Let the message of Christ dwell among
you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through
psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your
hearts. Colossians 3:16
God is
asking me to make some space. He is asking me to embrace emptiness. Not the
kind of emptiness that is void of His presence, but an emptiness that is
peaceful and hollow. An emptiness that waits expectantly to be filled. The
playlist I listen to each morning as I drive my kids to school contains only
seven songs. My last playlist had
between thirty and forty. I keep trying to add songs to this soundtrack, just
like I keep trying to fill my season of empty.
My life’s
soundtrack is helping me realize that my current season is defined by this
emptiness I keep trying to fill. I want God to fill my empty space rather than
rush to fill it on my own with just anything. God knows my heart struggles with
empty, so He is reminding me that this season of rest is only a pause between
songs. Isn’t rest exactly that- a pause,
a breath, a momentary break in the music? The empty spaces between notes are just as
important as the notes themselves. Just
like music, our seasons ebb and flow. When we intentionally set our lives to music, our soundtracks can
offer quite a bit of insight into our current season.
1. Soundtracks define our season so we can quit
being surprised by it.
Which songs do you find yourself drawn to
right now? You know, those songs that make you cry, the ones you crank up and
sing out loud. Which songs do you struggle to understand? Which ones do you hum
long after you park the car and go about your day? Which songs stir your heart
in a way you can’t quite explain? Which ones do you put on repeat?
Sometimes
a song can help us put words to what’s swirling around in our heads and hearts.
My soundtrack- the types of songs on my current playlist and the simple lack
thereof- helped me name the emptiness. Knowing that God has me in a season of
rest allows me to stop trying to make it anything but empty.
What
one word best describes your season?
2. Soundtracks help us absorb what God is
teaching us.
When
I can point to a weakness God is working out in me or a persistent doubt that
the enemy is using against me, I can fully embrace my season without wishing I
was in someone else’s season. It helps me process what I’m learning.
When
I consider my season that’s empty, I’m reminded that Jesus emptied Himself,
because it was part of God’s beautiful rescue plan. He took on the humble
nature of a servant and became obedient to the point of death- even death on a
cross. (See Philippians 2:5-8) God is calling me to be a servant. He is
teaching me humility in this season, as well as the importance of following His
lead. He is asking me to lay down my plan and my agenda. He is asking me to
trust that He alone can fill me.
How
is God teaching you to lean into Him? What is He asking you to lay down?
3. Soundtracks naturally keep us moving forward.
It
is excruciatingly painful to listen to a song get stuck. A soundtrack that fits
our season allows us to move towards God with praise, no matter what struggles
make up the melody. Right now, I’m drawn to the empty tomb. Yet, not a single
gospel account indicates that the tomb was empty, because it wasn’t.
An
angel announced the news that Jesus had risen. The tomb wasn’t empty; it
contained evidence of God’s promise fulfilled. The angel reminded Jesus’
friends that all had occurred just like He had said. (See Matthew 28:5-6) Nothing
was out of place, nothing was a surprise to God, nothing could stand in the way
of God’s plan moving forward.
What
single step is God asking you to take towards Him today?
4. Soundtracks help us discover how God is uniquely
revealing Himself to us.
Every
season we enter is a new song God writes specifically for us. The notes, the
chords, the rhythm and rest are all part of His plan to uncover a new part of
His heart we’ve never experienced before. Soundtracks help us find Jesus in our
current season.
Those
at the tomb forgot that Jesus had prepared them for what was to come. God
prepares us, in the same way, for every season we enter. It might look
completely different than we expected, but His Word holds true. We can find
evidence of His promises and His Presence in every single season. In this
season I am searching for the only One who can fill my emptiness, the One who
promises overflowing, abundant life.
How
is God revealing Himself in your season?
May we
intentionally set our lives to the music God has laid out before us. May we
seek Jesus in this season, looking to Him to turn our weaknesses into beautiful
melodies that proclaim His strength. May we embrace with gratitude each
beautiful love song He’s arranged for the sole purpose of pursuing our hearts.
May we allow our soundtracks- inspired by a God who keeps His promises- to
carry us through this season and into the next.
What is your
soundtrack teaching you about your season? I’d love to hear from you.
Jesus loves you,
Kelly
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3
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