He's Inside

Life is full of battles. Kids. Partners. Coworkers. Illness. Bills. Relationships. Parents. The list is long and makes us all exhausted at any given time. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally. Spiritually. But, we have what we need for the counter attack when we are followers of Jesus. We don't have to go to a special place or attend a certain number of church services or memorize a designated number of Bible verses. We don't have to travel to Tibet or to the Vatican. We don't have to do anything, but sit quietly and acknowledge the Presence of the Spirit of God who is living within us and wait to "hear" from Him as He gives direction for brokering the peace treaty that we need in the battle waged against our very souls.

You probably already know that, as did I, however, recently I was somehow reminded by an unheard voice, "I'm right here inside of you. Let me speak into your life." I think I forgot that I don't have to go find God, because God has come to me! He is right there inside waiting for me to slow down from all that I think I should be doing and quietly sit, awaiting the message He has for me. 

Sometimes in the quiet I discover that I am trying to do God's job instead of mine. Sometimes I discover that I need to love better. Sometimes I find that running from conflict will never solve the problem. Sometimes I know that I just need to sit still and listen to the silence in order to retrain my brain to accept silence as a healthy practice.

No matter where you find yourself today, remember that if you are a follower of God and desire to strengthen your relationship with others, it begins by strengthening your relationship with Him and that requires time in silence and solitude. If there is another way, in half a century of searching, I have not found it. There is no substitute for quietly listening. He seldom shouts over the noise we surround ourselves with or interrupts the activities we involve ourselves in. He waits patiently for us to sit still and accept the gift of His presence, as a cup of cool water when we are so very thirsty.

If you are struggling in a battle with another person or simply struggling with a battle within yourself, remember that the Spirit of God is inside you. He can see all the other things that are in there, possibly leaving Him little room to work... or even be noticed. You can refresh your mind and your spirit by taking the time to sit in silence with Him, finding out what needs to be eliminated, discovering what needs to be added, learning the way to do the next right thing. I invite you to sit quietly and be refreshed with His living water as you enjoy His company and learn from Him.