Unplug

 

In this world there is a lot of distraction. You may try to keep up with any new trends, music, and clothing styles. Even when you watch TV, YouTube, or any streaming service you can easily get distracted by a notification on your phone, and the entertainment you were watching fades into background noise. In addition, we all know there can be plenty of distraction with just Instagram including how you want your feed to look, what time is best to post, and a lot of thoughts about questioning your looks, abilities, and what you want your life to look like.

Instead of focusing on what you want your life to look like, why not try to focus on a fulfilling life. Some may say “well, that’s what I am focusing on because I’ll be fulfilled when my life looks like _____.” Fill in the blank. Maybe you will be happy when your life shows you as a homeowner on a property with a husband, kids, money to travel and a dream car. But why can’t you find fulfillment in your life right where you are? I know just the answer for how you can be fulfilled!

  • First, is spending time with Jesus!

  • Second, is doing the first without a device nearby.

That’s right, get a physical Bible and even a journal for your alone time with the Lord. Your iPhone, iPad, or Samsung will still all be there after you are done. All electronic devices bring in the same distractions and comparison factors. We tend to fill our time with mindless distractions, when we can spend the same time just sitting with God. Resting in His presence can mean sitting outside with the sun on your face, listening to the sounds of nature, or sitting in your room journaling the things that are on your mind. Writing positive, or negative, thoughts and feelings out in a journal is beneficial in allowing God to speak to you. God can and will write through you if you spend time writing in His presence. There have been many times when I would write out my negative emotions and then God would remind me of what He says. That action would help replace the negative thoughts with hope and peace.

Therefore, when you spend time with Jesus it should be a time to unplug, unwind, and find rest in His presence.

It could look like taking time to converse with God in prayer, telling Him your troubles, and/or just sharing whatever is on your mind. Psalm 10:17 says, “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear...” God listens to every word of every prayer. The only thing is that He will not always answer them according to what you think, but you can trust Him to hear you and get you through! Your alone time with the Lord can also involve having a devotion that you read along with! This is a great way to be guided through the Bible while still being encouraged to read it on your own! With either method, it is a time for you to connect with your Creator, Savior, and Friend. He is consistent and the most fulfilling One to spend time with!

Either way it is a time for you to focus and connect with your Creator, Savior, and Friend.

Jesus is consistent and the most fulfilling One to spend time with!

You already may have time like this carved out, yet your struggle is hearing God’s voice. One thing to remember is that to hear His voice you need to know His voice, so you need to know what He would say. God’s voice, and what He would say to you, directly lines up with His Word. Therefore, to get to know and hear Him more, you need to get to know the Bible more. Don’t get too caught up on hearing God’s voice when you can learn to trace His hand. What I mean by tracing His hand is to begin to take notice of all He is doing in your life. There are many times in the Bible where it talks about “God’s righteous right hand” guiding or upholding His people. See where He is opening doors and guiding you to take the next step.

In addition, see how He is sustaining you by providing for your bills in some way, for your food, clothing and more. And if trying to identify these things don’t help you see His hand guiding you, ask God to show you all that He is doing and to give you a heart of gratitude! We all have so much to thank Him for. For one, God provides the breath in your lungs daily and gives you all the abilities and bodily functions you have. That is definitely something to be thankful for! John 15:5 states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Apart from God you can do nothing! What a way to say that we need Him because He provides everything we need! It is fulfilling to notice God in all things and to give Him thanks! There’s a quote that I have always liked by Ingrid Goff-Maidoff and it says,

“God spoke today in flowers, and I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation.”

He is all around you! He can speak through people, His creation, His Word, song lyrics and so much more - you just have to be attentive! You notice a lot more when you take time away from your phone and begin to be present in the world God has made for you.

 
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What Jesus Has Done For You

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Weakness Becoming Your Strength