While reading Proverbs 16, the first three verses caught my eye and made me question the simple equation presented by "Quiet Leadership". Proverbs has it where it ends with God establishing your thoughts! Hmmm! So I reread the verses again and again to test and to see what Proverbs' equation looked like. First, you must prepare your heart to act even then God has the answer. He knows exactly what you are harboring within your heart. No matter how clean you feel your motives might be God weighs your character and your actions. After you prepare your heart to act, commit your act (actions) to God. Then He will establish your thought. When I read that I understand it to mean that by committing my actions to God, God cleans up my thoughts. Let me tell you that there are some times when I hang on to some frustration or some hurt when I am trying to do the right thing. For example, I want to forgive my brother for abandoning the responsibility he took in getting Tink. I want to hash it out with him which won't work because the one thing brother taught me about verbal combat that it never ends well even if my intent is understanding and a win win situation for both. So I know with out a doubt that my best action is to shut up and forgive him. My thoughts are not there but with committing this act to God, I know that He alone can change my thoughts.
Putting these two learnings together, would be to commit the act or habit that I want to do in my life to God then God changes my thoughts, then my feelings, then my behavior, and finally I have a new and good habit. All I must do is commit and lean into God.
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, [is] from the LORD.
All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
~Proverbs 16:1-3
I heard a lecture on CD recently where the gentleman speaking made an interesting point. He commented that 'we are a generation that hears with our eyes and thinks with our feelings.' I believe this is very true of us as people - as a whole we are very much dominated by our feelings, some more than others.
ReplyDeleteYou stated that you change your habits by starting with your thinking which i would agree with. However you then go on to say that by changing your thinking you change your feelings and as a result you change your behaviour.
I would suggest this puts an individual or society on very shaky ground.
It is the truth that will set us free. I am coming to think of it as truth - allowing it to transform and impact our beliefs and belief systems - which will affect our behaviour, behaviour which is a choice to act according to the truth, whether we feel it or not - feelings will follow, feelings must not be the leader!
dear anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for challenging the notion that feelings are too shaky to trust. You are right that feelings must not be the leader.
"Quiet Leadership" is a book * I read that had this concept of changing our thinking. Thinking was their starting point. Then it goes up the ladder to where it changes our feelings, then our habits, and then ultimately our behavior.
With my need to forgive my brother, this is feelings. I absolutely do not want to change. I am tired of his lack of respect and he just plain knows better. All of this is my ugly feelings. You are so right that if I allow my feelings to rule, I would never forgive my brother.
John 8:31&32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Because I believe in Jesus Christ, I know the truth. I need to forgive my brother and when I do so I will be free. My behavior will change. Honestly, the feelings will probably be the last to line up but they must change too or I would have to question if I am allowing God to change me or if I am doing it on my own accord and ultimately failing.
Again thank you, anonymous, for stressing feelings and getting me to look at this again from your eyes. Feelings must follow. Great line!
~keeper
* ('Quiet Leadership' --> This is a great book for leading your life into a better direction. What got me to read it was because it said just below the title that you can't change people. What I have written in my entry is just a sliver of the book and my attempts to add it to my life.)