“The Lord wants to show us hidden parts of our hearts that do not love him, that are full of selfish desires and idols. This is not time to hide or muster up energy and passion but a time to look into the mirror of reality with Jesus and tell him all.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”- Matthew 6:20-21 (ESV)
Today Kyle Strobel and John Coe take a look at the second and third bits of steadying pastoral wisdom.
2. Temptation to feel guilty for this dryness and focus on what’s wrong with your life. Most significantly, the authors stress, the question is not, first and foremost, how you got where you are. Rather, the question centers on what it is that God is doing there. Because the dessert and desolation = works of God. Thus, our calling here involves:
- tracking what the Holy Spirit is doing in these times, and
- cooperating with Him.
3. In the desert and desolation, spiritual practices differ. During seasons of the desert and desolation, spiritual practices no longer encourage. Instead, these practices mirror what exists in the hidden places of our hearts. A confusing issue, certainly. For spiritual practices morph into little mirrors of the deep places in us that care nothing about God, prayer, or others.
In conclusion, Kyle and John counsel:
“When we pray in the desert or desolation, our minds wander to their real treasures, and we imagine we are failing (see Matt. 6:21). But this is an invitation to be known and not merely to be good. . . . [God] is greater than your heart and already knows all, and he wants you to share with him.”
Today’s question: What happens when you look into the mirror of reality? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Invitations to fly to Christ”