Our
parents, best friend, spouse, closest relatives, workmates, boss, etc. will say
things to us - even in fun and gest - that wound our soul. They are stored in
our subconscious mind and debilitate our soul, as well as affect our health and
behavior when they are triggered by current events in our life.
These
subconscious thoughts are influencing our thoughts, words and deeds every day
of our life. These lies originated since our infancy, and even these old issues
continue to affect us to this day. Many are lies spoken to us by the devil, the
world, and our caretakers from our past.
One
of the most effective tools for discerning our thoughts and the intents of our
heart (Hebrews 4:12) is to take time to regularly jot down a searching
inventory of the concerns on our mind, and the emotions that these thoughts are
stirring up in our soul.
Keeping
a journal is the best way to free our soul of the effects of any negative
issues we may discover. Writing them down helps to take them off our mind, and
renders them ineffective in influencing our emotions and behavior. This is a
very liberating habit to form.
We
can also journal positive affirmations that describe how we feel about our
self. If we can think of nothing to write, or only a few positive attributes,
then we can find our true worth by reading God's thoughts about us in His Word.
This helps us to reprogram our negative thoughts.
Journaling
helps us to change our negative behavior, which tends to cripple us from
reaching God's best for us. When we over-react from these past wounds, they erect
walls between us and our loved ones. Therefore, journaling allows us to plan
our words and emotions both for the moment and for future interactions with
people.
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us that a grateful heart fuels positive feelings in our soul, as
well as focusing more on what You provide for us each day, rather than on any
discontentment we feel that is fueled by our fleshly desires. Help us to see
that this practice will increase our ability to concentrate on each moment of
our day, to shed the condemnation of our past, and to discard our fears of the future.
We want to consult You for Your guidance each moment of our day (Proverbs
3:5-6).
Help
us to walk in Your serene peace, abundant joy and unconditional love. Show us
in Your Word how to order our thoughts, and to follow Your Spirit to develop
these habits as our new routine. This way they will influence our interactions
in the challenges and disagreements that will inevitably arise. We trust You
with our whole heart, for Your mercies are new every single morning (Lamentations
3:20-25).
Thought
for the Day:
As
we grew up, we did not have the power to choose our beliefs, habits, and
opinions of our self; we were influenced by those in authority over us; however
as adults, we can decide which ones we will discard, and which ones we will
adopt as our own.
