ARE YOU LETTING OTHER PEOPLE SING THEIR OWN UNIQUE SONG? Or are you trying to make them sing a song other than the song that the Lord wants them to sing? Are you trying to shape or mold people into what you want them to be, rather than asking the Lord what His plans and purposes are for their lives?
Sometimes we can allow our past experiences or unhealed areas of our souls to affect our opinions of other people and the paths that they should take in life. For example, maybe we made a bad financial decision in the past that had a negative impact, and we became convinced that everyone who is interested in pursuing an acting or musical career should first obtain a college degree in business. Perhaps receiving that kind of business training would be helpful for some people, but we shouldn’t blindly apply the same advice to everyone if the Lord is telling them to take a different path in life. Ask the Lord to reveal if you are trying to persuade anyone in your life to take a path that is different than the path that the Lord has planned for them. Repent to the Lord, and apologize to people if you have been pressuring them to sing a song in life that is different than the one that the Lord wants them to sing. Invite the Lord to search your thoughts, emotions, and memories for any unhealed areas, and ask Him to transform and fill these parts of your being with His incredible love! Related Bible verses:
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Are you a conversational investor, or are you a conversational spender? Do you use the words that you speak to invest seeds of encouragement and joy into the lives of others, or do you simply spend the words that you speak on topics of momentary interest that may or may not make a positive, lasting difference in others’ lives?
Every day we have many opportunities to invest words of encouragement and joy into the lives of people around us. We can provide words of affirmation to a young child who shares a colorful, scribbled drawing with us; that child may one day grow up to become a professional artist, graphic designer, or architect. We can also invest words of motivation or guidance into a friend or colleague who is thinking about starting a business; imagine the delight that future customers of the business will experience when they sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee at your friend’s newly-opened café, or when they hire your colleague’s architectural firm to remodel their homes! Ask the Lord to show you how to invest, rather than simply spend, the words that you speak into the lives of others! Related Bible verses:
Can the Lord play all 88 keys on the piano of your soul? Or are there some areas of resistance, fear, anger, pain, or lack in your mind/memories, will, and emotions that need healing or a special touch from the Lord? Do you have any thoughts or feelings that are not in alignment with what the Lord says about Himself, yourself, or other people and situations in your life? When we have areas of fear, anger, resistance, pain, or lack in our lives, we are not able to make or perform our best creative activities. For example, if we have unresolved issues with or anger toward another person that we know the Lord wants us to collaborate with, we may refuse to work with that individual – and the creative masterpiece that the Lord had intended may never be developed to its highest potential. If we are afraid of what other people think, we may hesitate to publish our poetry in print or on the Internet, perform in a play on stage, or sing a song to a cherished family member or friend – and the symphonies of sound, movement, color, and creativity in the world around us are less impactful because of our absence. When we listen to the lies of the enemy instead of the encouraging voice of our Lord, we deprive other people and ourselves of reading, seeing, feeling, and hearing the messages of inspiration and edification that the Lord wants to deliver through us. Invite the Lord into every area of your mind/memories, will, and emotions, and ask Him to provide any healing, deliverance, resolution, faith, confidence, or other gift that you might need! The world needs to hear your voice, see your movement, read your writing, and enjoy your inventions! Related Bible verses:
GOD LOVES YOU! When we know and understand that we are truly and deeply loved by the Lord, then we are really able to create the art that the Lord has placed in our heart. When our hearts and minds are filled with the love of the Lord, then everything we do and create is infused with God’s love and glory. You might be led to establish a business with a cheerful environment that inspires staff, customers, and the community; make a nutritious dinner that blesses and encourages an elderly neighbor; or create an amazing piece of artwork that reflects the glory and love of the Lord. Ask the Lord to fill your entire being with His love, and see how His love infuses everything that you do and create! Related Scripture: Hold your own note! Sometimes when we are singing in a large group with other people who are singing different parts, we can get thrown off from singing the tune or melody that we are supposed to be singing. Similarly in our daily lives, we can get thrown off from doing what the Lord has called us to do for a variety of reasons – perhaps we are tired, we don’t particularly like the part or role that the Lord has currently called us to do, or others around us may have stronger voices or personalities that pull us off of the path that God has for us and onto the path that they are following. In times like these, it’s important to block out the other noises that may be affecting our journey and spend time recalibrating to the Lord’s voice. Just as singers sometimes wear earpieces to block out other noises and only hear their own voices, we may need to take similar steps to concentrate on hearing the directions and messages that the Lord is giving to us. Perhaps we need to find a quiet place away from other people (whether that’s for 20 minutes or a weeklong retreat!) to listen to the Lord, or remove ourselves from certain activities or relationships that may be distracting us from following the path in life that the Lord wants us to take. Remember, activities that are “good” to do are not always God-ordained activities! Stay focused on what the Lord is calling you to do, ignore the distractions and other individuals around you, and keep singing your own unique tune! Related Scripture: |