Discovering God's Peace - Get out of a Spiritual Rut this Week!

Living a peaceful and centered life is a by-product of our actions and our relationship with God. God promises us peace, it is available to us, it is a gift waiting on the counter for us to open. How much we enjoy peace and 'centeredness' is up to us to a large degree (I think defining centeredness will be in an upcoming post because as I write this my spell checker is telling me this is not a word, but I think it is).

Our experiencing peace is a much larger issue than simply feeling good and at one with the world. As followers of Jesus we have a God given responsibility to be both salt and light to those people around us; what great metaphors for giving flavor and direction to the world. In order to flavor others lives and help direct people to God who can offer real help to those around us, we have to be experiencing life with God. 

AS the old adage states, you can't give someone directions to a place you have never been before (this saying may only work if we imagine ourselves without smartphones).

[13] “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:13-14 ESV)
I have learned a few things over the years when it comes to spiritual growth and the main thing is realizing that there is no perfect way to grow spiritually. In fact if we look for a perfect method, we will never get started. The best place to begin is where we are, and right now. You don't need a great devotional, or leather bound journal to begin to develop a peaceful life. A Bible, an open heart and a dialogue with God are the only tools you need to get started. If you read and pray a Psalm, one Proverb, maybe a paragraph or story from John and write down a few things to pray for you will be on your way into the depths of knowing God. It really is this simple.

The things that will help greatly in growing spiritually and experiencing more of God's peace in our lives:

• Consistency - creating a habit of showing up to spend time with God is very important. Even when if feels as if nothing is happening in our life, there is no substitute for consistent time in growing a relationship with God. Having a consistent time, place and routine allows for spiritual growth to happen. 
• Christ Centered - the difference between Eastern meditation and Christian meditation is that Eastern meditation tries to empty our mind and soul. Christian meditation and prayer attempts to fill the soul with the giver of life. Jesus described himself as the way, the truth and the life (John 14.16). I have lived on empty long enough to know it does not work and I have realized I can not find any good and sustainable answers in myself. Filling my spirit up with Jesus' nourishment is a much more attractive option. Reading the gospels, paying special attention to what Jesus said is nourishment to the soul in and of itself. 
• Biblical grounding - God's word has all the information we need to grow spiritually, to know God, to thrive and develop a peaceful life. Don't get me wrong, I love to read and always have 3-4 books going at one time, many that focus on spiritual growth. But don't let anyone fool you, all we need is the Bible. Dallas Willard suggested we all become 'Word worms.' Use the Bible for the foundation of your spiritual growth and you will grow. 
• Reflection - I have a bad habit of rushing through my Bible reading so I can get through and onto my other tasks. Rushing produces stress. In order to absorb God's word and receive its full nourishment, pausing and thinking about, praying about, writing down key insights is important. Taking time to reflect on our attitudes, mistakes, failures in light of what God says will always help us live more peaceful. Some have called this journaling, I have an Evernote file where I type in my thoughts, cut and paste Scripture or important quotes and even store photos of significant events. This helps me stop and reflect on my life. Whatever method you may have, being able to take what is going on in our life and pause to process it is important. 
• Silence - Prayer is more listening to God than speaking with God. However being silent before God is excruciatingly difficult. I have found that silence before God has a powerful determination in how much peace I experience. My old pastor and mentor Burt Burleson (currently the BU Chaplain - Sic 'em) suggested a technique I call Silent 7's. When having trouble focusing in silence before God, simply breathe deeply and count 7 breaths. When you get to 7 start over again at one. I am sure there are some important reasons why 7, I don't know them (I was distracted when Burt was explaining this) but this works! Give it a try and let me know if this works for you. 

 An interesting computer app - pray-as-you-go this app is about a 15 minute guided prayer time in the Ignatian Spiritual tradition. There is a song usually by monks, a gospel reading and time to pray and think about what was read. Everyone needs to hear some monks from time to time! 

Listening to the bible - The past year I have been listening through the Bible being read each morning. I was in a bit of a spiritual rut and needed something different, so each morning I grab my java, plug in my headphones, settle into my recliner and rest into God's word.

Two good books (other than the Bible) to get you going. Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence and Enjoying the Presence of God by Jan Johnson.

The key to spiritual growth is to lay down imperfection and get started. Don't let imperfection to keep you from experiencing God's great love and mercy! I pray you experience God's peace and grace as you enter the adventure of life with God. Please let me know how I might encourage you in your spiritual journey.