New Year: No Longer Empty

By Devin Dummel

Just last night I finished miles twenty-seven, twenty-eight and twenty-nine.  And now I am back on track.  Earlier this month we looked the idea of New Year’s Resolutions or goals.  And we talked about how part of our problem not just with the New Year, but will all sorts of goals is that we set unrealistic expectations.   The goal that I set for myself was a mile a day, and after last night I am right on target.  It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been able to keep up with my goals because I have made it a priority.

When it comes to your spiritual life the same is true, if you want to make sure that 2017 is different for you spiritually, then you are going to have to set some goals and make them a priority.  This month we have encouraged you to drop the guilt associated with not being “spiritual enough”.  We have challenged you to find some time to stop and listen to God.  It doesn’t have to be for extended periods of time, but just being able to make space for God can make a huge difference.  And last week we looked at the importance of being quiet.  Not only do we need to eliminate the noise around us, but we must quiet our hearts and minds, even if it’s only for a few minutes so that we can hear from God.

While growing spiritual can be difficult, it doesn’t have to be hard.  And as Adults who are responsible for raising up the next generation, it is essential that we learn how to grow on our own so we can show our children how to do the same.  The truth is regular connection with God move us toward consistency and intimacy with Him.  The temptation is to try and be perfect, but the truth is God used all kinds of flawed people in the scriptures.  They each had weaknesses and needed God – just like you and me.

If we want to ensure that we are no longer empty followers of Jesus just going through the motions, then we must create small spaces of time and quiet to connect with God on a regular basis.  Author and Pastor, Doug Fields says, “When you connect with God, you are trusting that He has a master plan in mind for you, worked out in the midst of a journey filled with fears, bouts, questions, failures, inadequacies, pain, loneliness, anger, frustration, and loss.”

What a great way to understand the importance of connecting regularly with God.  It is one way in which we can say to God: “You are God and I am not, and I trust you even though I’m not really feeling it right now.”  And the best part is that God is totally okay with that.  He can handle all of those things.  What He can’t handle is losing the connection with us.

The reality is goals are great, and plans are important – but there is nothing more important than your connection with God.  Without that connection you will be run-down and worn-out all year long.  Goals don’t change anyone, only God’s Spirit truly changes to our core. 

So the challenge is, will you find time and space, just small amounts, to connect with God on a regular basis?  Will you allow Him to start to change you, so that He can also change your family?  Will you trust Him and continue to seek Him even when you aren’t feeling it?  Will you commit to saying, “I no longer want to be empty”?

It’s our hope and prayer that this year will be a special one and that you will find your connection to God as the source of fuel that propel your family all year long.

New Year: Be Quiet

By Devin Dummel

If your house is anything like our house, then you likely share some of the same struggles we have.  With a four year old and a two year old constantly playing games, watching shoes, and being creative – our house is a fairly noisy place.  There are days where it feels like from the moment we got out of bed until the moment we tucked in their sweet little heads there has been constant noise.

What I find even more shocking than all the noise, is what typically happens when we finally turn off the lights and say goodnight to our kids.  The silence is some odd way even seems noisy.  Perhaps it’s because in a world where noise is everywhere, even silence can see deafening.

Maybe you have discovered this to be true in your life as well, that the trouble of a quiet room is a noisy mind.  When everything else is muted, it forces us to think, reflect, and examine what’s going on in our hearts and our heads.  And while we manage to fill that space with things like worry, want, and procrastination, what we need more than anything is quiet.

If you and I are going to make the most of this year and make it the best year it can possibly be for our families, one thing we must fight for in our homes and our lives is quiet.  What is quiet so important?  Well, there’s a story from the Old Testament that might help us.

Elijah was a prophet for God, and he did some very amazing things for God, but one day he felt like his life was being threatened.  He was scared and overwhelmed and he decided to run away from everything.  So Elijah found himself in the wilderness, praying desperate prayers to God.  And God chose to answer his prayer.

First Elijah was told to stand at the top of the mountain and God would pass by.  So Elijah made the hike and waited for God.  As he waited a hurricane like wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks.  It was a powerful display but God was not in the wind.  Then there was an earthquake with shook the mountainside, but God wasn’t in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was a huge fire, but although spectacular, God was not in the fire.  But following the fire there was a gentle and quiet whisper, and when Elijah heard it, he knew it was God. (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Quiet is essential for us, because it is where we are most likely to encounter God.  It’s in the silence, with nothing to distract us, where God often reveals Himself.  And while many of us look for God in the “big things” like Sunday morning, sermons, events, conferences, etc. – I believe you will find that God may be speaking directly to you in the small and quiet moments of your day.

We often feel like God is far off and we feel disconnected to Him.  But the truth is God is not distant.  He is right here with you, and wants to speak more and more truth into your life.  The question is, will you slow down enough and be quiet enough to listen.

This week, we want to ask you not just to make space and time for God.  We ask that you would find some quiet for Him in your life.  Turn off the TV.  Take out your headphones.  Ignore the honey do list, or the pile of paperwork.  Find just five minutes of quiet, and ask God to show up and speak to you –  we think you may be surprised at just how much He wants to share with you.

New Year: Just Stop

By Devin Dummel

If you were asked to describe how things were going so far in this New Year, I wonder how many of us would reply with some of the following words:  busy, rushed, empty, stressed, worn-out, overloaded.  Too many of us, say yes to everything, believing we will able to check everything off our lists.  Sadly, when we take a moment to come up for air, we discover just how tired and exhausted we have been all along.

Maybe you haven’t even got a chance to take a break yet, maybe you discovered just how busy you are because you over-reacted to a simple situation and you wondered, “Where in the world did that reaction come from?”  The reality is when we are worn-out we don’t have anything extra in the tank.  When we are busy and tired our emotional reserves are running on fumes.

The truth is if you want this year to be any different than the past years, then you are going to have to do something different.  You are going to have to develop a new way to navigate a world where we believe that “busy” is something to strive for.  And if you’ve bought into that lie, that being busy means that you are doing something right, then what I’m going to suggest for you to do, will come as quite a shock.

If you feel like you are running on fumes, barely making it, and desperate for a break for the break-neck pace of life you live, here is what I want you to do ….

JUST STOP

That’s right, you read that correctly.  If you want to get recharged, if you want to get refueled, then you my friend will have to discover how to STOP.

Think about it this way, when you are getting low on fuel in your car, what is the first thing you have to do?  It seems silly to even mention it, but if you want to refuel, the first thing you have to do is stop.  You have to take time to pull up to a service station, and put your vehicle in park, and let it do it’s thing.

In the same sense, you need to stop and refuel every day.  It could be five minutes before a meeting, two minutes in the car before you drive away, or thirty seconds at your desk at the end of the day.  Whatever it is, you need to create margins in your life to find some rest.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  When was the last time you were still?  If you are wondering why you feel run down and worn-out, my guess is it’s because you haven’t been still in a while.  So I challenge you, find a few minutes every day to be still before God.

Stop saying yes to everything, stop filling up your tank with trivial and meaningless things.  Quit overloading your life and eliminating all of the margin you have.  But Stop so you can refuel your sound and have the spiritual depth to handle everything that comes with the life that God has given you.

New Year: Drop the Guilt

By Devin Dummel

With a new year, and a new start come fresh expectations for what could be if we just stay dedicated.  Maybe you set some goals, or objectives that you would like to accomplish for this year.  If you did write down some goals –  congratulations!  Way to Go! –  many people don’t even make it that far.

They know from experience that most goals don’t get met, and when they don’t meet the goals they’ve set for themselves, it leaves them feeling depressed and guilty.  It’s no surprise that they would rather not set goals, for the simple fact that they don’t want to add any more guilt to their lives.

Anytime we believe we’ve failed we begin to carry guilt.  We also feel guilty when we compare ourselves to others.  It’s a natural thing to do, but it is something that can be so damaging.  This is especially true in the area of our own spiritual growth.  It’s easy to look at someone else’s life and think that they’ve got it all together.  But the truth is while we are watching them and taking notes on how we don’t measure up, we are unaware of their struggles and the areas where they themselves are seeking spiritual growth and maturity.

But while we are measuring things up, God is doing something quite different.  And really when we think about the guilt we carry, the real issue isn’t that we don’t meet our goals.  The issue is that we have an improper view of God.

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I view God?”

Is God someone who is disappointed and angry at you for not consistently meeting his goals and expectations?  Or does God handle our ‘failures’ differently?

The scripture teach of a much different view of God, they show a God who is patient and forgiving, not wanting any to miss out on eternal life with him.  When God sees our sins and our failures, He is saddened and heartbroken.  He wants what is best for us – and He knows that carrying around a ton of guilt is not what is best.

This week, as you continue to make this year the best it possibly can be.  Focus on getting rid of the guilt that you are holding onto.  Accept God’s forgiveness, through the gift of His son Jesus, and start worrying less about meeting spiritual goals and more about coming to a better understanding of who God really is.

It’s time to drop the guilt.

New Year: Unrealistic Expectations

By Devin Dummel

Well, it’s been 48 hours or so, how are you holding up?  Are you still going strong or has your will begun to waver?  If you’re starting to feel the pressure or the struggle just know you are not alone.  We’ve all been there.   Everyone who has ever made a “New Year’s Resolution” knows what I’m talking about.

The changes that we want to make – the things that we want to do differently this year – are well intentioned decisions.  But it seems no matter how lofty the ideal or goal actually achieving it can be almost impossible.  Under the weight of maintaining the discipline to meet our highest of hopes for the New Year we crumble under the pressure.

Did you know that 25% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions abandon them after the first week?  After one month nearly 40% have lost sight of their goals.  And once you reach the sixth month less than half the people who set goals for this year remain on track to meet those same goals.  In the end, less than 10% of people achieve their goals for the New Year.

When you hear those statistics, it’s hard not to think to yourself “What’s the point?”  If only a small percentage accomplish what they set out to do, why even try? 

The problem with New Year’s Resolutions is not the goals themselves.  The problem is not the type of people who are trying to better themselves and their environments.  The real problem appears when unrealistic expectations are attached to an unrealistic plan.   The good habits that you are trying to form are just proving to be unsustainable at the pace and the structure in which you are trying to achieve them.

There are all type of resolutions that you could make this year: self improvement or education related resolutions, weight related resolutions, money related resolutions, relationship related resolutions, etc.  The list could go on and on.  But there is one type of resolution that we will try to help you make a realistic plan to achieve this year:  your spiritual resolution.

Like many other areas in our life we often allow our spiritual life to get run down and depleted.  Many of us just keep going through the motions, even when our spiritual tank is running on “E”.  Spiritual emptiness is a universal issue, even for people who are at church every Sunday.  Followers of Jesus can be spiritually empty even though it appears that nothing is wrong.

Of all the things you could try and work on this year, your spiritual life is the most important.  I know that when I don’t connect with God on a regular basis, I run out of passion and my life becomes very spiritually empty.  And ultimately I become a different person, living for myself and from the pressures around me; instead of living for God and being the person He made me to be.

This month, we will discuss some great ways to stay connected to God and maintain your spiritual resolution this year.  But before we go any further, we want to encourage you to make sure that you keep realistic expectations.  Figure out your own spiritual rhythm and set aside time for God that makes sense in your life.  Allow these natural times to fill you back up with more of God and relieve you of the other pressures in your life.  Start simple and keep your resolution realistic.