At the encouragement of a special someone, I'm going to start writing daily devotionals, trying to at least. Targeted audience? -My children as they grow, or anyone for that matter who allows me the honor to speak into their lives with influence - for mutual growth and inspiration. May God lead this, one devotional at a time. Take what you want, return to some of it later, or leave it all - that's for you and God to decide. I'm guessing I'm the one who's going to get the most out of this. No matter how many people read these, a huge part of this is for my own journey of healing and growth. Writing has proven to be an effective tool towards re-calibrating my mind. The most pressing challenge for me at this point - to be succinct! Long-winded writing is my natural style, I'm a detail-oriented analyzer and communicator. But, sometimes less is more.
First Devotional - February 4, 2013
Devotional #1: None Of Your Bees Wax
"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you." Proverbs 4:25 NIV
Whenever I catch myself trying to read other people's minds or read in between the lines, I am wasting precious time. I'm not minding my own beeswax, instead I'm minding somebody else's, at my own cost.
Who is then minding mine?
If people have something they want me to know, in which I don't already know about, it's their business to let me know. Not mine. Yes, it really is that simple!
Amongst other things, my business consists of conducting myself in such a way where I'm as safe, humble, and open as I can be in receiving feedback, within the context of the relationship at hand. I want to be open to feedback and will prayerfully investigate the information amongst my safe-support of invited insiders into my life. But if nothing is presented to me, I am free to give the benefit of the doubt, to my own discretion.
I'm not God. I'm not able or responsible for reading minds behind closed mouths. I am accountable for responding to the presented information, out of a clear conscience. Outside of this, I'm setting myself up for becoming side-tracked and instead of focusing on my own business in seeking the knowledge of God's will for me today, I'm off in a daze. This makes me more vulnerable to anxiety or resentment based on pretense or conjecture, taking up finite time and energy, robbing me of peace.
I can discharge myself from that burden and take up responsibility for what falls under my jurisdiction - my own business, my own life, not the inner thought life of others.
This is all about lovingly setting inner-boundaries for myself to honor.
This depends on me being present, checked-in and connected mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically with myself and God. This guards me from silently wandering off and withdrawing into the insidious realm of conjecture where I start to have inner-reactions to things perceived, not received. Mental distractions can seem harmless, but can be very dangerous. At the very least, it's a crafty strategy of the enemy which cripples me from being used by God to the max, because it prevents me from fully being available in each present moment. Boundaried-mindfulness which involves self-discipline that liberates, begins in my secret thought life, where the hidden battles for reality and truth start. Minding my own beeswax is good protection. It's also liberating.
Who is then minding mine?
If people have something they want me to know, in which I don't already know about, it's their business to let me know. Not mine. Yes, it really is that simple!
Amongst other things, my business consists of conducting myself in such a way where I'm as safe, humble, and open as I can be in receiving feedback, within the context of the relationship at hand. I want to be open to feedback and will prayerfully investigate the information amongst my safe-support of invited insiders into my life. But if nothing is presented to me, I am free to give the benefit of the doubt, to my own discretion.
I'm not God. I'm not able or responsible for reading minds behind closed mouths. I am accountable for responding to the presented information, out of a clear conscience. Outside of this, I'm setting myself up for becoming side-tracked and instead of focusing on my own business in seeking the knowledge of God's will for me today, I'm off in a daze. This makes me more vulnerable to anxiety or resentment based on pretense or conjecture, taking up finite time and energy, robbing me of peace.
I can discharge myself from that burden and take up responsibility for what falls under my jurisdiction - my own business, my own life, not the inner thought life of others.
This is all about lovingly setting inner-boundaries for myself to honor.
This depends on me being present, checked-in and connected mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically with myself and God. This guards me from silently wandering off and withdrawing into the insidious realm of conjecture where I start to have inner-reactions to things perceived, not received. Mental distractions can seem harmless, but can be very dangerous. At the very least, it's a crafty strategy of the enemy which cripples me from being used by God to the max, because it prevents me from fully being available in each present moment. Boundaried-mindfulness which involves self-discipline that liberates, begins in my secret thought life, where the hidden battles for reality and truth start. Minding my own beeswax is good protection. It's also liberating.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5
