I can't believe I forgot my favorite part of the blog!! YOUR FAVORITE QUOTES & IDEAS!!
That's something else we lose when we give in to self-doubt, worry, and fear: our mind!
Not that it makes us truly crazy, but when we are occupied with negative thoughts, it's easy to forget other, and often, more important things. Things that don't require as much energy to keep in check. Negative thoughts are like the proverbial squeaky wheel: they demand our attention! And steal our peace. And prevent us from being focused, productive, and truly alive!
I've been dealing with worry & fear over the last few weeks. Nothing much, but I was treading lightly with a new person in my life. Every time I had to communicate with her, I was concerned that whatever I said would be taken wrong. I was careful how I "spoke" to her, limiting most of my communications to e-mail so I could cafefully craft what I was saying. Something that was suppose to be a fun, collaborative endeavour had become a project filled with stress. After an especially disturbing encounter, I prayed for wisdom & compassion in my attitude. I felt my confidence grow with every future encounter and thought things were going well. When she came at me with fear and control, I thought I was offering peace and information. Then yesterday more hurtful and accusing words from her filled my head & heart with self-doubt! Did I really do what she accused me of? Am I that obtuse that I didn't see that I was causing her misery? How could I do so much harm, when I thought I was doing good?
Through prayer (y'know, the kind where I just open the top of my head and let God in because I'm at such a loss for words), friends, & loved ones I regained my perspective. I was reminded of who I am in Christ. I was reminded that I cannot control how people react and I cannot let their defeating words enter my heart. Paul tells us, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all the has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7. As long as I am living in Christ Jesus, God is guarding my heart and if God is with me, who can stand against me!? NO ONE!
So I followed Paul's advice, and did what I knew would bring me peace; I offered her an apology. Whether or not she accepts it is up to her. My heart is healed through Jehovah Shalom, the Lord my Peace (Judges 6:24). Through this, I was inspired to make cards with the Names of God on them, so that I could keep them with me and be reminded of the promise of who He is. When I figure out how to publish them, I'll share them here on the blog! Until then, you can find a list of God's names and corresponding Scripture on page 194 of A Confident Heart.
NOW! Tell me, what are your favorite quotes from chapters 9 & 10? I look forward to reading all of your comments!!
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
No comments:
Post a Comment