January 27-
If you’re recovering from a bad relationship, it’s a mistake to rush into another one. Unhealthy people make unhealthy choices. Some wounds take longer to heal than others, but you can count on this promise: ‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.’
All God asks is that you give Him a chance. Start by taking time to search His Word to find out how He feels about you. His opinion is the only reliable foundation on which to build your self-worth. If a perfect God with full knowledge of your struggles and shortcomings can love you, the message is – lighten up on yourself! You can only love, or be loved again, with the same wholeness with which you love yourself. Next time make sure your choices aren’t predicated on need or the fear of being alone. And be careful: when you don’t value yourself, you attract people who won’t value you either; people who will use you for their own ends. You deserve better, so hold out for it. You train others how to treat you by how you treat yourself. And as you become spiritually and emotionally whole, you will start seeing how unhealthy some of your former choices have been. If some people walk away, so be it. Sometimes you have to give up less in order to have more.
The God who said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone’ has new relationships in mind for you. But He is waiting until your values and self-perception line up with His. So take it step by step, one day at a time. And remember to rejoice – your best days are still ahead!
One of America’s most successful telephone companies created a TV advert using the slogan, ‘Can you hear me now?’ It shows a man talking on the phone, but the person on the other end can’t hear him. So, he repeatedly asks, ‘Can you hear me now?’ The ad was designed to convey the message that this particular phone company delivers a high-quality signal and doesn’t drop calls. When your phone drops a call, you know it. And what’s your immediate reaction? Annoyance? Frustration? Anger?
In Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, Dr John Maxwell writes: ‘When I interact with people…I know I’ve connected when I sense extra effort – people go the extra mile; unsolicited appreciation – they say positive things; unguarded openness – they demonstrate trust; increased communication – they express themselves more readily; enjoyable experiences – they feel good about what they’re doing; emotional bondedness – they display a connection on an emotional level; positive energy – their emotional “batteries” are charged by being together;…unconditional love – they are accepting without reservation. Anytime I interact with people and I see evidence of these signals, I know I’m connecting. I’ve learned what it takes to connect…and…to gauge when I’m succeeding. How are you doing when it comes to connecting? When you interact one-on-one with someone important in your life, do you receive these signals?…Even if connecting with others isn’t something you’re good at today, you can learn how to do it and become better tomorrow.’
But first, you must genuinely care about the person you are trying to connect with. That’s why Paul writes, ‘May the Lord make your love increase and overflow.’
Courtesy: UCB UK: https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today/109805
https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today/109996