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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

RETHINK


#Theloft 

For years I've heard the buzz in Christian circles every January of THE WORD.  Pick a word, a verse, a phrase and focus on it for the entire year.  It's a great idea but I never joined in.  Call it a fear of failure mixed in with a little bit of laziness.  You know, those New Year's resolutions start off strong and by February everyone has forgotten.

This year I am taking a chance, a chance that I might fail.  A chance that I will prove to myself, once again, how undependable my flesh is.  I am risking disappointment.  But that is o.k. because I may fail but GOD NEVER DOES.  He never tires, He is dependable, reliable, steadfast, true, loyal, trustworthy, all knowing, all sufficient, and the Lover of my soul.  So if I fail, all the more reason to exalt Him.

My word is RETHINK.  Every time a negative thought or false truth enters my mind the alarm will sound RETHINK.   It is my warning signal, warning me of my of lack of faith, or a lie that has crept in and altered my thinking.  It doesn't take much but a little step to get you off the path.  NO, it is NOT positive thinking or wearing rose colored glasses, thinking that if I focus enough on the positive all the negative realities will disappear.  That is not walking in the truth!  That is living a life of denial and illusion.  I will not go there.  I strongly prefer to have my feet firmly planted and rooted in the truth.  God never asks us to live in denial or pretend everything is well in the world.

Just like the Hobbits did in the forest of Mirkwood, when they wandered off the path they fell under an oppressive discouragement, they became more disheartened and distrustful of each other.  Their thinking became warped.

That is why it is so important for our thinking to be filtered through God's word.  God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, Psalm 119:105.

So when my mind strays off the path in Mirkwood the alarm will sound RETHINK.  What does scripture say, who does God say He is, what is truth here.


18 comments:

  1. Kate this is warming to my soul :) You are so right that we need to rethink when those lies so often corrupt our thinking. I love the Lord of the Rings analogy - such a good point. Thank you for pointing me to Scripture - our thinking does need to be filtered, and indeed, immersed in God's Word this year and every day! :)

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    1. AMEN! Wish I could saturate my brain in His truths, it is a battle. Hope I make progress this year. Thanks for reading!

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  2. "Rethink" that is such a good word, Kate. It. is. just. right. What we think or don't think matters. So just for you I send this to encourage you to rethink.

    Under the shadow of this word you will find such joy: Jeremiah 33:3: Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and wonderful things you do not know.

    On man, years ago, took God at His Word and cried out: Lord. You created this peanut. Why?" George Washington Carver told us his God said, "Little man, you can't handle it." George said, please. God, in his powerful wisdom, showed him hundreds of uses for the simple peanut: soap, ink, flour, plastics and even a mixture to heal the skin.

    Stop. Listen and RETHINK. He is here.....
    Listen, oh soul, to His whisper
    Watch, oh spirit, to His movement
    Receive, oh heart, His touch
    Accept, oh mind, His knowledge

    Coming to you, Kate, from that good place - the Loft. In Him.....~Chris~

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    1. Hi Chris, LOVE George Washington Carver and his story, his life! LOVE your quote above also, that is SO BEAUTIFUL. I can bask in that all day long. "Listen, oh soul, to His whisper. Watch, oh spirit, to His movement, Receive, oh heart, His touch, Accept, oh mind, His knowledge." Isn't that the Christian life? Yielding, not so much striving.

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  3. Kate, I never thought about 'rethink' but I like it very much. I can certainly use that word in my life...even today. Thanks for such a great post!

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Leah! It is so wonderful to join expert bloggers like yourself at The Loft.

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  4. Excellent post, and I love the Mirkwood illustration. Our thinking does indeed get warped all too easily when we stray from the illumination of the Word. Blessings to you!

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    1. Hi Rebeca, I read that illustration in another blog post, thought it was SO GOOD. Here it is, so worth the read! http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/seven-resolutions-to-pursue-love-in-2015

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  5. Thanks for this reminder from the Hobbit. So very true about oppressive discouragement and how it can overtake us! Here's to taking our thoughts captive this New Year!

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    1. Hi Terry, I have to admit that I read the comparison of the Hobbit story in another blog, it really impacted me. Here it is, it is so worth the read!
      http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/seven-resolutions-to-pursue-love-in-2015

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  6. So great to see you posting this week, my friend. I love how you are taking a chance and risking failure. It's okay to fail :) I think that's part of investing our talents. We can't guarantee the outcome but the Lord does expect us to do something with them. I'm proud of you!

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    1. Thanks Arabah, I have been discouraged lately. Trying to take a baby step of faith, it is better than doing nothing and giving up.

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  7. That is a great word and sounded in so much Biblical truth! Praying that your year would be blessed as you view things through God's eyes.

    <3

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    1. THANKS! I can use all the prayer you can spare, so much power in it.

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  8. Hi Kate,

    This is my first time at the Loft and I am enjoying everyone's posts, but yours especially speaks to me. I feel like I should know you! Maybe its a Midwestern thing, I am from Colorado. Now I am a foreigner in this place called the deep-south, so they tell me.

    Rethink. Love it. I think I will join you on that road this year, RETHINK every oppressive thought! Thank you for your candor!

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    1. Hello Samantha! Glad you enjoyed it. The deep south must be fun with new experiences, especially for a Midwesterner! Glad your using the word this year! I will think of you when praying for myself. God bless you sister!

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  9. Great word! What a lot of warped thinking seeps into our minds. Tells me that I don't spend enough time thinking on the Lord and his Word. Thanks for this reminder. Now I've got some rethinking to do...

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    1. :) Warped thinking is difficult to battle, but so worth the fight! I've been battling it a long time but I also see how far the Lord has brought me, though, I have not arrived. I am hoping 2015 pulls more layers off the onion.

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