MY way or The HIGH WAY

Typically this saying indicates that someone should align themselves with another person’s rules or perspective or remove themselves from a situation. Get in line or leave… hit the road, also know as the highway.

Your way is just that—your way. It’s yours, not God’s. It is eminently INFERIOR to God's way. If your way ever became in sync with God’s way, you’d simply acknowledge it as His way. Such acknowledgment recognizes that God is greater than you. It acknowledges Him as Supreme Author and Creator.

God’s way is THE high way.

What’s worse than choosing our own way, versus God’s, is foisting our agenda / methodology onto other people. I often find myself compelling / convincing / beseeching others to view THEIR LIFE as I do… and to act accordingly. Ummm that’s just poor form. So on that note, here’s my exhortation for myself:

STOP THINKING FOR people and START PRAYING FOR people… especially the stubborn ones.

My best shot at being a part of eternally beneficial change in their lives is to tap into the Holy Spirit’s power and do some work on the divine plane.

My voice, audible & written, is often declarative. I issue statements as though they are fact. These are just my thoughts.

Baggage Claim

The nature of what you take away from an experience, circumstance, or personal exchange defines whether it is a lesson learned or emotional baggage. If you are unable to express or are not instinctively focused on how you benefited or grew from it… you probably haven’t (yet). That relegates the experience, circumstance, or personal exchange in question to being emotional baggage.

Judge convict / indict is very different from judge discern. Followers of Christ are called to be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. Discernment is a skill set that is elevated to spiritual gifting level of recognition as a given ability.

Wisdom is knowing and behaving. Wisdom can be handed directly from the Holy Spirit, or indirectly from the Holy Spirit through experience, circumstance or personal exchanges.

Does everything have a purpose ? Can everything have a purpose ascribed to it ? I believe Yes. Romans 8:28 tells us “…and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” Do we need to discern all purposes under the sun ? I believe No.

The title is baggage claim for good reason. I don’t enjoy claiming my baggage… and I’ve got enough of it. My baggage is just sitting on the carousel, going around & around… unclaimed… waiting for me to pick it up… and deal with it.

Loyalty-- part 3

CHARACTER FLAWS ARE INDEFENSIBLE.
CHARACTER DEFICIENCIES ARE IMPUGNABLE.
CHARACTER WEAKNESSES ARE INEXPIATE.

Refusing to defend the flaws of a friend does not constitute disloyalty. Loyally touting the virtues of a friend are best done at appropriate moments, lest they be dismissed as mere excuses.

pay attention to YOUR OWN signs !!

You know when you're tired... and cranky.
You know when you're hungry... and cantankerous.
You know when you're feeling sick... and short-fused.
You know when you're stressed... and ornery.

When I'm in one of these states I expect everyone around me to observe all the clear signals and take steps to handle / approach me with extra care. In the throes of one of these states I may find myself apologizing to someone for behaving badly... and using my "condition" as a lame excuse. Nice eh ? NOT !

I'm sure others have gone thru this but this is my blog... so I'll let the buck stop here. Instead of urging others to pay attention to the signs that I'm in a weakened state, I should invoke my own attention and PROMPT MYSELF to lean on God just a little bit more. I don't just need God for a few things. I need God for EVERYTHING. If God looks at his watch and says, "Oh my, look at the time. Ingrid is done." = I just stop breathing. I may think I don't need God to tie my own shoelaces and yet if I'm struck with some neuromuscular disease tomorrow I might not be able to do that very simple task ever again. And yet I try to do too much in my own strength... on a GOOD DAY. When I'm in a particularly weakened state I should take those cues to get on my knees before God just a little bit more.