In olden days, the living room was called the drawing room because it was where friends gathered. There’s a Bible verse in James 4:8 that reads, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” This is printed on a coloring card I bought from Christianbook.com. I give these out as bookmarks in my books. Anyway, I like the concept, and like the idea of getting closer to God, especially in times of stress and disagreements and arguments every time I turn on the TV.
So how can we communicate well with God. How can we cut through the stress and allow Him our full attention? How can we greet the new day with joy and anticipation , acknowledging that God’s guidance will allow us to handle anything the day brings to us.
Here are some suggestions. Make yourself a cup to tea or coffee or whatever in your favorite mug. Find a quiet corner in your house. Allow your kitty to sit on your lap and love on you. Mine is sitting right next to the computer right now. Face a window where your garden blooms. (Don’t engage with deadheading, weeds, or ‘I should do this…). Open your Bible app or your favorite book of scriptures, the one with all your notes in the margins and highlights on each page. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Some call this “centering.” Take a sip of that tea. Don’t let it get cold. Then, think about your purpose: you are drawing near to God.
Now, if this “quiet time” doesn’t do it for you, take a walk in nature. Listen to scripture as you do so, or to Christian music. Notice the colors, the variety of shapes, the textures, the clouds, the songs of birds, the quiet of solitude. Take a moment to say, “Good morning, Lord. What do you have in store for me today? When you get home, get out your journal and write down what you noticed. Or take a moment to write a note to a friend. Or, and this is vital, speak to God of the notices you’ve made of His faithfulness and His provision to you. If you can’t think of anything else, (and I use this illustration because I have a very sore hip that might need surgery) thank Him for the ability to walk and enjoy doing so.
Or, make a date to talk with a person who knows and follows the Lord and speak authentically. This could be someone in your small group from church, or someone who seems close to the Lord. Ask that person how he or she stays close to the Lord. Ask right our: “How do you draw near to the Lord?”
If your faith is floundering, or you can’t say this day that you are close to the Lord and He is close to you, then start repairing the relationship. Are you worshipping in a church that values individual faith, or are you stuck in ritual that doesn’t work for you? Are you in an accountability group with other Christians? Are you reading Christian (or at least positive-bent literature? Are you watching endless hours of news and opinion that is negative and stressful? Are you listening to a Christian music station? Are you reading scripture.? Are you praying over your meals, at the beginning and end of each day? Are you at least trying to be near the Lord?
He is reaching out to us every moment. Live a life of thankgiving, and credit those blessings to God.
I callthanksliving. Let me know how your life improves.
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