Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Discipline Of Quiet


The devotional I picked up after finishing "The Discovery" is called "Dear Abba" by Claire Cloninger. This book has been awesome at helping me develop my prayer time. It is also full of practical applications and insights on what a life completely surrendered to God can look like.

Here is an excerpt that I read recently:

"Surrender requires letting go, and letting go is very uncomfortable. It flies in the face of everything we've been taught by this culture-this culture whose twin national anthems seem to be 'I Gotta Be Me' and 'I Did It My Way.' Most of us have been schooled in the art of being in control, living as captains of our own destinies, architects of our own life plans. Many of us find the old anxiety level rising sharply at the thought of being caught without a 'to do' list, without a mapped-out agenda. We feel much more comfortable with marching orders, job descriptions, and mission statements, so that little is left to chance. We want our priorities neatly listed and our lives tidily contained."

Ouch!

The coolest thing about this book is the habit it is creating in my life to sit quietly and listen to the still, quiet voice of God. The first time it said to "Sit quietly for ten minutes (or more) and listen for Him in your heart" I about had a panic attack, but I was determined to learn how to meditate on Christ and to sit quietly listening for His direction, His voice. The first 3 minutes were a constant battle of the mind to close out all the distractions around me, like the misplaced toys on the floor and my growing to-do list.

I actually look forward to this time now=) I would encourage all of you to try to find that time every day to just sit quietly and listen for that still, small voice.

1 comment:

the broomes said...

wow- that sounds like a very convicting and challenging book. I'll have to check it out. Being still before God is definitely something that I'm not good at. Thanks for the challenge.