holy Spirit's power working in me. I want these truths to sink in and become part of who I am and how I live.

 

I am SO headed toward this goal of imperfect progress....I've just gotta keep working on it!

 

Stay tuned for my next Unglued Blog Update....I'll move on to The Stuffers.