At a time when the world seems to be unraveling at the seams, I’ve found myself feeling very disjointed. Kind of like jello, hurled against the wall. Mentally and emotionally, spread all over the place with no real clear direction to cling to.
Scattered is hard for a girl who has had her face set like a flint and who’s been steeped in ministry for three decades. Maybe it’s just hard for anyone who knows God has called her to more than being distracted by a non-stop news cycle that has paralyzed the world and left us living in an altered universe.
Nothing seems normal anymore and I’ve had a hard time getting my traction back.
Maybe, you feel the same way too.
So, here I am. A girl who is tired of wasting time wandering in the wilderness of distractions and choosing to do exactly what I spoke on at this past weekend’s retreat… It’s time to ARISE from my Wilderness and make every moment count for Jesus.
Below are some excerpts from what I shared at that retreat. Words written from where I’ve been and where God has been dealing with me.
He’s calling me out of the Wilderness. I’m sharing this because maybe He’s calling you out too.
ARISE FROM YOUR WILDERNESS
“1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, ARISE, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.'” Joshua 1:1-3
We hear a lot about how Christians can sometimes find themselves wandering in the wilderness instead of walking in the Promise Land of the Christian experience.
But sometimes, what some call a wilderness, is simply a hard season we face or a storm we go through.
A wilderness for the Christian is not…
a storm we go through or a season we face circumstantially.
It is a place we get stuck in or choose to remain, spiritually and even emotionally.
So, what is the Wilderness for the Christian?
The WILDERNESS for a believer isn’t a dry & dusty piece of land. It’s a dry and dusty spiritual life.
IT’S A LIFE CHARACTERIZED BY…
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- Anger
- Fear
- Turmoil
- Doubt
- Distractions
- Defeat
- Negativity
- A Critical and Harsh Attitude
- Uncertainty
- Unfaithfulness
- A Feeling brokenness
- A life that’s just Going through the motions
IT’S A LIFE THAT…
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- Is Spiritually Parched
- Has No Spiritual Stamina
- Lacks Passion for God
- Lacks Passion for the Word
- Lacks Peace, Patience and Joy
- Is Emotionally Exhausted
- Overwhelmed by Life
- Is Paralyzed by Circumstances
- Seems Stuck
Maybe one or some of those characteristics describe you today.
I don’t mean just that random occasional response… but if any of the characteristics above describe the way you typically act and react to the circumstances life throws your way, you might just be in a wilderness and, perhaps, you don’t even realize it.
For years, I’ve heard well-meaning Christians tells others that, “It’s okay to NOT be OKAY.”
And that’s true. But it’s only partially true.
It’s okay to NOT be OKAY. But it’s NOT OKAY to STAY NOT OKAY.
We CAN’T BE CONTENT to STAY in the WILDERNESS wondering where God is when Jesus died to give us SO MUCH MORE.
In recovery circles, they say the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. That applies to our wilderness experiences too.
If you’re in a place where you’ve been stuck or chosen to remain spiritually and/or emotionally, it’s time to take a look in the mirror…determine if you are, indeed, in a wilderness or not... and if you are – admit it – and try to get a clear understanding of what put you there – and then ask God to help you begin the process of ARISING from where you are to where God wants you to be.
I’ll share more this week about some next steps to help you know how to ARISE from Your Wilderness and begin living the life that Jesus died to give you.
Until then, I’d love for you to share where you are in your journey or how I can pray for you in the comments below.
I am now out of the wilderness I was in after almost 5 years. I felt stuck, emotionally exhausted, drained. Quite frankly I didn’t see a way out. At the time I least expected it, God showed up in a mighty way. I knew it was Him bc the outcome was extraordinary.
It’s so humbling and, yet, empowering when we finally flee from the wilderness. When God shows up…everything changes and He lights the path we could not see and makes a way where there was no way!
So glad you’re out of the Wilderness and walking in the Promise Land life that Jesus died to give you!