How Is Your Head Today?
What Were You Thinking?? Part II
It matters what goes on in one's mind. Certain thoughts ultimately lead to either life or death. We need to choose life if we want to live abundantly, bless others and have peace.
Thoughts are extremely important. If we do not discern the thoughts in our heart and judge or categorize them as healthy or unhealthy, good or bad we leave ourselves wide open to be tools of destruction. Critical thinking is necessary in order to filter out all the garbage that tries to attach itself to our consciousness. If the garbage goes in and is never expelled what do you have then? A garbage dump for a mind.
If a person dismisses his thoughts as meaningless they will be stuck in a state of perpetual immaturity. They will never grow up. They will never learn all they are capable of learning because their mind is stuck. There are quite a few folks who simply refuse to expand their consciousness. Fear, insecurity, and ignorance are the fuel for that type of stagnation. We all need to think and not just respond.
It's interesting that a couple of times recently I've run into individuals here on Rant Rave who want to post commentary, but don't want to answer questions. They want to state a position, but when they are called out, instead of an intellectual defense we get spam, dancing, personal attacks and a run for the straw man. And on top of that, they expect to be taken seriously. Get real.
I am glad most of the Rant Rave family is not made up of weak minded individuals such as these. There is hope for them however.
No one is right 100% of the time. I included. However confidence should never be confused with arrogance. Also, a person with secure, stable self- esteem should be able to tell the difference between a difference of opinion and a personal attack.
It is good to have confidence in a position, but we should never feel that we are above being questioned, especially when we post in a public forum.
Also, there is nothing wrong with admitting when we are in error. That is actually a mark of character, not weakness. Strong minded individuals have no problem with being transparent and being corrected.
We can respect others opinions even when we disagree. That is a mark of maturity.
Dialoguing and debating here can be quite challenging at times because many of the disagreements have to do with issues of life and death. I love these types of discussion because they can have deep and profound meaning. When the participants conduct themselves intelligently and in the proper spirit, it gives one the ability to see things from the other side. You are forced to engage and I feel that is why some run. They cannot take it and they refuse to honestly consider it.
The tenacity of certain folks here may intimidate some. No need to run however. There are a myriad of things to do in that case. We can respond intelligently, or do our home work and then respond, or even modify our position. No need to cry, whine or scream. See?
As serious as it gets from time to time, that does not mean we cannot have fun.
This is the sandbox we've chosen to play in and we should enjoy being here or we should find something else to do. Who wants to listen to a complaining, axe grinder all the time anyway? I don't.
Issues like abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia, the reality of God, are all life and death issues. Life and death issues by nature have emotions attached to them. When individuals are passionate in their positions and the two meet there can be serious conflict. However, that conflict should never give rise to violence, ill-will, bitterness and anger. There can be tension but that tension should never become animosity. When those traits manifest in an individual and take root, that particular individual becomes a loser automatically.
A humble individual knows his/her mind and knows there are limitations. As intelligent as we think we are, we do not know it all. Realizing and acknowledging it puts one in a position of strength.
What we say and what we post is a direct result of what we think and who we are. The truth comes out over time regardless of how we may try to couch it or cover it up. No one here is that good.
Anyone can have a bad thought or feeling from time to time, but we need to recognize them as such. And if they persist eradicate them, deliberately and on purpose. Expunge them. If we do not we cannot be surprised when we end up losing in life. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
It is our job and our responsibility as mature human beings is to take authority over our thoughts and condition our minds not to drift like the plankton of the sea, but to be directed intentionally and on purpose. That direction should be one that leads others as well as us to life and not death. To be a blessing and not to bring a curse on the scene.
I personally believe many find comfort in believing that there are no such things as bad or evil thoughts. That all is relative and that they never have or harbor any bad or evil thoughts. In that way they can absolve themselves of the guilt they would normally feel for having such thoughts and nurturing them rather than casting them on the dung pile where they belong. For a time at least, these individuals can have a facade of peace while living in immorality, bigotry and hatred. That is living a lie and living in ignorance.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
You show me a foul mouthed, evil speaking, negative and complaining person and I will show you a person with an abundance of wrong thinking that if they don't change their thoughts, is inevitably going to destroy themselves and probably others along the way. That's a shame and there's a better way to live.
There is a tool we have all been gifted with called discernment. We all have it to some degree, but it is developed and exercised in people who want to discipline their thinking.
Many ideas, thoughts, and feelings are allowed to run people's lives simply because they won't take the time or effort to discern whether a certain train of thought is beneficial in the long run or not. Time and effort to discern whether our mind and flesh is telling us to engage in a behavior that we know is wrong or an act that is detrimental to the well-being of ourselves and/or others.
We all need a tune up from time to time. A period to reflect and not just sharpen our sword, but to put ourselves in the others shoes. That can be a very enlightening as a well as a very healthy response to being here.
How are we doing people?
Thank you for reading,
HN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6nLIkvR2...Funkadelic - Lunchmeataphobia (Think, It Ain't Illegal Yet!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJmsK2s0...Ravi Zacharias – How do you know there is a God?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pws0ITGyo...Comfortably Numb Live at Knebworth 1990