Search Results for: depression

Who You Are Is Not Defined By How You Feel

October 29, 2015 by Patti Brown 2 Comments

Depression has become a serious issue for some Christians. The impact of depression can be profound. And being a Christian does not get you an automatic “get out of depression free” card, like life was some gigantic Monopoly game.

But why does depression plague God’s children? Is there a way to healing?

Feelings

Recently I journaled through some of the seasons of depression I have experienced. I wondered if I could find any common threads.

I discovered two themes that ran through all of my struggles with depression over the years:

I felt that in some way I had failed
I felt that I had no control

I felt.

That itty bitty sentence speaks volumes about the heart of depression.

I – The one thing I am consistently able do when I am depressed is focus on myself. Not in the sense of healthy self-care, alas. More like obsessive dwelling on problems and on my failings. Thinking about me, myself and I.

felt – Oh the feelings, how big they grow. Giant waves of emotion that submerge me with their unhealthy undertow. Feelings based on nothing tangible but the moment.

If I lived life ruled only by feelings? I would never escape the cycle of depression.

Depression is a Liar

Depression tells you that you are a failure. That everything is hopeless. That nothing really matters, especially you.

The father of lies is the enemy of your soul. Jesus Himself said of Satan:

When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 b

But when you have chosen Jesus, you have become a believer in Truth. He is truth.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

A person with Jesus in her heart can fight the lies in the most powerful way – with the truth of who she is in Christ.

Who You Are in Christ

The lies of depression take your eyes off God and laser-focus them on yourself and your situation. Feelings of failure and hopelessness blind you to truth – the truth of who God sees when He looks at you.

When you accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, you become a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17) God’s Word is replete with descriptions of who you are in Christ.

Here are just a few verses that describe the spiritual truth of your identity in Christ:

You are a child of God. John 1:12
You have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
You are free from condemnation. Romans 8:1
Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! Romans 8:38-39
Your sins have been forgiven. Ephesians 1:7
Once you were darkness, but now you are light in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 5:8

Understanding the truth about who you are now that you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1:13) will transform your worldview (Romans 12:2.)

Print out this extensive list of more than 100 verses that show your true identity in Christ and keep it where you can read it every day. Spend time studying each Scripture, praying that God would reveal His truth to you.

There are no caveats to these truths. The Word does not say “You are a child of God… as long as you are perfect,” or “You have peace with God… on the days you are feeling peaceful.”

Don’t let your emotions alter the truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17

You Are Not in Control

Life is a hard road that sometimes veers through the terrain of depression, grief, and suffering. You can’t control this. It is part of living in a broken world on this side of heaven.

Taking the time to understand who you are in Christ does not place the responsibility for healing from depression on your shoulders. Yes, read the truth! Steep yourself in the Word. Speak Scripture aloud, read it daily, play it instead of music. But beware of subtly shifting the focus back to the wrong place – you and your own efforts.

When depression is profound, you can not be the primary agent in your healing. Jesus Himself is your healer.

Understanding your identity in Christ will help you keep your eyes pointing in the right direction – toward Jesus and truth – and open the way to healing.

Depression lies. Fight the lies with the truth of who you are in Christ Jesus. #DepressionTruths

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God comforts the depressed (2 Cor 7:6 nasb) #DepressionTruths

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Grieving Over the Holidays – What You Need To Know

October 20, 2015 by Lindsey 11 Comments

The holiday season can be a difficult time for those who are grieving. Because it’s a time to be with loved ones, it can easily magnify a loss.

Three years ago, a couple days before Thanksgiving, I miscarried for the fourth time. I still vividly remember sitting at my parent’s home, eating dinner and trying to be thankful…but feeling angry and depressed instead.

I didn’t want to celebrate Thanksgiving. I wasn’t thankful that year.

I was angry and devastated that God had allowed me to lose another baby.

Maybe you can relate.

Maybe you’re dreading the holidays this year because it’s the first holiday season you’ll “celebrate” without a loved one. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

What You Need to Know If You’re Grieving This Holiday Season:

Let yourself feel.

Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. If you’re angry, let yourself feel it. If you’re sad, let yourself be sad. On the other hand, if you’re happy, don’t feel guilty about it. Being happy after a loved one has passed does not mean you love them any less. Allow yourself to feel.

God gave us emotions, so don’t bury them or pretend they don’t exist.

Do something special to remember those you’ve lost.

Light a candle for your loved one. Say a prayer. Share a story. Hang a special ornament at Christmas time. Put flowers on the table in his or her memory.

Prepare a back up plan.

You might not be able to handle as much this year as you typically do. That’s okay. Be gentle with yourself. Prepare a back up plan ahead of time if you need to leave early or not attend something.

Surround yourself with loved ones.

Though it might be tempting to skip out on everything this year, try not to do so. Isolating yourself will only make the loneliness and sadness grow. Surround yourself with those who will love and support you through the holidays.

Create a new tradition….or don’t.

Some people find it helpful to keep everything as much the same as they possibly can. Others like to start a new tradition. Do whatever is most helpful to you.

Do something for someone else.

In the midst of deep grief, it’s easy to become consumed with yourself. (I know because I did this.) It’s easy to focus only on your pain, your loneliness, and your depression. Don’t ignore your pain, but also don’t focus only on it.

One of the ways God often heals our hearts is through our hands, stretched out to minister to another.

Remember, God is still with you.

Three years ago, I didn’t feel God’s presence in my life. But that doesn’t mean He wasn’t there. Our feelings are poor indicators of reality. In an earlier post this month, Ali shared several Bible verses that talk about God’s presence.

Sometimes, you have to trust what you know to be true about God…even when you don’t feel it.

Are you dreading this holiday season? What other truths would you add to this list?

Grieving over the holidays: what you need to know #DepressionTruths @LindseyMBell

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Sometimes, you have to trust what you know to be true about God…even when you don’t feel it. #DepressionTruths @LindseyMBell

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God gave us emotions, so don’t bury them or pretend they don’t exist. #DepressionTruths @LindseyMBell

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A daily dose to overcome anxiety

October 15, 2015 by Lisa Burgess 22 Comments

The craziest thing happens every month.

On the first Saturday, we gather with the homeless and poor in our community at Manna House to have a church service outside, although no one is an outsider. Everyone is welcome. Clean clothes aren’t required. Body odor is allowed.

And every Saturday, just the right musicians show up to sing to hungry souls, just the right food shows up to fill empty bellies, and just the right hands show up to serve and hug and love.

So why do I worry each time?

Because—I hate to admit this—I’m a worrier.

I can get anxious over small things, big things, trivial things, anything. I don’t want to. I see it as a hole in my faith.

I find myself mentally preparing for potential bad outcomes so I won’t be caught off-guard.

What if not enough people come to serve the food on Saturday?
What if we run out of food altogether?
What if I’m asked to do something I’m uncomfortable with, like this?

What if?

No.
I’m slowly growing into a better question: What is it?

“What is it” was what the Israelites called manna. Remember when they were traveling through the wilderness after being freedom from slavery in Egypt? God provided them food in fine, flake-like, white wafers that rained down from heaven each morning (Exodus 16:1-36).

He promised to give the perfect amount for each day.

If they weren’t grateful to gather it each morning, the sun melted it instead.
If they became greedy and collected more than they needed, it “bred worms and stank” before the next day, proving more than useless.

Day after day after day, God met their needs in the moment.

That’s what I’m learning, too.

If I will stay present, focused on the person and the task right in front of me, God will provide what I need for it.

This day is not only where God is, but this day is also when God is.

Anxiety only surfaces when I open a time gap, thinking too far ahead without God, instead of being available to Him now. If there’s anything I need to put off until tomorrow, it’s my fretting. I’d rather stay preoccupied with noticing God’s provision today.

I want to look up each morning and receive the grace that God rains down today.

What is it?
It’s grace.

It’s the power to stay in the moment.
To sit with God in the now.
To be okay in this place, in this time, with these provisions, knowing God is enough.

God provided daily for the Israelite travelers on their journey through the desert. He gave them manna.
God provides daily for our journeys now. He gives us grace.
It’s the craziest thing, and it happens every day.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
– Jesus (Matthew 6:34 MSG)

A daily dose to overcome anxiety. What is it? It’s grace. #DepressionTruths

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How do you defeat anxiety? What scripture helps you? Please share in the comments.

More about God in the now:

Fanny Crosby, Fruitful in Affliction

January 27, 2015 by Ali Shaw 4 Comments

Sometimes life is hard. Really hard. And not one of us is exempt from experiencing difficulty on this earth. But thankfully, we Believers are promised companionship, help, and strength from God along our way.

This whole month, we’ve been studying Godly Women here at DoNotDepart, allowing their stories to inspire us and touch our hearts. These amazing women have much to teach us, and I believe Fanny Crosby’s story offers us insight into living passionately for Jesus despite our difficulties.

Fanny’s Story

Fanny was born in 1820 in an area north of New York City. She suffered an eye infection as an infant and reportedly became blind as a result of poor medical care. Fanny’s father passed away the same year and Fanny was brought up by her godly mother and grandmother. She was taught that though she was blind, she was still valuable. Her afflictions did not dictate her future or her submission and service to God. As a matter of fact, in her Christian home the Word of God was esteemed, and Fanny had memorized all four Gospels, the Pentateuch, Proverbs and various Psalms by the age of 15.

As a teen, Fanny eventually was sent to the New York Institute for the blind where her love for composing poetry was further developed and polished. She later became an instructor there. At a time when most blind people were treated almost as invalids, Fanny Crosby lived a full, active life and viewed her blindness as a blessing. She used her affliction to focus her attention more closely on God.

“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” ~ Fanny Crosby

As Fanny’s faith matured, so did her poetry. By her adulthood, she was composing beautiful hymn lyrics. She often kept several hymns in her head until someone was available to dictate them to. It is said that she composed lyrics to over 8,000 hymns, and possibly as many as 10,000. What beautiful, God glorifying words and phrases she must have been meditating on over the years!

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long. ~ Blessed Assurance, Fanny Crosby

Fanny didn’t stop with just writing. She also gave willingly to the poor. While she could have become rich from her writing career, instead she lived on just enough to get by. All the rest she (and later husband, too) gave away. She wanted to be known as a rescue mission worker who shared Christ’s love in tangible ways rather than merely a hymn writer. Fanny Crosby passed away in 1915 after living a long, fruitful life for the Lord.

“I in My Savior am Happy and Blest”

We all have afflictions. Each one of us could probably name several things that we feel hold us back in life, or hold us back from serving God the way we’d like. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way! Blindness, sickness, pain, depression, anxiety, grief, stress…. The list goes on. But, with the proper view, like Fanny, we can allow our trials and difficulties to draw us nearer to God to focus intently on praising Him and resting in His strength. By abiding in Jesus, godly women can be fruitful in affliction.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor 12:9

So, what’s holding you back? Let’s abide in Jesus and find the power to overcome in Christ!

(You can read more about Fanny Crosby in her autobiography [amazon_link id=”1579102077″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fanny J. Crosby: An Autobiography[/amazon_link].)

Like Fanny Crosby, we can allow affliction to draw us nearer to God.

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Are afflictions holding you back? Focus your attention on God.

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His Word when we’re burned out

August 21, 2012 by Julie 13 Comments

From where I sit, I’ve had a close up view of people following hard after God who have fallen hard in their pursuit of living for Him. We’re all susceptible to wanting to please people. Expectations sometimes sweep away passionate people who wanted to do their best and end up worn out. Without meaning to, family, bosses, relatives, friends, and church people have needs that may drive the most well meaning woman to a weary place before she even knows it.

In his book Leading on Empty, Wayne Cordeiro cautions that, “You will burn out sooner on the inside than you’re able to see on the outside.” We may want a quick “fix” to this slow growing problem, but that covers up the true need to recharge, figure out what brought us to burnout, and change the way we do life. No one is exempt from a burned out condition.

Some signs of burnout

Work becomes difficult
What once gave us joy feels like a heavy drain
Decisions paralyze us
Our creativity is stifled
Physical symptoms or depression arise
We feel swept along by life, but out of control

God’s Word records worn out words from some of God’s heaviest hitters: Moses (Numbers 11:14-15), David (Psalm 69:1-2), Elijah (1 Kings 19:2-4).

God’s Word for the weary

Elijah came away from victorious battle with 850 prophets of Baal and the evil King Ahab, leaving him with a target on his back in the eyes of the even more evil Queen Jezebel. Physically, emotionally, and mentally drained, the Prophet ran away into the wilderness and collapsed under a broom tree. He uttered a prayer to ask God to end his life. He was “over it.”

There under that tree, God sent an angel to speak words of understanding to the burned out, battle -weary man. Do you ever wish God would speak to you in your battle-weary place beside your laundry pile, at your bedside, at your desk, or in the pew? He might say what the angel said to Elijah:

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God (1 Kings 19:1-8).

God knows we have limits, yet He has no limits. He invites us to let Him care for our needs, ceasing from doing and receiving His invitation to rest, letting Him be our Protector and Provider. The undeserved favor He shows can shelter us when we’re so weary we wish we could die. Even the man after God’s own heart, the anointed shepherd-king David experienced the feeling of being in over his head:

“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.” (Psalm 69:1-2).

God has an answer for seasons of weakness when life is heavy on our shoulders of flesh:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Have you ever been under a broom tree? Eat what the Lord has prepared to give you strength, rest with Him watching over your circumstances, and follow Him one more step at a time. The power of Christ will rest on you.

What words would you share with someone who is under the broom tree?

Hiding His Word Linky and a Testimonial!

June 1, 2011 by Katie Orr 16 Comments

It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for the Hide His Word link-up. If you have written a post about scripture memory, come and link it up at the end of this great guest post from Kristi!

Testimonial: Essentials of Philippians

Two thousand eleven was going to be my year. I picked out my word…BRAVE. This would be the year I was going to make an impact…on my faith, my health, my family, and my home.

Only a few months into 2011 I got some news that my dad was sick. All my bravery went out the window. The wind got knocked out of my sails and I found myself struggling to go through my day. Everything I had been working so hard on was slipping out of my grasp. My weight loss plateau’d, my house became a mess, my attitude changed, as I spread myself way too thin traveling to my dad’s house every day-off.

Now I wouldn’t have had it any other way…I was so thankful to be able to spend time with my dad when he needed me. But emotionally and spiritually I was spent. I was wrapping up my Bible in 90 Days challenge and was eager to continue to a spiritual walk of sorts (even though I was confused and tired). I had seen Katie tweet about Hiding His Word and I realized it was just what I needed.

You see, my depression was creeping back. My dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. I was working full time and balancing being a mom to 3 little boys and a wife to my husband. I couldn’t handle the way my thoughts were taking me captive and decided I needed to take my thoughts captive instead. So on March 20, 2011 I decided to start memorizing the Essentials of Philippians as laid out on Do Not Depart.

Can I just say I love this challenge? I downloaded the songs that Katie recommended. At work when I would start to get anxious I would put whatever verse I was learning on repeat and felt His peace wash over me. This was my lifeline during the drives to my dad’s house.

I’ve only memorized 5 sections of verses, but I feel solid in what I know of those verses. I have the first letters hanging in my shower to review, I listen to the songs, I have Jason test me. As I fall asleep I meditate on these words, and again, when I wake up they are the first things on which I think.

The Hide His Word challenge has encouraged me in so many ways. I’m deeper in His Word and encouraged by it. I sometimes still struggle with my thoughts, but before they go very far I reign them back in…”I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” Philippians 1:12

I received the call that he wasn’t doing well and that we were getting close to the end. Many tears fell as I held my dad’s hand, telling him how much I loved him and hearing him say the same thing to me. That entire day, the verses in the first chapter of Philippians “played on repeat” in my head. Any time my thoughts would go astray, I could cling to my verses in order to find my strength. And as my dad took his last breath…”For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

In the days that followed as we prepared for his memorial and even in the days since his funeral, I continue to cling to the words I have memorized in Philippians. I’m eager to move forward to Chapter 2 as I find my footing in this new normal. No matter your season of life, no matter what lies ahead of you, memorizing God’s Word and hiding it in your heart will make all the difference.

Kristi is a believer in Jesus, wife to her best friend, and mom to three amazing little boys. She blogs at www.mommakristi.com and is just trying to be the woman God wants her to be.

Hiding His Word Link-up

Calling all posts about Scripture memory! Its time to link them up! Share what God is teaching you or tools and tips that have been helpful in your journey!

Our Contributors

Our Current Contributors to DoNotDepart are:

Lisa Burgess

Scripture Memory Director, Writer

Seeking God…through the Word, through prayer, through everyday moments. Lisa watches and listens to what God is teaching her through life situations, then writes to share it with others on her blog Lisa notes. She is a worshiper, a writer, a wife, and a retired homeschool mom with two daughters on earth (and one in heaven), two sons-in-law, and two fun granddaughters.

Follow Lisa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Patti Brown

Encouragement Director, Writer

Once struggling with depression, Patti has been transformed into a truly joyful mama by the power of God. Through His Word and the daily choice to live a life of service, she has found hope and joy. Whether through bible study, intercessory prayer or writing, Patti is passionate about encouraging women to seek hard after Jesus and receive freedom to enjoy the life they have been given. She challenges women to choose love and find beauty no matter their circumstance at her blog, Joyful Mama.

Follow Patti on Twitter.

Jaime Hilton

Jaime is 1/5 of the Hilton Family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is the household manager and wife to Ray, the actor. Together they are in the trenches of parenting three children, ages 5-11 with another expected this summer. Thanks to homeschooling and her voracious reading habits she has her library card number memorized. In her (rare!) spare time she likes to write and work with local theater companies, directing and encouraging fellow artists to glorify God in every aspect of their work. Her favorite mornings start with a quiet cup of coffee and an inspiring book or blog. Her most passionate pursuit is studying the Word and discovering the stories within The Story. She blogs from time to time about life, homeschool, and theater at classichiltons.wordpress.com and is active on Facebook @jaime.hilton.

Ali Shaw

Owner and Manager, Facebook Community Leader, Writer

Ali Shaw can’t believe how blessed her life is! Wife of 20+ years. Momma to three daughters (two that she’s still homeschooling). She also serves on the HelloMornings Leadership Team… and is just in awe that God will use a regular girl like her! Woven with practical insight, her writing lovingly encourages other women to seek God daily through the reading and study of His Word. She’s learning to serve her Precious Lord more and more, day by day. She blogs at Heartfelt Reflections.

Follow Ali on Facebook and Twitter.

Cheli Sigler

Writer

Cheli lives life and pursues her God-given purpose of teaching from her home base in sunny Orlando, FL. Cheli and Matt, her husband of 20+ years, are blessed with two teenage daughters. She has experience as a professional educator and as children’s ministry team leader, trainer and writer. Currently, Cheli equips missionary kids for the mission field as a volunteer at Wycliffe Bible Translators, teaches a third grade Sunday School class, is a contributing writer for DoNotDepart.com and participates in Hello Mornings as a group leader, mentor, and writer. Inviting people to sharpen their minds and soften their hearts for God’s purpose and the world, Cheli shares ideas and resources on her blog, Sharpen to Soften.

Follow Cheli on Twitter or on Instagram

Our Past Contributors:

Katie Orr

Founder

Jesus-lover. Pastor’s wife. Mommy of three. Grace-clinger. Truth-Speaker. Auburn fan. Longing to equip others to walk with the Lord for a lifetime. Co-author of Savoring Living Water: How to have an effective quiet timeand author of the Focused15 Bible studies. Creator of the Do Not Depart ministry.

Follow Katie on Twitter.

Lindsey Bell

Writer

Lindsey Bell is the author of the 10-week Bible study and devotional, Unbeaten, and of Searching for Sanity, a parenting devotional. She’s also a stay-at-home mother of two, minister’s wife, and avid reader. Lindsey writes weekly about faith and family at her website. Her passion is to inspire and encourage women through honest dialogue about her faith.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter and Facebook.

Kelli LaFram

Writer

Wife. Mom. Coffee drinker. Bible reader. Jesus believer. Plus a writer, painter, sign-maker, & furniture-flipper. That’s Kelli in a nutshell. Kelli has the authored And When You Pray: Understanding the Lord’s Prayer and Caught by Jesus: a 6-Week Study in the Gospel of Mark. You can find her letting her light shine at www.KelliLaFram.com, where she shares about all sorts of things – from painting to parenting to prayer – and how they all point back to His goodness, His grace, and His glory.

Follow Kelli on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Caroline Flory

Twitter Community Leader, Writer

A wife, mother, avid reader, homeschooling momma, and writer, Caroline is imperfect at all of those but thankful for every bit. Eager to grow with believers in deeper, more grace-focused faith, Caroline loves to study His Word, share it with others, and learn more and more how to fully lean on Him to live it out. You can find Caroline at her blog,Under God’s Mighty Hand.

Follow Caroline on Twitter.

Alyssa J Howard

Writer

Alyssa is a wife and stay-at-home mom to two young girls, and she is thrilled to be a part of her sixth Hello Mornings Bible study. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where she loves to bake, run, drink coffee, and dance with her daughters. Alyssa first fell in love with writing while earning her Master of Arts degree in theological studies through Liberty Theological Seminary. In addition to her contributions at DoNotDepart, she is the author of Renewed and Transformed: A Study in What It Means to Live with the Mind of Christ, and she has been blogging about Jesus and the Christian life for the past four years at alyssajhoward.com.

Follow Alyssa on Facebook

Coffee and Conversation with God

July 26, 2010 by ScriptureDig 15 Comments

Everyone has a story to tell. For Susan, the story revolves around how God has taught her to believe that the joy of the Lord is her strength. While she has faced the struggle of living through depression and other family illnesses, Susan desires to use the story of her struggle to point people toward the Source of hope. She longs for people to embrace the God who dances over them wildly with joy (Zephaniah 3:17). Susan is a college professor and also the founder of Defiant Joy Ministries. {Susan and I competed together on the speech and debate team at Southwest Baptist University and have recently reconnected via Facebook. What a joy to see how God is using her to touch the lives of so many! I know you all will be encouraged by her “My Time to Dig” post today! ~ Teri Lynne}

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My favorite singer/songwriter Sara Groves captures the beauty of listening to one another’s stories this way: “Every heart has so much history. It’s my favorite place to start. Sit down awhile and share your narrative with me. I’m not afraid of who you are.” For me, all things of importance flow from relationships and I am easily swayed by any opportunity to have conversation and coffee with a friend. After all, life was meant to be shared over coffee, wasn’t it?! Over the years, God has taught me much about how He desires to hear my narrative and how He definitely is not afraid of who I am. God is by far the best listener I’ve encountered and that is why I affectionately refer to my quiet time with God as C&C: coffee and conversation with God.

One main theme that has emerged from years of conversations with God over many cups of coffee is that my knowledge of God is useless without knowing God. Just like I learn about a friend by listening to her narrative, I learn about God by studying His story through His word as well as sitting quietly before Him. Knowledge of God is gained through purposefully getting to know God. I can memorize the entire Bible, know the names of God, recite the lineage of Christ, etc. but knowledge is useless without being rooted in relationship with the Living Word. It’s not that knowledge of any kind is useless in and of itself. My C&C time with God has caused me to reflect on what I do with the knowledge I have. In 2 Peter 1, I am encouraged to use my knowledge about God to know God. That can be a difficult pursuit for one like me who is comfortable taking in knowledge for knowledge’s sake. God has taught me that I need to go beyond the words on the page and look to the One who inspired the words. After all, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

One of the ways God has taught me to put my knowledge of Him into action is by bringing my daily life with me into my C&C time. I’ve learned to abandon a pre-determined set of rules (made by others and/or me) about what should or shouldn’t be said to God during our C&C time. In fact, thinking of it as having coffee with a friend has helped me to learn that God is relational and He wants to hear me share what’s going on in my life. During my day, if I have a thought about something, a need arises, or a reflection about scripture emerges, among other things, I write it down on a 3×5 note card. I then use the note cards to help guide my C&C time with God. So many amazing insights have come from not separating my daily life from my C&C time—it’s all one in the same. God has encouraged me to see my life as one big conversation with Him—if only it could always involve coffee!

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Thanks, Susan! What an encouragement to see life as “one big conversation with Him.”

How do you incorporate what you receive from the Lord during your quiet time into your daily life?