Who’s Guiding You?
I visited a friend for tea this week. As I was leaving she said, “You know Hannah it is such a blessing to have friends who are believers. Friends who can build you up and encourage you in the things of God rather than just bring you the latest gossip.”
As I look back on my week I can see that what she said was the theme of my week: being around people and environments that bless me and build me up.
We women have the amazing opportunity to build each other up- sadly sometimes- oftentimes perhaps- we allow wrong input to be our guide in the journey of our lives.
I’m at an interesting place in my journey.
It’s exciting. As I uncover God’s love for me, who He is and who He has made me in Him I can tell you that I’m coming under tremendous strife in the battle for my mind.
Sometimes I swing from one extreme to the next- other times I don’t know what’s from God, what’s me and what’s enemy fire… In such cases, oftentimes, it’s been hearing teaching from the Scriptures, the guidance of my husband, a Godly friend or someone in my fellowship that have helped me discern what is wise and God’s best for me.
I’m not saying we should depend solely on what people say about our lives- but I’ve come to realise that God has given us community for a reason. It’s so important who we allow our community to be.
One of the things I’ve learned that has helped me so much is to be so vigilant about input into my ears. Because what I hear goes into my mind and inevitably translates into my life.
We women love to talk. We are amazing at receiving and sharing information. It’s an amazing strength we have- but we don’t always use it to build.
There came a time when I had to slap myself over the head because I was ripping my home apart with my very own hands!
It was a hard hard realisation because I’d believed I was doing it all right and it was “the other” person’s fault…
I had to learn to be careful about hi-fiving other women over rubbish that was essentially breaking my home and wasn’t God’s best for me.
There were other areas in my life where I came to realise that the reasons I was failing included my own wrong thinking which had been brought about by detrimental input I’d allowed.
Often we blame others, our past, our own weaknesses or shortcomings for our failures. But I believe that the first thing we always, always need to check is our thinking: What is it about our thinking that contributed to where we are? Granted there are things that happen that are completely beyond our control- But the bulk of what we have or don’t have is a direct result of our actions which all started out as thoughts. Those thoughts came from some input we received.
I don’t have it all figured out. But at least I’ve started.
I’m a tough cookie but I’m learning that the best chocolate chip cookie I can be is a pliable one… Mhm… Think gooey, yummy, brownie…
The more I learn about God’s best for me the more I realise some of my wrong thinking. And it all began with negative input I allowed.
The right input is a tremendous guide if we allow it to be.
Who we absorb and learn from impacts our decisions and ultimately our actions.
I’m coming to learn that when I find myself in a place that appears to be contrary to God’s best for me- I have to check my input. I ask myself: What led me to this place? And what will lead me out?
Who I allow to guide me has become such an important barometer for this amazing journey I’m on.
Who’s guiding You?