A book that could not be more timely; Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World by Micah Maddox. Between watching the news or worry about corporate layoffs or family issues, it is easy to get caught up in the negativity of the world. Micah addresses this head on and gives practical advice from her own personal experiences. Today is part one of her interview. Check back next week for the second part. Until then; stay Anchored.
The world is rife with global and personal crises. News outlets report one troubling development after another. Within the home, studies reveal half of Americans feel financially insecure, more than half are unhappy in their jobs and divorce rates escalate with each subsequent marriage. When problems abound, it can feel as if God is far away. However, as Micah Maddox explains in Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World (Abingdon Press), these same trials can bring us closer to God if we change our way of thinking and focus on Him.
There are a lot of people in the world who seek power in the human form, but Anchored In is about spiritual power and learning to live in tune to God’s voice, direction and desire for our lives. Maddox hopes readers will realize God’s power is available and accessible to each of them. She does not attempt to resolve the adverse circumstances of life; rather, Maddox offers a different approach to those circumstances, giving readers a new strength to manage them, rise above them and ultimately conquer them with a power that exceeds humanity’s grip.
Q: What does it mean to live Anchored In?
Every day, we all anchor our lives in something. Sometimes we anchor our lives in our work, mothering, goals, desires and sometimes even our problems. I’ve learned I often allow my problems to take the center stage of my thinking and my life. Anytime we allow anything other than God to take the focus of our hearts and minds, we are not living in the power God has provided for us to live in. God is teaching me that living anchored in His presence is the only way to experience His power. Living anchored in means we willingly set aside every circumstance and problem of our lives and fully focus our hearts, minds and souls on the Savior, the Anchor.
Q: What does it mean to live a power-full life in a problem-filled world?
There are a lot of people in the world who seek power in the human form. This book is about spiritual power. It’s about learning to live in tune to God’s voice, direction and desire for our lives. I believe God has a purpose for every single one of His children, and we can know that purpose and live confidently in the power He freely offers us.
The problem is many people struggle to experience God’s power when life is crazy or tragedy strikes, so they begin to believe God’s power is reserved for someone bigger and better than them or someone who has an easier life. However, I know God’s power is available and accessible to each of us. When we experience it for ourselves, we learn what it means to live a power-full life. It’s a life where we choose to be emptied of our selfish ambitions and desires, and we learn to be filled with God’s promises, protection, providence, peace and ultimately His power.
I want to encourage women that God’s power is not reserved for teachers, leaders or pastors. God’s power is reserved for every person who is willing to receive it. Be encouraged that God is waiting for you to experience His power! It’s available and accessible to every single person. My prayer is this book will help many people learn how to experience God’s power like they never have before.
Q: You write, “The power of God is not about avoiding the deep waters of life. It’s about diving into them.” How do we do that without feeling like we’re drowning in our circumstances?
When I say dive into the deep waters of life, I don’t mean we saturate ourselves in a sea of our problems. I mean we face the facts. It’s not so much about becoming absorbed with the problems; it’s more about having the courage to look eye-to-eye with the reality of life rather than turning a blind eye and pretending it away.
Q: Tell us about the “Praying God’s Power” prayers you include at the end of each chapter. What part does prayer play in experiencing God’s power?
Prayer is huge, and so often we don’t pray because sometimes it’s just too hard to verbalize what we are feeling or what we are really thinking-it’s too painful to say out loud. However, I’m learning to focus my prayer on Jesus rather than on myself. When I pray with Him as the center, the focus, I find Him so very near. Praying God’s power is praying with faith, trust, and assurance God is going to carry me to the other side of the storm.
Q: What wise words did your son tell you one night as you were tucking him in to sleep that resonated with you as you wrote the chapter on listening to God’s voice?
When I pulled his covers up and leaned in to give him a goodnight kiss, he acted like he was having a dialogue with God. As he and God had a conversation back and forth, I asked him what God was saying to him. His answer was, “God speaks quiet to us. He loves us.” That moment for me was an a-ha moment, one I hope I never forget. The still, small voice of God is powerful, and the simple truth that He loves us is something we can always cling to.
Q: How do we allow God to define our dreams?
This is a loaded question. There is so much I could say, but I’ll try to sum it up. We all have dreams. Some we go for and act on, and some we just imagine-some we never speak of because we are afraid of failure. However, I’m learning God has dreams for us we never can even imagine. Allowing God to define our dreams means we completely surrender every single thing in our lives to His control. What I mean is we strip away everything in our lives and pare it down to just us. We get rid of the fluff and the American dream of cars, kids and a nice home, and then we expose ourselves without all of our stuff. When we begin to strip away the sparkle and shine of life and get down to the reality of who we are and whose we are, we begin to find a new dream. We get it so mixed up and can never really experience God’s power when we are constantly seeking a picture-perfect family, home, job or success. God’s dreams don’t require success. They require surrender. We surrender everything.
Learn more at www.micahmaddox.com. She is also active on Facebook (@micahmaddoxencouragement), Twitter (@MrsMicahMaddox) and Instagram (@mrsmicah).