Oct. 10, 2013

Proverbs 23:19

Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way.

It’s such a common occurrence. Something is said or happens and we interpret one way. But the other person who is involved intended something very different. I hear part of a conversation and walk away making my own conclusion, when in reality; I’m missing a significant part of the situation.

Some people truly are insightful people. They quickly read people and understand a difficult situation. But for most of us, this is not reality. I often stop myself and think: is what I’m thinking reality or something I’ve created in my mind?

This is a part of our emotional health. I stager at the amount of energy I have wasted by allowing my thinking to misinterpret reality. How easy it is for our thoughts to inappropriately corrupt what really is happening. While I have had this happen to me previously and have tried to coach people from getting sucked into it, I find myself again allowing my thoughts to skew what is happening around me. I often forget that there is always more to the story than what I am aware of.

Why is this? I call it the very real presence of evil in this world. Why does it seem that evil is more diligent about taking over my thoughts than the presence of God? Because I am focusing on the wrong things and am not fully seeking God.

I have discovered that for my emotional health, it really is better sometimes to just ask … and accept the response. I can drive myself crazy trying to understand or get inside someone else’s head. If possible, it is more productive to sort through this with the actual person than try and anticipate or predict what someone else intends.

Too often, our natural inclination is to get advice from someone else. Sometimes this is good and helpful. But other times, it makes more sense to go to the source.

Ultimately, where should be get our sense of reality? From Almighty God. We should seek wisdom from God and not relying only on ourselves. The story of King Solomon amazes me. God would grant him whatever he wanted; he could have one wish. Solomon pondered. No, he didn’t need faster chariots or more prized horses. He didn’t seek wealth or position or notoriety. He simply asked for wisdom. If only I could be so willing to ask for this from God then I could keep a clearer sense of reality.

Forgive us for when we have spent endless amounts of time and energy on something that was not reality. Protect us from the evil that tries to lure us away from you. Grant us wisdom to have a strong and daily sense of reality. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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