Wednesday, March 19, 2008

To Doubt or not to Doubt?

For some of you you may have wondered where I have been, for others maybe not so much.
I have had writers block wrapped up with a whole lot of doubt.
Doubt is a precarious little fellow.
It can ruin any plan, any day and wipe out any family.
So what exactly is doubt, in the good old Webster it states: to be uncertain about; questionable or unlikely. to distrust. to fear
When you think about it doubt/fear grips just about all of us at any given moment and it strikes without warning.
Or so you think?
Think about these statements: You cant really think that's going to work?,What were you thinking when you said that? Why would you start that? Why wasn't I included? You're the worst parent ever, Or just the feelings of being misunderstood by family or friends so you stay quiet.
Doubt comes in all shapes and sizes. It is the very thing that goes against everything you know to be right and true.
I think for me it's my silent giant always waiting for its opportunity to strike in me, in my children, my marriage, parenting, friendships and how I choose to spend my time.
I have been wrestling with doubt my whole life.
So I have come up with little weapons of combating my giant.
I have taken charge of what goes into my mind and heart by what I read, watch and listen to.
I have found that what I read probably makes the biggest difference in battling the little lies that storm my mind.
Deuteronomy 11:18:Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Next is what I listen to.
I am an avid music person and could really listen to just about anything, rock and roll, hip hop, classical you name it I could jam with it. But over the years I realized that just because I think I am able to tune out and not respond to what the lyrics are saying I am truly not able to keep all the lies from infiltrating my mind and neither are others around me.
So along with changing the music habit I have changed the T.V. habit too. I have to say that more than the majority of music I listen to is christian inspired. Which has lent itself to more music on and less T.V.
One of my favorite quotes lately is this
"Doing hard things is your best life. It's not your easiest but its your best life. It's a life full of adventure, excitement and fulfillment because its what God made you to do for His Glory"(Alex Harris)
Changing the way you respond to the doubt in your life will be hard it will take discipline, but it will be well worth every effort you make against the doubt in your life!
1 Samuel17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand,chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his Shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
We all have our slings but the question is two fold what will you put in your sling to take down your giant and will you use it?