request it!

i'm participating in a summer bible study conducted through Living Proof Ministries ( beth moore's blog) called "me, myself and lies" by jennifer rothschild . the study is a perfect fit for summer - not as intense as a typical beth moore study but it does a fab job of keeping you in the Word.

the premise of the study revolves around our self-talk. what are we saying to ourselves everyday? are we speaking - to our self - words of condemnation or words of truth? is our inner voice truth-driven or feelings-driven?

no-brainer for me: feelings driven!

she challenges us with the question: are my feelings serving me well right now or are they enslaving me?

i want to burn that question into my mind. i want to tattoo it to my forehead. i want to challenge myself with that question all day, everyday. as various situations come up, i do not want to be a slave to my emotions. period. i meant it!

funny, a few years ago i wrote in the front of my bible, God's Word is stronger than how i feel. yes, that was written a few years ago. think i've been struggling with this issue for a while?

here's a few zingers from the study:
"Feelings are supposed to serve and strengthen us. Left to themselves, however, they enslave and deplete us."

or, how about this one:
"A surplus of emotion usually proceeds acting without wisdom."

and, my favorite:
"Without God's wisdom we stumble in our reasoning, think with our feelings, accept lies as truths."

how do we combat this? stop. pray for wisdom. seek God's wisdom. God is the giver of wisdom. wisdom is our protection against the condemnation of our thoughts and our spiralling emotions.

how do we get God's wisdom: we request it! (Prov 2:16)

i'm lovin' this study!