How to feel god in the chaos

 Do you ever find yourself in chaos and wonder where in the world is Jesus anyway? Here’s 6 steps you can take TODAY to start dwelling in the Presence of Jesus.

Pause - Since I’m writing to women this one is important to say out loud.

Ladies are problem-solvers at our core and sometimes that natural drive to see all things through can betray our sanity. If you have too many matters pressing and not enough pause; Be still.

Psalm 46:10 says, Be still and know that I am God. I have felt straight-up offended by this verse before, as if I had just been chastised for completing my daily task list. How would you like me to be still when I have so much to do?!

(Usually when I’m shouting at God about Bible verses, it’s a red flag I need to be still and chill.)

You can’t be a fixer if you're frantic.

Put It Down- In the words of Snoop Dogg, “drop it like it’s hot.”

A few years ago, My husband had an affair and my world came crashing down. My Aunt Jan was trying to help me hold it together when she finally blurted out,

“Shauna, this is too much!” Now that may sound like a hopeless statement, but instead I found it liberating. I didn't know how to fix my broken heart or repair my life that was falling apart around me. Hearing someone say out loud, “it’s too much” gave me permission to set it down.

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Corrie Ten Boom said, “You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy.” Sometimes we assume responsibility to fix things we just simply can’t.

HOWEVER, as followers of Jesus we are not left to fend for ourselves. We have this secret weapon that is being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Pursue God’s Presence- Ahhh, the Holy Spirit. His Presence effortlessly accomplishes more in one day than weeks worth of toiling on our parts.

Corrie Ten Boom (quoted above) survived the Jewish holocaust, and watched her family members die before her eyes in German death camps. Yet she spent all her remaining years writing about the Holy Spirit and peace. If God can create an atmosphere of of His presence for her in the darkest crevice of human history, certainly that is offered to us as well.

Pursue Peace- The Bible says peace is a gift, yet sometimes I sure have to work hard to maintain it.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, take your thoughts captive. When I realized I had  authority over my own thoughts, this became a way I could maintain my peace. Don’t dwell on worry. Don’t obsess over past hurts.

Be intentional to press into Christ by dwelling on his word, and be diligent to banish thoughts that will seek to rob you of your peace.

Press Play- I love reading my Bible. HOWEVER. I work from home. I have three kids (who are all home, in my home, all summer), a husband, and a rescue pup. We are currently channeling our inner Chip and Joanna and building a new home at the moment. I know busy.

But thanks to technology, there’s so many ways to pack your life full of scripture. I’m a serial podcast-listener. I like to keep my thoughts in check by listening to sermons, audio books, and praise and worship- all while multitasking.

Don’t discredit the effects of filling yourself up with the word of God. Get it however you can!

Pray- without ceasing- 1 Thessalonians 5:16.

Oh hello- day job, family, and chores. I’ll admit, the without ceasing part sounds unrealistic- if your idea of prayer is intercessory, working up a sweat, fervent prayer that includes you screaming before God for hours on end.

But prayer can be as natural and easy as breathing. Sometimes it’s just a knowing smile between me and Jesus acknowledging that he is present. Even simply whispering the name Jesus has power.

Take advantage of extra moments like re-scheduled meetings, moments stuck in traffic, and waking up in the middle of the night, to pray. When daily prayer is added to your routine, your soul will start craving more, until  prayer becomes less of a task and just a natural overflow of what’s inside you.

The world can get crazy, but we have a refuge. Let’s make a break for him.

Shauna Shanks

Shauna is a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. She shares fighting for her marriage in the upcoming memoir A Fierce Love: One Woman’s Courageous Journey to Save her Marriage. Shauna and her husband, Micah, who is a police officer, have been married for more than a decade, and they live with their three boys on an Ohio farm. 
www.shaunashanks.com