In one way or another, we grow through the inputs we receive. Because what we read or visually absorb always has an effect on us.
I myself had an experience last Thursday and an input I received early in the morning of the same day helped me deal with it in a good way.
“Four weeks ago I had surgery on my right knee and received an artificial knee joint. Since I was discharged after just 5 days in the hospital, my movements were very limited. I, who like to claim that I can do everything on my own, suddenly had to rely on the help of others. A good friend of mine did my laundry and one of the few good friends agreed to go shopping for me. Last Thursday I felt able to accompany this friend shopping again. He came and picked me up and drove me to a store in Germany. He dropped me off here because he was going to a doctor's appointment himself. We agreed that he would pick me up again in half an hour.
However, when he still hadn't shown up after 45 minutes, things started to boil inside me. There I was standing in front of the shop, waiting for him, and time passed. After waiting for an hour, I tried to reach him by phone but was unsuccessful. And so I had no choice but to keep waiting. Shortly before he came, after about 1.5 hours, I wrote a WhatsApp to my ex-wife in which I expressed my displeasure about the situation. She was the outlet I needed to keep from exploding. And I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to tell her about my dissatisfaction. Because when my friend finally arrived a few minutes later, I was able to ask him calmly and with interest what had stopped him. And found out that his doctor had overstayed his appointment by an hour and kept him waiting. And because he had no network, he was unable to inform me.
And then my morning input came to mind, “It’s better not to be yourself,” and I was able to realize how much truth there was in it.
Sometimes things happen quickly and we feel displaced. Things that were planned turn out completely differently and we react to them with displeasure and anger and our reactions hurt those around us.
If I hadn't had the opportunity to communicate my displeasure to an outsider, I would probably have hurt my friend without listening to his side. So I was able to ask him and listen to him and then calmly and calmly accept his apology for being late. I'm thankfull! On the one hand, I can still tell my ex-wife things that upset me emotionally, and on the other hand, I'm not too proud to admit that I rely on good input from outside. And of course and first and foremost that God speaks to me again and again. Through situations, through people and through circumstances.
"Better not be yourself"😉
Isn’t it funny how we keep saying, “Be yourself!”
To be honest, I find this very dangerous...
Yes, just recently I realized that it's a really good thing(!) that I'm not always “myself”! Because “I myself” don’t necessarily have the best character. No, “I myself” often don’t react appropriately either….
An occasion could have ended very differently – much less blessedly – if I had remained “myself”. Because I was on tour and on one of the evenings I met a team of sound engineers on site who unfortunately made my life really difficult. Pretty much everything I wanted was simply dismissed with a “we won’t do that”. And that even though it would have been possible...
Things were boiling inside me and “myself” almost exploded. “Myself” almost went home and stopped everything. But I first brought “myself” before God. What needs to be done in such moments U-N-B-E-D-I-N-G-T.
And there God reminded me of “Himself.” Yes, He would have had every reason to simply abandon us humans because we are simply “evil”. Instead, He just kept loving us! “God, on the other hand, demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NIV)
He also reminded me of His desire: “Commit yourself to peace and pursue this goal with all your strength.” (Psalm 34:15 NIV)
And finally, regardless of the circumstances, everything is still possible for Him: “For nothing is impossible for God.” (Luke 1:37 NLT)
This evening was absolutely blessed because I didn't allow “myself” to react, but first “dive into God” and remembered His desire and His power... which I do to you, if “you yourself” just before If you want to “explode”, I can only recommend it…
Bring “yourself” before God and remember all that “He Himself” has done for you!
Yes, He Himself will help you respond in a way that “yourself” would not be able to.
Aren’t you happy now that you don’t always have to be “yourself”? 😉
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