Swimming Upstream?

My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life. (Proverbs 4:20-23)

When God asks us to pay attention it is just that he knows how easily we become distracted by other things or people. The 'loudest voice' or the 'shiniest image' gets our attention and before we know it, we are following the crowd and not him. I recently attended a large gathering and at the end of the event, huge crowds all marched out in no particular order, but with intent. I took particular notice of those who were trying to 'swim upstream', pushing past those who were intent on going one direction when they were committed to going the other. Sometimes our Christian walk can seem a bit like we are 'swimming upstream' while the crowds are swimming smoothly in the opposite direction. Just remember one thing - they think they know where they are all going, but if they don't really know who is leading them, they might not reach their desired destination.

Pay attention to the words of God - they are not always easily heard, sometimes harder than we'd like to understand, but they have never steered anyone wrong. One of the most reassuring things we can count on when the crowds are streaming one direction, and we seem to be fighting the battle to go the other is that God isn't abandoning us in the 'swim'. He gives us his word so we can meditate upon it, recalling it when the crowds are telling us we should be going the opposite direction, then leaning into the direction it gives above all other advice we might receive to the contrary. Be careful what you think - this is probably the crux of the issue when it comes to choosing the direction we will 'swim' in life. What we think upon the most will influence the actions we take with ease. Think upon his word and we might just find ourselves taking action in the direction others have been avoiding.

The secret to living well might actually be finding a translation of his word that helps us enjoy our time in it, get something out of it, and desire more of it in our lives. We cannot think upon it if we never get it in. We don't know the direction our life should take if we never ask. When we hear clearly that the direction has been established, we can just merge with the crowds, or 'swim upstream' with one intention in mind - to be with him. Just sayin!

Say what?

Have you ever been guilty of just talking on and on, really not cognizant of all you are saying? Believe it or not, we might do this pretty frequently in our quiet times of prayer. We are supposed to be quiet for a while, but we find ourselves just rambling. I wonder just how many times we rant on and on to God about something, all the while ignoring his desire to get a word in edge-wise? It amazes me how much "talking" I do in prayer time and just how little "listening" I allow! I think we might be quick to spill our guts out before God, but I really wonder just how quick (and possibly willing) we are to listen to his instruction!

"I'm speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I've talked too much, way too much. I'm ready to shut up and listen." (Job 40:3-5)

I am ready to shut up and listen....pretty poignant words, huh? Two conditions are laid out - we have to "shut up" and we have to "listen". There is quite a difference between being "silent" and being "attentive"! In fact, most of the time, we manage a little silence, but still miss the message, simply because we were not paying attention! We can muster up quite a bit of complaining in our present circumstances. For Job, he had lost family, flock, and his own pride - all causing him to find a whole lot of things to "talk about" without ever sitting quietly to "hear about" these things from God's perspective. We do this ourselves, don't we? We find all kinds of ways to belabor the facts of our failings, frenzies, and fiascoes, all the while spinning our yarns about why we "think" these have occurred. In turn, we tell ourselves a story - just not always the most accurate accounting of the facts!

What occurs when we take time to finally hear about things from God's perspective is a change in our perspective! When we begin to transition from "talking about" our mess toward "listening to learn" from that mess, we are going to hear God's "message" in our mess and we might actually learn something which will liberate us! I am not proposing we just sit quietly and wait for some "voice from heaven" to speak to us - cuz I haven't heard his 'audible' voice yet! In fact, "listening" is an active process. This is one of the reasons you will find me journaling sermons, my own bible reading, and just some of those special moments when God needs to do something in me. It "focuses" me into an active role in listening.

Listening involves receiving. There has to be a "receptive" heart. Receiving involves something being "conferred" - there is a transfer of information, substance, or meaning which brings to light things often not otherwise considered. When we are in a receiving "mode", we are open to new insight - to take into our possession something otherwise not known or understood. Receiving leaves an impression - there is something which affords or allows "space" to be taken by what is received. For example, when you make a plaster-of-paris "cast" of your hand, you leave behind an "impression" of your hand. The plaster "received" your hand - yielding "space" for the imprint. When God's word is allowed a place in our hearts, it leaves an impression!

Receiving encompasses us having a welcoming spirit - there is an openness to "entertain" what God is doing, saying, and revealing. I used the word "entertain" in quotes because we can associate with this word - it carries the idea of "holding something in the mind" - allowing it to begin to affect how we process the information we possess. We "hear" a lot of stuff - but we choose what we will "entertain". I wonder just how much God might actually speak into us if we "shut up" long enough to "receive" what he desires to reveal to us? We all probably need to do a better job of "winding down" on our complaining, and "focusing in on" our active listening skills. Since I don't think I am in this boat alone, I know I have others who are "rowing" just as hard as I am! Maybe it is time to put up the sail and let God do a little "directing" of our progress across this sea of confusion we are presently sailing through! Just sayin!