Monday, October 17, 2011

The Average Brain

Hebrews 10:35-36
Today's New International Version (TNIV)

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Human brains are just plain weird.  We are probably the only species who can remember something negative forever.  And then when it comes to positive things our brains act like a sieve.  They used to say it takes two positives to make up for one negative.  Recently, I heard this has been upped to four, FOUR!  Four positives to make up for one negative!!  I have to be honest and tell you that when I heard that I thought to myself, wow, what a bunch of babies we are! 

I'm your average specimen of the species as mentioned.  I have to admit it, I've tended to agree with the whole positive, negative thing.  And maybe it is a good idea to practice saying four positive things when we say a negative thing.  Some of us would never shut up...

Anyway...the point, as relating to the scriptures that I have latched onto today, is that it shouldn't be such a struggle to remember the things God has done for us.  Do I really let negative things outweigh the positive things He has done?  Is that even possible?  Well, I have a human brain.  It's possible.  But as I read and contemplate these scriptures, I am determined to let the confidence...the experience...that I have outweigh any negative in my life.  I want what God has promised. 

And God is nice enough to us of the human species to start us off every day with a positive.  Enough positive to outweigh a whole day of negative, actually, if we let it...His mercies and compassions every single morning. 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Be Wise

Proverbs 19:20
New Living Translation (NLT)

20 Get all the advice and instruction you can,
so you will be wise the rest of your life.

If you are around 35 and under, you probably won't see this the way I do.  A lot of us spend several...more than necessary...years of our life thinking we pretty much have all the answers.  There are exceptions to this, of course, but having a teensy little independent streak goin' on myself, I do know how most of us think.

One thing you do learn as you age, 35ish just being my magic number, is the safety of advice and instruction.  That is the wisdom of it!  It is a safe place to be when you are at the place of accepting it, looking for it.

Where do we find this place?  First a humble heart is vital, you won't get anywhere fast without one.  Figuring out that, maybe we don't know it all.  Then to surround ourselves with Godly friends,  people who will encourage you to do the right thing...even when it's the hard thing.  People whose lives are advice.  (I have a few of those in my life...even if they don't know it!) 

Then your next 35 or so years will be wise.