Hey friend!
A month ago I listened to David Perell’s conversation with Shaan Puri (for all the writers out there, v good). And one of the main things that has seared itself into my brain is this idea that all content is just energy transferred. For example, if I write something and I want my audience to feel a certain way, I have to get there emotionally first so that the emotion I desire my readers to feel is actually felt through the content. Say I want you to feel the joy of the Lord, but I’m sitting here writing about it and feeling blah. You’re definitely going to feel that and no one wants to feel blah about the joy of the Lord 😆.
As the writer, I need to get my heart believing and feeling the joy of the Lord FIRST, so that my words actually embody that joy and transfer it to you! Energy matters. We can’t be faking it out here. People can tell when we aren’t emotionally present in what we are doing, and the same is true for the content we create!
This concept obviously applies to our work lives, but I have been realizing that it also applies to our relationship with the Lord.
feeling blah with Jesus
Blake and I recently joined a new community that loves the Lord and the word! They are awesome, and one evening a week we meet for a teaching and bible study.
People are coming from long work days, some haven’t had dinner, and everyone is probably a little distracted with the events of their day. It would be fair to say that most people probably aren’t feeling super energized at this point in the night! We are all showing up, bringing our best, but are our hearts open and hungry to really receive what God has for us that night?
Personally, my heart is not in the most hungry or open place as we sit down for the teaching. 8/10 times, I am distracted or mentally disengaged for one reason or another. I want to be excited about the word of God! I want my heart to be receptive to what the Spirit is teaching. But man, my energy and emotions just aren’t there.
I’m writing this to you guys today because I know I’m not the only one. This theme of coming before the Lord unenergized is felt by all and it is felt often. In our morning quiet times and in our evening bible studies, when we jump straight into learning something about God, our hearts aren’t always ready for it.
We can’t fake it with God. If we come before the Lord feeling blah, tired, or distracted, he sees that. He wants our undivided attention and our delight in him to be full. We don’t have to settle for less than that just to check a box of faithfulness.
Do you think God feels most loved when you read the word but your heart doesn’t actually want to be there? Or does God feel more loved when you read the word and your heart is open, hungry, and excited to be there? That’s some serious food for thought, because a lot of us settle for the first scenario.
We tell ourselves we just need to tough it out, be persistent, keep showing up. Eventually we will fall in love with reading the Bible, eventually we will be able to stay focused while praying, eventually we will be taught something that sticks. Eventually… haha but no. That is a hard way. You know it. I know it. And guess what, God knows it.
And friend, God hasn’t abandoned you to the hard way. He hasn’t asked you to just tough it out even though your heart isn’t in it. He has more for you than that.
And maybe it’s controversial, but I think God cares more about our hearts being near to him than the actual things we do. He has given us a better way forward. A path of less resistance. A path of more emotional delight and joy in the Lord. This path does lead to open-heartedness and hunger and energy when you make time to meet with him.
It is the path of worship and thanksgiving.
answers & a guide to open-heartedness with the Lord
This is the good stuff, and guys, God knows us so well. He knows the struggle and he gave us Psalm 100 as a guide.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Long before science ever told us that singing and music can boost our mood, God invited us to worship.
Come into his presence with singing!
Don’t you want to enter the presence of the Lord?! When you receive teaching, pray, read the word, and share with people, don’t you want to do so in his presence? I totally do, and I don’t ever want to leave it! Singing praise to the Lord is like inviting his presence upon us. It is the process of setting our hearts on him and drawing near to his presence. Singing to him changes our entire mood. Our emotions get transformed by the beauty of his nature and our hearts are opened to the gentle nudge of his Spirit. All by singing. Guys, it is too easy.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving!
Gratitude. It changes our inner narrative from self-focused and distracted to God-focused and grounded. Thanksgiving centers us in the goodness of God above all other worries, fears, or priorities. Thanksgiving reminds our hearts how very wonderful God is, and it allows us to rejoice in our portion. If you’re feeling blah or disengaged with the Lord, enter his gates with thanksgiving. Thank God. Out loud. I dare you 😉. And do so until your heart changes!
Altering our physiology is scientifically one of the fastest ways to see a change in our feelings. Music bypasses all logical barriers and goes straight to the heart. The act of singing and declaring truth out loud literally moves our emotions.
We don’t worship or pray or thank God or read or receive teaching just when we feel like it. Right?! How much would we miss out on if we lived like that. We do these things because God is THE BEST! And if our hearts aren’t there, it isn’t a him problem! It’s an us problem. And he has given us everything we need to get there!
prompt: get out of your slump!
My challenge for you this week is to intentionally create new rhythms of worship and thanksgiving in your day. And I am talking every day. Make thanksgiving and worship a priority! Make it so regular it’s like drinking water (which hopefully you do all day long 😆).
When you are getting ready in the morning, sing to the Lord. Who cares if other people hear you. He is the Lord and he is worth it!
Before you sit down for a quiet time to read or journal or pray, sing worship! You can thank God, whether in your heart, out loud, or in your journal.
If you’re driving to meet with someone to talk about Jesus, listen to worship music in the car. Talk to Jesus like he is sitting right next to you. Thank him for his presence with you and all that he is.
If you’re heading into a teaching where worship isn’t on the agenda, carve out space to set your heart on the Lord and become open to what his Spirit wants to do.
Get intentional.
Where are you feeling spiritually slumped?
Take inventory and make a game plan.
Watch your heart transform as you enter his presence the way God intended: hungry, energized, and engaged.
He will fill you up and unlock any emotional hardness so that you can receive more of him.
That is his portion for you today.
I hope worship and thanksgiving transform your life as you enter his presence over and over again,
ma
p.s. follow me on instagram for more encouragement & lil behind the scenes moments on my ever-growing creative process. It’s a fun time!
Three Things Worth Sharing:
David Perell’s How I’ve Studied the Bible: I have really been enjoying David Perell’s How I Write podcast (as mentioned in the intro), and this short essay about his journey with the Bible encouraged my heart! David comes at the topic first as a logic-driven atheist and leaves with heart transformation, totally in love with the living word. This is one worth sharing with friends.
Huberman Lab- How to Use Music to Boost Motivation, Mood, & Improve Learning: Andrew Huberman debunks things I thought I knew about music and makes a powerful case for its psychological benefits. If you’re hesitant to jump into worship because it feels uncomfortable, I hope this podcast gives you a strong case for getting over yourself and moving toward God with your whole heart!
John Piper: So if I feel no emotion, can I worship?: I found this perspective helpful for understanding what worship can look like when our emotions for God are weak or struggling. Sometimes we really are in an emotional pit, and our heart feels far off even as we ache for God! I hope this encourages you if you’re feeling emotionally stuck but want to worship God rightly.