By: Lisa Santelli
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
Have you ever had an event, a diagnosis, or a rejection that took you off guard? With the recent hurricanes, this could be fresh due to so much loss and devastation. For others, it could be something you’ve been struggling with for a long time. One minute, you have faith that anything can be conquered and peace that no matter what hits, it will all work out. You believe in a God who works for your good, who heals and can move mountains. But then something comes along and shakes you so hard that you feel like you’re breaking. An uninvited anxiety enters the scene.
That was me earlier this year. I felt in an instant I went from a strong, peaceful faith to battling this deep fear and doubt. But God didn’t leave me there. He kept pressing a couple of scriptures on my heart: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you” (Matt 6:33) and “Seek Me and you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
God wants us to seek Him and find Him. But what does that really mean? God is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him. Even though He has given us His whole heart repeatedly and sent His Son to save us, we often withhold pieces of our hearts. He wants all our pains, sorrows and disappointments, but He also wants us to get to know His heart: to feel the great love He has for us and to understand His character, which builds our trust and confidence in who God is.
When we begin to build a friendship with someone, we want to know all about them. We first build up a trust factor, and then we begin to share intimate details of our lives: our dreams, passions, past hurts and hopes for the future. To build this type of relationship, we must become vulnerable. Are you willing to be vulnerable with God? As I was struggling earlier this year, I realized I had been withholding pieces of my heart. I don’t believe it was intentional, but I had been so used to burying certain feelings that I didn’t even realize what needed deeper healing. But, when God calls us to seek Him, it’s because of His great love and compassion, and He can make us whole.
There are different ways to deepen our connection to God. Whether you are just starting your journey or you have been walking with God for a long time, ask God to highlight a few areas from this list, and He’ll reveal where to focus.
Read the Bible daily. We know this one. It’s the most foundational place to learn all of God’s attributes. It’s the living, breathing words of God.
Pray. It’s a petition, a conversation, a declaration and a release that we don’t have to carry what was never meant for us to hold on to.
Pause. Be still. Listen. Give God a chance to speak into your heart. He has so much He wants to share with you.
Tithe. This is one of the biggest trust-builders in deepening a relationship with God.
Limit social media and the news. Decrease the swiping and scrolling, and replace with the original “scrolls” of the scribes.
Worship. When worry tries to creep in, crank up the worship and surrender it all.
Practice gratitude. A thankful heart shifts our perspective and is a reminder of all the goodness God is fulfilling in our lives.