As usual, I sit facing this blank screen with deep desire to be a tool of encouragement to your day. So I think about you--not a specific person mind you--but in generalization; each of you.
What do you need? What could I say? What would offer strength, hope, delight? What?
So I ponder what I needed to hear somewhere along the way. When I tie my past with your presence, I seem to find the wording that I desperately yearn to pass your way.
Today I believe you yearn to be loved, noticed, and needed. Me, too. And I know how to satisfy this appetite. It is one of the great kingdom secrets of God. What you want you plant. If you want tomatoes, of course that's what one would plant. No cucumber plants are inserted into the ground hoping these would arise as tomatoes.
If you sow weeds you get weeds. Far too many have sown weeds of self-centeredness. We want. We need. We expect...without doing any of this for others. Life is minimized whenever it is clearly all about satisfying self.
We plant. Yet what we plant is not for self. It is simply a rule of the King that we reap what we sow. I plant encouragement. I have rows and rows of garden encouragement growing all over the world. I have fields full for I've planted such. Why? I love people; especially the strugglers.
If you want to get the most out of your life, give it away (another kingdom secret...that works). If you need to sense your importance, tell others why they are important. If you crave knowing that you are doing a good job, find someone whom you could share with them how you see their efficiency. If you continually watch for others to notice you, correct this by noticing others.
What we sow comes back. It's God's nature. If you sow to others disingenuous interest, then that what you will reap. So do not be fake just to get attention. Give attention. Before long this will be coming your way; but you will not be thinking of it because you will have become enamored with the personal joy of making someone else's day!
To maximize life we have to enter into the zone of a stringent request from God. Give ourselves to others. The reverse approach is too often the case. One will want, want, want. Someone talk to me. Someone notice me. Someone like me.
And God wants us to have all of these; but we do not acquire them by pouting and whining. We receive what we diligently give away. That, my friend, is our call. It is 100% consistent. We reap what we sow.
Maximizing one's life is experienced through giving generous attention to others. God will supply for you and me in greater proportion than if we draw attention to ourselves...of which the latter pushes people away.
No comments:
Post a Comment