My heart longs to stand in the still. My heart longs to stand in the calm.
My heart longs to see and understand.
My heart longs to ache in the understanding that you are God.
I just need to stand in the still.
I just need to stand in the calm.
I just need to see and understand.
I just need to ache in the understanding that you are God.
This is my longing oh Lord...but I can't deny how loud the world is around me; and I can't deny how it can distract, consume, and influence me. I can't deny that I've spoken words that shatter my reality in the still...that break my peace in the calm...that inhibit my ability to see and understand...that numb the ache in me that longs to understand that You are God and that I need you.
It's easy to stray from the righteousness God desires from us. It's easy to join in with the hate, anger, and confusion that's saturating our world right now.
Concepts like "staying positive", "be an encouragement to others", and "Don't let the sun set with anger in your heart" (Ephesians 4:26), are far more challenging for us to live out, especially when we willingly lower ourselves into the darkness...and the dark is everywhere. It's in the words we hear our leaders say...it's in the writings we read and breathe into our hearts every day...it's in our own thoughts...yes, it's everywhere.
Recently I read the response the President of Liberty University (my Alma Mater) gave to a young senator when she had made what he felt was an inaccurate comment about something he said in a speech, as well as giving an inaccurate date on when the speech was actually given. You can read his response below:
You don't have to be an expert to figure out the negative attitude and anger behind these words. I really want to believe that there was once a time in this world when pointing your finger at someone and calling them "dumb" and "a liar" was more difficult than it is today. To show others respect and kindness, no matter how difficult the situation, is a quality and strength of character this world needs to dust off and live out desperately.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to think I could ever understand the pressures Mr. Falwell faces or the misrepresentations told about him daily. I get that he's going to be frustrated and angry...and I understand why he would have these feelings. But I can't deny my disappointment in his response...and though one man's actions don't define the hours I spent learning how to help others under the education he helps provide. I also can't deny that the words DO NO HARM, a phrase I learned to embrace through many classes at Liberty, seems to take a hit in light of responses like these from our leaders.
I wish we could get back to the still. I wish we could get back to the calm. I wish we could get back to the place of seeing and understanding. I wish we could get back to the ache of understanding that He is God and that we need Him.
Maybe if we could get pack to this place...there we would find the righteousness God desires for us.
"Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger." --James 1:20-21 (MSG)
"Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry-but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life." --Ephesians 4:26-27 (MSG)
"...don't sin by letting anger control you." --Ephesians 4:26 (NLT)
Do you see it?
The thorn in the side of humanity is sin...and sin's greatest asset is ANGER. It breeds hate, confusion, fear, and chaos. Anger controls and helps to produce an unbridled negativity through us.
It makes us think we're in control and have everything figured out.
Anger influences and its influence is powerful.
I know you see it...it's everywhere.
We have to make the choice to not give in to anger. It's a choice we must make EVERY SINGLE DAY.
It won't be easy and there will be days that we fail to let LOVE work through us...but that's what's truly remarkable about LOVE...it covers all. It edify's...it strengthens...it encourages...it's bold in its purpose and it brings about the absolute best in everyone.
Getting back to the still...the calm...the seeing and understanding...it's a matter of letting ourselves and the world loose from our grip and realizing that we don't have all the answers and we can't face everything alone.
We need God...we will always need God. Only He can give us exactly what we need, give us the wisdom to say what needs to be said, and take us exactly where we need to go; to the still...to the calm...to the place of seeing and understanding.
"Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind."
--Isaiah 40:31 (MSG)
