So, I am starting my second day of posting on this blog after five years of not doing it regularly. How do you like my silly little title, Stream of Unconsciousness? I may, in fact, change the whole focus of this blog since my days seemed to be filled lately with this and that, especially my thoughts.
I am finding it much harder to really focus on a task and get it done before starting another. I guess since my years are greatly diminished in number, I am trying to pack everything in that I can and I end up not really accomplishing as much. I love to accomplish--but that can be an idol. Maybe more on that later.
Today, I would like to share something that I've read almost every year for many, many years. It is from My Utmost for His Highest. Oswald Chambers and Jonathan Can are my absolute favorite devotional writers. I think it is because Chambers steps on my toes constantly--my feet are black and blue and Cahn makes me think outside of my little boxes and learn--oh my, he makes you learn whether you want to or not.
There are many days that everyone of the sentences Chambers writes in his devotionals could become all-time favorite Christian quotes but today I want to focus on just one aspect of his devotional--that of wanting to vindicate ourselves.
He is writing about things that draw us away from God. One thing he writes about is "cares of this world." But what has hit home with me year after year is this:
"Another thing that distracts us is the lust of vindication.St. Augustine prayed--'Oh Lord, deliver me from the lust of always vindicating myself.'That temper of mind destroys the soul's faith in God--I must explain myself. I must get people to understand."
I won't spend time expounding on this but pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten this passage to you. What we do know is that it is not talking about times when we should apologize for our words or our behavior. Some of us spend too much time worrying about how other people are going to interpret our words. We should make sure they come from a pure heart--speak the truth in love and let it go.
I pray that your day is so, so blessed!
I love hearing from you. My email address can be located under the 'contact' button in right hand column.
It has been so many years since I have fiddled with all of this, but I am slowly getting there--getting it back up and running. There are still a few mistakes but I will get them solved soon I hope.
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