For the month of September, we are going to preach out of a book called, "No Longer Stuck," by Tony Portell. Tony is the Lead Pastor at Vineyard Life Church in Indianapolis, and he also has a MA in Counseling. The goal of his book and our sermon series is to combine biblical wisdom with neurological and psychiatric studies that can help us to deal with the traumas from our past. One of the chapters in Tony’s book talks about God’s pursuit of us. This is also our Wesleyan understanding of God that He pursues us with His grace.
Sometimes we can feel stuck in our relationship with God because we don’t take the time to be quiet with Him so that we can hear His inspiration. We almost block God’s pursuit of us by our busyness and the constant distraction of our phones and social media. So often our prayers are limited to our petitions and requests and very little time dedicated for quiet meditation. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says this,
"Don’t[a] be quick with your mouth or say anything hastily before God, because God is in heaven, but you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.” As a pastor, I am frequently encouraging folks to talk to God about their lives, their needs, and their desires. I still think talking to God is important to begin a relationship with Him.
Yet, time for quiet meditation for listening to God is also important. It is in those spaces that we can be inspired to be creative, more attuned to God, and experience His peace. Tony Portell suggests that when we pause to meditate, we should picture everything we are holding on to emotionally or mentally. We must decide to let go of these cares and worries and let them fall to the floor to be picked up later. We should imagine these worries and cares literally dropping to the floor. That will allow us to be still, to expect to hear God’s inspiration, and fully listen to what He wants to say to us.
Meditation is not easily done, but with practice you will get better at it, and it will eventually be spiritually rewarding.
GO DEEPER. Open space for time with God through this video "In The Whispers." It is easy to get caught up in the noise of the world around us, the constant chatter of social media, the blaring of car horns, and the buzz of everyday life. But if we pause for a moment, if we quiet our minds and listen, we can hear the soft whisper of God calling to us. God whispers to us....can you hear Him?
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