“Growth isn’t just about biding our time through difficult seasons. It’s about learning to cast our cares more quickly upon the One who cares for us. It’s about learning to practice God’s presence in the everyday grind of life.”- Susie Larson
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”- Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
Susie Larson concludes Chapter 8 of Closer Than Your Next Breath as she notes our high capacity for self-deception. As a result, we quickly see the faults of others. Yet, Susie stresses, we’re often slow to discern our own faults. Above all, God’s mercy and passionate pursuit of us is greater still!
Furthermore, Susie observes, as a work in progress, we live at the pace of grace. Hence, God doesn’t rush us through our hurts. However, He doesn’t leave us in those hurts either. Consequently, God always invites us upward and onward — to the better things he has for us. But we need to cooperate with God in order for that to happen. Whether it occurs overnight or even over time.
Certainly, we often take the attitude that some people never change. And while that appears true in some situations, in reality the truth is that we’re constantly changing. Because we either:
- become more embedded with the lies that hold us captive, or
- with God’s help and cooperation, we break free and move on to new levels of wholeness, freedom, and fruitfulness.
In conclusion, Susie cites John Eldredge. In his book Resilient, John writes:
“If you want to become a wholehearted person, you must reach the point where happily, lovingly, you give absolutely everything over to God. You make Jesus your everything, your all-in-all. Not only is this the fulfillment of your heart’s created destiny, it is the source of all recovery and resilience. Nothing can be taken from you because you’ve already surrendered everything.”
Today’s question: How do you practice God’s presence in the everyday grind of life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Move beyond your plow?”
