It’s been a drive that revs within me ever since I can remember.
It predates my desire to write. And it began when I read the first stories I could read in my children’s Bible.
It’s the drive not to just read the Bible, but to LIVE the Bible. On a cellular level, from the first stories I consumed, from Adam to Jesus, I not only believed the truth, I received it in a way that inspired me to want my life to tell this story.
Honestly, the Bible has always gotten me into trouble and I’m not a trouble-seeking type of girl.
I take no pride in saying I’ve usually been too chicken to break rules.
Like every other first-born, I like getting things right and I’m not afraid to behave when others are acting up. I usually reminded teachers when they forgot to assign homework, started my papers the night they were assigned, and was the one school staff trusted to be “in charge” when they stepped out of the room.
(Ugh, I know right? I’d take pride in that girl if she was driven by virtue, but mostly it was fear.)
So, then along comes God’s Word into my life. Seems like it would be a win. Reading it earns approval. Memorizing it impresses many. Studying it and teaching it reaps admiration. Living it, however, lands me in a world of trouble.
I remember being called into the pastor’s office of one church for a “chat.” (sigh.) He’d had complaints about my Bible study.
Complaints? Was I teaching in error? Had I not been sensitive to someone’s question? Was it moving to fast? Too slow?
No. The complaint was that I was challenging people to apply the passages to their lives and discussing how we may live differently as a result of what we were reading.
I remember feeling disoriented in that office. How was I in trouble for this?
To me, reading the Bible and not trying to live it made about as much sense as reading the instruction manual for your television set without ever switching it on.
Trouble has followed me, since, because enacting God’s Word incites me to speak up, stand up, and walk to the beat of an eternal drum others can’t always hear.
It’s been years (like a lot of years – like over fifty years) since I first fell in love with God and His Word. I’ve reached the age where it’s 
tempting to think I could coast from here into glory.
But, that’s not what I read in His Word. And I’m eager to see God work so the best way to do that is to be where He is and the best way to do that is to do what He says. So, lately, I’ve been thinking I don’t need to KNOW more about God’s Word, I need to LIVE more of what I know.
So, I’ve been doing that. Rather than blog about what it means to love God and love others, I’ve been, well, loving God and loving others. Rather than write about His command to rejoice always, pray constantly, and live with a grateful heart I’ve been – well – not doing that because that’s really, really hard, but seeking more opportunities to do that than I would if I was ignoring those verses.
And it’s powerful stuff, this living God’s Word. It’s revitalizing and eye-opening. It’s affecting me, again, right to the marrow of my old dry bones that are rising with anticipation of where I may catch God at work today.
I may have to give up writing to devote more time to living. Why should you read another blog post when you could read His Word? What more can I say to you than “Do what He says?” How many blog posts does it take for a person to put God’s Word into practice and inaugurate a revolution in his or her life?
What if this were the last one? What if I were to pack away my keyboard, put down my pen, and focus on living the Bible where I am?
I would miss you, but I believe that if you did the same – started living the Bible where you are – we would meet one another again – there in Christ. And there we’d be. Together. In the light. Furthering His Kingdom come.
We cannot live the Bible by our own energy or our own power, but only through Jesus.
Still, doing what He says changing everything.
I don’t think I’m going to stop writing. I believe that’s part of the living His Word to which I’ve been called – this exercising of gifts, this devotion of my talents to Him, this speaking out and speaking up, but the living piece is real.
I want to be writing for Him and not simply because it’s time to promote my blog or the next book or to keep you coming back to me because coming back to me is nothing – moving deeper into Him is everything!
I’ve written about this before, and I believe it more every day. While Trump, Clinton, Obama, and Putin have a certain amount of power, in the end we’ll find they had less eternal influence than one single soul completely yielded to Jesus. Be that soul.
Now. Act now. Live now. Be now – fully with Jesus. And watch the kingdom roll in like a glorious tsunami of light.
I may have to give up writing https://t.co/Xk705Qz6jz #influencers #Jesus #amwriting
— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) July 19, 2018
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Thank you for your inspiration – and your willingness to be obedient – even if that means giving up your writing.
Blessings
Maxine
“….in the end we will find they had less eternal power than one single soul completely yielded to Jesus. Be that soul.” Thank you…..may I be that soul completely yielded where He has placed me in this world. Your blog is so appreciated for its hard hitting truths. Keep on keeping on for Him.
Well Done.I wish you good doing.
Really good stuff. I agree one hundred percent. I too am trying to do that. Please keep writing. You are encouraging others to follow suit.
I am gobsmacked! You pulled an Oswald Chambers and hit me right between the eyes! I will say this: keep writing. As you say, it is a gift and by exercising it in the thoughtful and thought-provoking way that you do, you ARE living the Bible. This is prophetic writing in the best sense of the Word.
OUTSTANDING, my dear. And please don’t quit writing. Love it ’cause it’s from your heart. ❤❤❤
Sweetheart, you do what God’s telling you to do.
Beautiful, challenging and absolutely true! Amen! Thank you again, Lori.
Lori! Don’t give up writing! Keep challenging people… Write about the stories of who you get to meet and love and how the Lord prompts you in each conversation! Keep your blog edgy and don’t be discouraged. I believe your writing is inspired by the holy spirit who lives within you and you writing really ignites and excites the holy spirit within your readers to go out and love God and people and love out the Word! It’s Gods way of multiplying that love and encouraging others. I am reminded of the passage in revelations that declares that we shall overcome by the blood of the lamb (living it out) and the word of our testimony (writing it out and sharing about it!) You do you and be brave in bringing the word to our daily lives, to our dark world, to the light of Jesus in his followers. Be encouraged and take heart.
Lori! Don’t give up writing! Keep challenging people… Write about the stories of who you get to meet and love and how the Lord prompts you in each conversation! Keep your blog edgy and don’t be discouraged. I believe your writing is inspired by the holy spirit who lives within you! You writing really ignites and excites the holy spirit within your readers to go out and love God and people and live out the Word practically and radically! It’s one of God’s ways of multiplying that love he has instilled within you and encouraging others. I am reminded of the passage in Revelations that declares that we shall overcome by the blood of the lamb (living it out) and the word of our testimony (writing it out and sharing about it!) You do you and be brave in bringing the word to our daily lives, to our dark world, and to the light of Jesus in his followers. Be encouraged and take heart.
Thank you for your blog. Yours is only one of two I follow. Yours encourages and challenges me. With grace. I love grace. I’m learning a lot about it. Learning to hear and know the real Jesus. Not the one I created from the confusion of the enemy camp as I grew up hearing about Him but never really knowing Him. Only knowing His Words thundered and droned while another entire universe operated in my tender mind. The one that has self protection as its axis.
So the answer to my confusion as a child by those in control, and the pattern I continued through my adulthood, was medication, which I was admonished to never stop taking, even by at least one Christian psychiatrist. I’m glad I’m a rebel in some things, and I’m glad God fashioned some women to have an upheaval when they move out of their childbearing years. An upheaval which shakes out into the light, those things still out of order, which need uprooting. Such is my story at present. And your blog makes me feel like I enter into the real world, where I can be real and get to know the real Christ of God. And shed the fetters that my mind has been shackled to.
I’m free of the medications and the labels now, just this year, after over 4 decades of believing the “broken brain” lie and all that went along with it. It was a very challenging 3 year climb out, and my brain is definitely healing and my mind is definitely being renewed. I had to stop listening to everyone but God, and my stabilizing Words from Him during this time have been from 2 Tim 1:7 and Phil 2:5 and many other verses which speak of what kind of mind I have in Christ. Your writing also has been a steadying handrail as I have learned to crawl and walk out of what was at times blinding chaos. “Hallelujah, all I have is Christ”, was often my only cry as I faced the pain of drastic and radical brain, personality and behavior change.
Yes, your blog does illuminate the Kingdom of Christ for this reader. I along with you, want to press deeper into Jesus when I read this recent post. I shout AMEN! with you! It’s a good shout, a joyous shout. Not the Sinai thunder of my sin-burdened past which wove a woeful dirge into the fabric of my life. It’s a new song, new wine skin, and I’m thankful for people like you who refresh us on our renewal journeys.
If you do stop blogging, I would love to become your pen-pal. Do people do that anymore? 🙂 Or at least come to RI someday and have a cup of tea with you. And sit together at the feet of Jesus, where his Presence would transcend any words we could ever speak. Or write. But He does want us to share in His fullness, He’s a sharing and giving God. So thanks for sharing and giving. May God continue to bless you richly in all you put your hand to.
Your writing is fresh and engaging and exhorts me to be a doer of the Word. It’s a good, sharpening ministry you have here. 🙂 Thank you!
Lori – I need you to keep writing. Those who are serious about applying the Word are usually totally misunderstood (at best). Articles like this are an encouragement that I am not alone. Thank you.
LORI!!!! How do you do that? Exactly where I am at right now too. Working on the LIVING IT!!! Praying for opportunities for both of us. With the world rapidly heading into the abyss we need to rescue as many as we can Sis!
Love and prayers
I’m not only relieved that you will continue to write, but I’m also challenged to begin writing again. Not because I expect to reach a large — or even small — readership, but because I find joy in expressing my faith and working through life with words. Hopefully, that one soul will read something I’ve written and be encouraged to make a needed change.
Please don’t stop writing. I appreciate your fresh approach. I’ve felt the same way, like I’ve been taking in and taking in for years, and, although I gave out and gave out for quite awhile, I pretty much stopped when I ran into similar resistance. Since then I’ve been growing attached to my pew. I read the Bible, do different Bible studies by myself or with others, but I’m well past the age and experience to sit and turn moldy till I die.
If you make a change, I hope you will offer some concrete challenges or ideas of ways to connect with neighbors and relatives in a nonthreatening way, then we could meet up, say monthly, to compare notes, triumphs and trials.
I do not really “connect” with anyone in my church. Everyone my age is fixated on grandchildren or on various ailments and operations. GAG me!
So well said, and explains why there have been fewer blogs of wisdom recently. If wisdom comes from God, of course it makes sense to go to the source! As a read-a-holic this struck a cord in my ?. How can I “read” more about the lives of those around me? Listen better and more, spend guiet 1 on 1 time with Sue or Linda or Diane instead of James (Patterson) or Louisa (Mae Alcott). Thank you for the challenge.
You have a God-given gift and your writing is a blessing and more. Please keep on keeping on!
Well said.
Well said, Lori! These are some of my very thoughts. God bless you.
Good stuff, Lori!
God made you to be who you are, wonderful Sister, and part of that is being a talented, inspirational Writer who uses that blessing to bless all of us. You use your words to witness for our Beloved King Jesus in a way no one else can. So, unless HE tells you to stop, please, don’t. Yet, if He does? Then, by all means, listen! The Living Word is your Guide, and He says (in Ephesians 5:10), “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” …That should always be the #1 goal for His Forever Family, because it’s all that really matters. <3
So challenging! For a moment, when I read your thoughts, I envisioned a world where people everywhere did just that. “Loved the Word”! What a wonderful world this would be. More souls for Jesus!
Love it, love it, love it! But, you are so right… that kind of talk/thinking never fails to bring trouble! However, since we still manage to get into trouble, why not do it for the right reason! Thanks Lori for always challenging us!
Having just started following you, I love your prayers – I love praying them and sharing them. They are powerful! And, I need encouragement to live out His Word right here in my own neighborhood. So I’d love it if you would share how you are living out His Word. This would encourage me immensely. Hoping He’ll stir your heart to keep sharing your testimony as continued encouragement and conviction for other believers in Christ! -Darlyne
Darlyne, I’m embedding with God daily through reading my Bible, meditating on what I read, and praying – interceding for all He brings to mind. I’m loving my husband and adult children and their families. Praying for them. Speaking to them about their lives, their faith, spiritual preparation for an uncertain future. I’m reaching out to those in my congregation to ask how I can serve them and trying to see people who may be/feel invisible because they’re quiet or not as outgoing as others. I’m teaching Bible study. In my day job, I work with families in crisis. I help to empower them to meet their needs and I intercede for them. I’m offering my services free to local congregations for mini-retreats during this time of social distancing. And I’m trying to simplify my life so I consume less, need less, spend less and have more time to listen to others, to linger with others, and to serve others. I assure you it doesn’t look like anything exciting and I do very imperfectly but if I speak and write and do not live my words – I am only a clanging gong, yes?
My sentiments exactly…at a certain stage in our lives we realize that it’s not knowing more but living what we know! (And that will take more than our lifetime here in earth). I’m glad that doesn’t mean not using your writing gift for now!
Wow!! Exactly….living what we read in our God’s word….
Glad that you keep going. Love and prayers from Alaska!
Lori,
I would so miss your writing, if you stopped. I believe it is your calling. It always touches me, it sends me to Him. I thank you for that. You encourage me to dwell in His word, and to walk in His ways. Thank you for the courage.
I love you, Lori. I love what God’s doing through your writing. Thank you for this deeply convicting word.