By Todd Hamilton, Lead Pastor, Elevation Church, Highland Village
It’s spring…well some days it is, anyway. It’s a time of year when fishermen start getting really excited. We dream of big bass, big crappie, and tight lines.
I was on the lake just the other day, and the water was dirty and muddy after all the recent rain. It was there, looking at that dirty Lake Lewisville water, that I had an epiphany of sorts.
There was something about that dirty water that resonated with me. It was cloudy, full of debris, and unclear. It reminded me of my own cloudy, unclear thoughts of late.
I stood there on the deck of the boat, staring into that dirty water and I began to understand.
It is hard to see God working, hard to hear God’s voice, really difficult to discern His way when your mind is like that dirty water…all muddied up with the debris and silt of doing life on your own terms, going your own way, and all at a frantic pace.
See, it’s all of that activity that muddies up the water to begin with. The 23rd Psalm says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Still waters. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Be still.
Still water is usually clear water. In fact, when left still, even dirty water clarifies as the silt and debris falls out and settles to the bottom. I don’t know about you, but I believe I need a lot more being still in my life. I need a lot more knowing He is God (and I am not). I need to stop trying so hard, working so frantically, and losing my clarity.
In my stillness I can see clearly, hear clearly, and can discern without difficulty the way in which He is leading me. I do some of my clearest and best thinking while fishing.
The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.
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