Who is telling you the truth?

My wife has been blogging for a short while and I believe she is very good at it. So when I told her that I had set up a blog she wanted to know the location.

After she read the first few entries she told me it was good. I thanked her because I appreciated the feedback as my wife has been writing and editing for some time.

I was somewhat skeptical, as I have many times told people something was good when I didn’t want to engage in a discussion or didn’t want to justify my position.

I didn’t ask my wife to review the blog with a critical eye or for the purpose of improving my writing. I was simply letting her know it existed.

If I had asked her for more constructive feedback she would have provided it. It’s her nature to be upfront about things. Plus we trust each other a great deal.

Is there someone in your life who will provide you with constructive feedback? Offer unbiased guidance? Hold you accountable? Tell you the truth? Encourage you when you doubt?

If there isn’t, you should find someone to do that. See Proverbs (12:15) The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. And Proverbs (19:20) Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise

Modeling Life

We are always examples or models even though we may not want to be.

Jesus being the model we should follow.

I think our sharing exhibits more concern for others and we convey more wisdom if we are praying and reading the Bible.

And our modeling is more effective if we are serving God and not ourselves.

A simple formula but why is it so hard to follow?

What is it that is bothering me?

Almost as quickly as I thought of the first question I thought of another, ‘What’s bothering me?” But I realized almost immediately that there is a difference.

The question, ‘What is it that is bothering me?’ is looking for the exact thing or problem that is affecting me.

The other question, ‘What’s bothering me’, is more general in nature and allows me some wiggle room so I can avoid the answer if I choose.

So the dilemma occurs. Do I really want to find out what is bothering me or do I want to go through some exercise, as I have done in the past, and arrive at some generalities and overworked reasons why I get bothered by stuff and try to make myself look good.

How do I get there? Flip a coin, base it on how I feel or be honest. I believe being honest (the current popular phrase is, being authentic) is the best approach, even though it does ruffle some feathers occasionally, when I have to involve others.

I don’t think anyone else is involved in this one but me. As happens many times when I get to the root of the issue, I cause most, if not all, of my own problems.

How about you? What do you have to say for yourself? Or are you hoping you will feel better reading about my struggles and problems?

I’ve got some stress in my life which I believe is caused by issues at work revolving around deadlines and deliverables and my own expectations. Sounds good doesn’t it.

The answer I just gave is for the second question I asked. But now that I start to think about the answer using question 1, a different answer appears.

I am stressed because I’m not trusting God. When I start to take things on personally, like I alone have to or can solve everything, I forget about God and I get stressed.

There’s a pattern here that I then project onto others. Like when I hear something where I think God should be included, and He isn’t, I get more upset. And so it continues.

I asked God to use me and put me where He wants me and now I’m complaining because He is doing that and I’m getting stressed. The stress comes because I am not trusting Him.

When I ask Him to help me or to show me what to do He usually does. I need to remember Phillipians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It’s a matter of trust and belief.

Why don’t I trust Him? I let my humanness take over. Lord, forgive me and help me to do what you want.