SANCTUARY FOR MY HEART

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

I have a fresh scoop of hope for your heart today, and I am speaking as much to my own heart, as I am to yours. Writing these devotionals has become a way for my heart to REMEMBER the heart-truths and lessons that God is teaching me. A lot of times, I can’t type them out fast enough….afraid I might forget them. So here we go this morning….I’m typing as fast as I can, pumpkin spice coffee helping, because my heart and your heart need a message of light, hope, peace, joy, and comfort that many days gets drowned out by the noise of busy schedules, to-do lists, information overload, and the world’s messages. Just as I will lose the idea if I don’t type it out right now, so will we lose sight of the power, beauty, truth, and goodness of God’s Word in our life if we do not elevate its priority in our lives.

We must filter what comes in to our minds and hearts on a daily, moment-by-moment basis. What’s coming into your mind and heart each day? Here are some examples from my own life:

1. Lists: to-do lists, grocery lists, reminders, dates….(lots of post-it notes going on in my house)

2. Information overload: emails, newsfeed from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, news on the TV

3. Requests: opportunities to volunteer, invitations to birthday parties, showers, school events, etc.  which brings along feelings of guilt if I have to say no to these requests. (ugggg)

4. Mindless distraction: checking my phone for interesting stuff: texts (which I love because those are usually from family members and friends), emails (again), who liked my latest post – I get so excited by the way!, and maybe just a good read from another blogger

5. Unbridled thoughts: not good enough, not mature enough, not pretty enough, not a good enough mom, not a good enough wife, not skinny enough, not this, not that….you know the drill.

6. Comparison and discontentment: looking around and suddenly having a strong desire for that new purse/shoes/leotard/clothes/haircut because I feel not enough.

What do all of those thoughts, lists, and information do to your heart?

For me, I feel myself ever so slightly sinking emotionally. It is ever so subtle…this sinking…..it robs me of joy. It robs me of peace. It’s a heavy stress that with each new unfiltered thought or piece of information that I add to my already heavy load pushes me deeper into stress, anxiety, and an overall feeling of inner turmoil. And quiet honestly, I lose my confidence. I feel unqualified to do what I feel God has called me to do. I lose my footing, and I can just get lost quite easily. I start to question my impact and purpose as a mom, as a wife, as a dancer, or as a writer….I even start to wonder if this blog is making any sort of difference. Uggg…..it doesn’t feel good. My emotions are lost in the vast cloud of information and puts me in ……a funk.

Oh but I have the sweetest hope and encouragement for your heart today! There is a Perfect Source, a Remedy, a Cure, and an Anchor ….it’s Scripture! It’s God’s Word….but hear this….it can SOOOO easily get drowned out of our lives…pushed aside, set aside, and pushed down to the bottom of our priority lists. Oh how this happens in my life!

But I have had enough of the icky stuff: the stress, busyness, negative emotions…..to want to fight for the sweet stuff of God. I want more of His Word going into my heart and mind, and less of the information overload going in….

Because when we elevate the priority of God’s Word in our lives, watch what happens:

*Like today’s verse says, His Word teaches us and trains us in righteousness…to sum it up….He EQUIPS us for life! His Word gives us everything that we need to deal with any and every situation we come across.

*As we rewire ourselves to put God’s Word first, our hearts REST IN HIS PROMISES. How I want that! I want my heart to be able to be at rest: an inner quietude in every day moments, knowing/trusting/believing that:

GOD’S GOT ME.

HE’S GOT MY ALL.

HE’S GOT MY MARRIAGE.

HE’S GOT MY PARENTING.

HE’S GOT MY DANCING.

HE’S GOT THIS BLOG.

HE’S GOT MY DREAMS.

HE’S GOT MY FAMILY.

HE’S GOT MY KIDS.

HE’S GOT IT ALL.

When we filter what’s coming in, and choose to let more of God’s Word come in, we can live life in the quietude of hearts that are enfolded in God’s heart: His heart in mine, and my heart in His.

We can live life with this beautiful underlying truth imprinted on our souls:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip….

HE WILL WATCH OVER YOUR LIFE.” Psalm 121:1,2,7

Practically speaking, how can we elevate God’s Word in our life?

1. KNOW IT’S POWER – God’s Word fills me like nothing else. It satisfies any hunger inside me for purpose, identity, and truth. It organizes my heart and thoughts. It reminds me that I am a child of God. It reminds me that I am clothed in righteousness because of Jesus. It clears the fog of information overload. It destresses my soul as I remember God’s faithfulness. It delights my soul as I get to know my Savior.

2. REWIRE MY HABITS – I set myself up for anxiety when I have a lull in life, maybe it’s waiting in the carpool line, waiting at the doctor’s office, stuck in traffic…..the only thing interesting in my purse is my phone, so I pull it out and scroll, scroll, scroll, check, check, check….what’s going in? Lot’s of information! Nothing terribly bad, nothing inappropriate, nothing like that….just information overload that FEEDS MY STRESS. So I can rewire my habit by setting myself up to choose God’s Word instead…..keep a Bible in my purse or keep verses on index cards in my car. I can reach for those instead of my phone.

2. REPRIORITIZE THE INFORMATION – I can check my email once a day! Really really! It’s okay! Because you see, every time we check our email, it typically adds to our to-list. My plate is already full for the day, but somehow, out of habit and the seemingly urgent pull of my email inbox, I go ahead and check it, then all of sudden I HAVE to go get a bday present or bring cash to the school, or whatever it is. It’s the small stuff….added together that builds that ball of stress in our hearts.

3. DRINK IN GOD’S WORD BY CHOOSING HIM OVER MORE INFORMATION – plain and simple, when I drink in His Word, something supernatural happens…..He shows me how much He loves me. He shows me that I am:

CHOSEN

BEAUTIFUL

FREE

PROTECTED

LOVED

The more I drink in His Word, the more my heart will believe Him. Ask God to help you choose His Word over the information.

4. CATCH THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS – This is a tough one. If we don’t keep our thoughts in check, we will start believing every thought that comes through our mind as truth, and our minds have no room left for the REAL TRUTH of Scripture. LET THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS THAT TRY TO CREEP IN.

5. PRAY – Start your day by taking a few moments to pray about this. Ask God to REMIND you that nothing like God’s Word will satsify your heart today. Ask God to HELP you filter what’s coming in. Then watch Him work. :)

We really can live in the quiet sanctuary, quietude, rest of our hearts – our hearts in His, His in ours.

Is there anything you need to rewire and reprioritize in your life in order to drink in more of God’s truth in your heart…..the truth that will set your heart free to have a heart at peace?

Prayer: “God, thank You for those moments when the beauty, power, truth, and grace of Your Word hits us in a new way. O Lord, help me filter what’s going on in my mind on a daily basis. Help me elevate the priority of Your Word in my life….because I want my heart to live so at peace, so at rest, and so in your heart, that joy spills out, peace spills out, and an all-consuming peace that YOU’VE GOT ME invades my soul. Do a new work in me, Jesus.”