One of the reasons I said yes to God to spend three months in the Dominican Republic was that I had been feeling spiritually stagnant.

Spiritual stagnation is when we are not growing spiritually. Our minds know the ways of God, but our hearts are distant and disconnected.

I had experienced a time of bad health and challenges I didn’t expect. My heart had grown distant, even though I love Jesus and serve Him as much as I can. I just didn’t feel connected.

Relationships had become difficult or failed completely. I felt God was busy elsewhere and wasn’t showing up for me.

I was continuing to show up for Jesus, writing, speaking, and loving others. I just didn’t know why my spiritual life felt so foggy.

“The Lord says:
‘These people come near to
me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is based on merely
human rules they have been taught.’”
Isaiah 29:13

Isaiah was a strong and courageous, confident in God’s Word. He was seen as harsh in his preaching but it was because the people would rather take the easy way out and do as they pleased.

He called them out on the spiritual stagnation they experienced telling them they only worship God because it’s what they’ve been taught.

Jesus quoted this scripture when He told the Pharisees they claimed to be close to God but they didn’t know God at all.

How many times do we ask the Lord to be open-armed in helping us, but we keep Him at arm’s length?

We compromise our righteousness for wants, lacking passion for His Word and prayer. We lose our awe of God, becoming those people who go to church on Sunday and forget what was taught on Monday.

Anxiety, fear, loneliness, frustration, and bitterness become our norm.

I was there and felt like the Lord stepped on my toes with this scripture. I was going through the motions but had become far from God in my spirit.

As I worked through God’s words and began to desire to overcome the spiritual stagnation, I knew I needed to be obedient to where God had called me three years before. He had put on my heart to come to the Dominican Republic and learn Spanish.

I delayed the obedience: i.e., DISOBEDIENCE. I didn’t want to step out of my comfort zone and be uncomfortable in learning. I feared that my kids would forget me if I were so far away. I didn’t know how David would react to me being away for three months. I didn’t want to be alone.

All the defense I built around my wants took me farther away from God’s desires. This was the disconnect for me.

Coming to the Dominican, none of my fears have come to fruition. But so many more blessings have been poured out on me.

I have been accepted with open arms. I have been integrated into the church family. I love the people at this church more than I can say.

The Lord has awakened my heart in ways I didn’t know could be alive.

Are you feeling like you aren’t living the life you desire or what God desires for you?

Let me remind you that you are not alone. God sees you. He values you and what you can offer. He has chosen you for the unique gifts He has given you. It’s OK for you to live out that purpose.

It’s not too late to rediscover yourself.
It’s not too late to feel joy again.
It’s not too late to live awake instead of on autopilot.
God still has a purpose for you in the season you are in.

Awaken your heart to what He desires.