Quieting the Chatter
Café Menu for Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Today’s Special is: Do I Matter?
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Jamy Whitaker
Main Ingredient:
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 NIV
Entrée:
With five children it is no surprise that our house is constantly filled with a buzz of noise and activity. This is not a bad thing, by any means. However, between the silly songs Maddy makes up, the Star Wars battles between the boys, Nintendo games and music playing there is always noise, especially at dinnertime or when we are in the car.
It seems like when the seven of us are in a smaller area, the noise level intensifies. As I am sure those of you who have been around children know, they want to be certain that they are heard and want to share what comes to their minds; therefore, taking turns while talking doesn’t always happen easily.
When all five start talking at once, it makes it very difficult to try and decipher who is saying what and you don’t want to miss out on the details of any story. These details may be important, such as, “I am to bring snacks tomorrow"; "I signed up for this club"; "Don’t forget the birthday party"; "Can I go to the dance?"
I have learned that I do not want to be quick with any type of answer in these situations because he or she may come back with, “You said this would be okay mom.” I try my best to quiet that chatter and give each child the attention needed to tell his/her story, so I can listen intently and focus in on what is being said.
The same is true in our lives with negativity – that inside chatter – the doubts, fears and insecurities that are just waiting to grab our attention. They feed on distraction.
If they all can be voicing themselves louder than the truth, then this is what we are going to hear. It is what is going to stick out in our minds and just like all of us at the dinner table, I am going to have a hard time deciphering what is really going on. It will tend to blur together.
The only way you and I can truly figure out what is going on is if we quiet that chatter in our minds. The only way we can truly quiet the chatter, is to replace those negative thoughts with God’s Word. The only way we can do this is to dig into His Word and draw close to Him.
I will tell you that I have (and continue to) struggled with doubts, fears and insecurities from time to time. These things do not leave us as we get older, get established in a profession, get married, have kids, and the list could go on.
These things can creep in when we least expect it, when everything on the outside seems to be going just fine. Satan will use these opportunities to distract us from what God really wants us to do and what He is calling us to do.
When we draw near to Him, God will quiet that chatter and wrap His loving arms around us and say,
My Child, you are worth it. You can do this. I love you just the way you are.
He drives out those fears, those doubts and those insecurities.
Sweet sister, God loves you. He has a purpose and plan for you. Do not let negativity draw you into a downward spiral of defeat, despair and discouragement. Let God’s love and care lift you up, draw you near to Him, dust you off and get you going on His path and purpose for your life.
Take Out:
Spend some time in the Bible today, seeing just how much you mean to God. Then, allow Him to silence the chatter in your mind and fill it with words of affirmation. After all, He is the One who made you.
Dessert:
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You today with a heavy heart, the weight of the opinions and comments of others hanging on me. I pray that You would take the lies about myself that have crept into my mind and replace them with Your Truth. Remind me how much You love and care for me. Strengthen my defenses against the pressures of this world. May I never lose sight that no matter where I am or what I am facing, You are beside me. Thank You for loving me. In Your Precious Name, Amen.
© 2015 by Jamy Whitaker. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Wednesday, 18 November 2015.
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