Just a quick reminder this week, that we get to choose how we respond to events in our life.
It’s easy to think that we can’t help ourselves, or to blame others (or our emotions) for how we respond to the stimulus in our life. While we can blame, the truth is, we get to decide how we respond.
Let’s decide, and then follow through, on making good choices.
I’m going to talk about one of Jesus’s principles this week, so be warned. If that’s not your thing, come back next week. 😊
“If you only love the loveable, do you expect a pat on the back?” Luke 6:30 Msg.
It’s easy to love those who love, us, or to be kind to people who are kind to us. However, Jesus teaches that we’re also to be kind to those who aren’t kind to us. And to love those who don’t love us. This is challenging teaching. It’s even more challenging to put into practice.
I’ve had the “opportunity” to put this teaching into practice with a couple of people for the past 11 months. It has, indeed, been challenging, but I can also report that with prayer and commitment to Jesus’s teaching, it has gotten a little easier. Not easy, just slightly easier that it was 11 months ago.
Jesus’s teaching is for our benefit, because he wants what’s best for us. Following this particular principle has kept my heart from festering with disdain or hate toward others, and has instead caused me to regularly cast my gaze toward Jesus for his assistance, strength, and peace. All of which I have received.
So, while it’s been challenging, I can also report that it’s been what’s best for me. I have peace instead of anger, and gratitude for His teaching instead of animosity toward others.
It’s a nice place to be.
This week I’ve been reading one of my journals from 2015. Reading old journals is like being in a time machine, because I can read what I was thinking in that particular moment and also know how things turned out 8 years later. Journaling is a great way to establish benchmarks (where we currently are) and our goals/destinations (where we want to go).
I was encouraged to see that for several of my personal growth destinations I was writing about, I was able to arrive at the destination envisioned at the time. This was reassuring, as I was able to read my thought process and understand my desire, as well as actions to take, to get there.
My journals also revealed that I have areas that I wanted to improve on back in 2015, that I’m still working to improve at in 2023. I was encouraged that there are areas of growth that were important to me then that are still important to me today. And while my improvement has been slow, I still have the desire to improve moving forward. My journaling from 2015 is still motivating me to continue to grow and improve, today and beyond.
Are there any areas in your life where you’d like to improve? If so, I strongly suggest journaling about where you are, and where you want to go in life. If journaling isn’t your thing, I’d suggest at least writing down the areas you want to improve, and what that improvement looks like. This will provide a wonderful benchmark for your future self, so that they will know if they are on track or need to recalibrate. It will also make for a nice conversation with yourself at a future date.
As I was journaling this morning, I was reminded how our self-talk can limit or lift how we see ourselves. Think about that, the words you tell yourself, about yourself (whether audibly or simply thought), have a direct impact on how you feel and think about who you are.
Taking this thought a little further, what we think/feel, about ourselves, will influence our actions. And, the actions we consistently take are what shapes the lives we ultimately build for ourselves.
The question that feels like it needs to be asked is, “Do you like what you’ve built?”
If your answer is, “Yes”, great! However, if your answer is, “No”, it might be reflecting on you’ve talking to yourself to discern if there’s any negative thoughts or talk you’ve regularly had with yourself.
It might even be time to start a new, positive conversation with yourself… because you’re worth it.
Cause Something to Happen 