Aug 12 Quit Playing it Safe

Affirmation: I am doing my best & that is enough.

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Cultivate Self-Compassion. Let go of Perfectionism.

Do your best…that is enough.

Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews

5. The Joyful Decision 

TODAY I WILL CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.

Happiness is a choice. I am enthusiastic about each day. I am alert to its possibilities.

I will become the master of my emotions.

I will greet each day with laughter. I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world.

The world belongs to the enthusiastic,

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love by Bob Goff

AUGUST 12 

QUIT PLAYING IT SAFE WITH WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE. 

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. JAMES 4:11 

All of us want to belong. We look for connection in all kinds of places: at churches, on sports teams, in book clubs, and through our jobs. A lot of us get on social media or read blogs to find words that make us feel less alone and more connected to the world. We all want to know we’ve got a tribe, a place to belong. 

The power of community is in its strength to bring us together. But have you ever felt like your group constructed a high wall meant to keep the people you disagree with out? It can be tempting for people to define themselves by who they’re against. The problem is, Jesus said He was for everybody. That means you’re the guy on the other side of the wall from Him if you’ve got a list of people God made but you won’t talk to because you disagree with them. 

When you start to hear friends gossip about people who aren’t around to defend themselves, make a stand. If you hear leaders lumping large groups into small and inaccurate definitions, stand up. 

When the people around you start to divide the world between “us” and “them,” listen for Jesus challenging all of us to break down the barriers. Don’t let the longing for connection and community keep you silent. Quit playing it safe with what you know to be true. When the people around us are courageous enough to speak the truth, they remind us who we want to become. When your words invite people in instead of blocking them out, you’ll be living the words Jesus whispered in your ear. 

Who’s on the outside of your friend group, and what can you do to invite them in?