I drive a 2008 vehicle. It’s SILVER, so it doesn’t show any dirt. It’s QUIET on the inside, so I don’t hear all the craziness of the outside world. And I think the ride is pretty SMOOTH.
The miles are still fairly LOW. But the best thing of all is the HEATED seats. Because, no matter what the temperature is outside, I always seem to be COLD! Did I say that I LOVE my car?
And yet…
My husband and I went to an auto dealer to look for a car for a friend. While we were test driving, we started thinking, maybe WE need to trade MY car in for something newer? After all, my car is almost five years old.
Sure, it just makes good sense to get something newer and under warranty, right???
That’s how we start reasoning in our minds about things we have NO BUSINESS messing with, until we end up talking ourselves into a bad decision that somehow “makes sense”.
Rationalize This
That’s how friendships turn into affairs. (It was just an innocent lunch.)
Dream houses turn into foreclosures. (We have to have a big house like all our friends.)
The WRONG acquaintances turn into WRONG best friends that now help us make WRONG life-altering decisions!
How a house full of furniture, knick knacks and clothes keeps us on the brink of financial ruin because it’s all leveraged on credit cards.
Think on these things.
A wise man once said, “Your desire follows your attention.” Whatever we look at too long, we will begin to want.
This is precisely why the bible says, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – MEDITATE on these things.” Phil 4:8 (NKJV)
God knows that even with the best of INTENTIONS, if our ATTENTION is toward any silly old thing, we will probably end up doing just THAT. (Most likely something stupid!)
Balance is the key.
So we can go ahead and watch TV, but not too much junk. Listen to the radio, but make sure we have worship music in the mix. (Those songs that move our hearts back to thinking about God and how mindblowingly fabulous He is!)
We can read the trendy magazines, but also include our Bible and books, blogs and articles about God and the things of God that refocus us.
We don’t want to avoid people that need God in their life, but we should balance it with people who are strongly rooted, grounded and solid.
What about you???
What do you do to keep your attention in the right place so your desires don’t get weird?
How do you stay focused on the life you want so you don’t get stuck in the life you get?
What have you done to realign your attention when you’ve noticed your desires have gotten off track?
4 comments
I really enjoyed your comments a. all of it is very good teaching.
Thank you Mary!!!! I appreciate your encouragement 🙂
-Well Nicole
What do you do to keep your attention in the right place so your desires don’t get weird?
Sometimes I act too late.
How do you stay focused on the life you want so you don’t get stuck in the life you get?
I go back to the roots of the scripture.
What have you done to realign your attention when you’ve noticed your desires have gotten off track?
I ask for forgiveness and tell my heavenly father that my flesh is strugling with my spirit.
Great answer Anders. Thanks for sharing! When we share, it helps others and that is just what you did!