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A friend invited me to Catholic Mass recently. Although I’m not Catholic, I was honored to attend the service. While we were there, my friend said something that profoundly captured my attention: “God is where people allow Him to be.” That simple sentence really got me thinking about the importance of God in our lives – and the significance of intentionally inviting Him in.
No matter our faith tradition, there is always room for God – from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, including the mundane, the joys, the deep, the dark, and the confusing. God is there; when we invite Him in, he meets us where we are, bringing freedom, love, and light into the journey of life. The result is a rescued mind, heart, soul, and body.
From a Weary Mind to Strengthened Renewal
Oftentimes, our minds are so consumed with the inevitable tasks, stresses, and troubles of life that we begin to feel the creeping side effects of burnout, anxiety, and depression. Maybe for you, these mental hardships are an ongoing reality of life – so much so that the joys of life feel like a faraway mystery.
But there is hope. Any mind can be renewed, and God has given us the tools to maintain a healthy mind. From the support system of our loved ones, the counsel of wise mentors, and various avenues of professional mental help, there are people we can rely on. Throughout the ages, God has provided avenues of peace through the healing power of prayer and the comfort of Scripture. We can welcome God into it all, thanking Him for the resources he has given us to maintain our mental health and love others well.
From a Troubled Heart to New Hope
Relationships can be challenging, and heartbreak on this side of heaven is inevitable. Whether you grew up in a broken home, just walked through a messy divorce, recently experienced the death of a loved one, or have felt the pain of loneliness your whole life – God sees you and longs to comfort your heart. He longs to fill the empty space left by tragedy, dysfunction, and brokenness.
Oftentimes, it is in our lowest moments – those that feel the most hopeless – that we find hope as we cry out to God. This is where he meets us, bringing comfort in our sorrows so that we might experience the joy of His love.
From a Downtrodden Spirit to Refreshed Confidence
Our spiritual health is so important. When this element of life fails to be maintained, we find our soul worn, beaten down – even stagnant, at times. Maybe you feel a million miles from God; you want to renew your spirit, but don’t know how.
Through prayer and meditation on God’s Word, we find peace and rejuvenation. Pausing to intentionally spend time with God meditatively and prayerfully allows us to readily invite Him into the other spaces of our lives as well.
From a Weakened Body to Empowered Care
God even cares about our physical health. Between hectic work schedules, limited funds, and the hassles of everyday life, caring for our body becomes a lower priority. But without this purposeful nurturing of the temple we’ve been granted, we will deteriorate in other areas as well.
Rather than this becoming another burden, the care of our bodies is an area we can invite God into with hope and joy. Not only can we honor Him by eating well, exercising regularly and getting proper sleep – but we can also ask for His help, wisdom and provision in these areas, too.
Invite God into it all
No matter where you are in life, whether in a season of hardship or that of prosperity, make space for God. Thank him with a spirit of gratitude, open up to him about your challenges and give Him the room to make right what is wrong, ultimately growing you in courage and faith. It will make a difference not only this Christmas season but in every area of your life.
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Steve Gatena is founder and CEO of Pray.com, the No. 1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content.
Merry Christmas and thank you for the advice.
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Deut. 4:29 “But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Matthew 7:7 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Um, so there is now a “prayer app”? How very contemporary.
This article doesn’t mention salvation which is really the only joyous hope for the problems of life. It mentions Christmas, though which really means Christ’s Mass or the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate (in human form).
Jesus Christ retained His status as God as shown in John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.
Whilst we celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas it is important to understand that our salvation is the ultimate reason for His earthly presence. Romans 5:8 shows why Jesus came “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Jesus’ resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus’ death as the payment for our sins.
Romans 10:9 talks about how we can be saved “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”.
Here’s an excellent video on the subject of salvation: https://youtu.be/K9wSOwMYAhA
Let’s pray to our God that won’t stop the massacre of 60 humans in Vegas. This is what God has decided.