January 7 DON'T LET ANYTHING BUT JESUS DISTRACT YOU.

Affirmation: Be courageous. Be Strong. Do everything in love.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬
~~~~~~
Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown
Cultivate Resilience. Let Go of Numbing and Powerlessness.
Start Practicing:
Recognize that resilience is a skill you can build through intentional practice. Then, start practicing with these 6 approaches to develop crazy-good resilience.Bring awareness to your go-to numbing strategies. Is it food? TV? Your smartphone? Pornography? Alcohol? Awareness of these moments creates a fork-in-the-road, where you can choose a new path. Ask yourself: “Would I like to step forward into courage? Or step back into comfort?”
How to build resilience
  1. Make time for self-care. Remember, everyone's timelines and paths for “bouncing back” are different. ... 
  2. Focus on what you can control. ... 
  3. Take care of your body. ... 
  4. Invest in your relationships. ... 
  5. Do things you enjoy. ... 
  6. Stay focused on the positives in life
~~~~~~
Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews The Compassionate Decision 

6. I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.
By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I will forgive those who have criticized me unjustly.
I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. I forgive their lack of vision, and I forge ahead.
I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity. I will forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

~~~~~~
Reading for Today
Walk in Grace. Live in Love by Bob Goff

Jan. 7

DON'T LET ANYTHING BUT JESUS DISTRACT YOU.

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

MATTHEW 6:6 

I read that the average person spends one out of every five minutes on social media. It's literally taking over our lives, minute by minute. To minimize the distraction, software companies have developed apps to keep you off for twenty­four hours, no matter what. Some apps are designed to restrict your internet access completely, and you can't turn your computer off and on, restart your internet, or do anything to get around it. This is how serious our distractive habits have become, and I know it personally. We all have our weaknesses. For some people, it's sports or fashion or cars. Me, I can't stay off social media when friends of mine start posting their kids' back-to-school pictures or Halloween costumes. How are we supposed to be productive when we see four-year-old pumpkins with superpowers?

 

It's easy to get distracted by everything else; what takes a little more work is to only get distracted by Jesus. When it comes time for praying or reading about Jesus, it's easy to feel like we're wasting time. We get fidgety. Our minds start to wander. Our fingers reach for our phones to take a quick peek and see what our friends are doing. With all the stuff on our to-do lists and all the opportunities to connect with others, it can feel forced to stop, be still, and be silent.

 

We're not wasting time on God. It's actually the best use of time to spend time with the One who created time in the first place. He knew we would need to eat, sleep, work, and brush our teeth, yet He still asked us to pray. He urged us to spend time with Him because He knew it would actually change everything.

 

Sure, it's good to guard your time, but it's even better to guard your heart. Don't keep such a tight grip on your time that you miss out on Jesus. Take some time today and decide to only be distracted by Him. 

What's your plan to be distracted by Him today? 

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