Photo by #unsplash, Dari Lli
Do you remember as a young parent repeating something to your child you heard your parents say to you, something you didn't really appreciate? Why did you repeat it? Why were those your go to words?
Chances are you found yourself in a crisis moment, and those words just spilled out of your mouth. Recognizing this irritation doesn't mean everything you heard your parents say was frustrating. I am sure there are true nuggets of wisdom they passed on as well, but when it comes to certain circumstances why do we fall into the same word traps?
First of all what you hear often - sticks. What other educational/inspirational tools do we have at our disposal to feed our minds, which in turn will change our responses?
Secondly, crisis situations usually get knee jerk reactions. What can we do to cultivate a less volatile environment? Prayer is one of my staples. Take your frustrations to God before saying anything out loud.
Thirdly, what kind of company are we keeping? What conversations are being fueled in those circles? Are we hanging around people that applaud what we want to hear, or hanging around people who challenge us to think deeper?
Fourthly, it isn't about not wanting to sound like something from our past as much as it is about wanting to be the best we can be, now and in the future. We don't want to be cookie cutter nay-sayers, do we? Do we want to add to the noise, or make a difference?
I use to be frustrated with the list of the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, because the one I wanted to develop in my life the most was at the bottom of that list. Somehow I got it into my head that I had to be really fruity before I could achieve 'self control'. It seemed impossible until I read the book of Titus, where scripture pointed to the answer. Sound Doctrine enables godliness, and self control is a godly trait! Yeah!
This truth then re-emphasized reading God's Word - sound doctrine, can change my circumstances, my responses and cultivate self control. Wahoo!
Now, this is just my blog, so I recommend you do some digging into sound doctrine/God's Word for your self. Bounce your questions off of wisemen and women and go out there and change the world!
I know it is tempting to join the arguments around us, repeat what we've heard without a second thought, but consider these verses: Proverbs 12:15 and Proverbs 14:12.
And have a super day!
Cindy