STOP
Matthew 16:24 (NLT) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
Stopping surrenders my way so I can choose a new way-- God’s way.
You can’t follow Jesus if you don’t first stop and give up your own way!
Surrendering our way looks like living life with open hands. We admit that we are not in control, and give up our control and accept God’s way because we trust him.
Surrendering our way looks like living life with open hands. We admit that we are not in control, and give up our control and accept God’s way because we trust him.
We loosen the grips of our tightly closed fists, one finger at a time if needed— from whatever we are holding onto— and we let go!
We surrender our way— our plans, worries, purpose, identity, security, health, people we love, fears— and trust God’s way. We trust our known God on an unknown path.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:14). We only have today. Right now. This moment.
We need to embrace the present moment. We embrace this moment because we know that my moments turn into my days, which make my weeks and months and years, which make my life-- which make me who I am and who I am becoming.
To be truthing we have to learn how to stop.
If you do not stop, you will most likely not know how you feel about a situation, and certainly not why you feel that way.
If you do not stop, you will most likely react out of habit or past memories or experiences -- out of the story the world wants you to believe, out of the story you have written for yourself. What you think, say and do matters.
When you notice a lie, a response, a habit that is not consistent with Jesus’ way -- with the truth of who God is, who you are and where you are -- STOP!
Do not keep going about your day! Do not ignore the pain. Don’t keep going. Don’t say “I can not change.” Do not say “it doesn’t matter.” It does matter!
Every little thought and choice we make in this present moment matters because who you are and who you are becoming matters.
Think about things you normally see that will help remind you to stop.
When you see a stop sign driving, think about stopping in your mind. When you feel anger rising up inside you, imagine a red flag being thrown-- and stop yourself before you respond! When you put on your shoes, think about your desire to want to “walk” with Jesus today. When you see a bird flying, or a beautiful flower, do what Jesus did-- stop and notice them:
Jesus stopped to look, to notice little “unimportant” things like birds and flowers that He saw in His daily life to remind Him of important truth-- truth like how much God cares for you and therefore we do not need to worry about our future.
Put things in your life, in your schedule, that will remind you to stop. Plan a time every morning when you will stop and sit with your reality and at the feet of Jesus. Plan a time every week to stop. Plan a time every month for a whole day. Plan a time every season to stop.
Hang up a painting or words that speak truth that you need to hear. Put a sticky note in your car. Set a reminder on your phone to stop.
We must live a lifestyle that knows how to stop, when to stop and makes a practice of a lifestyle of stopping.
We stop because we know that what we think, say and do matters and we stop so we can make a choice.
We surrender our way— our plans, worries, purpose, identity, security, health, people we love, fears— and trust God’s way. We trust our known God on an unknown path.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:14). We only have today. Right now. This moment.
We need to embrace the present moment. We embrace this moment because we know that my moments turn into my days, which make my weeks and months and years, which make my life-- which make me who I am and who I am becoming.
To be truthing we have to learn how to stop.
If you do not stop, you will most likely not know how you feel about a situation, and certainly not why you feel that way.
If you do not stop, you will most likely react out of habit or past memories or experiences -- out of the story the world wants you to believe, out of the story you have written for yourself. What you think, say and do matters.
When you notice a lie, a response, a habit that is not consistent with Jesus’ way -- with the truth of who God is, who you are and where you are -- STOP!
Do not keep going about your day! Do not ignore the pain. Don’t keep going. Don’t say “I can not change.” Do not say “it doesn’t matter.” It does matter!
Every little thought and choice we make in this present moment matters because who you are and who you are becoming matters.
Think about things you normally see that will help remind you to stop.
When you see a stop sign driving, think about stopping in your mind. When you feel anger rising up inside you, imagine a red flag being thrown-- and stop yourself before you respond! When you put on your shoes, think about your desire to want to “walk” with Jesus today. When you see a bird flying, or a beautiful flower, do what Jesus did-- stop and notice them:
Matthew 6:26-30 (NLT) Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
Jesus stopped to look, to notice little “unimportant” things like birds and flowers that He saw in His daily life to remind Him of important truth-- truth like how much God cares for you and therefore we do not need to worry about our future.
Put things in your life, in your schedule, that will remind you to stop. Plan a time every morning when you will stop and sit with your reality and at the feet of Jesus. Plan a time every week to stop. Plan a time every month for a whole day. Plan a time every season to stop.
Hang up a painting or words that speak truth that you need to hear. Put a sticky note in your car. Set a reminder on your phone to stop.
We must live a lifestyle that knows how to stop, when to stop and makes a practice of a lifestyle of stopping.
We stop because we know that what we think, say and do matters and we stop so we can make a choice.
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