I recall a time in my life when the majority of my relationships being strained. Not necessarily broken but carrying a level of contention on a recurring basis as I interacted with those closest to me. Outward examples included: sarcasm, overreacting, quick to judge or even hostility. Many times the other person had no idea that I felt this internal struggle or uneasiness about our interaction but indeed conflicted on the inside. Many times I didn’t understand why I felt this angst, it was just there. Many times, the other person didn’t do “the thing” that justified the way I interpreted and exaggerated which resulted in unnecessary turmoil for myself and perhaps them as well. I didn’t realize at the time that this was a direct reflection of my weak relationship with God which resulted from a lack of knowledge about who He is. I couldn’t possibly realize that because I didn’t know Him well enough during this season. I needed a disruption in thought patterns and healing of heart wounds.
A pivotal moment occurred when I made a conscious decision to know who God is, through His written words. Until that decision point, my mind remained trapped in “stinkin’ thinkin'” as Joyce Meyers teaches us, and my heart held hostage to old hurts. Gaining an understanding of the teachings of Jesus which, bottom line, is to “Love one another”started to heal my broken spirit and the inner wounds that created the undercurrent of discontent. The reality and truth of the matter are that I became deeply discontented with ME, and I deflected it onto others. Thankfully, I grew sick and tired of experiencing the turmoil which created avoidable life drama. I became aware of my role in the matter and a knowing that I can only change me by learning and fully surrendering to the healing through the power of God.
The good news for all of us is that we can have the best life coach in the Universe, the Holy Spirit. It takes self-discipline, commitment and long-term development from the Almighty coach to train us up to be free from the “life happenings” that keep us in emotional bondage and help mature our faith. Through this training ground, He delivers healthy minded, joyful people who develop extraordinary relationships and new experiences. A true zest for life and a pathway that is unimaginable.
The journey is perpetual and never ends, but it’s the process where we see the milestones of progress revealed through the reflection of our relationships. As relations become more joyful and even friction-less, we see the reflection of Christ coming through us. The friction starts to fade when we “get real” with ourselves, acknowledge the face in the mirror, admit our part and surrender to change. At this moment, the command to “Love one another” becomes the strongest motivator vs. our selfish desires to control others, situations and we start letting go of gossip, turmoil, and small issues. That level of awareness will come through building intimacy with Christ and seeking Holy Spirit counsel – our very own almighty life coach!
As we grow and we look in the mirror through the reflection of our relationships, we see compassion, forgiveness, kindness and non-judgmental character. Let us always be mindful of the observations right before our eyes to help us acknowledge, observe and reflect the Light of Christ.
