NRT (4) decision-making
.
the NEXT RIGHT THING:
Emily P. Freeman
8. Know What You Want More
◘ ... Make no mistake - denying your desire is also an answer...
If you don't take the time to admit what you most long for, decisions will still need to be made. [84 - 85]
What does the Bible have to say about desire?
.. We don't have to wonder what God would do if he were a person.
He is a person, and here is what he did.
Mark 10: Bartimeus
◘ "He was blind, he was a beggar, & he had no other hope."
v.47 He called out: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
◘ "Jesus stopped walking. ... Jesus heard the cry of the blind man on the side of the road, the muffled voice in the midst of the active agenda of the travelling crowd. ... In that moment, in the way God always does, he made the side of the road center stage. He took what they thought was a footnote & made it into a headline, a side-of-the-road detour in the upside-down kingdom of God.
He didn't give Bartimeus a Bible verse, a lesson, or a lecture. He didn't chastise him, shame him... He didn't talk to the crowd, make an example, tell a heartfelt story, or pray out loud. Instead, Jesus asked [him] a question: What do you want me to do for you? ... It was a question of desire." [87]
Ruth Haley Barton (Sacred Rhythms):
"Jesus routinely asked people questions that helped them get in touch with their desire & name it in his presence. He often brought focus & clarity to his interactions ... by asking them, 'What do you want? What do you want me to do for you?'" [87]
* Bartimeus' answer is recognised by Jesus as an act of faith.
◘ " I wonder if the same is true for us? I wonder if stating our desire in the presence of Jesus is actually an act of faith?"
◘ Desire is only toxic when we demand our desires be satisfied on our terms & in our timing.
Knowing what we want & getting what we want are not necessarily the same thing ...
Whether or not we get what we want isn't the point. Bartimeus stated his desire without any knowledge of how things would turn out for him. Jesus asked what he wanted without a promise of fulfilment. [88 - 89]
Knowing what you want can help you let go in peace
... When I honestly admit what I most long for in the presence of Jesus, I can more quickly accept when it doesn't work out. I can talk to him about it, admit my heartbreak, & receive what he has to give in place of it. This is what it means to walk with him in my everyday disappointment. There is no way to avoid it.
We don't want to be afraid of our own desires but to confess them in your presence.
When our desires are fulfilled, remind us to be thankful.
When our desires are unmet, remind us to keep hope.
Help us to trust that because we've gained a new heart,
our desires will lead us someplace good.
.. help us to have patience with ourselves,
to believe you will tell us what we need to know
when we need to know it.
* Practice pausing -
if you're hesitant = a reminder
what you want matters;
if you're assertive = discernment
as to what you want more.
◘◘ podcast
9. Make the Most Important List* A different kind of a pro & con list...
(waking up from the autopilot way of doing life)
1. Category of life: personable, relationable, actionable
2. Time frame in which to frame & examine
◘ Hold that season in your mind & ask yourself,
- What was life-draining?
- What was life-giving?
- Did this activity draw me closer to God or push me further away from him? [98 - 99]
- Does your body lift when you imagine that time or does it sink?
◘ This is a practice in collecting the clues from your life and getting them down on paper so that when opportunities, commitments, & requests come your way in the future, you will be able to consider them with information from your actual life rather than frantic speculation & last-minute pro/con lists. [100]
◘ ... Successful outcomes might look great on paper, but we want to build our lives on love, faith, connectedness, redemption, laughter, wholeheartedness, joy, and peace. Instead of asking which would be the exact right choice, consider the life choice ... When we walk with Jesus & consider his presence with us, then we can trust he will lead us toward life, so that even in the things that feel draining we can trust him as our life.
* Practice Daily Examen
... As we take a little time to look back at our lives,
give us the courage to admit what was hard & embrace what we love.
Remind us to move towards life, again & again.
We ask today for a hopeful vision of the future even while we sit with question marks.
Thank you for being with us and within us and never leaving us alone.
◘◘ podcast
10. Quit Something
( Concept: "Never Enough")
◘ ... What does it mean when what was before you for so long is now behind you?
What does it say about you, your commitments, your choices, & your identity when that thing you worked so hard for no longer seems like a good fit?
.. Just because things change doesn't mean you chose wrong in the first place.
Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it forever.
◘ Time & seasons; Ecclesiates 3
Today, perhaps your next right thing is to slow down long enough to see what's taking up space in your life, to stop looking around & to settle in & listen. If that feels hard, it could be that you're spinning around, looking for the next hundred things rather than the next one thing.
Become a soul minimalist again. Take time to name the narrative.
◘ Maybe you need a reminder - to release your pursuit of what is productive, profitable, impressive, or expected & instead consider this: what is essential? It's the kind of thing we tend to save for January but maybe it's a good question [at] any time of year. [111]
Greg McKewon - Essentialism:
'making the wisest possible investment of your time & energy..'
* Jesus as a model:
Even Jesus did not arrive on earth knowing who he was. ... What kept him moving was not success, ability, skill, or the consensus of the crowd. What kept him moving forward, what helped him to do his next right thing, was knowing that his Father was with him. And he could only remember that as he spent time alone with his Father. And so it goes for you. You need a time of remembering, of being, of knowing you are not alone. So schedule a listening day. [113]
When you say no to something small ... Remember, it's not for the sake of saying no. It's so you can say yes to what really matters. [113]
#27 ~ 'Stop Rushing Clarity' podcast:
What does it mean to let things go?
Maybe not just for a season, maybe for good.
What do we need to release?
Father we ask for clarity, but we understand that's not your highest priority.
Draw us close in our confusion, our doubt & our questions.
May we not work so hard to get rid of those things.
Rather, may we let the questions & uncertainties help pave the way to you.
.. Give us the courage to quit when it's time.
We declare you are always enough.
We believe it. Help us in our unbelief.
* Practice - Is now the time for me to quit something?
Are you working hard toward something only to realize it isn't right anymore?
Has your heart changed on an issue but your mind hasn't got the memo?
◘◘ podcast
. . . Previous chapters 5, 6 & 7
the NEXT RIGHT THING:
Emily P. Freeman
8. Know What You Want More
◘ ... Make no mistake - denying your desire is also an answer...
If you don't take the time to admit what you most long for, decisions will still need to be made. [84 - 85]
What does the Bible have to say about desire?
.. We don't have to wonder what God would do if he were a person.
He is a person, and here is what he did.
Mark 10: Bartimeus
◘ "He was blind, he was a beggar, & he had no other hope."
v.47 He called out: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
◘ "Jesus stopped walking. ... Jesus heard the cry of the blind man on the side of the road, the muffled voice in the midst of the active agenda of the travelling crowd. ... In that moment, in the way God always does, he made the side of the road center stage. He took what they thought was a footnote & made it into a headline, a side-of-the-road detour in the upside-down kingdom of God.
He didn't give Bartimeus a Bible verse, a lesson, or a lecture. He didn't chastise him, shame him... He didn't talk to the crowd, make an example, tell a heartfelt story, or pray out loud. Instead, Jesus asked [him] a question: What do you want me to do for you? ... It was a question of desire." [87]
Ruth Haley Barton (Sacred Rhythms):
"Jesus routinely asked people questions that helped them get in touch with their desire & name it in his presence. He often brought focus & clarity to his interactions ... by asking them, 'What do you want? What do you want me to do for you?'" [87]
* Bartimeus' answer is recognised by Jesus as an act of faith.
◘ " I wonder if the same is true for us? I wonder if stating our desire in the presence of Jesus is actually an act of faith?"
◘ Desire is only toxic when we demand our desires be satisfied on our terms & in our timing.
Knowing what we want & getting what we want are not necessarily the same thing ...
Whether or not we get what we want isn't the point. Bartimeus stated his desire without any knowledge of how things would turn out for him. Jesus asked what he wanted without a promise of fulfilment. [88 - 89]
Knowing what you want can help you let go in peace
... When I honestly admit what I most long for in the presence of Jesus, I can more quickly accept when it doesn't work out. I can talk to him about it, admit my heartbreak, & receive what he has to give in place of it. This is what it means to walk with him in my everyday disappointment. There is no way to avoid it.
We don't want to be afraid of our own desires but to confess them in your presence.
When our desires are fulfilled, remind us to be thankful.
When our desires are unmet, remind us to keep hope.
Help us to trust that because we've gained a new heart,
our desires will lead us someplace good.
.. help us to have patience with ourselves,
to believe you will tell us what we need to know
when we need to know it.
* Practice pausing -
if you're hesitant = a reminder
what you want matters;
if you're assertive = discernment
as to what you want more.
◘◘ podcast
9. Make the Most Important List* A different kind of a pro & con list...
(waking up from the autopilot way of doing life)
1. Category of life: personable, relationable, actionable
2. Time frame in which to frame & examine
◘ Hold that season in your mind & ask yourself,
- What was life-draining?
- What was life-giving?
- Did this activity draw me closer to God or push me further away from him? [98 - 99]
- Does your body lift when you imagine that time or does it sink?
◘ This is a practice in collecting the clues from your life and getting them down on paper so that when opportunities, commitments, & requests come your way in the future, you will be able to consider them with information from your actual life rather than frantic speculation & last-minute pro/con lists. [100]
◘ ... Successful outcomes might look great on paper, but we want to build our lives on love, faith, connectedness, redemption, laughter, wholeheartedness, joy, and peace. Instead of asking which would be the exact right choice, consider the life choice ... When we walk with Jesus & consider his presence with us, then we can trust he will lead us toward life, so that even in the things that feel draining we can trust him as our life.
* Practice Daily Examen
... As we take a little time to look back at our lives,
give us the courage to admit what was hard & embrace what we love.
Remind us to move towards life, again & again.
We ask today for a hopeful vision of the future even while we sit with question marks.
Thank you for being with us and within us and never leaving us alone.
◘◘ podcast
10. Quit Something
( Concept: "Never Enough")
◘ ... What does it mean when what was before you for so long is now behind you?
What does it say about you, your commitments, your choices, & your identity when that thing you worked so hard for no longer seems like a good fit?
.. Just because things change doesn't mean you chose wrong in the first place.
Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it forever.
◘ Time & seasons; Ecclesiates 3
Today, perhaps your next right thing is to slow down long enough to see what's taking up space in your life, to stop looking around & to settle in & listen. If that feels hard, it could be that you're spinning around, looking for the next hundred things rather than the next one thing.
Become a soul minimalist again. Take time to name the narrative.
◘ Maybe you need a reminder - to release your pursuit of what is productive, profitable, impressive, or expected & instead consider this: what is essential? It's the kind of thing we tend to save for January but maybe it's a good question [at] any time of year. [111]
Greg McKewon - Essentialism:
'making the wisest possible investment of your time & energy..'
* Jesus as a model:
Even Jesus did not arrive on earth knowing who he was. ... What kept him moving was not success, ability, skill, or the consensus of the crowd. What kept him moving forward, what helped him to do his next right thing, was knowing that his Father was with him. And he could only remember that as he spent time alone with his Father. And so it goes for you. You need a time of remembering, of being, of knowing you are not alone. So schedule a listening day. [113]
When you say no to something small ... Remember, it's not for the sake of saying no. It's so you can say yes to what really matters. [113]
#27 ~ 'Stop Rushing Clarity' podcast:
What does it mean to let things go?
Maybe not just for a season, maybe for good.
What do we need to release?
Father we ask for clarity, but we understand that's not your highest priority.
Draw us close in our confusion, our doubt & our questions.
May we not work so hard to get rid of those things.
Rather, may we let the questions & uncertainties help pave the way to you.
.. Give us the courage to quit when it's time.
We declare you are always enough.
We believe it. Help us in our unbelief.
* Practice - Is now the time for me to quit something?
Are you working hard toward something only to realize it isn't right anymore?
Has your heart changed on an issue but your mind hasn't got the memo?
◘◘ podcast
. . . Previous chapters 5, 6 & 7