O Magnify the Lord

O magnify the LORD with me, 

And let us exalt His name together. 

Psalm 34:3

Who points you to the Lord? Who helps you see The One Who Is Invisible? Who pulls life into perspective when the “muchness and manyness” of life fogs you in? Who helps you hold on to Jesus when you're not strong enough to do it on your own?

Who magnifies the Lord for you?

• Friends

• Mentors

• Pastors

• Teachers

• Counselors

• Family members

• Writers (many of whom are long gone but whose words stand the test of time)

• Musicians

• Artists

During a very tough seasons in my life, a woman named Beverly met with me a few times and helped me process some very daunting changes and challenges in my personal and ministry life. I’ve probably only spent a total of 24 hours with her, yet she was a very strategic influence my life.  

Whom do you trust with your soul? If you have even one or two “Beverlies” in your life, you are blessed.

I desperately need other Beverlies in my life. Do you have someone in your life with whom you can discuss what it means to live the Christian life? Who can help your process the frustrating dry wilderness experiences, excitement, difficult decisions, spiritual breakthroughs, seasons of stumbling, watershed moments, doubts, pain, gray areas, and bewildering situations?  Who can remind you of truth, point you toward the Lord and help you see and hear God when all seems foggy or silent? Someone who will magnify God for you?

I am often asked, “Should I have a spiritual director?” Yes. Many. I think we need a variety people throughout our lives who can stimulate and challenge and direct and listen and pray and bounce around the reality of knowing and serving the Lord. It takes a lot of wise input to finish well in that long obedience in the same direction.

No one person has arrived. No one person can provide the insight I need to walk with Christ. We need different people who can help point us toward God. Men and women, clergy and lay, friends and family, younger and older, who connect with us in openness, humility, mutual encouragement--not just top-down direction. Each person brings a unique perspective and shines light from a new angle. I have had the privilege of studying and learning and living alongside so many incredibly faithful believers, and each one has contributed to my understanding of what it means to live in Christ.

To whom I shall open my soul?

• Do they have a solid knowledge of the whole of Scripture that acts as a grid by which everything is filtered? Just because someone is a spiritual director does not mean they are Biblically based, Christ-centered, or even walk with Jesus. So many times I have heard people report unhealthy, heretical, or flat-out sinful conclusions, and am told, “My spiritual director told me”. Going deep apart from the Lord and His Word can lead to endless and possibly paralyzing introspection, a temptation toward self-indulgence and even self-deception, and strengthening of my flesh rather than dependency on God.

• On the other hand, if they spout Bible verses as pat answers and simple solutions, without genuinely listening to you or considering what the Holy Spirit might be whispering, bless them and step away. Am I being conformed to the image of Christ? Or to a legalistic cookie-cutter mold? Do they help me wrestle with the really rough challenges of faith? Do I leave with a profound peace and a desire to serve God in greater joy and freedom?  Or with a set of do’s and don’ts and a miserable case of shame and false guilt? The Word can be used to lead us to truth—or to beat us up.

• Does this person foster a dependence upon Jesus?  Or a dependence upon him/her? Does it feel like control and manipulation? Or freedom to be myself and express my true heart and mind? Am I becoming who God truly made me, or am I becoming hard and proud?

• Does he/she have all the answers? Everything neatly sorted out? A formula for every dilemma? No room for the mystery of God? I would not trust this person with my soul. Someone who is mature in the Lord is always holding onto unshakeable truth, but also growing, knowing they have not arrived. I love gleaning from lifelong learners with a teachable attitude.

• If I only receive input from my own gender, age, denomination, and viewpoint, I cut myself off from a wealth of insight on what it means to walk with Christ.

• Does being with this person cause me to want a closer walk with Jesus? Do they free my spirit to connect with the Holy Spirit in transformation? Are they able to speak into my life in such a way that we stimulate one another to love and good deeds? Make the time to connect with this person whenever you can.

As I study the Scripture, I see there is no such thing as a healthy Lone Ranger in the Kingdom. There are times when I need you to magnify the Lord for me. There will be times when I may be able to magnify the Lord for you. No matter how long I’ve been a believer, how mature I think I am, how many times I’ve been hurt or disappointed by someone in the church. I cannot walk with Christ without the body of Christ. God does not give me the option of going it alone.

Who magnifies God for you? Who needs you to be a Beverly? Who are your Beverlies?

Grace and peace,

Linda

Repentance. Rest. Quietness. Trust.

For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,

"In repentance and rest you will be saved,

In quietness and trust is your strength."

Isaiah 30:15

Repentance.

Rest.

Quietness.

Trust.

That sounds so peaceful and healing. As vital as oxygen. Wonderfully counter-cultural. I long for these.

But how? Most of us do not need to be convinced that we need more repentance, rest, quietness, and trust in our lives. But how do we receive and nurture these gifts? How can I learn, understand, and practice the spiritual disciplines that grow my relationship with God on all these levels?

    The word discipleship and the word disciple are the same word--that has always

fascinated me. Once you have made the choice to say, "Yes, I want to follow Jesus," the

question is, "What disciplines will help me remain faithful to that choice?" If we want to be

disciples of Jesus, we have to live a disciplined life. 

    By discipline, I do not mean control. If I know the discipline of psychology or of

economics, I have a certain control over a body of knowledge. If I discipline my children, I

want to have a little control over them. 

    But in the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in

which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up.

Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the

spiritual life; discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you

hadn't planned or counted on.

---“Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry” by Henri Nouwen

Space.

Time.

Encouragement. 

Direction.

Tools.

Soul friends.

Accountability.

Invitation.

Freedom.

Truth + Grace + Time

The Word of God.

The Spirit of God.

The Body of Christ. 

These are the elements that nurture repentance, rest, quietness, and trust in my life. They open up my life for Jesus. For most of us, they don’t just magically happen. They require some intentionality. This is what we offer through Psalm One Ministries. 

As 2020 roars to life, before our schedules crowd Jesus out, let’s create some space in which God can act.

Grace and peace,

Linda

I Can't Do It All

I can’t do it all.

And that’s okay. Actually, that’s more than okay. It’s freedom!

I have places to go, people to see, things to do. Places I’ve always wanted to explore, both in my hometown and around the globe. People who are dear to me with whom I would love to have a good catch-up over a leisurely lunch. Things I need to accomplish and things I want to enjoy. I have a “to do” list that tends to grow instead of shrink. I have endless interests: books I want to read, art I want to attempt, skills I want to learn, ideas I want to research, and a whole world to investigate.

I can’t do it all.

So many changes around us. So many people taking sides. There’s a freedom in not needing to have all the answers. Am I wimping out by saying, “I don’t know”? Maybe. Do I need to research, investigate, and give my brilliant opinion on every complex issue? Possibly. Am I choosing honesty and humility as I concede: there is one Messiah and it is not me? I hope so. Sometimes there is wonderful freedom in deciding I don’t have a horse in this race.

I can’t do it all.

There are seasons in our lives that are EGR: Extra Grace Required. Health issues, job changes, financial stress, life transitions, parenting down with small children or teenagers or grown children, parenting up with aging or ailing parents. Times we may need to say a discerning no far more often than we’d like, so we can say yes to the truly important demands of life. There are even times when success may be distilled down to just making it through the day. God Almighty is omnipotent. I am not. I have God-given limits to protect me (sometimes from myself) as I rely on Him.

I can’t do it all.

The most wonderful thing about the holidays is having time with family and friends. Occasionally, the most challenging thing about the holidays is having time with family and friends. So many fun activities and special things to enjoy. Sometimes a bit of stress in trying to be everywhere and be everything to everybody.

I can’t do it all.

That’s not a declaration of defeat. That’s embracing the freedom to say a carefully discerning no so I can say a truly enthusiastic yes! When I release my feeble attempts at trying to do it all, I am freed to thoroughly enjoy wherever I invest my time and energy.

I believe I need to make decisions in light of eternity and choose to be obedient second by second. That frees me from the regret and angst of the “if only” of the past. That frees me from the anxiety and fear of the “what if” of the future.

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,

Or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child rests against his mother,

My soul is like a weaned child within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD

From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 131

May we be released from the pressure of trying to be everything to everyone all the time. And may we find tremendous freedom, grace, and joy resting in the One True Messiah. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours as you welcome and celebrate Jesus!

Much love,

Linda