When waking each day to follow the will of God we have to wake with a clean and clear heart and mind. To wake with a clean and clear heart and mind, one must go to bed with just that...
I could blog to you about sleep patterns and the habits that you could develop to sleep better but I felt lead tonight to share with you a lesson in life that I am practicing on removing stumbling blocks from my life. The six defects in character that I am about to share with you come from a daily devotional from Safehouse Outreach. I have added and removed from the message...My prayer is that by sharing it that it reaches someone that needs the message just as I needed it when I discovered it...Who knows, it may actually help you sleep better! It sure has helped me!
None of us are perfect. Life is not perfect. We were designed to live and to learn. Stumbling blocks can come in many shapes and sizes in life. The ones I want to share with you now are the stumbling blocks within our character that keep us from living our God given purpose. There are six common ones and as you read this ask yourself if you recognize any or for some ALL of them in your own life? If so, your prayer is to ask God to help you to go to work on removing them...Ask him to reveal them in ways that will jump out of you so BIG that there will be no way you would not recognize it...Ask your spouse, partner or loved one to help you identify if any or all of the six defects are seen in you, in your actions and in your life in general...By realizing them and removing them you are opening your life to much greater success in all areas! Do you want better relationships at home, at work, with family and friends? Take a look deep inside yourself and let's move forward to a closer relationship with your true self...the person that you were born to be...not the the one that this WORLD has created...
The first one is PRIDE. God hates all forms of pride. His word says "with humility...regard one another as more important than yourselves" (PHP 2:3) It is PRIDE that toppled satan from the number two position in Heaven, and PRIDE will topple you too if you let it. (notice the no capitalization is not in error - I will not give him any glory by capitalizing his given name...)
The second is INSECURITY. Insecurity is doubt. Insecure people are often not willing to take risk. They have fear and anxiety. Insecure people will often complain about what they have NOT got in life, yet they are afraid to take risk or embrace change to do something about it. Insecure people will make excuses to remain comfortable. The beginning of INSECURITY, FEAR AND ANXIETY is the end of FAITH... The beginning of FAITH is the end of FEAR and ANXIETY and INSECURITY! God wants us to step out in FAITH and depend only on him and his word...Open your Bible and see what he has to share with you...You may be amazed at what you will learn and what He has wanted to share...One of my favorite sayings is "Living in the Will of God is the safest place to LIVE."
The third is MOODINESS...Confidence is never built on a person that is fickle...Moody people are like the wind. You never know which way they will blow. You also never know which mood they are in and that often causes stress in a relationship...The Lord wants to bless us with abundance but he also wants us to be able to handle the many blessings he will give us. Moodiness in your life will not allow you to ever stand on solid ground. You are shifting sand...Be honest with what, whom or why you are moody. Moodiness can often be a symptom of a sad and lonely disease called "emptiness". God in your life will never allow you to be empty. He wants to complete you and move you to a solid foundation...If your friends are falling off like leaves on a tree in the Winter and you have been moody...a simple apology and forgiveness can go along ways...With GOD, an apology and asking for forgiveness is eternal...a clean slate, a new beginning...You have to love that!
The fourth stumbling block in character is PERFECTIONISM...Perfectionist can't affirm themselves, therefore it's difficult for them to affirm anybody else. The need to perform flawlessly can stifle your creativity and can turn people off! Accept that you may want to be the best you can but accept less than perfect and learn to not control EVERYTHING...let life just happen and learn to go with the flow...
The fifth is a challenge...OVER-SENSITIVITY. Over sensitive people are always licking their wounds and looking inward; they will very often be unaware of the needs of others...They may be the sweetest of people and super kind but they are emotionally exhausting to be around. Ironically, they never understand why they are so lonely. If you think this could be you...simply ask an honest friend...Do not hold it against them if they tell you the truth. It may be the start to repair a relationship that is in much need of this type of communication...
The last and often the most damaging stumbling block in ones life is NEGATIVITY...Oh how this one can take a hold of you and ruin everything in your life...Negativity is like a cancer that can spread so fast...It alone can even kill you. It can weaken your heart, slow down your mind and allow you be blind to so much in life...A negative person says NO to life in general...They often have a "my way or the highway" style in actions...AVOID these people like the plague because negativity is very contagious if you are not careful...The most important thing you can do is realize that negativity is a CHOICE...also realize that association with these people is a choice as well! If you fell negativity has a hold of your life take steps to wake and pray for God to show you the positive side of life...REFUSE to be negative about anything and everything. ACCEPT things in a new light...
Another one of my favorite sayings, so much of one that I have a full size poster in a my workroom goes like this..."Why do people seek happiness when happiness is simply a choice?" CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!
Each of these defects in character are a choice...We can realize them and remove them from our actions and take the steps to live a life that is FULL and JOYFUL! A life that GOd designed for you to be fullo f great abundance and victory. God so wants to bless us...Shall we allow him this? Why are you holding back? What has kept you from the truth? Ask God to help you...pray to him for answers to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones...
Have a blessed week!
Liz
For your own subscription to the great daily devotions from Safehouse Outreach you may contact Philip:
SafeHouse Outreach
89 Ellis St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30303-2402
404-523-2221
http://www.safehouseoutreach.org/
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