The "if only" of spiritual dryness.
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The "if only" of spiritual dryness. Sometimes we delude ourselves that some external crisis or situation has caused the dryness we feel. We hope that "if only" a take-charge warrior would come, the enemy we don't seem to be able to defeat would fall. Yet consider now that your spiritual dryness might just be God's way of telling you it's time to make a change in your spiritual life. Unless the "old" loses its ability to quench our thirst, the "new" will never be desired enough. The nourishment and comfort the familiar provided must die so that the new can take its place.

Why do we respond to dryness by wanting a warrior-deliverer? Maturity understands that tiredness, sickness, or the frustration of the unresolved problem stirs up the very common human need to be taken care of. Our humanness wants a deliverer while, inside, our spirit knows that the Deliverer has already come. Recognize dryness as the enemy, not the external crisis or problem. Do something very simple – just go on and do the next thing He desires.

God: a friend who guides us.
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God: a friend who guides us. Much of what a successful life is about depends upon doing the right thing at the right time. Just because something you've done worked once doesn't eternally endow it with God's approval or favor. Another pitfall comes from military strategists: don't have only one battle plan ready. Yet I've found that victory often depends more upon having God's anointing and revelation than planning multiple options for action. How can we know the right timing for our action without hearing from Him? The solution comes from an experience that most everyone has had: friendship. If you seek to be friends with God, you'll be on the right path to divine guidance. To do this begin to talk to God as you would talk to a good friend. The daily prayer closet rarely gets us there. Friendship with God requires a will intent on not settling for less than the possibility and increasing experience of moment-to-moment conversation with Him.

Made rich in all things.
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Made rich in all things. It's a wonderful feeling to enrich others – to transfer part of your heart-wealth through writing or speech. Yet even sincere and gifted imparters soon grow bankrupt unless their guiding principle or motivation is love rather than giving. Deep, personal – not theoretical – love for others demands that you give the most costly gift possible, your full self. However fear, self-protection, and woundedness often make us stingy. Other imparters unconsciously hold back their love because it's blocked. These have allowed the drive to reach specific goals to overwhelm their spirit's capacity to share the richness of the love of God they've already received. "Freely you have received and freely you shall give" – wonderful advice.

Do you want a long and satisfying life?
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Do you want a long and satisfying life? Of course you do. Who wouldn't. The desire is both godly and in the Scriptures. Also I suspect that anyone suggesting the opposite – a short and frustrating life – is either in denial or a masochist. Yet desiring this doesn't bring you closer to getting it. Most try to find satisfaction by planning for it, working for it, following their heart, or by just letting things happen. And though I can't give you a sure-fire formula for a wonderful life, here's a few suggestions: stop trying to make it happen or relying on your strength of will to accomplish things. Instead, find out God's will for a particular situation and rest in His answer. I do understand that this is far more easily said than done but knowing God's will and being obedient to it is the most important single piece of advice I could give you.

Fleeing on horses.
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Fleeing on horses. When we're confronted with a formidable enemy or problem and judge that defeat is near, it seems as if the right decision would be to immediately run the other way. Yet I suggest that the nature of our flight might tell us something about our level of trust in God. "Fleeing on horses" calls to mind the image of grabbing the nearest horse and taking off in a gallop – to me, a picture of taking matters into our own hand and then doing the action we've reasoned to be the best available solution at the moment. Though there's nothing inherently wrong with such an emergency choice, a habit of this type of decision-making in all situations excludes the possibility for divine guidance and intervention. I suggest that most of us have the tendency to make decisions without consulting God, especially when the situation brings us physical or emotional pain. Without realizing it, the principal motivator of choice becomes the avoidance of pain. Instead I urge you to cultivate a heart of deep trust in the goodness of God. Today, will you consider asking for His help?

To become a lion sometimes you need to be a lamb.
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To become a lion sometimes you need to be a lamb. The lion, bold and courageous. The lamb, meek and gentle. One leads, the other is led. Yet sometimes our boldness lacks meekness and our courage lacks gentleness. I ponder the idea: wouldn't it be great to be able to join these two temperaments together? Yet what life has taught me is that underneath most lion or lamb-people lay a broken and wounded heart. The surface bravery of the all-lion often hides beneath it a fearful bully. And we might misinterpret passivity as being a lamb's meekness disguising unresolved aggression and hate. So I've come to see that no person can or should be all-lion or all-lamb. While it's a great virtue to possess some of what these animal's represent, an even greater gift is the knowledge and anointing to use them at the right time.

Unanswered prayer.
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Unanswered prayers. Seldom will a father allow his child's question to go unanswered. Though I've found that once he begins the answer, the child might forget the point of the question, lose interest, or not understand what's said or left unsaid. We, too, may leave His presence prematurely – before we fully understand what our request really meant, or because of lack of persistence, or confusion. Remember God always answers the heart-need, not necessary our words of request. He knows your need, perhaps even better than you do. Have patience that God is doing what he needs to do both within and outside of you.

Feeling unworthy.
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Feeling unworthy. Some block the spiritual life because of some perceived sin, inadequacy, or sense of unworthiness. Reject this abominable deception and accept the fact that all are welcome to enter God's dwelling place. Voices from within may judge or condemn, but be assured: God is forever all-accepting. And don't believe that entrance demands a ticket your deeds haven't yet earned. Righteous works flow from a righteous, earnest, and more God-like heart. Surely you don't believe that God demands that this happen in a day, a week, or even a year. Today, his door leading to the possibility of change and growth is open for you. Walk through it now.

Relational rightness.
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Relational rightness. Sometimes your anxiety and personal unrest come from a lack of fellowship with those around you. God asks all of us to be a part of a whole that joins together spiritually like-minded people. The full spiritual life that God intended for us cannot be walked out alone – separate from others. Everyone knows that oxen are yoked together because the work demands it. Yet few realize the grave personal harm coming from separation from those you're destined to be united with. To me the lone ranger is a very tragic figure. Heroic, yes. Complete, I don't think so.

Ingratitude.
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Ingratitude. Few things grate more on a parent than the spoiled child who lacks gratitude for what they've received. God commands that we acknowledge and appreciate Him as our source. Remove your childish irritants of self-reliance and independence from before His eyes. Without His help, all our efforts and achievements are simply the striving of an immature soul.