Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31 NLT
One of my surprises when we started developing the Oratory garden was the amount of strength and stamina it demanded. My father was a keen gardener, he produced the majority of what we ate, and he encouraged me to dig over his garden for him. I virtually cleared what were as yet undeveloped areas and could dig for ages. Now I tire easily and need to rest.
I haven’t found the strength God gives enables me to recover my former levels of strength. But I have discovered a stamina to keep going through life’s twists and turns. White my natural strength might reduce with age, my spiritual energy and vision increases. I have a greater focus and confidence in God today than I have ever had. I’m far more informed and realistic both about my own ‘self-talk’ that attempts to undermine my confidence in God and my growing desire to invest into my friendship with God rather than interact with everyday life.
My self-talk, that internal monologue that accompanies me through my day, can be upbeat, but also has the capacity to be self-limiting and defeatist. Negative self-talk is more common than positive. It finds expression in self-critical statements, and I experience myself saying these aloud on occasion, even when on my own. The good news is, especially as the pressure builds on this run into Christmas, that I enjoy the power of two: me and God! This is where I can draw upon that inner renewal Isaiah writes of. Here I choose to rise up on wings above my insistent self-critic. I have all the wonderful promises of God, and I declare one of these whenever I find myself giving voice to a negative statement about myself.
QUESTION
The next time you are self-critical, try countering with a simple declaration of God’s love.
PRAYER
Thank you for your promise never to leave me but instead to strengthen and uphold me.
IMG_3099.jpg