Pressing into Thin Places

Pressing into Thin Places: Encouraging the Heart toward God

There are times when we feel spiritually flat. We want to feel different. We want to feel full of praise. We want to feel joyful but we are spiritually dry like parched, cracked ground. Sometimes we can identify a challenge, a trial, or a burden that is making us feel a certain way.

We are emotional beings. This is part of life. But can we do anything to get out of a funk? Can we dial up different thoughts? Can we change our feelings? Many times, we can.

You can read more about Dr. Margaret Harrell Wills and her book on her website at www.pressingintothinplaces.com.

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Lies

There are two common myths that have taken unfortunate root in the hearts and minds of many Christians, and they are two of the most dangerous lies to believe. The first is that once you give your heart to Jesus Christ, your every problem will be solved and your life will be easy and pain-free. The second is a close kin-the belief that if trouble, hardship, or sorrow enters your life, then you must have fallen out of God’s favor and wandered away from His plan for you.

While God does at times use discipline or tribulation to correct or guide, to believe these lies-that your life as a Christian should be a carefree romp through the daisies, and if it isn’t that God is no longer smiling down on you-is to risk overwhelming fear, discouragement, and a loss of the peace and joy that we are meant to have at all times, even times of trial. The truth of the matter is that we live in a fallen world, a world of pain and heartache; even Christ in His disciples had to pass through storms.

What Is a Thin Place?

In the Celtic tradition, a “thin pace” is the place where the veil that separates heaven and earth is nearly transparent. It is a place where we experience a deep sense of God’s presence in our everyday world. A thin place is where, for a moment, the spiritual world and the natural world intersect.

There are moments when we do feel the divine breaking through into our world. We feel unified and connected with God. It is not an intellectual knowing, it is felt in the spirit. It can be a sudden momentary awareness or profound unexplainable experience. I would like to share a few “thin place moments” with you and encourage you to have eyes to see the gifts of thin places. The phenomenon of a place where the physical and natural everyday world merges into a thin line is well rooted in biblical history, but it was the Celts who gave the descriptive phrase “thin place” to it.

Our Spiritual Landscape

But other times we can’t put our finger on the root cause of our discouragement. There are times when we are nagged by “feelings.” But be assured that God knows us, and His love for us does not depend on our “spirituality” or our performance. We also should rest in the fact that our feelings are fickle. We all have ups and downs. We are emotional beings. This is part of life. But can we do anything to get out of a funk? Can we dial up different thoughts? Can we change our feelings? Many times, we can.