"You're gonna hate me when you get home."
When my wife and I were newlyweds, I was wrapping up my final year of graduate school. She often sent me this text message while I was taking night classes. After receiving it a few times, I knew what the text meant.
We lived in a one-bedroom, 700-square-foot apartment with very little storage space. Slowly but surely, my wife was weeding out non-essential possessions, which made the apartment feel more crowded and chaotic.
Back then, I would roll my eyes when I got home to discover she wanted to donate one of my favorite things. Now, I can see my wife was making room for us to flourish in that small apartment (by American standards at least). She needed to weed out the non-essentials to make room for movie nights with friends or dinners with the college students I was ministering to each week.
We often struggle with letting go of what we own, including our desire for control and our expectations. Until we pause, listen, and let go, we won't have room for what God wants to do next.
Tauren Wells realized this as he and his wife, Lorna, planted Church of Whitestone outside Austin, Texas. Their important realization evolved into the title track of his newest album, "Making Room." In a Facebook post, Wells shares about the song's origins.
"Today, we're beginning a new season with this new song. Making Room was the first song that really came out of the first few prayers I was praying as God prepared my heart to start and lead a new church in Austin with Lorna. We didn't know much (still don't), but we knew that if we made room for God and what only he could do, anything could happen."
Is there something in the way of you experiencing God's power and presence in your life? Chances are the answer is "Yes." Consider what Luke recorded at the end of chapter 9. There, people were not ready to follow Jesus because of their need for accommodations, their struggle to let go of the dead, and their desire to not disappoint their families. Similarly, Mark 10:17-27 recorded a young government official who couldn't follow Jesus because of his wealth.
These people struggled to follow Jesus because they didn't have room for his invitations. However, their responses contrast with what happened with Zaccheus in Luke 19:1- 10. When Jesus invited himself to dinner at Zaccheus' house, the tax collector realized that his greed and swindling of his people needed to change before he could follow Jesus.
In another Facebook post, Wells posed powerful questions. "What needs to move for you to make room for God? How often do we get busy and the to-do list gets so long that we all but forget about time with Him? Start today. Ask Him, 'What do I need to move to make room for more of YOU?'"
Wells' questions reflect the spirit of the opening verse of "Make Room."
"If love starts with listening
We didn't come here to just sing
We're moving everything
Everything out of Your way"
What if you took the time to listen? Perhaps it's time to move everything that stands in the way of God doing what He wants in your life. If you need help putting this song into action, here's a good place to start.
Set aside forty-five minutes to an hour when you can focus without interruption. Solicit the help of a family member or friend to help care for those who depend on you. Turn off and put away digital devices to minimize distractions. Bring some paper or a journal, along with the questions found below. Invite the Holy Spirit to direct your reflection and align your perception with His.
Close your eyes and turn this famous proverb into a prayer: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Spend time reflecting on the following prompts:
-What did you learn about God this year that you didn't know or had forgotten?
-How have you seen God at work recently in your joy and suffering?
-What are you asking God to do in the next year?
-How would your life and those around you be different if God answered those prayers as you requested?
-If God answered those prayers, what is currently a part of your life that would make it hard to embrace those answered prayers?
-Close your eyes. Clench your fists. Imagine your fists full of the things that would make it hard to embrace your answered prayers. Ask God to clearly show you what He wants you to do to make more room for Him and the way He wants to move in your life.
Before reflecting on those prompts, listen to Tauren Wells' "Making Room." I pray the Holy Spirit uses the lyrics of the song. May He soften your heart so you can let go of all that stands in the way of God's movement in your life.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
