Earlier this spring, I asked you a few questions:
What if you found yourself in a very difficult situation? What if that difficult situation was your marriage? What if you had every reason to walk away, but God asked you to stay?
This question was inspired by friend Lara Williams’s book called “To Walk or Stay” *. Today I am honored to be hosting the last and final chapter of her book club:
Chapter 10: Walking in His redeeming power
“You know a secret? I can’t do it. None of it. I can’t forgive. I can’t take my thoughts captive. I can’t love God or my husband. I can’t stay committed. I can’t pray. I can’t even believe Him unless His Spirit does a work within me.” – Lara Williams
Can you believe it? God asks us stay to do the hard work and the bottom line is we can’t do it on our own. This is where we land. We can’t, but He can. I love Lara’s heart and brutal honesty:
“Apart from Him birthing love and faith in and through me, I”m a hopeless mess.”
We might find this slightly frustrating, but if we lean into this truth we will find it freeing. Yes, I said we will find it freeing.
Lara walks us through such a beautiful explanation of what it means, as believers in Christ, to be filled with “The Almighty God Himself—the One who raised Jesus from the dead—(He) comes to live in us.” To summarize:
- He empowers us.
- He loves through us.
- He gives us joy.
- He enables us to forgive.
It is His presence that allows us to make seemingly impossible choices. But with God, all things are possible. We can cling to this grace sweet friends for our marriages and in every aspect of our lives. What a promise!
Can I be honest with you for a moment? Some days, I find this leaning into His truth, His love, and His power easier than others. Some days, it just flows and I’m the broken and open vessel He can work through. Other days, I reminded by everyone around me that my brokenness is just that—broken.
It is on these days that I need to do what Lara defines as Stir Him Up!
“Stir Him up. To stir Him up is to believe that He will fill us full For me, that looks like a personal mini-preaching session. And it begins with confession…I remind myself—out loud—that the Spirit of the Most Hight indwells me. The power of my God enables me to walk this moment with wisdom and joy. Then I praise Him. And I thank Him. Because praise and thanksgiving stir Him up.” – Lara Williams
Oh girls, lately I have needed to Stir Him Up all day long. The best way I know how is to start early in the morning,stirring, and responding to His gentle nudges. By noon, I need to Stir Him Up through worship music. And around the bedtime hour, I’m Stirring Him Up out loud in front of my family.
The beauty of it is He always responds to the stirring. He moves and I’m changed. Lara is quick to tell us in her final words:
“If you’ve named Him “Lord” then you are His and nothing can separate you from His love. Nothing. Dare to believe. Victory and abundance are yours for the taking regardless of your circumstance. Because He promised. And He always comes through.”
Girls, the victory is His. Regardless. You are His. He always comes through.
Amen.
Question: After reading this book, what is one “take away” you want His Spirit to seal upon your heart?
Get the book at *Amazon.
Watch my video review here.
Meet Lara here.
*Amazon Affiliate Links included in this post
“Stir Him Up”, morning, noon, and night. I’ll stand with you on that, Stacey. I too loved Lara’s honesty, and her willingness to reveal that it’s not her strength, but His. Every moment, every day. It’s the secret that the world is waiting to hear-that I daily need to remind myself. HE IS REAL, POWERFUL AND ABLE, AND HE COMES THROUGH FOR US. My job is to surrender my heart to the reality that I can’t, but He can. I can’t be patient with my kids, but He can empower me. I can’t hold my tongue with my husband, but His grace can give me wisdom and discipline. I can’t love my friends well, but His creative love knows no ends.
Living connected to His heartbeat, even in the face of the hard stuff of life- yep- that’s my prayer; moment by moment, STIRRING HIM UP, and leaning back into His gentle love and incomparable strength. HE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!
(whew- there went my personal mini–preach-session this morning…I think I needed it;)
Stacey, thanks for a beautiful closing summary, and Lara- thanks for leading us through your life-impacting book. God bless ALL of you precious ladies!
I always love coming over to your blog space, Stacey. Thanks so much for hosting. I look forward to reading what the book club sisters have to say about their “one take-away.” Much love to you, friend.
I’m finding it impossible to narrow it down to one take-away. Forgive me? Here’s what I’m carrying with me…
– Fellow Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what our earthly relationship status is. They will fail (sin). I will fail (sin). I shouldn’t hold them to any higher standard than “Sinner-Saved-by-Grace,” just like me. I should, instead, pray for those in my life not to just change, but to grow closer to Jesus. Because, ultimately, they are accountable to God, not me anyway.
– Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally or even feel right at times, but it still what I’m called to do.
– My God makes promises and is faithful to KEEP them.
Stacey, thanks for hosting 🙂 Your space is a beautiful, refreshing retreat on the Web!
Lara, thanks for writing. I am so blessed by your commitment to the Lord and spreading His truths. I’m already looking forward to the next book, blog post, video, or whatever the Lord lays on your heart to produce for His glory! Much love!
This book is truly a work that was birthed from a deep place. Lara, you draw from a deep well and offer us the Living Water as it flows from your life. Thank you!
And Stacey, this is me, too…”Some days, it just flows and I’m the broken and open vessel He can work through. Other days, I reminded by everyone around me that my brokenness is just that—broken.” You said it perfectly.
And, though sometimes I don’t want to be broken anymore, I know Jesus was broken for my broken and He makes me whole.
I love how Lara said it, “Stir Him Up!” He responds to our praise, our worship, our faith! He’s a good God, and His love endures through all of our struggles. I’m thankful.
That line spoke to me, too. I don’t WANT to be broken, especially in the eyes of others. *sigh* But I don’t want others to lean on me, I want them to lean on Christ in me, to lean on Jesus. I want more. Jesus.
So if it takes me messing up, dropping the ball, and displaying my brokenness, I will choose broken every. single. time. Just give me Jesus.
“Just Give Me Jesus” is one of my favorite songs Erika. Words so true, and honest.
My “bench friends” and I have loved working through this book so much. Lara’s words have inspired, encouraged, and challenged us to look at our lives through the lens of God’s will – not ours. My biggest take away came in nearly every chapter – the reminder to be in the Word and to speak Truth out loud. The more lies I replace with Truth, the more anxiety I replace with promises, the more the desires of my heart will line up with God’s will for me – and I want nothing more.
Beautiful wrap up Stacey 🙂 Thank you for sharing you space with us today!