Book Club Day 2: The Words We Say to Ourselves
[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1076", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-2318 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"168", "height":"300", "alt":"coffee"}}]] Happy Veteran's Day!!
Welcome to Day Two of the Faith Deployed...Again online book club! (Not sure what this is all about? Click here.)
In Your Book: Please take a moment to grab your copy of Faith Deplolyed...Again and turn with me to page 28 to read the devotion I wrote called "Soul Talk." (You can also read it online in the free excerpt of the book, here.) Now Let's Talk: Today's discussion is led by Jocelyn Green. The other day at the coffee shop, I couldn't help but overhear a young woman say, "I am the boss of my own life." Apparently the young man she was talking to asked her to repeat herself, because again, but with wider eyes, a nodding head, and a louder voice, she said, "I am the boss of my own life!" Let's face it. Most of us, if not all of us, want to be in control of our lives. And the uncomfortable truth is. . .we're not. Not really. In Faith Deployed. . .Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives, I share a story about how my self-talk became a negative, self-fulfilling prophecy until I replaced my words to myself with truths from Scripture. On the flip side, I believe that self-talk that gives ourselves too much credit (as in being "the boss" of our own lives, or not needing help from anyone) is just as misguided and damaging. [Tweet "What we tell ourselves matters."] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1077", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-2316 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"193", "height":"300", "alt":"selftalk"}}]]In her book Self Talk, Soul Talk, Jennifer Rothschild says:
Control over the events of our lives is a pleasant daydream at best and a cruel fantasy at worst. Even so, we all seem ready to embrace the mirage. That's why we get angry and feel discontent when we lost control of a situation we feel we ought to have a handle on. We act as though we've realy lost something, but we never truly had it at all. (page 104)
How true! This would be a bitter pill to swalllow indeed if we thought we were completely at the mercy of the government, or the military, or natural disasters, or international conflicts. But even though it may seem this way, God is ultimately in control.
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7).
Even things which seem to fall under the category of "chance" or "coincidence" cannot escape God's will:
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).
In her book, Rothschild goes on to point out the certain things we do have control over, no matter what. She says:
We have control over our own attitudes.
We have control over our responses to circumstances.
We have control over our choice to seek God.
We have control over our determination to be still before Him.
We have control over our choice to acknowledge that He is God--and we are not! (page 104)
Personally, the times when I'm the most frustrated are the times when I feel most out of control. I need to change my self-talk from "I need things to go my way!" to the more truthful soul-talk of, "God is still God, and He is in control." I need to remember what I do control, and align my energies accordingly. Discuss: What do you sometimes tell yourself that causes more discouragement? What Bible verse should you claim instead?
