
Photo Credit Iryna Drozd
We’ve all been there; suddenly, we look for something valuable, and it isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Panic usually ensues, and we look for our treasured item again and again. We retrace our steps and places to no avail. Finally, we seek out the “Lost and Found” in the place where we believe we lost our item.
Right? Sometimes, we find the item, and then there are times when it is just gone. For me, I think sometimes I have lost my mind. I can see the item clearly the last time I used it or put it down, and it is nowhere to be found.
What do you do next?
That’s when I give it over to God. I ask Him: “Help me find this thing [whatever it is], and I will move on to the next thing.” If you get spun up and triggered by this simple “lost” item, you will find yourself opening the door to the evil one who has found a weakness in you.
I recently saw a meme that said, “Drama doesn’t just walk into your life out of nowhere! We choose it by creating it [through our own lust for more], inviting it in [that’s into our lives], or by associating with people who bring it into our lives.” WOW! Isn’t this true of this topic we are talking about.
Recently, I learned a technique that might help you with your own “Lost & Found” situations in your personal and professional life. If you feel like you have lost your way in either of these segments of life, try this: When you open your eyes each morning, ask God, “What do you want me to do today?” Close your eyes and listen internally. You can also begin by “Thanking God” for your night of peaceful and restful sleep. That is another great way to start your day.
We often hear about living a “Christ-centered life,” but what does that mean? Focusing on Christ is neither a natural tendency nor an easy thing to do. I read this in a devotional today: “What is natural is to give all your free time away” [which we all do daily] by surfing the internet, looking at every social media account we have, and scrolling, scrolling, scrolling! You are giving your “devotion” to technology.
When we devote our time, eyes, ears, and lives to something, that thing, person, or technology becomes our “god.” What do I mean by this? It means we spend all our free time, energy, and thought on the thing [our god] we are devoted to.
The book of Psalms is a great place to see where our devotion goes astray and what the consequences are for such devotion. Psalm 41 is a perfect example of this. Take a moment here and read it.
It is interesting to me that our consumption of technology leads to the “devouring of our very souls.” Here again, the New Testament in your Bible gives great insight into what will happen – not what might happen but WILL HAPPEN.
Galatians 5:15 says, “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.!”
If you feel like you have had a long period of discouragement, trouble, and trauma, and your strength is zapped to the point of being unable to lift your head off your pillow, I suggest you open your Bible and read the small book of “Habakuk,” in the Old Testament.
Habakkuk lived during the Babylonian Period. This short book is basically an extended conversation between Habakkuk and God. Habakkuk knows the hard-heartedness of the people in Judah and their inability to repent as God asks them to do.
When you read Habakkuk circle all the verses which begin with the word “WOE” and notice how the stiff neck of the people is identical to the stiff neck of people today.
Instead of trying to continue to beat the people into submission, Habakuk took the high road and left all the consequences up to God.
Habakkuk begins his conversation with a question, and he ends it with one of the great promises of God:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to your, “Violence!” And You will not save.”
Habakkuk 1:2
“The Lord God is my strength: He will make my feet like deer’s feet. And He will make me walk on my high hills.”
Habakkuk 3:19
Take some time to reflect on the behavior discussed here today and see where you might need to change, repent, turn, and walk in a different direction.
As always, you may reach out and we can have a conversation. My information is below.
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani