To myself:

You’re unproductive.

You’re too emotional. Insecure. Scaredy-cat. Just push ahead, stupid!

Look at Joe (or Susan). He gets after it every day. Steady outcomes. Can’t you be more like that? Just do it.

Your work doesn’t really matter. You’re too serious. Give it up. Go find a good time. Chill.

You’ll never get ahead.

Your dream is way over your head.

You made your bed, now lie in it. That’s how things work.

I can wallow in negative, self-loathing for days.

This is my daily battle…and everyone’s to some degree, who is alive. Alive, as in, pushing ahead to be true, be their best, give their God-given gift.

The fight we wage is inside.

Our rescue isn’t positive thinking. Grabbing ourselves by our mental bootstraps and “bucking up” doesn’t go deep enough.

The way forward is to stop thinking about ourselves at all. Change focus:

— Look around and see the needs of others. Who is struggling, hurting, going down for the third time? Who is stuck? What can you do? What’s the gift you’ve been given? How can you give it right now?

— And drink in God’s grace. We need daily doses of grace to keep us alive…engaged.

“You made your bed, now lie in it” isn’t how things work. We’re all messing up all the time. God loves us and gives us unlimited fresh starts. Accepting grace is our daily opportunity.

God offers us a place in the line up again and again.

So we can fight.

With Him.

For others.

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Thank you for visiting ON FIRE. Your input / feedback is treasured.

Gloria

gloria@gloriarose.com