I have been super busy lately with work, which is great, but it has also taken me away from posting as much as I would like. However, each day is a new day and many opportunities lie ahead. I have a few posts brewing right now and they should be up soon. Until then though, I would like you to read a blog post/bible devotional that a friend of mine has written. Her name is Leesha Miller and she is a great young women who continually inspires a group of us with her words and insight on life and faith. Her post this week was great and it was so good that I wanted to share it with all of you. So sit back, relax and take in this yummy/filling dose of insight and faith!
Head Versus Heart
Something that has really been laying on my heart and in mind lately relates to that dichotomy itself, specifically the pairing of a mind and heart understanding of God’s will, His message, the world in general. I think as women we can have a unique struggle with this establishment, or at least I know I can.
This combating understanding, though, does not only relate to my understanding of God’s direction. It is played out in all areas of my life. I can just as easily demonstrate a head understanding of my individual physical relationships on earth as I can my spiritual relationship with God. I find it particularly easy to identify, establish, and accept a “head understanding” or a basic knowing of my family’s love for me, my boyfriend’s appreciation of me, and my friends’ understanding of me. However, I often have a much more difficult time fully accepting each of those in the deepest parts of my heart. We all hold secrets and insecurities that prevent us from completely accepting ourselves and seeing in our own selves what others find in us. And probably what makes this acceptance so difficult is that we are often unwilling to admit that insecurity.
We can face this very same struggle between heart and mind in our relationships with God. It is fairly easy to come to an understanding in terms of knowing his promises and direction. Yet, it is much more difficult to completely accept those ideas as true in the deepest crevices of our hearts. Again, I think this relates to our insecurities. But, with God, it seems more so that it is his knowing too much about us that He couldn’t possibly mean those promises for us too, helpless sinners.
This, however, is the most awesome and intimate concept of our relationships with God, though. He knows our struggles. He knows our insecurities. He knows our insufficiencies…And, He loves us for them, through them, in them. We need only to surrender them to him to come to a full acceptance of his promises. And, in surrendering we need to come to know him fully, which He says takes on simple step.
In Jeremiah 29, we find a true representation of this principle. He makes a promise to us and reminds us of the reciprocating action we must take. “This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity…’” (vs. 10-14a)
In this passage we see that God indeed does have things in store for us (if we relate the scripture to us personally) and that to move past a simple head understanding, we need to seek the Lord with all our heart. When we do so, He will be found by us.
I encourage you today to move past a head understanding and allow Him into your heart. Know that He knows your deepest thoughts and insecurities and lives you in spite of them. Allow his promises to calm your fears. Let go and seek him with all your heart. See the difference this makes in your relationship with him (and with all of those around you).
Something that has really been laying on my heart and in mind lately relates to that dichotomy itself, specifically the pairing of a mind and heart understanding of God’s will, His message, the world in general. I think as women we can have a unique struggle with this establishment, or at least I know I can.
This combating understanding, though, does not only relate to my understanding of God’s direction. It is played out in all areas of my life. I can just as easily demonstrate a head understanding of my individual physical relationships on earth as I can my spiritual relationship with God. I find it particularly easy to identify, establish, and accept a “head understanding” or a basic knowing of my family’s love for me, my boyfriend’s appreciation of me, and my friends’ understanding of me. However, I often have a much more difficult time fully accepting each of those in the deepest parts of my heart. We all hold secrets and insecurities that prevent us from completely accepting ourselves and seeing in our own selves what others find in us. And probably what makes this acceptance so difficult is that we are often unwilling to admit that insecurity.
We can face this very same struggle between heart and mind in our relationships with God. It is fairly easy to come to an understanding in terms of knowing his promises and direction. Yet, it is much more difficult to completely accept those ideas as true in the deepest crevices of our hearts. Again, I think this relates to our insecurities. But, with God, it seems more so that it is his knowing too much about us that He couldn’t possibly mean those promises for us too, helpless sinners.
This, however, is the most awesome and intimate concept of our relationships with God, though. He knows our struggles. He knows our insecurities. He knows our insufficiencies…And, He loves us for them, through them, in them. We need only to surrender them to him to come to a full acceptance of his promises. And, in surrendering we need to come to know him fully, which He says takes on simple step.
In Jeremiah 29, we find a true representation of this principle. He makes a promise to us and reminds us of the reciprocating action we must take. “This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity…’” (vs. 10-14a)
In this passage we see that God indeed does have things in store for us (if we relate the scripture to us personally) and that to move past a simple head understanding, we need to seek the Lord with all our heart. When we do so, He will be found by us.
I encourage you today to move past a head understanding and allow Him into your heart. Know that He knows your deepest thoughts and insecurities and lives you in spite of them. Allow his promises to calm your fears. Let go and seek him with all your heart. See the difference this makes in your relationship with him (and with all of those around you).
~Leesha Miller
