February 7 WE GROW WHERE WE'RE LOVED, NOT WHERE WE'RE MERELY INFORMED.

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

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 8: Cultivating Calm and Stillness and Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle

Start practicing:

Start a daily meditation practice. Even as little as 2 minutes every day makes a big difference. Not sure where to begin? I assembled a free guided meditation bundle pack you can download here. Put them on your smartphone, and you’ll be a few taps away from your practice at all times.

Create space for introspection via solitude and journaling. Give yourself the opportunity to understand yourself more deeply. What patterns of behavior are serving you in life? Which ones aren’t?

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Guided Decision 

I will seek wisdom

Sometimes the questions are complicated, but the answers are simple.

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and lis- ten only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, Knock and the door will be opened to you. Matt 7:7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps. Prov. 3:5,6

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

Feb. 7

WE GROW WHERE WE'RE LOVED, NOT WHERE WE'RE MERELY INFORMED. 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but 'Christ lives in me.

GALATIANS 2:20 

When I first met Jesus, I tried to surround myself with people who were on the same path as I was. But over time, there were so many people who looked and acted like me that I lost sight of the way Jesus sought out people outside the fringes. This is what changed everything. I made an effort to become friends with people whose lives looked different than mine. I sought out people with different worldviews. I found people who rolled different than me.

 

Much to my surprise, there were people who didn't go to church but loved Jesus. For one reason or another, they didn't feel accepted at church or didn't feel like they were truly welcome. They made choices people didn't agree with. They had lifestyles that were unconventional. They had things about their faith they were still working out, and this made some people feel uncomfortable.

 

These friends reminded me that we grow where we are loved, not where we are merely informed. These new friends were told they had to change in order to belong, so they decided not to belong. They didn't want to stay quiet or hide their struggles, so they stayed away.

 

What they feared was rejection, so they found people who accepted them just as they were. Some of these friends found different churches, while others just found good friends. They found places where they were loved.

 

Who is it you have been avoiding? Who is it you disagree with? Who has a lifestyle you disapprove of? What if we showed grace and loved them rather than trying to change them? People grow where they're loved.

 

Is God inviting you to grow closer to someone who is different from you? 

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