Make sure the story is a positive one

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Make sure the story is a positive one”

It has often been said that the most important conversation you have is the one you have with yourself. Personally, I believe that is true.

Author Katherine Wolf had a helpful insight about this in her book “Treasures in the Dark.” You may remember from the previous couple of devotionals in this series that Katherine was an up-and-coming Hollywood actress and a glamorous model until she had a brainstem stroke at the age of twenty-six. It wasn’t long before she realized that she had to redefine, in her own head, what it was she believed to be true about herself now. She realized that her self-talk – the storyline playing in her head, was vitally important. Here’s what she wrote about that:

“We’re all historians narrating the story of us to us, but the amazing thing is we have the option to redefine the hard parts of our stories. When we cling to the tragic details and most depressing plotlines of our lives, our brains expect tragedy and depression in the pages to come. But when we choose to narrate our stories with complex beauty, nuanced grace, and constant gratitude, our brains can begin to anticipate goodness ahead. Re-narrating doesn’t erase the bad stuff, but it does reveal our uniquely human capacity to find hope in every chapter.”

In Proverbs 4:23 Solomon cautions us to guard our hearts because it is the wellspring of life. In Biblical terms, the heart is not the muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. It is the center of your true person. It is where spirit, soul, and conscious thought all merge to form your inner person. A wellspring is the original and bountiful source of something. It is the source from which all else flows. Solomon says your heart is the wellspring of life and therefore you must diligently guard what is in that wellspring. Well, the storyline in your head feeds your heart and will therefore determine what you believe to be true about yourself.

Katherine Wolf was not suggesting that we disregard our difficulties or pretend they don’t exist. She could hardly do that with the harsh reality of her situation. But we can change how we think about our circumstances and therefore feed our wellspring, our heart, with a positive narrative.

We will think more about this tomorrow. For today, for the sake of your emotional health, work on changing the conversation you are having with yourself about yourself. Make sure the story is a positive one.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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