That was the title of my devotional this week. If more chapters were named this, I might catch a stronger hint.
How we react is a crucial gauge of what’s really going on inside us.
Eww. Do we have to gauge our insides? Can’t we just glide by, covering it all with concealer like I do the dark circles under my eyes?
One of my favorite bible verses, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The renewing of our mind is a refreshing thought for my soul. I visualize it like the alt-control-delete button combination. A soft reset. God knows my heart is for him, yet he also knows that gut rot sets in from time to time.
I don’t need a whole revival, just a soft reset.
Renew my mind, and my spirit will follow.
Most times, the smallest event can create a nasty case of rot for this mind. A memory resurfacing, seeing or reading something on social media that leads to a series of eye rolls, hearing a tidbit of a situation that I deem as unfair, getting my feelings hurt and reliving it until pain sets in really, really deep. I seem to be an Olympic gold medalist in this category. Glory be.
There I am, walking along, life is bright…
And then, I’ll catch it – the dreaded root rot.
When the feeling of ick is recognized, a mental walk backwards is neccesary to figure out where the rot found its way in. Usually, it is a teeny-tiny trigger that has caused the wave of irritations. In the past, I would see a photo of a party on social media and feel a little sting of being left out. Nowadays, I silently give thanks that I didn’t have to add something else to our crazy calendar (or sometimes, that I didn’t have to leave the comfort of my back porch and yoga pants. Priorities. I’ve got strict ones.) and simply appreciate the gift of a gathering with friends. Even without me.
If you’ll notice, the ego is usually smack dab in the middle of the issue. That dumb ol’ ego. It lives right in the middle of the rot, keeping it all swampy and stagnant.
A little rot can spread fast and furiously if not dealt with swiftly and seriously. It’s crucial to pay attention to our reactions. When people or issues or situations bump into our happy, it’s not wrong to feel annoyed. But if that annoyance leads to a reaction out of proportion to the issue at hand, we can bank on the fact that this eruption has the root of rot. – Lysa TerKeurst
Once, we came home to our house being sparkling and clean. That one day.
We sang and danced in the living room, smiling while we enjoyed our gleaming home.
Then, we discovered that every time we walked through the kitchen, a whiff of the worst smell would fill our noses. We checked the trash, the disposal, the cabinets, and wondered if a poor varmint had fallen in a wall and died. After a few days of searching, we finally figured out the culprit was the beautiful plant sitting on the corner bar.
Seriously? It’s so pretty on the surface; the leaves are green and shiny, it is watered sufficiently, we enjoy it’s beauty everyday…how did it get root rot right in front of our eyes? Baffled, I threw the entire thing out. Rot, beauty, and all. I’m not perfect, or forgiving apparently. I simply cannot deal with bad smells. Lucky for me, I have three teenage boys who keep my odor-searches on point.
How many times do we disguise our rotten thoughts with a pretty surface? Kidding ourselves that a pretty exterior can smother the smell of rot, even to our own noses. Similar to not showering at the gym and just throwing on an extra layer of deodorant and dry shampoo, you know this trick. How freeing would it be to rid ourselves of the ick? We have the opportunity to renew our mind daily. Hourly if needed. The chance to clean out the root of our rot. Don’t let it simmer loved one. Release it and move on, and on the days that it resurfaces or slimes its way back in….Rinse and repeat.
*Unglued Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst.
* Photo by Tumbling Sparrow