The following text is from a book by Gary Chapman. It speaks to me about the things of my life and how easy it is to fall away from the very center of my faith. When I keep my focus on Jesus living His life in and through me and that with Him doing that in all circumstances, I become stronger in the resting in Him. Now, Chapman may not agree with all I say on that but he makes good points about not allowing our feelings (even if in ways they seem to be saying all the right things), to determine our day. One circumstance at a time, one day at a time, one moment at a time, with Him as our Life and our Guide makes every day a time to experience and to grow in Him, despite the tears, the shouts of frustration and the stuff that emotions are made of. I struggle daily in this area. Don't we all to some extent. He gives and takes away. Sometimes our circumstances are totally of our own doing. He knows that too. He is always aware of where we are in this life and how we got to where we are, and you know it, don't you? He loves us with that insurmountable, uncomprehensible, undying love that is Him .... so as I am encouraged by these thoughts today and every day.....may you also be.
"The future is intended to be the brightest portion of your life. Don't spoil it by allowing your feelings to pull you into a debilitating depression. Don't allow bitterness to consume your spirit. Don't destroy yourself with self-pity. Don't drive your friends away by constantly refusing their comfort or by playing your recording of gloom. The Bible is filled with examples of individuals who found their greatest success after experiencing tremendous failures.
You can follow the road of self-destruction and end up with an emotional breakdown. You can make your life miserable by making each day a rerun of the past. Or you can say with the psalmist, "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
(Psalm 118:24)
You may not be able to rejoice over the past or even over your present situation, but you can rejoice that God has given you the ability to use this day for good. When you do, you will be glad."
2 comments:
Well thanks my brother for the good thoughts (here and at on coffee...just about lost it again to hear your response there ... anyhoo there was a typo :) in the original post...and this now being cleared up may make more sense...for the most part when we let our emotions control .... there is incongruence with what God says about who we are. Thanks for catching my error my brother... took me a minute to figure out the response you had... but I am in agreement with you... Just making sure you are reading the posts :) ...listening with those ears of Jesus...thanks. And you speak the Truth ... we will never find perfect acceptance by anyone who is not God...The work you refer to about Identity in Christ is what I constantly refer to when the tough stuff comes my way and the emotions start to churn. [Almost like the chocolate waters of yesterday :) ]
Sometimes we have to go to taking life nano seconds at a time. This is good as God can do amazing things in a nano second.
Mikey <>< <>< <><
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