Sunday, April 29, 2012

Where are your affections?

I've become more and more aware of the battlefield in my mind. I have to constantly check myself and see where my affections lie. For the most part unfortunately, they're where they shouldn't be. I find myself focusing consistently on the wrong things. On things that damage my self-esteem, on things that fail to promote good tidings in my heart, and on things that are really just ...pointless.
All too often we worry like this. Some more than others, but I indeed find it true that our innate human nature is not to trust, but to disbelieve.
My goal and challenge to all my friends is this; discover where your affections lie and make sure they're where they should be. Ask yourself "What do I want my life to be? What am I scared of? What do I consistently worry about and how can I change my thinking? What do I believe in and how can I manifest more of it in my life and less of what i don't believe in? How can I keep my mind on the bigger picture and what is that bigger picture for me?" I think most of us believe in love. I think most of us believe in happiness and good morality. And yet I also think that most of us forget that we can not only have all of these things, but have them abundantly.
So there's my challenge to myself and to you. Make a list if you want. Do this challenge with a friend or just do it daily in your heart and mind.
And hopefully your life will become a little brighter.



4 comments:

  1. The word 'affection' is wonderfully used. In much of early Christian thinking there was keen awareness to the reality that men and women can get pulled in a variety of ways by those things that attract or affect them. The response from the Early Church was to create habits and patterns that would, so thinking and belief went, point toward beauty, truth and goodness.(A brief aside: this is what is known in traditional christian denominations--Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, etc.--as liturgy)

    This kind of thinking and activity is a reminder that humanity is inherently 'worshipful' of things. People give the entirety of who and what they are to those things that have garnered the most of their affection and their love.

    You have aptly mentioned that one of the first steps in recognizing these affections comes with keen awareness. This is the starting point toward addressing the things in life that yield elements contrary to beauty, goodness, and truth. Great reminder and encouragement for all people to have awareness. Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Liz, have you ever read Battlefield of the Mind? It reminded me a little of your post. It's a good one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I have! I need to read it again though because it has been a very long time. I still got it on the shelf. :)

      Delete