Friday, October 12, 2007

slowing down

Sometimes I get in a kind of a "tizzy" where I seem to be downloading and uploading information and truth from God, as I take it, that leaves me maybe excited, but rather empty when all is said and done. When that's the case, as it was yesterday, I have to stop myself in my tracks and then slow down. I seek to do this with prayer and meditating on Scripture. But it is important during those times that I seek to get before God, and that I try to get out of God's way in my own life as well as in the lives of others.

We can get mightily carried away in zeal for God, yet in that zeal we can easily get out of step with God and his word and working. I must not simply decide to do nothing since my doing is empty. Instead I must endeavor to get in touch with God and with God's word and working. Not easy to do, but the first thing I must do at times, and maybe more often than I think, is slow down.

When I did that yesterday, after realizing that I had gotten carried away in zeal and was running on empty, it took some time, but gradually I came to that place where I could sense God's voice and working again in my own heart. And I could move and act from there. The day ended on a note of good sharing between a brother and myself, as well as a sense of God's leading in a matter.

So- often for me and surely for some of you comes this word: slow down and seek to get in the flow of the working of God in Christ by the Spirit through the word, prayer and the community of believers.

What wisdom might you add to this? Or any thoughts?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This cn be especially true for me, because I am a type "A" personality. I charge into projects and ideas and need tregroup often in prayer. I am at a crossroads in my life, and I do hear God giving me direction, but my personality wants me to do all or nothing. God clearly has me on a slow and steady path, and God is in control not me. Thank you for this post, it has reaffirmed my week and will get me to slow down this week end.

joe said...

its true. in our excitement we charge into things and we practically spin out of control. i feel like god's watching us chase our tail sometimes, waiting for us to finish, and asking "are you finished?"

it is hard to not get way out in front of god, because we so bad dont want to fall behind.

Anonymous said...

i love what joe said...
fall behind

in other words
follow

Ted M. Gossard said...

Rachel,
Good to hear of God's hand in your life, and if I'm understanding who you are, then I can see this drive in you from your blog (on which I posted a comment earlier today).

And great stuff there; important words.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Joe,
Good point and so true. I can easily just throw in the towel when I get out of snyc. But I'm learning not to do that, but to get back into sync better.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy,
Nice take on Joe's words. Yes, we need to fall behind as in follow. Though I'd guess Joe meant lagging behind so that we're not really walking near to God.

Anonymous said...

as for your post,
can we be excited and have zeal along with not being empty? can we have zeal without getting carried away? where does your zeal come from and what exactly is zeal.

i know that it is most important for a believer in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be in communion with God with living this life that we have given to God. that is really what we have done...given over our life. this is not our life, we belong to God and get everything from God.

it took me a long time to really come to God with an understanding of that. but it took even longer for me to start to understand how to live that out. to really know that what i need to do is to align my spirit with the Holy Spirit continually.

i am still learning all the ways that this is done. to continually put off the old self and and taking on the new. and it is true, if this is not a continual thing that i do, then i fall behind in a way that leaves me with just an empty and dead body...of no use to God or to anyone else.

just a walking and empty dead body. and if i do not fill myself with the Spirit of God then that leaves a place open for sin and self to fill with things of death and evil.

it is important to pay attention to what we are being filled with. maybe this still leaves room for some zeal...if that means joy and rejoicing in the Lord.

it is so interesting the way we have been told what to put our minds on, how we are to treat people, how collecting treasures of earth is not to be done, how collecting things of value in Heaven is what we should do, how we are to see our life and what ever happens as an opportunity to give glory to God, what not to say, what to read, and so on.

and it seems no matter how long we walk and grow, we always need to be putting ourselves in a place of renewal from the Spirit.

knowing and doing has to be continually led by God...

we belong to God.

we know many things...but, we still need to be fed by and led by God. we will never get to old for that. actually we it is what we need to grow into accepting.

following, listening, being led.

God is in charge.

what does that leave to talk about except the journey?

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy,
I like the way you end your good thoughts: it ends up being about journey. Of course zeal as in enthusiasm and spirit is good. We need that in our hearts and minds. But we likewise need to know how to go on in faith when that is waning or seems completely gone.

So slowing down means that we are careful to continue to seek to depend on God and his grace, as you point out. Remember, the people Paul describes in Romans who were zealous without knowledge. And Paul said it is good to be zealous (Galatians). But this must be tied to our walk with and life in God.

Just a few of my thoughts offhand. I'm learning and it sounds like you are too. If anything it sounds to me like you may be beyond me, though we're not to worry about such things, but seek to encourage one another. And you are a great encourager in the Lord and encourager to follow the Lord.

Anonymous said...

i know that i am not beyond you..and you are right in saying it does not matter.

i am learning through you and with you.

i agree, we can seek to continue to encourage one another on this journey.