Proverbs 21:2 (NKJV) => Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the heart.
This verse intends to remind me that if I use the human system of right and wrong, I will pretty much always be on the right side. I can always find someone who is worse than me -- "well, at least I'm not like Soandso!". Or I can always rationalize it away -- "I HAD TO lie. It would have been rude to tell her how that REALLY looked on her!". People usually see someone else's bad behavior (otherwise known as sin) as being "more bad" than their own. It is a sliding-scale so to say. God is consistent about what is wrong and what is right. The same things that were sinful 3000 years ago is still sinful now and will still be sinful 3000 years from now. He looks into our hearts to see our motivations and attitude. Something that appears to be right, like helping another person out, could be wrong when done for selfish, self-serving reasons, like for the publicity. I need to do a quick heart check before I do something. Is the reason I want to do this because it will help someone with a need or is it so I can get something out of it? I do not think it is completely bad to get something out of helping someone else ... I think it's even talked about somewhere in the Bible that there are win/win scenarios. I know that I feel better emotionally when I help someone else out with something.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the consistent measure of what is right and wrong. Show me where I am not seeing that in my life. Show me ways that I can reach out and help others in a way that creates a win/win situation. Strengthen me to do what You have put onto my heart to accomplish. Amen.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Resurecting the Past ... Stepping Into Future
Hello again. I can not believe it has been a year and a half since I made a blog post. I'm sure most of my readers have forgotten about me, if I had any to begin with. This really isn't about anyone else, though, is it? The trend I had set out for with this blog was a lot more personal. I am going back to that premise. I am going to use this to record my personal Bible study (sometimes journal entry insights) and hopefully others will read it, be encouraged, and be led to comment so myself and others can also be encouraged.
This specific post is more about a reintroduction. I am not in the midst of a specific book of the Bible. I am using a list generated by the Logos Bible software. The list I chose was a list focusing on hope. I have been feeling without much hope lately. I am trying to focus on reading my Bible more consistently. I have been given all the advice I can tolerate about it. I know I need to do it every day. I know I should do it first thing in the morning before distractions and busyness can get into the way. But if I hear that stupid Nike slogan applied to my struggle to follow through and accomplish something, I think I just may SCREAM! Telling someone who battles with depression to "Just Do It" shows your lack of knowledge about depression, it shows your lack of attention to the personality of your so-called friend. I am realizing that I have just such an acquaintance in my prayer circle. I call her "acquaintance" rather than "friend" because of her insistence that if she can do it -- with 'it' being anything from praying and Bible reading daily to making it to work out at the gym regularly -- I certainly should be able to, also, since I am so much younger than she is. But I am digressing.
I want this to be about encouraging myself and others who struggle with Major Clinical Depression, suicidal tendencies, or Bi Polar I and the roller coaster ride that is life with these disorders. I will be using Christian / Bible references because that is where I have found the greatest support. Beyond the obvious support of fellow believers, I find that knowing there is encouragement and support written in the Bible show me that this is not something new, I am not alone, and Jesus is there with me no matter how far down I drop.
If you would like to, read my initial post introducing the blog to see the layout I use for writing out my Bible study entries. You can find it quickly by clicking the label "Introduction" below. The post is titled "31 Days in Proverbs."
This specific post is more about a reintroduction. I am not in the midst of a specific book of the Bible. I am using a list generated by the Logos Bible software. The list I chose was a list focusing on hope. I have been feeling without much hope lately. I am trying to focus on reading my Bible more consistently. I have been given all the advice I can tolerate about it. I know I need to do it every day. I know I should do it first thing in the morning before distractions and busyness can get into the way. But if I hear that stupid Nike slogan applied to my struggle to follow through and accomplish something, I think I just may SCREAM! Telling someone who battles with depression to "Just Do It" shows your lack of knowledge about depression, it shows your lack of attention to the personality of your so-called friend. I am realizing that I have just such an acquaintance in my prayer circle. I call her "acquaintance" rather than "friend" because of her insistence that if she can do it -- with 'it' being anything from praying and Bible reading daily to making it to work out at the gym regularly -- I certainly should be able to, also, since I am so much younger than she is. But I am digressing.
I want this to be about encouraging myself and others who struggle with Major Clinical Depression, suicidal tendencies, or Bi Polar I and the roller coaster ride that is life with these disorders. I will be using Christian / Bible references because that is where I have found the greatest support. Beyond the obvious support of fellow believers, I find that knowing there is encouragement and support written in the Bible show me that this is not something new, I am not alone, and Jesus is there with me no matter how far down I drop.
If you would like to, read my initial post introducing the blog to see the layout I use for writing out my Bible study entries. You can find it quickly by clicking the label "Introduction" below. The post is titled "31 Days in Proverbs."
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