So we started a new study in bible study called "Me, Myself & Lies" the title itself may sound intimidating but it's actually an awesome study so far. By the end of the study, I felt a bit overwhelmed but I know it was a good kinda overwhelmed. I learned to analyze what is in your closet? Some may say it's messy some may say it's neat and organized in colors or in sections some may say it started out clean and now it's a pile of junk. The interesting thing about what is in your closet compares to who you are as a person. We all long to find ourselves in this big world at times we feel alone at times we feel like we're driving ourselves crazy not knowing where to go. But if you really stop and think, take a minute to breathe. Listen. Listen to your Heavenly Father who knows best and who is definitely trying to get you to where He wants you to be. So often we have this longing of control and the happenings of life. the thing I learned so far is that if you don't control your thoughts, your thoughts will control you. Not to worry 'cuz there's a way to prevent that, you can start by monitoring your thoughts. So how would you describe your self talk? Would it be constructive? destructive? Ineffective? Powerful?
For me, for the longest time most of my self-talk has been destructive based on my upbringing. As I came to seek Jesus as my best Friend my self talk has been powerful but every now and then the little voice of destructiveness will come in. that's the enemy dude! while it's hard I have to believe and try so hard to seek joy in my Father because I know that is what is best for me and to glorify Him. More recently, my self-talk has been on the fence of powerful & destructive which leads to spiritual warfare. Sometimes I'll think "omg that was so stupid you're so dumb! but then I know I'm a child of God so it basically comes down to once you wake up in the morning your first thought is how your day would go. I strive to wake up with "rise & SHINE!" Today's the day the Lord has made! Throughout the day there may be things that make our self-talk go bonkers but at least we try We live in a fallen world and the enemy is sooo strong and soo on the move BUT we have to stand firm & keep in the Word and tell the enemy He has got to go because with the Great I am, we have the greatest weapon....
I also learned that if you sow a thought you reap an action. if you reap an action you sow habit. if you sow habit you reap character if you reap character you sow destiny. it sorta reminds me of the verse from Romans 5:3-5 "not only so but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character; and character hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit who has been given to us."
in the study the author broke down closet in terms of:
C- cares/concerts "what if"
L- "likes/dislikes -your personality
O- objectives/goals - your plans in life
S- secrets - things you never want anyone to know about you... they're like potatoes they grow and pollute everywhere and eventually affect everything
E- eternity - in Ecc. 3:11 God makes everything beautiful in his own time - the holy spirit is connected in us
T- treasures - what matters most to you, your values
so basically what your closet compose of is how you are as a person...the standard of our self-talk is what is acceptable to God... Note that sometimes what we think is acceptable may not be acceptable to God... Your thought closet is basically everything that was said to yourself over the years. That took to heart for me because in my upbringing a lot of it was so negative so it had taken time to clean out those thoughts to make it a positive and believe which voice to listen to...
I learned that bricks are used as a name for ourselves. it is man-made while Stones are God-made. As mentioned before we have that need for control therefore we end up building up our own bricks and labels, when in reality we already have an identity... God has created us all to be a living stone. I found by the end of the study when I mediate on the verses the next day it's almost like bricks are the same thing, it's ugly, it's thick it's rough. On the other hand, stones are colorful, smooth, and different. It reminds me of the song "Tear down the Walls" -
I don't know about you but I don't want to spend my whole life building up bricks after another when I can tear down the walls with the Truth, wearing my armor of God, standing firm to become a living stone. That's the beauty of it, God already sees us all as beautiful finished products. So why keep trying to fix ourselves?
Lastly, I learned in psalms 19:14 "let the words of my mouth & mediation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord for You are my strength & my redeemer"