Wednesday, June 30, 2010

on vulnerabilities

Often there are vulnerabilities in our lives that, looking back, we have had hints of along the way but they did not seem life-threatening. These vulnerabilities are exploited in different ways in different souls.


For some, vulnerabilities are exposed through rejection.
For others, through the offer of longed-for-acceptance.


For some, stress and pressure.
For others, time on their hands.


For some, disappointment and anger.
Yet others are most vulnerable following great successes.

How our vulnerabilities are exposed can give insight into how our vulnerabilities were formed.

When startled by our own vulnerability, it is a wise use of prayer space to ask Father God if we have struggled (knowingly or unknowingly) with a lack of mental discipline in the use of our imaginations.

What I find personally and as a mentor is that we are all very vulnerable to using our imaginations to "relax," to picture a different, better, more exciting, more peaceful...reality when the one we perceive ourselves to be experiencing. We tend to think of these imaginations as harmless and perhaps even a form of stress-relief. But untruth creates deadly fault lines in our souls.

If our minds are used to going places that are not within God's current realities for us (which is a different matter than simply being visionary or planning for the future...), then when approached with a suggestion, our mental boundaries are porous--more like a colander than a fortress--and our past lack of mental discipline suddenly becomes a catalyst exponentially taking us down roads we never thought we would ever choose.

(For more on this theme, you may want to read Chapter 37 of Anonymous)

4 Comments:

Blogger Lattice said...

Hi Alicia,

I can see that a colander is going to be useful as a visual aid in expressing this concept to my children. Do you have any other suggestions to this end?

July 14, 2010 9:49 AM  
Blogger Dutch said...

Dear Sister Alicia,

The "battlefields of the mind" are a dangerous place for us to dabble in in our day dreaming, our every day-moment thought life. My greatest fear or vulnerability is that I am bipolar. My greatest journey? coming to understand how I could possibly be of benefit to God's plan and how could I contribute anything to His kingdom that would change lives of others for eternity. My thought life was a jumbled mess, but I was determined to understand from God, how I could possibly serve Him in this vessel that seemed to me, less than sufficient.

The answer was very clear - change my thought life. I had set the mental boundaries that you wrote about, boundaries that God had never set for me. He came to give us life and more abundantly so. Everything God creates is good and with a purpose, fit for His own us, because it pleases Him.

The reality for me is, God created this vessel, fit for His service. He did not create me for His misuse.

What is my responsibility? To line up my thinking with His word. To know that "He is for me" and not against me. To know that if I place my trust in Him, He will direct my paths. Yes, this makes me very vulnerable, but I must remember to be more concerned about what God thinks of me rather than what the world thinks of me. With Him, I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Thanks, Alicia, for another heart searching devotion.

July 31, 2010 8:13 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Hello Alicia,

Your blog is inspiring and interesting and quite a find!
If you go to my blog - http://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com you will discover that you have been given an award. :) Please note Aug 17'10 post.

Blessings!

August 17, 2010 9:39 AM  
Blogger jael said...

This Back to School season prompts me to consider with gratitude the teachers who have spoken truth over my life. When I seemed stuck in a vulnerable and faithless trench, Real Life, Real Pain, and a Real God sang truth over my life like a holy Hallelujah. I appreciate that in this season your words remind me of Annonymous and the challenge to maintain the mental discipline of my mind like a fortress. I appreciate your teachings and extend my thank to you at Shout Out to Teachers.

August 31, 2010 6:04 PM  

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