Originally published Monday, 25 April 2022.
Photo Credit by Canva
Do you feel like you need change at this moment of your life? Do you feel like you could grow more spiritually and personally? If so, I feel you! Did you know that as you spend time with God in the quiet with an open Bible and heart that you can begin the process of transformation, today?
Now, I know that I started this post with a lot of questions. But it’s all about self-reflection. The truth is you know where you are. God knows where you are. Sometimes through our actions or what comes of our mouths, people will even know where we are. Jesus actually tells us in Luke 6:45, “…What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (NLT) So what’s going in your heart, today that may need some transformation?
Let’s go a little bit deeper.
As you spend time alone with God in your quiet time, talk to Him. Like really talk to Him as if you were having coffee or dinner with a friend. Also, if you have any sins that you need to confess to Him, go for it in that time. In other words, confess any recent mishaps. Confess your struggles to Him. Tell him about what you’ve been feeling. Tell Him what you’ve been thinking. Tell Him what you need right now. Again, just talk to Him. He's here for you.
In my personal quiet time, I talk to God about everything. I talk to Him as my Father and my Friend. I talk to Him when I’m feeling up or down. I talk to Him when I’m sad or when I feel super elated about something. I talk to Him just to tell Him how grateful I am for all He has done. I also talk to Him about my needs and desires. But I also talk to Him about my issues and sometimes even when I don't even recognize that I have issues, the precious Holy Spirit will reveal them to me in the quiet. That's when He'll show me where transformation needs to take place.
For instance, recently in my own life, God revealed some character flaws. He showed me that I hadn't been as kind or gentle as I have been in the past. This revelation in my quiet time helped me to self-reflect and pause to examine myself. I knew that I'd been super busy. Swamped. Loaded. Overwhelmed. Stressed. And quite frankly burned out.
Yep! Completely burned out.
This feeling of exhaustion and eventually no motivation to do anything came at a time when I was doing a lot of speaking, training, and working on a new book proposal. Add the roller coaster ride of marriage (where the enemy likes to play the most), and plain old doing all-the-things, it all just began to weigh on me and the enemy tried to wear me out.
Yet, in God’s infinite care and love for me, He revealed my heart in my quiet time. He knew and I knew that there needed to be some form of transformation of my heart and actions. It was in the quiet time where the Lord revealed to me that I needed rest.
Jesus reminded me of His sweet and refreshing words found in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” So refreshing, right? He also reminded me during that time about the fruit of the Spirit written in Galatians 5:22-23 that states, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.” (NLT)
Rest and fruit.
God knew that I needed rest. And it was in the rest where He revealed to me that I needed to work on some things in my life that was flawed. I was weary and weak. I was tired and snappy. I was exhausted and not gentle with my words. I was drained and irritated. My love walk needed some work. Again, I needed transformation.
Scripture tells us, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful…” (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, ESV). So I discovered that my love walk was weak, because I was growing weary in well doing.
I also had gotten so busy that my devotional time suffered as well. I kept giving God rain-checks saying, “I’m coming Lord. Let me just send this quick email. I’m coming Lord, let me respond to this message on messenger real quickly. I’m coming Lord, I have a meeting that starts in 30 minutes, I’ve got to go and get ready.”
Honestly, I got to a point where I was spending this quick time in the Word of God or saying a quick prayer and then running off to do all-the-things. And while it’s okay to do all of those things, including spending at least some time that we have in the Bible and prayer, but I knew that too much time away from the Vine and too many rain-checks would eventually take a toll on my character. I was becoming less and less fruitful because I was running so fast and hard.
And Jesus tells us in John 15:5, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” (NLT) Ouch!
While I know remaining in Christ is remaining faithful to Him, yet it also means remaining fruitful. Apart from Him, we cannot be fruitful. Meaning, we won’t be as loving, joyful, peaceable, patient, kind, showing the goodness of God, faithful, gentle, or meek (humble/self-controlled), or even as effective in the work.
With all of this being said, we have to stay connected to the Vine at all cost, my friend. So again, let me ask you. Where are you at this moment in your life? Are you good right now or do you feel like you need some transformation in your life? How is your love walk? How is your thought life (healthy or unhealthy/pure or impure)?
How have you been acting lately? Is it fruitful? Are you growing weary in well-doing? Are you doing too much and giving God rain-checks? Lastly, how is your faith walk, right now?
Whatever it is, pray. Talk to the Lord. Confess. Let Him know exactly what you’re feeling or going through and allow the power of His Word and the Holy Spirit to bring forth the transformation that you know and God knows you need. Do that in your quiet time. ;-)
Remember that Jesus Christ is coming back soon. And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So, let’s be ready from the Inside Out!
~Courtnaye
Question: Do you feel like you need transformation in some area of your life right now? If so, what is it and do you need prayer? If you need prayer, you can email me directly and I will pray for you at insideoutwithcourtnaye@gmail.com.
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Courtnaye Richard is the founder of Inside Out with Courtnaye, a ministry that helps women grow in Christ, character, and calling. She is an author and sought-out speaker. Her speaking appearances include She Speaks, Hope*Writers Tuesday Teaching, Christian Parenting Conference, and Entrusted Women’s Conference. In addition, her blog and podcast, Inside Out with Courtnaye reaches thousands of women across the globe! She is also the founder of the faith-based marketing and mentorship agency, Inside Out Media Group, LLC, where she’s worked with platforms such as PBS, CBN, TCT Networks, and Yahoo. Connect with her at www.courtnayerichard.com or on Instagram @insideoutwithcourtnaye.
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