Four Simple Steps to Build a Spiritual Core Being Freed from Aggression
Step One: Build a few moments for quiet reflection each day. Give it a fresh and creative name that identifies what you hope to gain. I grew up with “Daily Devotions” as a name for this moment. Use it if you want. However, I now call it “Selah” borrowing from the old Hebrew word that means to pause and think. Centering, or Recentering, is a possible title. Begin now with a few delicious moments freed from activity, demands, noise, and expectations. When you can, give it a name that draws you into this quiet time.
Step Two: Breathe for a minute or two before doing anything. Drop the aggression that tells you to do something. Just enter the space and be there silently for a minute or two.
Step Three: Read divine words. I’ve been reading the Psalms every morning. Today I read Psalm 33. It might now be my favorite Psalm—but I say that almost with every Psalm. But as I read Psalm 33, I thought of Zechariah (God Promises) and Elizabeth (My God Keeps His Word). I’ve been tracing words in the Psalms that intrigue me and capture my attention. Here is a photo of my traced words today:
I have underlined words in the past. I find that is too passive of an activity to dent the thick walls surrounding my heart. The time it takes for me to trace these words slows me down, quiets me down, and brings stillness to me as I work slowly at tracing. As I traced, thinking of God Promises and My God Keeps His Word, it wasn’t long before my attention was drawn to me and how different I am from Zechariah and Elizabeth. I don’t easily, if being transparent, depend on the Lord. I excel at taking matters into my own hands, hoping in my ability. While I recognize and admire the religious nature of God as our rescuer, in reality, I find myself getting aggressive in rescuing myself. As I read today, I saw in the ways I am describing that I am more like the violent, aggressive culture surrounding me than I am like that of this old couple who trusted God’s promise and word to save and restore.
Step Four: Confess, repent, and invite God to restore a fresh heart within you. There is hope for us. There is hope for me. There is hope for you. Our God promises to restore. Our God keeps His Word. Drop your aggression. Drop your admiration of aggressive people. Become willing to be remade by the Spirit of God into the gentle, trusting, and good people that marked the old couple who lived in that one home in that one village in the hill country outside of Jerusalem.
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