2 Chronicles 12:14

“And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.”

This verse is very interesting to me.  I have rarely thought or heard someone teach to prepare your heart to seek the lord.

Many times I hear people talk about wanting things to be organic and authentic… which translated means, it has to just happen with little intention or effort… because for some reason, to try is looked down upon as “uncool”, “too much”… and to plan is “to much work” and “not needed” and “besides its not authentic, if it were, it would happen naturally.”

Yet everything that is organic starts from an intentional step of planting, which took forethought and work before hand to prepare for growth.  After that initial work for growth, more time is spent taking out weeds and watering… When people use language like organic and natural, they are just playing themselves out as fools who are very out of touch with both of those terms and are either afraid of risk, or lazy about relationship.  To say authenticity happens by accident is ignorance and stated by those who probably struggle with being authentic themselves, because by stating this, it shows that they think authenticity is found, not cultivated and created.  It takes a plan, a vision and a choice, to be who you want to be!  If you don’t, who you are will change with whichever group or person has the most influence in your life.  I find this thinking to be rampant today, and if people are using it within their relationships, it is without a doubt being used in their relationship with God. Yet it takes preparation and intention to seek the Lord; a plan of action.  I suspect that often we feel like we are lost and blowing in the wind, not because we have been making poor choices or because God isn’t with us, but because we didn’t prepare our hearts for the season; we weren’t intentional about this relationship and we didn’t set ourselves up for success by preparing with the Lord expectations and systems for organic, natural growth, that come out of the authenticity of who we are.  I recently had to do this with myself and Jesus… Transition came at me hard, and I was spinning, blowing in the wind… then I asked God for some verses for this next season and what I should expect, wrote it down in my journal and book marked it, so if I ever feel like I am lost or without purpose, I can go back and find my direction again.

This came out of that time.

Good relationship takes planning and effort and lots of risk!  It’s the same with God, but planning, boundaries; systems don’t make it less romantic, less exciting, or less adventurous!  In fact its quiet the opposite, it creates and prepares space for those things to grow deeply, and build firmly.

2 Chronicles 19:3

“Never the less good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.”

So, if you feel lost, blowing in the wind, without purpose, take sometime to ask God where you are going, what it looks like for you to be a good partner in the relationship.  It brings so much peace and direction. It changed my perspective on my relationship with God and with the people around me that I love.