Draw a Circle

"Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle." (Gypsy Smith, 1860-1947, British evangelist)



I'm not sure when I first came across this quote from Gypsy Smith, but it's on my mind today. It has me doing a lot of thinking.
In the craziness of the world we are currently living in, this quote has caused me to do a lot of thinking.


Between viruses and politics and so many other things gone wrong, there's a lot we would like to see changed in our world. And that has me thinking today about change.

About what needs to change. About why I want it to change. About what's really important.

There are some things, some circumstances, in my life that I would like changed. Certainly I would like the state of emergency to be lifted. I would like for social distancing to be a distant memory. I'm sure all of our thoughts about change fall along those lines.

But this morning I'm wondering if I am too focused on the circumstance? Too focused on things like changing circumstances and not enough focused on what needs to change in me?

It occurs to me that I may not be the only one. That there may be others out there who are doing the same thing. Focusing on what needs to change - or what we want to change - in our circumstances, and giving far too little attention to what needs to change in us. 

Perhaps it's our attitudes. Or our frustrations. Or our anxieties. Or our selfishness. Or our prayerlessness. Or our tempers. Or our relationships. Or our worship. Or lack of. Or our prayer life. Or lack of. Or our focus. 

Perhaps we're concerned about our country. About the virus. About politics. About the loss of our freedoms. About the changes that are happening all around us.

Whatever it is, maybe it's time for us to draw a circle, as Gypsy Smith suggested. Perhaps our focus should be on what needs to change in us rather than what needs to change around us. Perhaps through all this God is trying to get our attention.  Perhaps it's time to draw a circle.


"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)