By nature, I’m a half-glass-empty kind of girl. 

Sometimes it’s a fight to see things the other way.  I have to be determined not to give in to my natural tendencies.  And I often have to ask God to help me conquer this.

God bless you half-full ladies.  I want to be just like you.

Whether you tend to be half-empty or half-full, there is one quality we all share, and that is the ability to get caught up in the imaginings of our own minds. 

A mind is a powerful thing.

If we are not careful, our minds can easily wander into places they shouldn’t go. 

How many conversations have you had in your own head where you find yourself lamenting over what has gone wrong in your little piece of the world? 

I’ve had many.

Far too often we get caught up staring at the less-thans in our lives. 

Our failures, our wounds, our disappointments. 

We convince ourselves that others have it better than we do.  They are more successful, more gifted, more blessed, more content.

We buy into the thinking that somewhere along the line we have missed it. 

Those are dangerous places to let our minds dwell, because they are Satan’s stomping grounds. 

Welcome to the wallowing pit, my friend.  I have my own condo down there. 

Fortunately for us, our good God knows our hearts.  He knows how easily we get pulled into the pit. 

And he knows how to pull us back out. 

Take a look at Colossians 3:2 – ten mighty words that, when faithfully applied, can help us redirect our hearts and minds:

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. 

In other words, find a new outlook.  A holy one.

Listen – the truth is, when we get too busy staring at our injustices, we invite the enemy right in to steal our joy.

He loves to remind us of what’s wrong in our lives.  And he uses discouragement as a ploy to get us into the pit. 

He’s looking for any open door he can find. 

Sometimes we don’t even realize we have gone there until long after he has already invaded our hearts and minds.

He knows that once we are caught in the muck of the pit, our focus will move inward.

And then we are no longer trusting God. 

Let me tell you what God had to say to me personally about this: 

The pit of wallowing swallows your joy.  So GET OUT. 

Find a new outlook.

I’m preaching to the choir.  Anybody with me?

2 Corinthians 4:18 shows us all how to do this:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

It’s about where we fix our gaze. 

We are to stare at God.  Not at our less-thans.

To understand that God has his purposes, and that he never leaves us alone to deal with our disappointments and injustices. 

Whether we can see him in it or not, he is there in the midst.  Even in the difficult things. 

So, my friend, when the half-glass looms in front of you and the pit looks inviting, remind yourself to stare at God instead. 

Offer it up to HIM and let him breathe something fresh into your heart and mind.

Gaze at the Father, and find a new, holy outlook.

He Says:

My dear one, I have given you my Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to speak truths to your soul.  Open up to his ministry of healing and let my truths pulse through you.  My word comes as a sword to extinguish the lies of the enemy.  Continue to stand upon it.  The enemy wants to tear you down, to loom disappointment in front of you and lay out a pit for you to wallow in.  There are moments when the pit looks inviting, but there is never joy to be found there.  The pit of wallowing swallows joy and distracts you from my truths.  You must stand firm on what you know and continue to proclaim it.  Bring your disappointments and your sufferings to me.  Lay them down at my feet.  I can bring joy in all things. 

“He Says” passages are excerpts taken from my personal prayer journal.  These are things God has spoken to me directly, and my prayer is that he will use them to speak to you.