The Hole Truth...

I woke up on Saturday morning and, even before I climbed out of bed, I fell into a hole.

It’s not a new hole, but one I have fell into on more than one occasion. Most times I have the sense to step around it.  I think I have even filled it in once or twice but it still keeps re-appearing.

It’s the hole of negative thinking!  It just took me by surprise.  It’s not an easy hole to climb out of.  The sides are very slippery and sometimes the hole is very deep.  Not much sunlight reaches the bottom.

I won’t bore you with a detailed description about the downward spiral of my thinking.  My thoughts are probably not your thoughts.  What trips me up probably doesn’t stick out its foot to trip you up.  Sometimes I do that ENVY thing and think of all the things I don’t have that someone else does have and perhaps doesn’t deserve to have.  The list is a long one.

I didn’t hit the bottom of the hole. Maybe God tossed a rope in or something.  I was aware that I didn’t have to reach the bottom before I could start hauling myself out. I could stop sliding into the hole of negative thinking by bringing to mind all of the things that I did have, regardless of whether someone else also had it. Whether they deserved it or not was irrelevant – I know that I didn’t deserve it.

God’s mercies are new every morning! His grace is poured into my life with absurd abundance! It was not enough just to list the mercies or point out the grace in my life but to be grateful and to say thank you for them.

“…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

What a precious gift I have!  Jesus has dealt with all the separates me from God.  I can draw near to God confident that there isn’t a lightning bolt headed my way – not even when my actions fall desperately short of what pleases Him.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

The enemy has a quick hand and snatches the hope we have and steals the promises God gives if we do not hold them tightly.  Better to claim them that to leave them to lie forgotten in some dusty corner of our hearts and minds.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24

How much better to stop worrying about we have or do not have and do something to ensure that someone else has what they need for life! Turning our gaze outward happens properly when we have turned out gaze first upward to God. 

I love the order of these truths in Hebrews.  Drawing near to God is the priority. It’s through drawing near to God that we find a more confident understanding of the hope we profess.  He speaks His promises to us and we share what we know of God with other people, not merely talking a good talk, but walking a good walk.

I am not the only one who falls into holes.  We all do.  Part of walking a good walk is about seeing people and the holes they fall into and doing something to help.