Dwell
Learn to bear fruit in the in-between.
Jeremiah 29:5-7 — Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters - that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
Have you ever felt stuck in life, caught in a chapter you’d rather not be in and yearning for the next season? Perhaps you’re single like me and desiring a godly relationship. Or perhaps you’re in school and hungry to graduate and begin a career. You are not alone in your longings.
Blessed but discontent…
After a lot of prayer and resumé writing, I recently began a wonderful new job. It was something I had been hoping and praying for for quite some time and I feel so grateful for the way God blessed me. In the midst of this new blessing, however, I still found myself feeling discontent…unsatisfied…a bit empty. It’s not that I was expecting this job to make me feel whole (only Jesus can do that). But, I realized that I was failing to fully dwell in the answered prayer, leaving me feeling half full.
What do I mean by failing to fully dwell? As a task-oriented woman, I immediately began considering what was next for me now that I had finally secured a job I was proud of. The subconscious conversation in my head went something like this: So now that I’ve secured steady employment, I have to meet the man of my dreams and get married. I was already moving on from the answered prayer of a new job and shifting into the next unfulfilled item on my “to-do” list. I definitely need the fruit of patience!
I began looking around in jealousy as I met new coworkers with husbands, families, and homes. As the sun began to set on another week of work, I left the office feeling discouraged and depleted - not because I didn’t enjoy my job but because I was already running toward the next desire. I found myself stuck in the in-between - blessed with a new job, yet not fully where I wanted to be in my personal life.
Invited to dwell
I was failing to trust God’s plan for my individual life. God revealed to me that I must not only trust His plan for my life, but also dwell in the place He has me in. I must learn to savor the areas of my life that are going well, even if the overall season of life I’m in (singleness) isn’t my ideal. I must see the beauty in every answered prayer I’m currently living in, rather than snatching the blessing and running to fill the next desire. Sure, I’d love to be a wife and mother right now, but God sees fit that I be single, with a new job and plenty of time to serve Him and those around me.
God is inviting me to praise Him for all the great things taking place in this season, even as I long for the fulfillment of deep desires. I am free to dwell in this place and savor the richness of this season despite the unfulfilled longings and dreams that haven’t been realized. I know that God has good plans for my life so I will continue to seek after every good work He has prepared for me.
What does it look like to dwell?
For one, it looks like not getting blinded by the in-between. I believe that there is nothing wrong with having dreams for our lives, but don’t let the unfulfilled dream be the reason you resent your current season. Continue to pray God’s will over your life and find ways to worship Him right where you are with exactly what you have.
I believe that Jeremiah 29 contains a great roadmap for how to live out our in-between seasons. God tells the Jewish captives in Babylon to build houses and dwell in them. Basically, get comfortable. Cozy up to this less than ideal circumstance. Set down roots. Accept your current season of life. Then, create a plan for sustenance in the middle of the mess. Plant a garden and eat of it. Bear fruit in the midst of discomfort and adversity. Feed your soul in the middle of the unknown. Next, consider your legacy. What can you do in this current season that will have eternal impact? For the captives, it was to marry and bear children. For us today, it may look like using your time and talents to sow into the kingdom of God. If you’re a writer, write to the glory of God. If you’re a painter, paint to the glory of God. If you’re a runner, run to the glory of God. Seek the peace of the place you are in and find the presence of God in the midst of your in-between season.
You may not be where you’d like to be, but there is a life worth building to the glory of God as you get rooted and built up in Him. Find the life worth living in every season by learning to dwell and savor.
How can we practice the art of dwelling?
Set the right foundation.
Consider your identity. Are you rooting your identity in Christ, or in people or things in this life?
Discover who God says you are by searching for your identity in scripture.
Spend dedicated time in God’s presence to fill your cup so that you can find your satisfaction in Him.
Be still and notice.
Take time to consider all that you are grateful for in the here and now.
List out things you find beautiful in this current season of life.
Fix your mind on the gifts that exist in the present.
Thank God for all the answered prayers you are living in.
Find encouragement from the fruit.
Memorize the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) and look for opportunities to exercise them.
Journal about the ways God is cultivating a new heart in you and reflect on the garden that is flourishing through the power of God’s work in your life.
Reflect on ways that your current season has shaped you to be more like Christ.
Seek divine opportunities just as you are.
Get excited about the fact that you can participate in the Lord’s work in all seasons.
List actionable ways that you can serve others now.
Invest time into sharpening the gifts and talents God has blessed you with and dream big and small dreams for whatever season you currently find yourself in.
I hope this post encourages you as much it encouraged me as I wrote it. xx Elise Chanelle