“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10
Day 10: Clean
The body is an amazing machine. It does so many things to take care of itself. But when it’s systems are overwhelmed bad things take place. If the toxic load gets too heavy then we receive side effects. It may manifest in skin break outs or lack of energy. It may be worse.
In Psalm 51 David asks his Creator to create inside of him a clean heart. Right now If you want healing in your mind and body it would be a great idea to ask for a clean heart like David did. But what comes next? What do we do with our heart? Do we feed it with images of evil?
Today, I choose to look at things that are good for me. Phillipians 4:8 says:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
That’s what I want in my mind…in my heart, and in my body. Lord, give me a clean mind and body so that I may worship you well with my life!
I’m on a 100 day sharing journey about healing. Please subscribe and share whatever you find helpful. Also, I welcome your comments about your journey to healing.
One of the best gifts you can give is to open up your heart to feel deeply someone else’s pain.
I remember well one of the last times I met with my dear friend Kishore. We got together to share some Korean food for lunch in Northern Virginia. As we sat at the table and talked I shared about some of the painful struggles I was going through. One of the best things about sharing with a brother who I have known for 40 years was the fact that he could see everything through a different lense than most. He could tell that I wasn’t the same person I used to be.
He could see that I had lost some confidence. My faith had dimmed. The outgoing and energetic fellow worship leader he once knew had become very introspective and isolated. And he was moved by what he saw.
That day he gave me one of the best gifts I have ever received. He cried because of what I was going through. I don’t remember seeing him cry before or since. Perhaps it was because he saw himself in my pain. Maybe it was because he missed the person I used to be. Or maybe it was that Jesus in his heart that moved him with compassion.
When I am stuck and reluctant to take the steps necessary to improve my life I reflect on his tears. I know that God made me to give Him glory with my life. And I know there’s still work for me to do for Him.
When we’ve been hurt the last thing we want to do is open up our heart again. But to heal and to grow we must.
Today, I choose to open up my heart again and let the healing love come in. I choose to watch for opportunities to empathetically listen to others hurts and in so doing help them and I heal and give God greater glory.
Your beliefs and your audience determine a lot of what you do.
I’ve become a passionate student of digital photography. When I was able to purchase a full-frame camera and a subscription to Photoshop and Lightroom my life changed forever. Many of my spare moments are spent taking and editing pictures. But what if there wasn’t a place to share these photos. If I couldn’t post them and see how many likes or comments they receive. Would I still spend as much time creating these pictures?
As a musician I’ve learned a lot by observing the changes in myself and those around me over the last 20-30 years. When you are young and have a dream you are willing to make great sacrifices to achieve it. You take lessons, attend workshops, work into the wee hours in a recording studio. You travel and stay in less than ideal circumstances because you have a dream…one day if I work hard enough and smart enough I’ll become a great musician. I’ll be able to buy my mom that car she always wanted or perhaps get the dream house for my family.
But then you turn 50. You may have become well known but you aren’t rich. Now what? Do I keep paying for the lessons? Do I keep making the phone calls to attempt to get the bookings? Do I keep writing songs and making recordings or was that only if I could become rich and famous?
Part of healing is learning what is important. Perhaps the best thing you can do today is pause, disconnect and figure out what really serves you well. You may discover you have been putting a lot of energy into things that don’t create a better place for you or the ones you love.
Jesus was angry with the religious leaders of his day who made religion into a yoke that made life burdensome for others. Yet, they were quick to make sure they altered there beliefs when it came to their own benefit. In Matthew 23 he rebukes them saying:
Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer.
“Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’
“Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do.
Matt. 23:1-9 The Message Bible
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Today I release the burden. I look upward and inward. I choose to create what satisfies my Father, blesses others, but resonates with me. And I let go of chasing the burdens others have sought to weigh me down with. I am healing so I can fly again.
I’ve devoted the next 100 days to focusing on and sharing insights about healing. I hope you will enjoy the read. If you find something helpful please use it and share it with your friends as well. And if you have a relevant insight please share it in the comments. Thank you. Enjoy the journey!
Day 1: When Less Is More
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 RSV
Have you ever wondered how many friends is enough? When we were introduced to social media as a way to cultivate business we were encouraged by the pundits to gain as many followers as possible. How many is enough? I listened and started building away on several platforms.
I have over 5000 friends/followers over several platforms. While I recognize the value of having potential clients to buy books or CDs or attend a concert or workshop I would settle for having a few close relationships that I can be real in. Intimacy is uber important!
The longer I live the more I treasure quietness. I’m grateful for moments where I’ve performed for 30,000 or 70,000 people. I long for more moments where I’m a caring and listening ear for someone who values my attention and where I can be the same. And if I had to do it all over again I would spend more time having those moments and be happy with ¼ of the followers or fans. I’m grateful for them but I want to give my best in the most meaningful way to those who God has allowed me to cross paths with.
Because we are constantly being marketed to we feel this urge to have more things to be happy. It doesn’t work that way. Shawn Achor wrote a book (The Happiness Advantage) that explains well how happiness isn’t the result of getting a certain amount of stuff or achieving a certain amount of success. We must choose our happiness and we can have it now and enjoy it along our journey. Things don’t give us happiness. Happiness is a choice we make. Stop believing that “more” will bring you happiness.
The bible encourages us in many places to be content and not live a life consumed with the pursuit of money. When we unplug from the advertisements and messages around us we can start to believe that God has given us what we need to enjoy life. And one of the most important lessons we can learn is that life is best when we choose daily to depend upon Him and trust Him. After all he said he would never leave us or forsake us.
So today I choose to be happy as I am, where I am with what I have. I am blessed. Thank you, Father.
