Venting upward is a part of a quote from my book The Fruitful Life, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 44 of Lent 2025 – April 17

I’m using my own books for quotes this final week of the Lenten season. This quote is from the Selfish or Kind chapter of The Fruitful Life.

Here is the quote in context:

What I’m doing differently now is venting solely to God.   He can handle my raw honesty without being negatively influenced.  By keeping my mouth shut toward others and opening it only in God’s presence, my faith is growing quickly.  I’m learning what’s worth arguing about and what’s not.  I’m learning that God sees the wrongs done to me, and He is my avenger.  My trust in Him is getting stronger, since I’m venting upward instead of outward.

I am not sure where I first learned the lesson about venting upward, but it’s been one of the most powerful tools of spiritual growth I’ve ever used. It broke my tendency to triangulate, as modeled in my toxic family dynamics. Venting upward first draws me closer to God because I cast all my cares on him first. Often, that is enough to take care of the problem.

Once I am finished venting upward, God will tell me if I need to speak to someone else. The Bible says there is wisdom in talking with many counselors (Prov. 15:22). So, only after I have spoken to God do I go to my Christian counselor, best friends, fellow Stephen Ministers, or other wise people for additional input. I start with God first, and this sets everything right.

If you aren’t in the practice of venting upward first, I highly recommend it. This practice tempers your spirit while drawing you closer to God. It’s a great way to grow spiritually in a short period of time, because you’ll notice how often you are turning to others as soon as you put this into practice.

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Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

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