“When you suffer, slow becomes necessary. Slow becomes good. . . . When you live slow for a season, the Son has access to the parts of you normally covered up by everyday put-ons.”- Lysa TerKeurst
In Chapter 4 (“Tan Feet”) of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa TerKeurst talks about what happens if you contend long enough with all the props and pretensions of dressing up an outside that’s hurting on the inside. When you get desperate enough, you’ll go all in with the idea of living slow for a season. And as you quiet down all the outside noise, God’s voice functions as the loudest voice in your life.
Yet, Ms. TerKeurst observes, we fear exposure. As she puts it, we’re uncomfortable taking our shoes off long enough to get tan feet. Thus, we first must deal with our fear of other people’s thoughts, opinions, whispers, and comments. Because we can’t control what other people think or converse about.
However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we learn to control how much we allow the fear of others’ opinions to infiltrate our life. Placing our focus on wanting others to change only creates frustration. But when you take on the project of you, that frustration turns into forward motion.
Finally, fear isn’t a physical object, something you sweep into a dustpan and then discard. Rather, Lysa states, fear hovers and haunts us in the spiritual realm, attacking in the unseen. Furthermore, Satan also plays a role, as Ms.. TerKeurst explains:
“The enemy wants us paralyzed and compromised by the whispers and doubts and what ifs and opinions and accusations and misunderstandings and all the other hissing handcuffs crafted by fear. What gives power to all the fear others are thinking and accusing and saying isn’t the people themselves. It isn’t even the enemy. I’m the one who decides if their statements have power over me or not. It’s me.”
Today’s question: When have you tried to live slow for a season? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Slow to remember God’s healing words”
