The Snare of Speculation
>> Friday, October 24, 2008
What comes to your mind as you read this section? Can you relate to Eldredge's speculations about different events in his life - going right to the negative or to worry about what "might" happen? Do you typically speculate in a negative or positive way? Think about what you have been speculating on lately - what fruit does it bear (stop and pray about this). How can you make sure that even your imagination is given over to Christ and that it is being sanctified?
3 comments:
Okay, so this section spoke volumes to me. I must admit when I initially starting reading it, I thought God was going to show me something about Jadyn because her imagination is incredible. However, as usual, I was wrong. God really spoke to me about how I let me imagination run wild and get the most of me. I can think up scenarios in my head of major tragedy and get myself all worked up for nothing. One silly example happened a couple weeks ago. James woke up in the night, which he never does, so I was immediately on guard as to what might be going on. I listened for awhile to see if he would settle down and he did. In the meantime, I pictured what was happening in his room...A snake had gotten into the house through an open door and was now in his James' bed attacking him. Pretty crazy, huh! Anyway, letting your imagination go wild in a negative way clearly bears bad fruit. Since reading this chapter, I have been able to ask God to sanctify my imagination and make it holy. I can feel the onset of a crazy scenario and I can pray it away. Who would've thought your imagination could be one of your worst enemies!
I am right there with Julie. I can go from something small happening to the possibility of some major event in no time flat. I find myself thinking, "How on earth did I get to this line of thinking!" I had a similar incident even today to what Julie describes with James. Easton was out of my sight for a couple of minutes this afternoon and I suddenly heard him fussing. From the moment he started fussing to the moment I got to him (the time it takes to walk around the corner) I had the time to think that he could have unplugged something and was being shocked. What on earth!! All that had happened was he had picked up a shoe and it wasn't doing whatever he thought that it should! This section opened up a new area that I had never thought about asking God to sanctify!
Sorry to say, but it is soooo comforting to know that I am not the only one with a wild imagination! Since moving to Brownwood I have had serious fear issues of staying in the house overnight without my husband.....which is often. I lay in bed trying to sleep but usually find myself thinking up some crazy story of how a stranger is going to enter the house and hurt me or the boys. I got so bad about this that I started setting up "traps" around the house! Anyway, I too know this fruit is not of God and after learning to pray against it I have in the last couple of months been able to actually get to sleep, and not worry as much!
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