Jesus called out the people who thought that they were close to God because they were descendants of Abraham. He said,
Is that where our struggle with spiritual growth happens? We fill our minds and hearts with too many concerns, plans, roles, and responsibilities that we stay overwhelmed in ways that make listening to Jesus very difficult?
How can we change that when we can’t just drop everything?
Making room for God in our inner life isn’t about withdrawing from our outer life. It is about connecting them with God as the glue.
This kind of growth focus weaves into every strand of our day. It can’t be sectioned into a time or a task, but it does help us make more of set aside learning time. It’s more of a rhythm and awareness.
Remember the needs from last week? Soul health involves confidence in God’s unfailing love, security in His forgiveness, and an all-consuming trust in God. How do we make room for growth in these critical areas?
Make room to experience God’s unfailing love.
God wants to satisfy us as soon as we open our eyes in the morning. Before we do or say anything, God already loves us with UN-failing love. The question is do we believe it.
David made it a prayer when he wrote:
This is a great way to start any day. Make room for how God wants to cover you and your day with His UN-failing love. Let Him love you where the wounds and fears hide. You can do anything in His will when you know that His UN-failing love empowers and heals you. Make room to experience God’s UN-failing love.
Make room for God’s forgiveness
Forgiveness cleans our hearts from anything that prevents God’s love from growing there. We can’t assume forgiveness; we must ask for it. I know when God is pointing out what I shouldn’t have said or where I ran ahead. I am learning to ask forgiveness as quickly as God identifies it. The refreshing rush of fresh love is enough to make me unafraid to confess again. Usually, there is something for me to learn after confession like what my triggers were or where fear kept me self-protecting. There’s a lot of growth opportunities after forgiveness. Don’t push God’s forgiveness into a one-time corner. Make room for forgiveness to keep your heart open to God.
Want an easy reminder of what forgiveness means? Place a white sheet of paper where you can see it. This is a picture of God’s forgiveness for you.
Make room for more trust in God.
I like the way Proverbs 3:5 says it:
It’s a simple formula, but an underused one. We trust God over our best understanding or perspective. We let His perfect character influence how we review what He does. If we don’t start with His character, we tangle in misrepresentation and adopt false images. A lack of trusting God means we don’t know something important about His character. Start there. God’s perfect character supports everything He does. We are the ones who let disconnect give us reasons to mistrust His actions. Make room for trusting God in everything.
In the same way we clean out closets and drawers to make room for what we really need, we should do the same in our heart and mind. Make room there for God to speak, instruct, warn, and encourage. Then, growth is a by-product instead of guilt trip.