Seize the Day! But Not the Way You Think!
Carpe Diem—seize the day—is a motto we may be familiar with. Our theme this month, “The Time Is Now,” carries a sense of awareness and decisiveness. God has blessings in store for you right now that could absolutely change the entire course of the rest of your life. However, what I am talking about is very different from the striving for success that is so typical in our culture. Many people live in a panicky mode of simply trying to get through the day. And if the constant demands of life and work don’t push us into a fight/flight mode, the news certainly can!
When we get stuck in survival mode, we find ourselves in a state of mind where we are easily influenced to make rash decisions, become anxious, negative, and fall into a desperate “fix-it” mode. This is not what I mean by seizing the day.
God has a better way! Our friend Krissi Trowbridge recently said, “Get your body out of survival mode, so you can create from your heart.” I like this! God gave us the fight/flight response from our sympathetic nervous system, so we could act rapidly and instinctively when finding ourselves in deathly danger. However, we were never meant to live in this state!
Many clients I see in counseling admit that they operate in a fight/flight mode almost constantly. Several sessions are spent simply helping clients connect with the calm and clarity of their hearts. I can hear God speaking to us, “I have called you to live out of a place inside where my righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit flood your inner being.” This is living in the kingdom of God. (See Romans 14:17.) From that inner wellspring, we can become more and more attuned to God’s incredible goodness and love in every situation. When sudden storms come our way, we can learn to respond from an awareness of who we are and Whose we are and remain peaceful, regardless of what is swirling around us!
When we relax, step out of fear, and tap into that peaceful place in our hearts, we find ourselves in the parasympathetic nervous system, where we feel safe and social. Many describe this feeling as having an open heart, feeling connected, joyful, energized, and curious. When you open your heart to Jesus on a regular basis throughout the day, your awareness of His presence and promises releases peace and calms your nervous system. Remind yourself every day of His never-ending faithfulness and good intentions towards you. Start out your day with thanksgiving, and invite Him to be a part of every moment. Graham Cooke often says, “Don’t pray your circumstances. Pray from the awareness of being joined to Jesus and being a partaker of everything He is.” In this wonderful partnership with Jesus, you will have assurance and clarity to confidently move forward!
God has called us to live intentionally, creatively, and joyfully out from our hearts, assured of our oneness with God! One way you can learn more about how to make a lifestyle out of oneness with God is by joining our mentoring program. We start September 12, and for 8 weeks we will learn how to become stronger inwardly in this journey with the Lord. This is your time to become intentional about living out of your heart. It is your season to take charge of your life in a new way—God’s way. This is your time, and this is your day to discover the future and hope God has already given you as your inheritance. Won’t you join us?