Dwell Well

Reading from "You Are Rich" the scripture Phillipians 4:8 reads "If anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Whatever is good we should think on it. What do we dwell on? Usually ourselves or our circumstances is my honest answer. And as I shared this lesson with my nine year old, I had to simplify it.

One phrase: You move toward that upon which you dwell.

When we say comments like, "I'm not looking very good today," or "I'm not very pretty" there are two things to notice. First, where is the focus - on your or on God? Second, is the comment to yourself positive or negative? Self talk is image setting. What you say or think is what you become.

Ever notice how you have something you really don't want to do so you get a sick feeling inside? Suddenly we begin to talk ourselves into feeling bad and suddenly, we feel miserable. The power of suggestion in just that... powerful. How much power do you pack in your words to others or to yourself? Imagine showing up to a meeting with a new haircut/color and a sharp new outfit you carefully selected for this meeting. You feel like a million bucks and you look like a million bucks. Everyone notices and everyone comments on it. The attention is on you, and if you're like most people you love it. But the best part is you represent Gods image so much better with a positive attitude rather than a negative one. If you dwell too much on your image it becomes destructive because we get into the comparison trap. Its Gods image that made you great. Dwell on Him.

If you imagine yourself a frumpy, drab, or uninteresting person most people with think so too. You are what you dwell on. So are you fun, energetic and exciting? If you think so others will too.

I shared with my child that God has a special plan for her life. He had those plans in mind when He created her. He doesn't make mistakes. So focusing on becoming that person will get her closer to that person much faster. I took a while getting where I am in relationship with God, seeking His will before seizing my own. I learned that His name is what makes me great. The outside will benefit from the beauty within more than any external beauty could affect the character.

Focusing on God and Who He is and learning to appreciate or find joy in being who He made you to be is what makes the journey memorable and most worth while. You are that upon which you dwell. Make it worth while and positive. Use your words to yourself and others carefully because they propel you to become that person, and we represent a God Who cares very much what we say about Him Who dwells within us.