8 Practical Ways to Feel Alive in Jesus
In the last blog post I published, “Alive”, I touched on the healing and restoration that Jesus wants to provide each and every one of us. He wants to free us so that we have nothing weighing down on us anymore. In that newfound freedom and way of life, we are able to become alive in a way like never before. This is a truth that Jesus wants to make known to all of us. When it comes to our faith it is so incredibly important to educate ourselves on God’s word, so that we learn about His promises and truth. There is also a second piece too where we are being active in our faith. We don’t simply learn to know, but so that we can live out what we have learned. Therefore, I want to leave you with some practical ideas on how to live out the truth that we talked about last time in “Alive”. I mentioned how I have felt God putting this word ALIVE on my heart, and so here are some ways that I have felt an awakening in my faith and in my life.
Sit and write down every way that God has been good
We already know that life has good and rough moments. Even in the rough moments though, God is able to use them for good to prosper. One of the pieces to be able to become fully alive in Jesus is to believe in His mercies and to believe in the new life He brings you. Looking back at each time God has been faithful to you, has brought about an open door or an answer has allowed for something good to prosper, reminds us of the good God we serve. It can provide so much hope and excitement to think about what God will do throughout each day of your life.
Pursuing God’s calling
Each of us has a calling that God has placed on our lives. He has given us gifts and talents so that we can use them for His glory. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and so he knows what satisfies us and brings us joy. When we make a decision to pursue where God is calling us, it leads to us feeling alive and fulfilled.
Being in community
We are created to be in community. Taking time to be intentional and spending time with others can bring a lot of life to your day. Even if you are someone who is more introverted, spending time with the people who mean the most to you is a great way to experience life. Go explore and join with others in the freedom that is offered to all of us. Community looks different right now, but taking time to call others, connect over a book, laugh with one another can all still happen. Become alive in community.
Be creative
When I think about being fully alive, I think about doing things that bring me joy, that makes me excited or refreshed. As humans, God created us to create. Therefore, when we allow ourselves to partner with the creative side of us (expressed through art, music, a new product or procedure, etc), while also dwelling in the freedom found in Jesus, we are able to experience being alive. We are free to not only be who God created us to be but to also create freely.
Exploring God’s creation
We live in a world where there are magnificent and beautiful scenes all around us. Taking a hike, dancing, working out, hanging out at the beach, running is all great expressions. Part of being alive is to have your heart beating and your lungs breathing, so being active, especially when you get to appreciate God’s creation can lead to feeling ALIVE.
Serving others
The ultimate purpose of our lives is to bring glory to God and to better His kingdom. We are called to go out and spread the love and word of God to others, and being able to serve others is one way of doing this. We are humbling ourselves and caring for those around us.
Reading God’s word
Sometimes I have to hear something over and over again to remind myself that it applies to me. When it comes to reading the Bible, it can be so easy to read and then move on. But there are so many different verses in the Bible that talk about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and that goes into celebrating the new life and freedom we have. Scripture is the best way to learn what it means to be alive in Jesus.
Worship through music
It says many times throughout the Bible to worship and praise our God. When I worship, I feel the Holy Spirit present. I feel an awakening in my soul to be able to praise a God who is so faithful and who pours out unending grace on me. Even if you are someone who has either never listened to a worship song, or maybe you have and you don’t like it, I would encourage you to try again but focus on the words. Allow the lyrics to become your prayer and to let them wash over you. Two songs I would encourage you to play is King of Kings by Hillsong Worship and Graves Into Gardens by Elevation Worship. Go to a quiet place, and allow yourself to just soak in the words of the song. Allow yourself to take up whatever posture of worship you feel at that moment (I like to have my palms facing up in a posture of receiving). This may feel uncomfortable for some and that’s okay, but challenge yourself to focus on God at that moment. Replay the song if you need to, and allow excitement, hope, joy, whatever you feel to flood over you, knowing that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you are free!