Want to Thrive in your Midlife and Senior Years? Cultivate a Sense of Awe!
“God, I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in!”
Psalm 139:5-6 The Message
Is your faith thriving or just surviving in your Midlife or Senior years?
If you’ve been a disciple, a follower of Jesus for many years, watch out! The Midlife and Senior seasons of life can lead to a ho-hum faith—a routine with ingrained habits that are no more exciting than your morning coffee. Reading, saying some routine prayers for safety, nodding at God but that’s about it.
It’s untrue to say that “Familiarity leads to contempt”, but it can lead to a spiritual flatness where thoughts of God no longer fill us with awe. Where we rarely stop and marvel at who God is. Where the fact that He knows your thoughts, your comings and goings, your intentions and plans fail to leave you stunned and in awe.
Is that where you are today? It’s where I find myself from time to time.
Pastor Eugene Peterson, author of The Message Bible, translated the original languages into modern day terminology, giving us an amazing picture of God in Psalm 139.
Do you sense the awe, the joy, the heart hunger in David’s relationship with God? Do you long for this to be your experience as much as possible? I know I do.
I don’t want a dry, academic Christianity that doesn’t touch me deeply and move me to think and speak and act out of a passion for Christ.
I don’t want to be satisfied with an intellectual, analytical faith. I want a faith that is fueled by passionate gratitude that burns like fire. (As Amy Carmichael expresses her heart in the poem, “Make Me thy Fuel, O Flame of God)
As someone whose life was turned around by the power of God’s Word, I know that study and knowledge are vital for a strong faith, but a strong academic understanding of Scripture is no substitute for loving God and living with awe and gratitude.
As I think about:
If you’ve been a disciple, a follower of Jesus for many years, watch out! The Midlife and Senior seasons of life can lead to a ho-hum faith—a routine with ingrained habits that are no more exciting than your morning coffee. Reading, saying some routine prayers for safety, nodding at God but that’s about it.
It’s untrue to say that “Familiarity leads to contempt”, but it can lead to a spiritual flatness where thoughts of God no longer fill us with awe. Where we rarely stop and marvel at who God is. Where the fact that He knows your thoughts, your comings and goings, your intentions and plans fail to leave you stunned and in awe.
Is that where you are today? It’s where I find myself from time to time.
Pastor Eugene Peterson, author of The Message Bible, translated the original languages into modern day terminology, giving us an amazing picture of God in Psalm 139.
- God is Living, All-Seeing, All-knowing.
- God doesn’t miss anything that’s going on in you – your thoughts, feelings, fears, decisions, temptations, joys and desires.
- There is no place where God will not lead you and hold you steady.
Do you sense the awe, the joy, the heart hunger in David’s relationship with God? Do you long for this to be your experience as much as possible? I know I do.
I don’t want a dry, academic Christianity that doesn’t touch me deeply and move me to think and speak and act out of a passion for Christ.
I don’t want to be satisfied with an intellectual, analytical faith. I want a faith that is fueled by passionate gratitude that burns like fire. (As Amy Carmichael expresses her heart in the poem, “Make Me thy Fuel, O Flame of God)
As someone whose life was turned around by the power of God’s Word, I know that study and knowledge are vital for a strong faith, but a strong academic understanding of Scripture is no substitute for loving God and living with awe and gratitude.
As I think about:
- Thriving
- Flourishing
- Growing
- Changing
- Being Transformed
I know it can’t happen unless we have a passionate love and gratitude for who God is and all He has done for us and in us, through Christ.
Cultivating our faith is not something limited to our early years as believers.
It is something our souls need at every season or we’ll find ourselves spiritually dry and simply going through the motions.
Are you there now?
It happens, but we don’t have to stay there. When the Holy Spirit shows me how dry my heart is, the long-ago words of Keith Green, a passionate follower of Jesus, often come to mind:
“Oh, what can be done for an old heart like mine?
Soften it up with oil and wine. The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew in the wine of Your blood”
“Oh Lord, you’re beautiful, your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me”
These words often reduce me to tears of longing and gratitude. I need that fresh touch from God. I need my heart to be softened by His Spirit. Do you?
I’m sure many of you have your favorite ways to respond to a dry heart but let me encourage you to take time with Psalm 139. Soak in what it says. Marvel at the fact that God wants you to come close. Remind yourself of His presence in the past, and now. Ask Him to reignite your love for Him, and give you a renewed, vibrant, faith for your journey.
To help you take time in God’s presence, pray about the following questions. Where have you seen His hand on your life? List them and be in awe!
It is something our souls need at every season or we’ll find ourselves spiritually dry and simply going through the motions.
Are you there now?
It happens, but we don’t have to stay there. When the Holy Spirit shows me how dry my heart is, the long-ago words of Keith Green, a passionate follower of Jesus, often come to mind:
“Oh, what can be done for an old heart like mine?
Soften it up with oil and wine. The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew in the wine of Your blood”
“Oh Lord, you’re beautiful, your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me”
These words often reduce me to tears of longing and gratitude. I need that fresh touch from God. I need my heart to be softened by His Spirit. Do you?
I’m sure many of you have your favorite ways to respond to a dry heart but let me encourage you to take time with Psalm 139. Soak in what it says. Marvel at the fact that God wants you to come close. Remind yourself of His presence in the past, and now. Ask Him to reignite your love for Him, and give you a renewed, vibrant, faith for your journey.
To help you take time in God’s presence, pray about the following questions. Where have you seen His hand on your life? List them and be in awe!
- V.5 When has He protected you, perhaps blocking you from making a foolish decision you would have regretted?
- V.5 When has He laid His hand on you, clearly guiding and blessing your life?
- V.7-10 When have you found yourself running far from God, only to find He saw you, loved you, and did not abandon you?
- V.12 When were you in such darkness you felt even God couldn’t change things. But He did?
- V.17-18 When did you last worship in gratitude and amazement that God would draw you to Himself, calling you His precious and beloved child?