spiritual hacks for a miraculous life
I’m over at Quora today. Please join me as I answer that question:
“I’ve struggled with this too. I’ve prayed specifically for something I really wanted yet God didn’t answer my prayer the way I asked.
Yet, frankly looking back now I’m often glad he didn’t answer some of those prayers. . . .”
You can read the rest here.
If you enjoy the post please upvote it. Also you can follow me on Quora if you like.
Do you have times that after a tough day you just feel spent? I think it’s a pretty common experience we all struggle with.
But how do we recharge to keep living this pressurized life in strength?
We catch a glimpse of the answer from a story about Jesus.
He was ministering, teaching and healing and he was spent.
So he told the disciples to go on ahead to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and he would catch up with them. Then he dismissed the people to go to their homes. And he went up into the hills to be alone and pray.*
The story doesn’t tell us what he did other than spend time in prayer. But to only pray he didn’t need to hike that far away. So I think we can assume a few things that may help us when we’re feeling crushed.
Sure spend some time praying. But more importantly spend some time listening. Tell God what you need. Ask him questions. Then just listen to your heart and mind.
You’ll be amazed at the answers you receive.
Second, stop trying to be superman. Realize you’re human and you need times to reenergize. So plan them.
Third, I think he ate and slept also because it was evening and the story next picks up in early morning. It’s amazing what a good meal and sleep will do for restoring us.
Time to get restored?
*Matthew 14: 22-23
Here’s an answer I wrote on Quora:
“I’ve a friend who received a substantial inheritance. He later divorced his wife destroying his family.
I’ve other friends who spent their lives striving to grow rich and destroyed their health. . . .”
You can read the rest here.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Also if you enjoy the post please upvote it. You can also follow me on Quora if you like.
Do you ever have days when you feel just spent? I mean, by the end of the day the pressures and challenges leave you feeling like so much road kill?
I’m kind of a balance between extrovert and introvert. I enjoy being around people. I’m energized on conversation up to a point.
But I also find after a full day of meetings and talking with clients. Particularly on a pressurized day when the economy and financial markets are going crazy I come home spent. Frankly, I just want to exercise, read and become a hermit.
Those days my wife finds me to be less than a sterling conversationalist. I’m just wrung out. I’ve nothing left.
Frankly, when I’m in that place I can drift into growing despondent very easily. Suddenly my world and life can grow dark.
I used to sort of double down, up the pace. Suck it up and get busier.
Yet, that always ended poorly.
I used to think something was wrong with me. Ok well maybe. But that also only pushed me further into a funk.
Finally, I realized it’s just how I’m wired.
I also realized that even Jesus, as powerful as he was, after spending time with people teaching, ministering and healing was often exhausted. So he stepped out of the crush for a while to recharge.
If that was true for him what makes me think it isn’t for me.
Understanding that has changed my life in remarkable ways. What about you?
Another post on Quora to an interesting question.
I answered:
“There is no best thing money can buy.
Some writers listed pets with lots of cute photos. Yet, have you ever had a puppy pee on your new carpet and flipped out?
Others listed travel. . . .”
You can read more here.
I hope you enjoy it.
If you do please upvote it and if you would like you can follow me on Quora.
As we talked about last time, we all at times face the impossible don’t we? And no matter what we do it just isn’t enough.
Maybe a marriage implodes. Or health crumbles. Or a new enterprise collapses.
Suddenly we’re struggling trying to figure out what to do. Feeling scared and alone because nothing is working like it should.
As we looked at last time, Jesus’ disciples faced the impossible. 20,000 hungry people that Jesus just told them to feed. Yet, they didn’t have enough food even for themselves.
Suddenly they had to act on their minuscule faith. That seemed like an impossibility in itself.
Yet, I find encouragement for my own impossibilities in this story.
Amazingly, we see miracles happening inside of miracles.
First, of course, is the main miracle. 20,000 people were fed with a small supper that should have fed two. The food kept multiplying. No matter how much one person took when they passed on the basket there was more food.
Then the baskets multiplied. They started with one and ended up with twelve. Maybe others shared their food also. Maybe the disciples had more baskets. Maybe the baskets themselves multiplied. I don’t know when that happened because we aren’t told.
Third, the people were changed. They shared. No hoarding. No fighting. As long as the baskets kept moving the miracle expanded.
Fourth, the disciples were changed. They’d seen the impossible happen and they would never be the same again.
They gained an important perspective in thinking beyond their own ability to fix the impossible. Suddenly God did something completely outside of their experience and understanding.
And it all started simply because the disciples took their impossibility and gave it to the one who makes all things possible.
What would happen if we did the same?
*Matthew 14: 19-21
We all have times when we face the impossible don’t we? Often it’s not because we failed to plan properly or we didn’t try hard enough.
Yet, it happens anyway. The impossible.
And it leaves us feeling demoralized, afraid and frustrated. We think, “It not supposed to be like this.”
Jesus disciples faced exactly that. Jesus had been teaching and healing all day by the Sea of Galilee. Night was coming and the disciples told Jesus, “Everyone needs to head into the village to find dinner.”
Jesus responds, “No, you feed them.”
The disciples looked at each other bewildered then said, “Uh Jesus, we don’t have enough for ourselves. And we’re guessing we’ve got around 20,000 people here?”
Jesus responded, “Bring me your basket of food.”
So they did.
This story offers some interesting insights into facing the impossible.
Jesus says, “Bring me your problem. And bring me what you have. It’ll be enough. I’ll fill in the rest.”
How often is this the last thing we do rather than the first? How often do we thrash around in our own strategies until we’re exhausted then finally bring him the problem?
The disciples had no idea what Jesus would do but when he said that they expected him to act. Otherwise they were really going to look like fools. I wonder if that’s what holds us back sometimes?
I would add to that, they expected the unexpected. When we’re completely out of answers then we can expect God to act in a new way.
Surprisingly then the disciples were given the food back for them to distribute. They weren’t relieved of their involvement. Now they needed to act on their expectation.
And when they did they saw a miracle. Jesus worked the impossible.
He offers the same to us as well.
We’ll look at this further next time.
*Matthew 14:15-18
This is the latest post I wrote for “Quora” in answer to the question, “What are the lessons people most often learn too late in life?”
You can read it here.
If you enjoy it would you please click the “Upvote” button at the end. It helps with the rankings and number of readers I can reach.
Please let me know your thoughts.
As we looked at in the previous post, sometimes we all face struggles when it just seems like God has left on vacation. I mean we’re struggling with something really tough yet it seems like God has deserted us doesn’t it?
It leaves us feeling frustrated and angry at God as well as very alone.
Yet, from a story about Jesus which we looked at, we saw when the people proactively sought Jesus out it changed their trajectory.
I love what the story then says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”*
Wow, suddenly Jesus focuses completely on them. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel like we have that same focus from him?
Personally, I find the details of this story encouraging.
When Jesus landed he saw the crowd who’d followed him on foot. Suddenly they became the most important thing to him.
No matter what we go through we may feel all alone but we’re not. Jesus sees us and our struggle.
Then he had compassion on them. Literally he wept with empathy.
Whatever we’re going through God weeps with empathy for us too. He loves us like a father loves his child. When his child hurts he hurts as well.
Then Jesus acted. No empty, “I feel your pain” political slogan. He no fooling got involved.
He acts in our lives as well. No matter what we’re facing he not only hurts with us but will do something about it. In fact he already is even when we don’t realize it.
Finally, Jesus healed, miraculously. His power can overcome any challenge. Friends may stand alongside us and that’s incredibly important. But Jesus can actually solve our most difficult struggles.
What could we possible go through beyond that?
*Matthew 14:13-14 (NIV)
We’ve all faced struggles, I’d guess, when it seems like God’s deserted us haven’t we? In fact, may be you’re feeling that right now.
Not only is the struggle tough enough. But then feeling like God doesn’t know or care can leave us feeling pretty alone and frustrated can’t it?
Jesus was ministering when he heard that his cousin John had been murdered. So he sailed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to be alone.
Yet, people were waiting to see him. People struggling with real issues and impossible conditions. So they left their town and walked around the lake several miles to find Jesus. Then he healed the ones who were sick.*
Why did some finally see the miracle they needed even though they perhaps felt he’d deserted them?
I think one of reasons was they proactively went after it. No fooling around. No dabbling in it. They full up went after Jesus.
What might that look like in our lives?
First, they took the time. They stopped everything and went after him.
How often do we get so wrapped up in all the busyness of our lives we just never take the time to really seek out God’s answers?
Second, they did that was because frankly they truly believed he had the answers. If they didn’t believe that they wouldn’t have chased after him.
Third, they bet all on Jesus’ answers. No plan B. No second guessing. They went all in even though it probably would mean ridicule or worse from those who opposed him.
Then they saw Jesus act. They watched him heal. They found answers to their struggles. They knew he cared.
I wonder what would happen if we did the same?
*Matthew 14:13-14
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