A year ago today I published my first post on Inspired Talk Today. Although this past year there were many things we experienced which changed our everyday normal, our everyday struggles and attitudes still remain. This is why I think my first post is as relevant today as it was a year ago, and is worth repeating.
My First Post
| One of my favorite movies is an older movie called Pollyanna. It is about a young girl who was an orphan. No matter her situation, she chooses to find the good in people and in life. She tells a story about her father who had passed away, who once was a pastor; she said “He once told me, if you look for the bad in people you are sure to find it.” Today I would like to share a scripture from the Bible that I hope will encourage you, and help you to think and make positive choices, and maybe even to possibly change some things in your life for the better. Philippians 4:8 “Finally , brothers, and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.” This reminds me that God in His love created us with a free will. We are capable of making our own choices every day, every minute, for good or for bad. Being created with the capacity to choose, this gives us control over all of our thoughts, which determines all of our actions and emotions. If we learn how to take hold of our thoughts and how we think, it will shape how we feel and also how we live. It will affect the relationships we are in and how we look at people. When we begin to think about our thoughts, perhaps we can reset and redirect them and begin to make better choices. If we don’t take hold of them and we allow our minds to have meltdowns without any correction, we then act as though we have no power over what we think about, when in fact we do. In his book titled “The DNA of Relationships,” Dr. Gary Smalley writes: “The mistakes so many of us make in our relationships is to think that if we just let things stay as they are, if we can postpone making a choice, making a change, then we can get through a difficult experience. We fail to understand that by not making critical choices we are choosing.” Another author, Dr. Archibald Hart in his book “Habits of the Mind” writes: “Our body is the servant of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought.” He goes on to say that “feelings are the consequences, not the cause, of emotional problems. Our emotions are good sources of information about how we are thinking. We cannot control our emotions directly, but we can influence how we are feeling by changing our thoughts. Change our thoughts first, and the desired feelings will follow. Our reactions, our emotions, our attitudes are the results of our thoughts.” As we realize and use this awesome ability we have to change the way we think, we will see better results in the choices we make. Most of the time the situations and circumstances that we find ourselves in are the result of the choices we have made. Yes we reap what we sow, but sometimes we are put in positions, situations, circumstances, and experience things, that are beyond our control. We are put there by other people’s choices, or maybe even by the environment that we live in. Although in times like that things are beyond our control, one thing remains true: we have control over our thoughts and how we respond. Last week as I focused on the Corona virus, I started to lose control of my thoughts. This caused feelings of fear and anxiety to creep in. As I allowed those feelings to start to take root, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to ask this question. What does God say in His word about having these feelings of fear and anxiety over situations that are out of my control? Colossians 1:7 says “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Hebrews 1:3-4 says “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being sustaining all things by His powerful word.” In Acts 17:25-28 It says “He gives all men life and breath and everything else. (26) He determines the times set for us and the exact places where we should live. (27) That He is not far from each one of us and (28) in Him we live and move and have our being.” Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Psalm 121:1 tells us “God who is our protector does not sleep or slumber.” As these reminders of God’s love came to me, I found peace in relinquishing control over situations that I never had any control over in the first place. As I trusted that God was still in control, I felt peace in knowing that there isn’t anything that catches Him by surprise. There isn’t anything that He hasn’t already sifted through His hands, and that He won’t turn and use for my good. As I choose to take control over my thoughts and focus on God and His goodness, I could feel His peace and presence in my heart. Today as you choose to focus on the good things God has blessed you with, ask Him how He can use you today to encourage another! |
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