Learn to Pause
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(about 5 minutes)
HE SPEAKS WHEN WE LEARN TO PAUSE
In the early days of my journey, He began to train me to stop before Him. I can vividly remember being thoroughly engrossed in getting the dishes done, getting out of the kitchen and on with life. I was completely goal oriented and set on getting them done quickly. While standing at the sink, in the midst of water and food splats, I would hear this little Voice say, “Come sit at My feet.” That was the last thing I wanted to do. He had touched an idol: ambition, goals, and MY time.
An idol in the Old Testament was something erected in their lives in which they deemed so valuable that they gave it worship. In the New Testament, an idol is not necessarily given an outward worship, rather it’s an inward desire that conflicts with having fellowship with the Lord. It becomes more important to us than Him.
My philosophy in life was, “Hurry up and work so I can hurry up and enjoy living!” This situation was a little complex because I did enjoy sitting at His feet! The way I pursued that philosophy was another matter. Was I willing to pursue Him, in HIS TIMING, and in HIS WAY? At first, the tug-of-war went back and forth. Of course, when I heard Him say this, it was only when I was in a dead-heat to get my goal accomplished. Or it might be when I had only one more thing to do. He pursued the issue until I was so yielded it didn’t matter if I ever did the dishes!
“…a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister sat on the floor, listening to Jesus as he talked. But Martha was the jittery type, and was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing… But the Lord said to her, Martha, dear friend you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it — and I won’t take it away from her!” (Luke 10:38-42 TLB)
It was not until later that I realized the second lesson He was teaching me. After that inner war ended over ownership of my time, I realized He was also retraining my basic philosophy: hurry up and work, so I can hurry up and have fun. Through a process of learning to be still like Mary at Jesus feet, I have now discovered the better way —sitting at His feet while doing the dishes! I finally understood His point was not only setting a time away from life to be with Him, but learning to be with Him as I lived my day. I found that the joy in life is having a relationship with Him in the process.
Hearing Him is a stopping place in all of living; stopping what we are doing, whether spirit, mind and soul, or body, to recognize HIM. We live in the rush-rush of a busy world. It is so easy for our personalities to get caught up in the race. We can be educated in all the places to pause and hear Him, but forget to do so. When we ask for help, the Holy Spirit will retrain our daily habits to include stopping places to hear Him, for He is our Teacher.
1 John 2:26-27 NKJV
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Even though we remember to pause and include Him in what we are doing, it doesn’t mean He will speak. However, if we take the time to pause because we desire Him, He may very well answer. Whether He has anything He wants to say, He loves our fellowship and wants to respond to us. It takes two to have a relationship: one who speaks, and one who listens.
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One day on errands, I caught the tail end of a sermon on the radio. He was asking, “How much time do you spend alone with God every week? — Not with someone praying, or things like that, but just honest intimate one on One?” He talked about how we can’t expect the Lord to be intimate with us, if we do not give Him time.
When I arrived home our cat, Cuddles, saw me coming. (We called her that because she loved to be loved!) She jumped up on the little table outside, expectantly waiting for me to come love her. (I trained her to know that she would get a lot more loving if she jumped up to my level!) So there she was with perky little ears just waiting on the table. After I gave her attention, I went inside and around back to the patio door. She ran as fast as she could and jumped on the patio table! I laughed and loved her some more.
Then I put water in her dish and emptied the garbage. When I came back, she was sitting up militant style facing directly towards me, ears up and at attention very expectantly waiting for me to pass her way again! It was so precious. I could see the allegory plain as day; you can’t help but love someone and give them extra attention when they are just sitting there waiting for you! |
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR RAT RACE STORY:
(about 5 minutes)
