OUT OF SORTS

Why are you so out of sorts? (1 Kings 21:5 MSG)

The other day I was out of sorts. I found myself in a dark mood and kind of sulky. I didn’t feel special, things were not going my way, I seemed to be at the mercy of others, and all my plans had fallen in a heap of rubble around my feet. I was wanting to pout and be snarky. (I am not exactly sure if snarky is a real word or exactly what it means, but it sure seems to fit).

This happened to King Ahab once. (Like I bet it only happened once!) He wanted Naboth’s vineyard, and Naboth would not sell it to him nor trade it. King Ahab went home in a dark mood, sulky, and out of sorts. He would not eat and went to bed. In my own defense, I did eat, and though I wanted to go back to bed, I didn’t. (I had to go to work).

One thing I discovered as I went through that day is that being in a dark mood and sulky distracts you from what is important, causes you to miss details, and totally focuses you on yourself and everything that you think is against you.

Of course our feelings are effected by our thoughts and our actions are effected by our feelings. Following are some thoughts about thinking, feelings and actions, none of which probably originated with me.

What we think determines how we feel and how we feel determines how we act.

Consistent wrong thinking produces wrong thought patterns resulting in negative emotions followed by wrong reactions and behavior.

Lower nature thinking will produce feelings associated with the old nature, resulting in actions consistent with the deeds of the flesh.

Higher nature thinking will produce feeling associated with the new nature and actions consistent with the fruit of the Spirit.

I did get over myself before the day was over ..... everyone else got over me a long time ago.

SUCCESSFUL LIVING

He stores up success for honest people. (Prov 2:7 NIrV)

We were having devotions with our children the other evening and my wife was reading Proverbs 2 aloud from my daughter’s Bible. I was taken by the first part of verse 7 and what it stirred in me.

Now, we know that Proverbs is about wisdom, and not just wisdom, but godly wisdom. What stirred in me was that it is wise to be honest, to be a person of integrity. The fruit of that honesty will be success which God has a whole supply of stored up and ready to be released by the drawing of that honesty.

We must be honest with ourselves, honest with God, and honest with others. The degree of our honesty will determine the richness of our success. But let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that honesty here is just admitting what is true. The honesty we are talking about here is the living out of the Truth, the integrity of righteous living, the lived out passion for justice blended with the compassion of mercy - and all of these defined by God.

Yes, this will bring success in life. It is the secret to successful living, the wisdom whose fruit is success.