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Quiet Time
by Kasia Kedzia
Rom1:18-25 (NIV) v21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. v25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
(The Message) v21 People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives.
Not thanking God is a symptom of not glorifying Him, as well as one small act that can lead to exchanging the truth for a lie. In exchanging the truth for a lie I trivialize myself.
When I read v21 recently it really struck me that these people knew God and yet they were able to estrange themselves from him. I claim to know God. I think the scripture really sobered me and opened my eyes to how deceived and perfunctory* I can be. (*look that word up…I know it sounds like a fart, but illustrates the point well)
I pray for people in my life all the time. I pray for specific things they are going through, for things they ask me to pray for, life situations and their relationship with God. However, I rarely thank God for these people. Isn’t that crazy?! I can pray for them and yet completely forget to thank God for them? I always knew it was important to thank God for people and things--well everything--but I had never seen it the way I finally saw it through Rom1:18-25.
In my pride I can hold on to what I want instead of desiring what God wants for me. I lose sight of how much better His ways are compared to mine. I lose sight and stop glorifying him when I stop thanking him. As a result I begin to over think things, over analyze and entertain my fears. Like Rom1:25 the message version says, ‘I trivialize myself into silliness and confusion so that there is neither sense nor direction left.’ I'm left feeling lonely and confused.
1Peter5:6 (NIV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.
The truth can be hard to grasp if I’m too proud to let go of the lie. When I don’t thank God for my loved ones, as well as the things he has done in my life on a regular basis I become ungrateful and proud. This can result in me feeling lonely around the holidays and it comes from fear of the future more so than my present state. I lose sight of the things that I have been blessed with and the people I have been blessed with. I can become engulfed with fears about my future and/or the future of those I care for. I can feel not good enough. Sometimes I can understand mentally that God loves me, but it can be a bit hard to grasp emotionally. The feeling can be triggered by anything from a memory of a time when I felt happier to a longing for a feeling not yet fulfilled, a feeling not yet felt. I know I have Jesus and the promise of heaven, but I am not immune to feeling lonely. Even if that longing can ultimately only be filled by God, I can still desire human relationships and fulfillment. At this point I am faced with a choice: I can either give into the lie or hold on to the truth.
Truth: Psalm 4:3-8 (The Message) Look at this: look Who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him. Complain if you must, but don’t lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.” I have God’s more-than-enough, More joy in one ordinary day Than they get in all their shopping sprees. At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, For you, God, have put my life back together.
So beware if you find yourself thinking too hard, for too long, till you are confused by your own thoughts or if you find your prayers are lacking thanksgiving. The holidays can provide an illusion of fulfillment, whether it’s through offering the promise of fulfillment through the perfect gift (material possessions) or the idea of fulfillment and ultimate security being met by spending time with loved ones. But if He has set eternity in our hearts that only He can fulfill then neither of these things can satisfy us no matter what the media says. Therefore loneliness will be felt, I will long for fulfillment, but gratitude and the right perspective will keep me grounded in God’s truth as well as help me to continue to know Him and worship Him the way He deserves it. It’s a matter of perspective.
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Since those first days, I have made it out of the Projects, finished my Masters degree in International Development, and moved to DC to work in my field. As a young single Christian woman my struggles today are a little different than they were when I first came to know God, but who am I kidding, not much. It's the every day battle for my heart to be pure before God, to strive to please him, and help others to seek and know Him.
Over my years of a faithful walk with God I have received much grace and compassion and have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Through out it all one thing has stayed consistent: God's word. Through His word I have been inspired and it has kept me faithful even when faith seemed like a foreign concept and God seemed deaf to my prayers. I started emailing my Quiet Times which helped me stay accountable as I shared my struggles and fought for understanding. Some wrote back and said they too were inspired and could relate. I hope some of my times can help inspire others who are seeking and fighting just like I am, to get to heaven and take as many as possible with me along the way.
Like what your read? Check out my blog: http://stronggirlforlife.wordpress.com/
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