Which one is greater?

The last few weeks I have felt the weight of burden mixed with the weight of glory. Does that confuse you? Can I explain?

There has been an increased awareness of the presence of struggle, and also an increase of the glorious presence of God who stays present with me. I have sat in complete joy and wonder in the revelation of His goodness, while also sitting and watching chaos circle my territory. I have felt them both tangibly present in my space. While both can be present, one presence is greater. And before you help me answer the obvious, let me first say that the "greater" presence becomes the one you give permission and authority to. What? Did you hear me correctly? Yes you did. By greater presence, I don’t mean more powerful or more able. If that was the case, of course God is. His Presence has the final say and victory. The point I dare make is simply, whichever presence you give authority to is the one you will walk in. That is the one that becomes "greater" in your life. Sit with that for a minute!

There will always be pain. There will always be hard moments, difficult discussions, and even opposition. However, in the middle of that, you choose to give prominence to one presence. Which one do you really choose? There are countless times I made the wrong decision, giving power to the wrong presence. We all have. But today is a new day. Here is your chance! Awareness is key. You have the opportunity to experience your Heavenly Father sitting with you in the sorrow and in the pain. Not only that, you have a chance to take it a step further. Will you choose His presence over the circumstance? Instead of partnering with the feeling of being weighed down, what if you allowed His goodness to outweigh the other things? Let His presence be the weight you sit, stand, and walk in!

We can either wallow in the turmoil, or wait on the Truth of who God is and what He has said. A powerful thing occurs when we choose to spend time and attention waiting on Him. The act of waiting allows our heart, thoughts, and beliefs to become intertwined with the One who is life, hope, joy, and peace. In other words, we give permission for His glorious presence to do more than just draw near to us. In that space- humble and hungry, there is expectancy for the weight of God's presence to come to fill our heart, renew our mind, and overshadow our situations. It is an entanglement of surrender and source in which we can tangibly sense His nearness. That incredible weight is unlike any other. With it, comes such adoration and gratefulness. It stirs awe and wonder, while also igniting faith. It provides hope, security and unexplainable peace for our soul. The weight of God’s goodness, allows us to feel seen, loved and safe.

There is no better choice than to allow our wait to invite the weight of Glory. It is a conscious decision to lean not on our own understanding, but surrender. Instead of succumbing to panic or discouragement, we can learn to lean in and linger in His presence. It is a picture of stewarding the goodness in our life; in our surrender we are made strong. To quote an incredible mentor in my life, "Strength is not given. It is forged in obedience." Our obedience to trust God (over feelings and despite chaos) is what fortifies us. When we acknowledge Who He is, above what we feel or see around us, His powerful presence is given authority in our life. The weight of His goodness changes the way we see, feel, and navigate the difficult moments. No matter what resistance we face, we are able to sit, stand, and walk. (A note to the hungry: When you really become aware of His presence, you will find yourself bowing or lying on the floor- undone and overwhelmed by His majesty). He is that good!

So let today be the day you wait in the weight. Not yesterday's burden, but today's mercy, joy, and goodness. After all, God's Presence is mighty, weighted with power, and full of promises that are only for your good.