Good morning…
“Thought this was rather lovely,” she texted me yesterday morning. “Wanted to share it with you.” I touched on the link below and thoroughly enjoyed the captivating experience. Cozy candles. Meditative music. Soothing scripture. At the same time, I noticed my inner critic rising up with a vengeance, “Why do you even do a measly morning blog if these amazing devotional experiences already exist?”
Isn’t that what happens to us? We are touched by the creative beauty of another person, and part of us immediately thinks, “God, why didn’t You give me that incredible gift?” In the light of critical comparison, we are all prone to pull in our true self like the tiny head of a turtle retreating inside a self-protective shell. We judge ourselves as less than, unworthy, unimportant, silencing the uniqueness of our own soul.
I must remind you as I remind myself, this knee jerk reaction is the voice of God’s enemy, the self-critical, judgmental, negative inner voice regularly rearing its ugly head, battling for our attention, squelching the one-of-a-kind seed implanted in our inner soil. I thought, “I’ll just copy and paste this amazing artistry, step back and allow our online community to experience the beauty firsthand, leaving off the part about beating myself up.”
Then I noticed a different whisper rise up, giving a microphone to my deepest truth. “Why keep this away from those who have been nurtured by your spiritual insights?” asks Henri Nouwen. “Isn’t it important for your friends close by and far away to know the high cost of these insights?” Why not open space for God’s loving embrace? These mixed emotions are common to us all. “Wouldn’t they find it a source of consolation to see that light and darkness, hope and despair, love and fear are never very far from each other, and that spiritual freedom often requires a fierce spiritual battle?” (The Inner Voice of Love, xviii-xix).
Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness (2 Peter 1:3, TPT).
Now, without critical comparison, please thoroughly enjoy the gift of God deposited these creative Christ-followers. What glorious manifestation of goodness is ignited inside you as you listen, learn, and are lavished upon by the God who calls to you by name?
https://pray-as-you-go.org/player/prayer/3024
…Sue…
