So ... you’ve heard of writer’s block? Well, I’ve had writer’s wall; a giant wall unable to be penetrated by the armies of thoughts marching through my head. An enemy was standing ground. That enemy is called LIFE. There are times that so many important events, one crisis after another, illnesses to attend to, needs needing me to meet them, greet them and solve them - and just the regular that becomes irregular! My head hurts just thinking about the last three months! I would like to take my brain out and vacuum out all the unnecessary clutter and erase thoughts no longer useful. There’s just one answer to that ... peace!
Through it all, I knew I had to keep my mind stayed on the Lord; keeping it set on things above and not below. Anytime I became too focused on what was ahead of me, on my “to-do” list, or who needed what and when, I became overwhelmed. It’s not pretty!
The Prince of Peace saw all that was required of me and nothing was an emergency to Him. Nothing ever was! There is no account in the gospels, where Jesus complains, “The Father is asking too much of me, these disciples are incompetent, why are people so needy, I need some ‘me time,’ I can’t take it anymore, I can’t do this, where’s my help, I’m just overwhelmed! What? You ran out of food so we need to feed these five thousand somehow! Why is everyone looking at me for all the answers? I’m tired and need a break! Oh great, you’re giving me some bread and fish and wanting a miracle? I guess I’m the only one that does anything around here!”
Nope! We don’t see any of that in the gospels but you may have heard some of that coming out of my mouth! I mutter a lot of that to God as if He’s moved by problems and schedules. He’s only moved by my faith that He can be my help in times of trouble, my peace in the midst of the storm and that He has my cares instead of me. Why is it that we still do stupid stuff and we really know better? When our flesh is in control, we act out of control ... the plain, simple, hard truth!
When the Spirit is in control, then we behave accordingly. I can tell when I have not had enough time with God. I can talk to Him, I can have worship music playing in my car, I can even go to church. But that’s not enough. There has to be time. TIME IS A GIFT OR AN ENEMY! We can be busy, but that’s no excuse to put God way down on our daily schedule.
God is not an agenda item – HE IS THE AGENDA! If He’s not first, if time is not set aside that belongs only to Him, then our day will be a mess. Time with God is time with ALL that makes GOD who He is. Time with Him can make us like Him. We can make the time, I assure you! All we have to do is take a look at whom or what steals our time. I can tell you honestly, mine is a little thing called a cell phone and I don’t even like them! We do everything from smartphones, which is ironic since I feel too old to be smart with these gadgets and my kids are yelling AMEN! But I observe people, and if their phone dings, they’re scared they’re missing out! On what? If it’s a true emergency, a person will call!
But I have found myself the guilty party in certain areas, so I saw this was something that needed discipline. Here I was, like a car with no fuel, trying to make it run (which I often did in my teen years)! But when I started restricting time on the phone, or any device, suddenly I had time! Imagine that!
In these past months, there was a day where I was metaphorically standing in the midst of the storm (or more like a tsunami)! My rain-soaked circumstances had me breathlessly running for shelter, and then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “I am the Prince of Peace.” That territory is mine and it’s yours because you are royalty. Take my arm like a Princess and accept what belongs to you.”
That was a defining moment! I realized we don’t have to ask for peace. It’s already ours, and we just need to walk in it. If this becomes our mindset, then those times of overwhelming meltdowns won’t happen. The enemy will retreat when he sees he has no more buttons to push. Peace pushed him out of the game.
Think of a princess. She never appears at a function wearing the wrong attire, because she has people waiting on her and doing everything they do for the Prince. She now knows and expects whatever is his became hers when she entered into the royal family.
There is no difference with us, but it’s not as obvious as it can be or should be! What belongs to God is available to His heirs. We just have to spend time discovering it by spending time with our King; learning to be like Him, and being trained and schooled in our roles in the Kingdom.
Just like the princess, she doesn’t know what to do the minute she’s married. She is trained and schooled in the monarchy, its history, her role, her expectations, her conduct and all the traditions that she must carry on. One of those traditions is to produce an heir. Likewise, we are to reproduce through carrying out the Great Commission as so many have done before us. In so doing, we establish God’s Kingdom on the earth.
It’s not as difficult as we think to “go into all the world” when you are noticeable. We don’t have crowns ... yet! But we should stand out because “They will know we are Christians by our love,” by our fruit, by the notable words we speak, and by His presence in us that makes us different. People notice because we are intentionally different ... we are “casting a shadow.”
My heart is my crown I received at an altar at age thirteen. Some days, I still act that age! It’s then I know I need time at the foot of the throne. It’s not “me time.” It’s our time. I don’t need an appointment. I just need Jesus. I want to be noticeable and notable ... I want to be like Him.