I have a whole set of preconceptions (misconceptions?) about what God is looking for from me. He wants me to pray, he wants me to read the Bible, he wants me to worship Him and be nice to other people. And in writing there are certain things I’m supposed to do. Keep writing, blog, attend conferences, comment on other blogs, send queries, pitch my books and so on.
But what if I have it wrong?
A friend shared a story with me this weekend. She had the strong feeling that God was asking her to remain close to Him that day. So she set out on a walk and began to pray, thinking that’s what God meant. And it wasn’t really working. As she turned around to head back home, she saw the sunrise over the mountains and she began to sing (she sings beautifully!). As she poured her heart out in song she got this feeling of, “Yes, that’s IT.”
I like to please people (and get praised for it!). I like to please God. But all too often I assume that I know what will be pleasing. I follow a prescription, a formula. And sometimes, that’s not what’s needed.
So, how to know? My friend started out with a “prescription” for being close to God. But then, as she moved into her day, she switched over to what her heart felt. And that’s what I think I have to strive for—pouring out the overflow of my heart. Not what’s in my head, not what I crave or long for. Not what the world tells me to do and want. But what I have so much extra of in my heart, that I have to let it spill over. In song, in words, in ideas.
Matthew 12:35 – Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.