Don’t Leave It Behind

There’s a unique kind of feeling that settles in the soul after a powerful worship service or a stirring Bible study. Perhaps the pastor’s words convicted the quiet corners of your soul or a verse shone a light on a longing that you have been carrying for months, and for a moment, you felt the Holy Spirit move through you. With your heart ablaze, you are convinced that God Himself has drawn close and whispered truth into your life in such a way that you instantly feel motivated to begin applying this revelation to your life.

Yet if we’re honest, for many of us, as soon as we step outside the church doors, we leave that stirring of our soul behind. Despite our longing for transformation in our life, we allow the world to tug at our sleeves. The responsibilities we carry, the notifications on our phones, and the endless list of things to do all conspire to drown out the gentle whisper of truth we heard so clearly. As we stand on the world’s doorstep, the echo of God’s voice, so fresh and vivid, begins to fade.

I used to know this feeling more than I’d like to admit. I would hear something in my pastor’s message that would tug at my soul. I would sit listening to his words, believing that his message was written just for me. It was as if he, himself, knew exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. But truthfully, it was the Holy Spirit working, inviting me to a deeper relationship – calling me to step beyond the comfort of conviction and into the challenge of daily transformation. And yet, as the week unfolded and the world pressed in, I found it all too easy to treat this life transforming message as a task on my checklist that I would get around to another day – a day that was convenient to me.

However, the important truth is that life-changing insights rarely arrive when it’s convenient for us. It often comes in moments when our hearts are tender and open, when we’re willing to admit our need, and when the presence of God is undeniable. The challenge, then, isn’t in hearing what God wants to say – it’s in carrying that holy echo out into the everyday, letting it shape the ordinary hours after the church lights are dimmed and the Bible closes.

So how did I learn to keep from leaving behind those moments of spiritual clarity? How did I ensure that God’s whisper didn’t become just another fleeting inspiration, lost among all the pressures and distractions? Well, the answer was easy but the application was a bit harder. I found that I had to be intentional with my daily choices.

I began by making a conscious choice to revisit what God had spoken, not just once or twice, but repeatedly throughout my days. I made sure to carve out intentional space in my everyday routines so I could sit down with Jesus to talk about it and pray on it. I journaled what God had revealed to me so I could look back and sit in reflection. Oftentimes, I shared what God had whispered to me to my husband or a friend which helped deepen my understanding with each retelling. And most importantly, I consistently invited God right into the middle of my “everything” so that His truths could take root in my heart and my mind.

Slowly, what began as a task on my checklist to intentional discipline, then blossomed into anticipation. I looked forward to seeing how God might speak through a sermon, a Bible study or in my quiet time with Him. I began asking Him to show me how I could transform my life to be more like Jesus and to provide me with the wisdom and guidance to apply it to my life. With every simple act of intentionality, I was able to humble myself in obedience and apply His revelations to my life, refusing to leave them behind.

When was the last time you felt a powerful stirring in your soul during worship or Bible study? Did you find it difficult to carry the inspiration into your daily routines? What tends to distract you or cause you to “leave it behind”? What would it look like for you to move beyond a moment of conviction and step into a season of real transformation? Please share in the comments.