The Result of Getting Honest

Tuesday night I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite things – teach a workshop on Biblical Journaling.  I can't even describe how my heart dances when I witness others comprehend that they can actually hear from God as they journal and spend time in His Word.  I came home excited, fulfilled and encouraged, as 34 men and women gained a greater understanding of how to develop a more intimate relationship with Him, experience true transformation, and learn how to hear His voice. And it all started with our getting honest about our own barriers or struggles in this area - things like fear, confusion, apathy, schedules, distractions, TV, social media, discipline, perfectionism, etc.  It was awesome to say the least!

Last night, as I looked through an old journal, I found an entry from July, in which I had written “If I take care of the DEPTH of my relationship with Him though an intentional time with Him each and every day in Scripture, worship, and prayer, He’ll take care of the WIDTH of my life, ministry, dreams and desires.”

I want to preface what I’m going to say next by declaring that if you know me well, you know that I am NOT one to give the enemy of our souls more credit than he deserves. I often think that we often assign our troubles as being “under attack” by the enemy, when in essence, they are the direct result of living in a sinful, imperfect world, in which calamities occur. Other times these same troubles are the result of our own bad choices.  However, in the case of spending intentional time with God, through being in His Word, could our struggles in this area be the direct result of the enemy’s attempt to prevent us from drawing closer to Jesus?  I think the answer is a definite “yes.”

Having said that, what would happen if we purposefully invited God into this situation, asking Him to give us what we cannot conjure up ourselves – the determination to come closer to Him through Scripture, worship and prayer?  What would the result of our being honest with Him, letting Him know that we are struggling, desperate and in need of His help?  Or that we have no desire, and we need Him to birth a hunger in us that can only be quenched through being with Him?  I believe everything would change, and we’d become people so in love with Him and His Word that we wouldn’t be able to stay away from it.

Years ago, I was in such a place.  Spending time in Scripture had been a lifelong struggle for me.  When I didn’t read, I felt guilty. When I did read, I couldn’t remember what I had just read.  I had even resorted, some days, to only reading one Scripture, just so I could check it off my “I’m a good Christian” list.  I was miserable, frustrated and embarrassed.

Then one weekend, while listening to a speaker being introduced at a women’s retreat, certain phrases of her bio kept ringing in my ears like “She’s a women who is in love with God’s Word.”  “She’s a woman who finds great joy in the Scripture.”  That evening, while trying to go to sleep, these phrases kept playing through my mind. It forced me to ask myself “Am I in love with God’s Word?”  The honest answer, of course, was “no.”  Tears rolled down my face.  I confessed to God that I loved His Word, because I loved Him. But I certainly wasn’t IN LOVE with His Word. I didn’t want to be in His Word the same way that I would want to be with my husband.  I then went on to ask Him to help me to fall in love with it, cherish it, and not be able to live without it.   I wanted to read His Word because I WANTED to, not because I had to.

It wasn’t long before God took me on a journey of falling in love with His Word through Biblical Journaling (which is an entirely different story). It quickly became something I looked forward to each day.  I couldn’t stay away from it. I began to change from the inside out. Things I had prayed about for years (like the sharpness of my tone when I spoke) began to be transformed by the power of His Holy Spirit.  And not only did I change, but my family began to change.  We all were being transformed.  All because I got honest with Him about my condition and asked for His help.

That was almost 22 years ago.  Much time has passed since.  As I look back over the years, all the trials, victories, changes and opportunities, I am convinced that I wouldn’t have made it through any of them without my relationship with God’s Word and Biblical Journaling. Without a doubt, it is the single most powerful tool that’s caused me to grow over the years.  It gives me hope, joy, vision, answers, encouragement, understanding, growth, creativity, opportunities, and passion.  It gives me strength each and every day.  It has grown my marriage and it has transformed my kids.  It has given me life…and it can give you life as well.

So my question today is this…if you’re not where you want to be in relation to God’s Word, would you consider getting extremely honest? What is your relationship with God’s Word?  If it’s great – that is awesome!  Keep it up! Ask Him to take you even deeper and light an even hotter fire in you!  But if, like me, you’ve struggled, could I encourage you to get honest with Him?  He’d love for you to invite Him into the situation – that’s when He does His most amazing work.  And I can promise – a year from now – you’ll be telling me stories about this amazing and exciting adventure that He’s taken you on! I have no doubt…and I can’t wait to hear!  Let the adventure begin!

As a side-note - I am hoping to develop a tutorial on this blog of how to do Biblical Journaling.  If this is something you'd be interested in, let me know in the comment section!!!!

Thanks for reading!  Much Love!

Cammie