Tranquilo

     "Tristan, tranquilo (Tristan, chill out)!" pleaded my Tico mom, Cynthia, I turned from the sink towards her with a puzzled look on my face. She continued,  "Que siempre están haciendo, se sientan y se sigue (your always doing, sit and be still)."  We had just finished eating supper and after we had finished I had gathered the dishes and began to wash them for Cynthia, at least to my American mind I was just trying to help. However, in Costa Rica time is something you spend with each other not something you count or keep track of, and although I was trying to help, I had given the equivalent of the "cold shoulder" to the lady that acted as my mom for several weeks by getting straight up from the table. The African Christians have an interesting saying on this, "Americans have watches, but we have time." How often do we, especially in the United States, get so busy serving and doing "good" things that we forget completely about spending time with our Heavenly Father?

38 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha g welcomed Him into her home.h39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's i feet j and was listening to what He said.k 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, "Lord, don't You care l that my sister has left me toserve alone? So tell her to give me a hand."

41 The Lord o answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,p 42 but one thing is necessary.q Mary has made the right choice,rand it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

Although serving is great and I hope each one of you are actively serving in your local Church and community, be careful that you don't forget that God speaks in "a still, small voice." It is difficult to hear what God has to say when you are being pulled ten different directions. Following Christ is more than bringing others to Christ or discipling younger Christians, although both of those are incredibly important, you have to get alone and listen for what God has to say to you. The times that God has revealed himself in incredible ways to me have all been times when I have been alone, either having a private time of worship or studying the Bible. I challenge you to take thirty minutes to an hour each day that you get completely alone, with nothing to distract you, and just wait patiently on the Lord to speak.
Usually my God time goes like this:

• Praising God for who He is and what He has done
  
• Purifying my heart: confessing any sin, preparing myself to go before the throne of God, asking for my ears and heart to be open to what He has to say    
  
• Pleading with God to reveal Himself, to give me a glimpse of His glory; that He would speak to me 
  
• Worship, through music and proclaiming out loud his glory and majesty (Psalms are great for this)
  
• Then I begin to study a Scripture, I read through it several times and then go through it verse by verse meditating on it and digesting what it has to say
  
• Thanking God for what He has revealed to me and for what He has done in my life
  

 
     In closing, I want to remind you that we are commanded to "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10, but at the same time we are commanded to " Go, therefore, and make disciples s oftall nations,u baptizing v them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,wI am with you always,xto the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20. Go forth and share your story share what God is doing in your life, no one can discount a personal experience, and you don't have to be an incredible spokesman to share your own personal story.

Speak, Lord, in the Stillness

Speak, Lord, in the stillness

While I wait on Thee;

Hushed my heart to listen,

In expectancy.

Speak, O blessèd Master,

In this quiet hour,

Let me see Thy face, Lord,

Feel Thy touch of power.

For the words Thou speakest,

"They are life" indeed;

Living Bread from Heaven,

Now my spirit feed!

All to Thee is yielded,

I am not my own;

Blissful, glad surrender,

I am Thine alone.

Fill me with the knowledge

Of Thy glorious will;

All Thine own good pleasure

In my life fulfill.

Like "a watered garden"

Full of fragrance rare,

Ling'ring in Thy presence

Let my life appear.

 

 

 

 
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ please scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find out how to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ.