Recently, God has been challenging me in this area, and I want to share what I’m learning.
Too Full for God
It hit me at the beginning of the week. I realized that I esteemed God, but I wasn’t particularly hungry for Him.
That bothered me. I was still reading His Word and setting intentional time to seek Him. What was wrong?
I was full.
Full of the busyness of life and school. Full of constant noise—music, podcasts, and conversations. Silence felt unsettling, so I filled my life with noise.
It wasn’t just noise, but that was the first area I noticed. My whole life, in fact, was filled to the brim—often with good things—to the point that I simply had no room to be hungry for God.
Beware the “Overs”
God has walked me through the “overs” before. It’s a human tendency to take even good gifts in our lives and overindulge in them to the point that we exalt the gift above the Giver.
Food. Am I delighting in food more than in God, turning to extra little helpings even though I’ve had enough?
Work. At the beginning of every semester, I struggle with setting boundaries to put away my schoolwork and rest or cultivate relationships. Am I looking to accomplishments above God?
Practically anything in life can become an “over.” Sleep, exercise, obsessing over beauty, social media… the list is endless. If anything consumes my thoughts and energies so that it becomes more appealing than spending time with God, it has officially become an “over.”
The Challenge
God directed me to cut back on the “overs” and the noise in my life as I prayed for a greater hunger for Him.
I intentionally turned off my phone, music and podcasts at various times throughout the day. I set boundaries for homework. And I prayed for a deep, real hunger for God to return.
As I made little changes in obedience, I began to see results. Because there was less noise, I found myself praying or worshipping more often. My relationship with God began to be vibrant instead of dutiful.
Guess what? God was faithful. He is right; those who hunger for Him are truly blessed (Matt. 5:6). There is nothing more satisfying than seeking after Jesus and spending each day with Him and knowing God intimately.
An Anchor in the Storm
Ironically, this “quiet” week has been a busy one. I’ve been at school or unexpected events more than usual. On multiple days, I run from one task to the next with barely a chance to catch my breath.
Through the hectic moments, God has given me a joyful peace (yes, even when my assignments were as yet uncompleted!) Drawing near to Him and trusting in my Jesus truly is an anchor amid the storm of daily life (Heb. 6:19).
I’ve been thinking about the verse from 1 Peter which directs women to “let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious” (1 Pet. 3:4).
At first glance, the verse can seem chauvinistic to the modern woman. But this week, I’ve experienced a quiet spirit that is more like an anchor than a personality directive. A spirit like this allows joy to bubble freely from the Source of Life! Rather than saying that only introverts or women who don’t speak much have this “imperishable beauty,” Peter is saying that God delights to see a woman whose heart is securely fixed on God.
My Anchor holds fast, for Jesus is wholly trustworthy. Oh, may we as a Church rise up and hunger after Jesus without reserve!
