The cliché is “don’t judge a book by its cover”...BUUTTTTT…… The reality is that we all do that and I am 100% included. I know this because after a little self-reflection, I am FULLY aware that based on someone's appearance or the way they talk, I give them a label. That label is often the beginning of how I will eventually compare myself to them. Which in turn will create a division I will later have to fight against. And yet, despite knowing that I do this and that it is such a bad habit, the habit is still incredibly hard to break and to stay away from. Some of you know exactly what I am talking about and can relate…. BUTTTTTTT…..with confidence I can say there is good news. CHANGE CAN HAPPEN. Though with most good news, comes some potential bad news. CHANGE WILL HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU WANT. Like most of what I learn, it’s been through life and living and choosing to reflect on at least a portion of my life. The “don’t judge a book by its cover” is the learning experience that I’m walking through and trying to let go of. This was a problem for me and is something I think that a good majority of us probably struggle with - we probably don’t recognize it. Here’s the basic summary of this for me.. I’ll pick a book based on the cover, get into chapter 1 of the book and I will still hold a judgment of the book based solely on the cover. I’ll continue through the rest of the book, complete it, and still think the book was about whatever the cover pictured. One might call me stubborn, certain members of my family would probably agree with this one. One might choose to say I’m not a good person, and to a degree that may be true in this situation. And some who understand psychology might suggest cognitive dissonance might play a part. I think of it this way. I’m 28 years old and I have likely had this habit for the majority of those years and didn’t even recognize it. That’s 28 years of rinse, wash, repeat. 28 years of building an unhealthy habit. BUTTTTT!!.....there's something different today. I KNOW the problem and because I know the problem I CAN move towards changing the problem. I have to become intentional and jump at the problem head on. The reason it has to be intentional change is because even being 1 degree off from the right direction, we can end up so far away! So, let me be clear, change in life is inevitable. Either you choose what changes in your life or what changes in your life will be chosen for you. I had a brief, beautiful moment the other day. I found myself examining my preconceived notions of another person during a conversation I was having with them (aka the judgment I had placed on them by looking at the cover). The thoughts I was examining drifted from things about the way they talk, to the way they dressed/looked, to what I knew about their past history or their current life. Things that I have no right to even judge. While having that conversation with them, I was also having a conversation with myself asking myself why I thought those things and what would happen if I was to let go of any preconceived notion that I held. And for a moment, just a moment, I could sense peace, a calmness and new love or respect towards the person I was conversing with. Maybe even towards myself too, knowing that I saw that person for their trueness and who God has said they truly are. Because I am learning about change, I now have the real question to ask.... Which change do I want to make? The power to choose to remain still or to move forward fully within mine or your reach. I let the lie that I had no control over my life take control of my life and that led to a change I was not a fan of. It led to change I didn’t even recognize was being made until it was too late. The change was a junkyard being built on top of a beautiful city because it was left abandoned to do its own thing. I let things in my life crumble and fall apart because I allowed unintentional change to make a difference in my life. Let me be clear, I’m not an expert at change and I am human and will fail time and time again. But I’ve seen a glimpse of some goodness and I’m going to chase that goodness down. I’m reminded of the parable of the lost coin….here it is…. “Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.” In life I have many good behaviors that I follow through in. If I lose one good behavior, shouldn’t I turn on the lamp, scour the house and look for it to come back? When I find it, shouldn’t I rejoice because I know that I am able to be one step closer to walking the life God has for me? I don’t know about you, but I want to be the best I can be. That is going to require me to put in a lot of hard work. I’ve recently been reading a book called Garden City by John Mark Comer. In the first few chapters Comer presents the idea that work is good. He shows us the word “abad” which means work, but it is also translated as worship. He connects the two. So I wonder, is this type of work worship? I think so. I want to be the best I can be so that God can get the glory and can be seen through me. So, what choice are you going to make today? Are you going to sit with the bad/rough behaviors you have or will you take time to reflect on your life and then choose to make intentional change? Let's pray. God, thank you for the ability and the strength to continually look inward. I thank you for the life we have as believers and as humans. I pray that we learn to become more like you and that we are reminded that we were created in the image of God. We were created to partner with You God, so would you guide us to make intentional change to bring you glory? Would you cause us to step forward in confidence and wipe away any fear stopping us from making good change? We love you Lord. Amen. PEACE AND LOVE,
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AuthorMy life is just a long story. It is a story of brokenness, grace, redemption, and love. Archives
July 2023
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