Good News

Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Need To Go Deep

"The trouble with you, it's that you always take things too much to heart. I think you're thinking far too deeply..."

Sure, I've heard things like this before... and then today I come across these words...

“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.” (Luke 8:13 CEV)

Just think of one of those nice little summer bedding plants. It has very few roots, so although it may initially sprout leaves, then a flower, and look good for a while, it doesn’t last.

I want to last. I want to really listen to God’s Word; to allow it to nurture me, to change me.

I don't really want to be pretty and petty and shallow.

I want to be deep. I want deep roots so that in times of trial, I can keep going, keep bearing fruit. When the storms of life come, I want deep roots that keep me strong.

So, I don't want to be a pretty flower.

I want to be a tree. Old, gnarled, full of character. But still standing in spite of it all.

I am Groot. :)

Overthinking

overthink ( əʊvəˈθɪŋk )
Verb, with object: Think about (something) too much or for too long...

Yes, I know. I have been told before. I do have a tendency to overthink things. True; I often sit and ponder, mulling over things that happen for hours or days afterwards. The events flood back over me, demanding my attention. I've been wondering why...

I know this tends to happen after particularly busy days. Those days when the introvert inside me has to come up with an elaborate coping strategy for the day (actually, I kind of like the buzz from these days every once in a while. It's good for me).

I believe the overthinking issue stems from the struggle that takes place inside of me - whether I should respond to things with feelings or with rational thought. I'm predominantly concerned with values, with harmony, so I tend to empathise with people. I'm a feeler at heart.

However, I've noticed that the emotional side of me has been known to switch off early on long days - I think it is due to 'data overload'.

In these times, the logical side of me takes over; I start going a little bit 'Spock' on people, reacting a bit like a Vulcan; and I believe that's when I start to overthink. Before long, simple things can become awfully complicated.

I've been reading someone else's blog post on the topic of overthinking; the writer concluded by saying that it takes a lot more work to be happy than it is to be sad. And that's because it’s easy to be sad.

Happiness is learning how to cope with all that life throws at you. Happiness in a choice.

So, I must learn to stop overthinking. And I think the key is working out how to be better at feeling...

Comments, folks?

The Pursuit Of Excellence: continued

I've been thinking a little more about that meeting at the weekend on strengthening our faith, in an effect to become more like Jesus (I blogged about this a few days ago).

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

There's the word 'excellent' again! It's clear that we should be thinking of 'excellent' things (virtuous, praiseworthy). Because if your mind is full of negatives (criticism of others, your own weaknesses) or wrong thoughts (greed, worry, lust) that's what your life will be filled with... whereas if we want to achieve excellence, we need to think of higher things, better things - excellent things.

One further observation: the word 'think' at the end of the verse implies deep contemplation. Some translations show this as 'meditate'. I like the word 'ponder'. Whatever. Let your mind dwell on it. Get your mindset right!

I came across this quote on the web by D. Martyn Lloyd–Jones on Matthew 6:25-34, where he comments on the subject of faith and thinking:

"Faith, according to our Lord’s teaching in this paragraph, is primarily thinking; and the whole trouble with a man of little faith is that he does not think. He allows circumstances to bludgeon him. That is the real difficulty in life. Life comes to us with a club in its hand and strikes us upon the head, and we become incapable of thought, helpless and defeated. The way to avoid that, according to our Lord, is to think."

Pondering...

Luke 2:19 NIV

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

I've blogged on this before, but there's more on this verse that came to light following the meetings today.

The first part of this verse uses the Greek word συνετήρει (sunetērei), which is here translated as 'treasured' but in essence means to keep close, i.e. preserve. The term 'pondering' in the original Greek is συμβάλλουσα (sumballousa) which means to throw together, hence to discuss, consider.

The English word we use for Mary's meditation on the extraordinary events of the Nativity is based on the Latin root ponderare, which actually means to weigh.

Reflecting on all these words, we have young Mary committing every detail of what happened to memory; keeping them close, turning them over and over in her mind, her heart. In trying to 'weigh up' all these facts, she took note of it all so that it could be quietly reflected on.

Interestingly, this Latin root also gives us the word 'pondus'. It's the word for a weight on a line used when a ship entered shallow water. It's how sailors used to find out exactly where the sea bed was. Hence the saying, 'to get to the bottom of it' - to be able to work out what is currently not obvious.

Following all those events in Bethlehem, Mary pondered, quietly obeying God without fully understanding what was happening, yet reflecting on it and committing it to memory. Which is doubtless how the Gospel writers recorded the events of Jesus' birth in such detail...

So that we can get to the bottom of it, too.

Happy Christmas.

Pondering and Brooding

Long time followers of this blog will know that I frequently take time to mull over a particular situation before making a decision. Like Mary, I tend to 'ponder these things in my heart' (see Luke 2:19). I'd like to think this was one of my strengths, as I tend to check things out for myself rather than take someone's else's word for it...

It's when things get beyond the pondering stage and when I start brooding over things that things need to change. Brooding can be defined as 'persistent morbid meditation on a problem'. Bit too far, that.

It's time to take a stand.

Soldiership - part eight: Truth

"I will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution. "

I really like this particular phrase. In a world where 'wrong seems right' it's often difficult to determine what is truthful. Misinformation abounds. Half the circulated 'facts' I get via email or Facebook turn out to be wrong (it's worth checking out some of these circulars before passing them on - try snopes.com for a start). As a seeker after truth I tend to take things in and ponder over them for a while before making my own decision - I've learnt to my cost that people, even friends and family, can often take a wrong turn, doing the wrong things for the right reasons. I don't want to be one of them.

So I will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, a movement which has been tried and tested, and holds fast to many tenets which many find to be unfashionable in the 21st Century. Because I've tested them and found them to be true...

Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Never Mind, Go On!

Faithful be, delaying not to follow
Where Christ leads, though it may be through sorrow;
If the strife should fiercer grow tomorrow,
Never mind, go on!
Cheerful be, it will your burdens lighten,
One glad heart will always others brighten;
Though the strife the coward’s soul may frighten,
Never mind, go on!

(SASB 805, verse 2)

After an 'interesting' weekend, which has seen my main PC go up in smoke, and those close to me under extreme stress for a number of reasons, I have tried to stand firm to my beliefs, and understand that many of my comrades are 'dug in' alongside me, as we push ever onwards towards the goals we see before us. The CO preached a very apt sermon yesterday on this very subject and he gave me a verse to ponder on this week...

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.