Have you ever had the Holy Spirit just lay someone on your heart? That nudge you just can’t ignore? It’s ever so real and it is for a purpose. It happens like a freight train for me, blaring its horn so loudly, it cannot be ignored. But often, we jam our lives with so much that requires our time, we miss the moments to just be still and allow for God to speak.
God allows for the freedom to choose how we spend our time. If we are not allowing space and quiet for the nudge of the Holy Spirit, we often miss it. I was recently reminded of this. Up until about three months ago, I wasn’t allowing for much time to be still. My “free” time was being used to carelessly scroll social media. I would feel so empty and guilty that my time wasn’t being used wisely. Many times, I would feel so much unwarranted anger, becoming triggered by things that quite honestly, aren’t even for me to know, but because we live in a world where we share so much, I fell victim to it. Time after time, after time again. Day after day, I would be so frustrated that I just never had enough time. It was a crazy cycle, so much in my control of managing if I would just be honest with myself. So, after much prayer, I decided to break the chains that was my social media addiction. Yes, I call it an addiction because if we are being honest with ourselves, that is what it is (and if you’re getting a little feeling stirring inside you or you start feeling a little defensive or offended, perhaps it has the exact same foothold on you too!) Merriam-Webster defines it as this: one strongly inclined to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly. That was exactly who I was: addicted to scrolling social media. And the crazy thing is, I would try to convince myself, I wasn’t! “I am not that bad. I am not ‘always’ on it.” I know now, looking back, every red light, every moment I, “sat down for just a second,” laying in bed before I fell asleep, every chance I had to just be still, I chose to scroll social media, leaving no time to be still. No time for me to listen to the nudge of the Holy Spirit.
Do not hear what I am not saying. I am not saying that social media is all bad. I am not saying that in order to hear the Holy Spirit, you have to get off social media. I am not saying that all who scroll are addicted. It provides many positive things in this life, for long distance friendships, for promoting business, for inspiration. But here is what I am saying…how are you spending the little, precious time we are given? Is it spening too much time on social media? Is it saying yes to too many things? Is it jamming your calendar with so many kid activites, playdates, sports, etc? We truly have no idea when our clock runs out. For me, I want to be certain that in the midst of it all, social media or not, I am allowing for the Holy Spirit to work through me, to encourage someone within my influence. To be the vessel that God uses to comfort another. I want to be certain that I am not being swallowed up by something that the enemy means for evil while wrapping it in a pretty bow and making it seem like it is for my good or it’s convincing myself it’s not, “that bad.”
God so graciously showed me the reward of being obedient to my conviction of allowing more time to just be still. A few weeks ago, as I was sitting in silence, in God’s word,(three months ago, I would have most definitely been scrolling social media and missed this,) a dear friend of mine came across my mind, just like a freight train. She had asked for prayer a week or two earlier for something going on within her family. In the stillness, in the obedience God called me to, God placed her on my heart. I stopped what I was doing to check in. Sure enough, the fears they were facing became reality and they were staring down the diagnosis we had all been praying it wasn’t. She had learned it all just a few short hours before I reached out and she was crushed in spirit, so grateful to have a sister in Christ reach out to her in that very moment. Not a coincidence. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18) He uses you friends and he uses me. He rescues us. I cannot tell you the countless times that this happened. Not because my timing was perfect but because His is.
The bible tells us in Philippians 2:4: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” That requires some of your time, friends. That requires stillness. It requires quieting the chaos and crazy and allowing for space to listen. That requires your sincere desire to think of others over yourself. It requires you to reevaluate how you are spending your time. What a gift we are given when we are obedient and we get the oppurtunity to pray for others! What a gift it is to encourage and lift up one another! Don’t miss that! It is ever so powerful and present if you allow it to be.
If you find yourself feeling convicted of this very thing, I am praying for you! I am praying that you would lean into the Lord, break free of the bondage of whatever is occupying your time, and I pray you would allow yourself the time to just be still.
