Figisms… what in the world?
So glad you asked.
Figisms are a set of core beliefs birthed straight from my own journey with God. They’re phrases I kept finding myself coming back to, especially when I was guiding and supporting women on their devotional journeys.
These phrases aren’t just sayings and they aren’t even particularly catchy. But they’re nuggets of truth that I believe God wants to sink deep into the core of who we are. They can reshape how we approach our devotional life and our relationship with God. From finding the sacred in the everyday to letting go of guilt and shame, each Figism is like a guiding light, nudging us towards a more joyful and authentic connection with God.
If you’ve been a part of the Figs Community for very long, you’ve likely seen at least one of them or heard me say them. But today, I’m going to share them all with you, here, in one place.
At least until God adds more to them.
Okay, here we go.
Figism #1: Everything you do in pursuit of God IS your devotional life.
We usually think of our devotional life – or “quiet time” – as reading the Bible, praying, and journaling. And yes, of course. But the whole point of our devotional life is to help us know God better and grow in our relationship with Him.
Your devotional journey can take many forms.
Whether it’s in your favorite chair with your Bible, meandering out in nature, walking on a treadmill at the gym, doing laundry, paddling on a kayak, painting, scrapbooking, waiting in the school pick-up line…if your heart is pointed toward God and you give Him intentional space in your heart and your mind in the midst of it…that IS devotional life.
That’s how you develop a tangible, intimate relationship with Him. It’s living your life…in the everyday…open to Him.
Figism #2: The more ways you can engage with God and His Word, the more He becomes a part of your life
This ties into Figism #1 but it’s a bit different. Figism #1 underscores the idea that our entire journey of seeking God, every little action and thought involved, is woven into our devotional life.
Figism #2 is more about encouraging us to try new things, to intentionally seek out lots of different ways to spend time with God and His Word because it helps us learn more about Him. And, it helps us internalize what we learn.
When we’re cultivating a relationship with our husbands or our friends, we do that in lots of ways. We don’t just go to dinner and a movie every time we want to spend time with them. Because the more things we do together, the more we get to see different aspects of them, the more we get to know them.
It’s the same with God.
So, we want to be intentional about engaging Him in different ways. Through the Bible and prayer and journaling…yes. But also, through other people, through the things He created us to enjoy, through childlike practices that spark joy in our hearts, through every means we can.
And if you would like some new ideas to try, check out the 10-Day Do Something Challenge. It’s fun, free, and easy.
Figism #3: Don’t ignore the tug.
Want to learn to hear God better?
Don’t ignore the tug.
How many times have you set out to read this whole chapter or that whole section of the Bible? It’s on your to-do list, and you need the satisfaction of checking it off. Right?
And somewhere along the way…not at the end…somewhere else, something tugs at you. It sort of makes you tilt your head. So, you stop for a second and wonder, but then decide, “I’m gonna finish reading this section (so I can check it off my list) and then come back to it.”
And maybe you do remember to come back to it. But now, whatever it was that got your attention…it’s gone.
That little tug…it has a Name.
That was Jesus.
He was asking to spend a little time with you. He put His finger on the page, pointed to something He really wanted to explore with you, and said, “I know a secret about that. Wanna hear it?”.
And you said, “Not now, Jesus. I need to finish this. Maybe later.”
My favorite thing ever is to help you learn to recognize God’s voice and to help you discover how He relates to you. My friend, that’s His voice. That’s Him inviting you to have a conversation with Him.
So, here’s your NEW MANTRA: Don’t ignore the tug!
WHAT!?!
Yes, just trust me.
Go ahead. Say it to yourself…I’m not listening.
~this is me, covering my ears~
Okay, here’s what I mean. If something grabs your attention while you’re reading the Bible or a devotional or while listening to a song, don’t keep going.
Grab a cuppa, pull up and chair, and have a chat with Him about it.
It really is that simple.
Recognizing the gentle nudges of God’s presence is key to nurturing our spiritual sensitivity. When something catches our attention during prayer or study, it’s an invitation to pause, listen, and engage with God in conversation.
Figism #4: Continually pointing your heart toward God is an important practice and it takes practice.
Turning our hearts toward God throughout the day can truly transform the ordinary moments into sacred encounters. This ongoing practice cultivates a deeper awareness of His presence in our lives.
Different from carving out chunks of time to spend in the Bible or in prayer…which are a must. Intentionally directing our hearts towards God throughout the day happens in the ordinary moments.
Here are a few examples:
- You see a sunset that stirs your soul and you can’t even put into words how it makes you feel. Tell Him what you love about it. Thank Him for making something so beautiful and allowing you see it.
- You hear a story on the news that breaks your heart or creates feeling of anger or hopelessness, ask God how He feels about it. Ask Him to help you see it the way He does. And listen.
- You look at your watch and it’s 3:16 in the afternoon and it makes you think of John 3:16. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice. Thank Him for loving you that much.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. And if you’d like a little help cultivating this practice, check out Day 6 of the 10-Day Do Something Challenge. I’ll put a link for the podcast episode and YouTube video in the show notes.
But Figism #4 is about embracing the rhythm of continually pointing our hearts to God, knowing that even the smallest gestures of devotion bring us closer to Him in ways we can’t imagine.
Figism #5: Release the guilt and shame to make room for freedom and connection with God.
Here’s where we need to clean up some mindsets that aren’t serving us. In fact, they’re holding us back. This one will sound extra familiar because it’s a part of the intro in every podcast episode.
But lean in friend because I really want you to hear this.
I want to give you permission right now, to stop feeling guilty about what your relationship with God looks like right now. Stop cringing that you aren’t spending an hour every morning reading your Bible and praying. Stop regretting old habits, old choices, old anything. Those regrets are occupying valuable space in your soul.
Until you can get past the guilt, shame, and regrets, you won’t be free to explore and find new ways to connect with Him. And I truly believe that He is giddy with anticipation, waiting for you to go exploring with Him.
Figism #6: “Quiet time” doesn’t mean BE quiet. It means GET quiet.
In the busyness that is our daily lives, finding moments of stillness is an art but it doesn’t have to be complicated.
To spend time with God, we don’t have to BE quiet. Instead, we need to quiet the noise in our minds and around us creating a sacred space where we can hear the whispers of Holy Spirit and commune with the Father.
While silence and stillness can be powerful when spending time with God, they aren’t required. We simply want to hush the noise in our minds and quiet the distractions that vie for our attention.
So, let’s not misconstrue “quiet time” as a demand for silence. It’s an invitation to inner stillness — a journey where we intentionally point our hearts toward God.
Figism #7: There’s No Such Thing As BEHIND.
Our spiritual journey unfolds at its own pace, free from comparison or pressure. Every step, no matter how small, is a meaningful step towards deeper intimacy with God.
Nowhere in the Bible are we given a timeline for how quickly we’re supposed to develop a relationship with God. He doesn’t give us a schedule. He’s not in a hurry.
I actually did a whole episode on this Figism complete with ideas to help you cultivate this truth in your life…included a Devotional Life Manifesto. So I’ll keep it short in this episode and leave a link to that one in the show notes.
That brings us to our final Figism – at least until God adds to them…
Figism #8: God designed you uniquely, to enjoy His time with you in a unique way.
God created each of us uniquely. We know that.
He created you to enjoy different things than I do and I believe that’s so He could enjoy them with us…uniquely.
But somehow, we got it in our heads that we’re all supposed to do the same things in the same ways to develop our relationship with God. But maybe that’s the point. We’ve forgotten that the whole reason we read the Bible and pray is to get to know Him more.
We’ve taken the mentality of doing homework or an assignment, rather than building relationship with the one who wrote the Bible.
God delights in our individuality, shaping our devotional experiences to align with who we are. Embracing our uniqueness allows us to cultivate a devotional life that brings us joy and fulfillment.
So let’s lean into the things we love to do and let them be an opportunity to spend time with God.
Okay friends, that’s a wrap on the Figisms! But before you go, I’ve made a little something for you. I’ve put together a FIGISMS printable — a friendly reminder to help you keep these nuggets of wisdom close as you cultivate your devotional life. You can snag it in the show notes below.
Oh, and one more thing! If you’re loving the podcast and feel inspired to spread the word, leaving a review would mean the world to me. As a thank you to the first 20 people that leave a review, I’ll send out a special bookmark and sticker set from the Figisms collection.
And here’s a little tip: take a quick photo of your review before hitting send, because it can take a few days to publish. Once you’ve done that, shoot it over to me, and I’ll get your address so I can send that out to you.
SHOW NOTES
Here are the links for all the resources mentioned in this episode.
- 10-Day Do Something Challenge
- Day 6 10-Day Do Something Challenge (practice pointing your heart toward God)
- Episode 16: There’s No Such Thing As Behind
- Printable Figisms List
Don’t forget to leave a review and send me a screenshot. Can’t wait to send you some Figgy swag!
Here are your resources
You have lots of options! Start by printing off the Figisms List for free.
Prefer listening? Tune in to our podcast episodes.
If visuals are your thing, catch us on YouTube for insightful videos.
And for some community vibes, grab a cuppa and hop over to the FIGS Community Facebook Group.
