My heart is heavy. I have noticed that there is a more intense and
hostile environment in the world. More people are
blowing their cool, angry, road raging, killing, disrespectful, greedy, misusing authority, deceitful, and etc. My grandmother used to say “people start
acting out of character and out of order when the weather gets hotter.” I am sure police blotters/statistics can
prove it right or wrong. One of my sons
told me while driving down the road a couple of days ago, he came upon six
grown men on the in the middle of the street -on the ground fighting. His passenger wanted to sit and watch. My son quickly turned the car around – out of
harms’ way. He told his rider, “Either
of those guys can pull a gun and start shooting at any time. Bullets don’t have eyes.” Another one of my grandmother’s saying.
Prior to my conversation with my son, I was
talking with an Attorney. I made a comment
about something being in the air because people are so angry, disrespectful, and uncaring. With a sense of excitement, the Attorney
stated, “We were just having this conversation in our office. When I mentioned that there is so much chaos and tension
in the court house. One of the other
Attorneys told me it is the year of the fire monkey.”
Fire monkey? I became
curious as to what exactly this is. I found this: "Year
of the Red Fire Monkey is based on Chinese belief (Astrology) and technically began
February 8, 2016 and will go through Friday, January 27, 2017 under the power
of the Sun. This time will bring the sparkling energy.
Under the influence of elemental Fire and the Monkey's fixed
element of Metal, it's an era of building, creating and forging ahead. We're
hurdling obstacles with remarkable ease and reaching for the stars. It's a year
of blazing opportunity and wild passions, a roller-coaster ride of the senses,
and sometimes all you can do is hang on and surrender to the journey!
It's
best to take nothing for granted. The Monkey is wise but also unpredictable,
and given to bouts of jealousy, suspicion or temper tantrums. Trust is
difficult this year. Nonetheless, you may recall that the Space Age officially
began in 1956, a Fire Monkey year. Expect to see innovative developments in the
sciences, technology, education, commerce and the performance arts."
I don’t
know what your belief or attitude is, but I do know what my belief is. The
manifestation of your life is a reflection of what you are listening to, what
you are reading, and what you believe. In order for you to get the best out of
your life, you must fill your mind with positive information that promotes
self-responsibility. It is my responsibility
to guard myself against any chaos. It is also my responsibility to teach my children, grandchildren, and others. I do so with a focus on putting on
the whole armor of God. Ephesians
6.
It is apparent that there is a tremendous amount
of chaos everywhere, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. We are in spiritual warfare. Many of us have such busy lives; and in
these times trouble seems to be always knocking at our door. Our lives are
affected by divorce, finances, violence, death, and many other situations of
life.
Looking
from a spiritual perspective, some may call this activity attacks from the
enemy with fiery darts piercing you from all directions; and others say it’s the
devil roaring like a lion seeking whom it may devour. When you look
at your life and everything coming your way, you can see that now is the time
to go on the offensive. Now is not the time to be sitting around being an easy
target and waddling in self-pity. It’s
time to put on the whole armor of God! Make your environment conducive for
something miraculous to happen. Because you can become a product of your
environment, your environment is key. Everyday remind yourself that you are a
person of purpose and destiny. Stand on the platform of life and declare that
you were born to make a difference in the earth. If you are not seeing the
outcomes you want in your life, change your thinking and inner circle, walk boldly with faith in God, and make good things happen!
Let every
decision you make going forward be connected to your God-given purpose and
destiny. Your thoughts are crucial in this season. Your destiny is sitting on
the tip of your very own tongue. The Bible says, "Death and life
are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit
thereof." (Proverbs 18:21). You can defy the
odds and make it happen for yourself and your household. Don't let the pressure, the fire monkey,
roaring lion, and fiery darts get to you.
The bottom
line for me is regardless of what is going on, I still must maintain
self-control and not be distracted so that I am not devoured. More
importantly, I must keep my mind stayed on God the Father, Jesus the Son, and
the Holy Spirit that lives within me. I
have learned that my eyes fixed on Him gives me a special gift – God’s perfect
peace.
Life, especially the Christian life, isn’t exempt
from times of difficulty, strain, and worry.
However, God doesn’t want us to carry the weight of the world on our
shoulders. In fact, the word of God
tells us, “Guard your heart
above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 Your
heart's condition depends on the things you allow into your heart. These things
form your thoughts and attitudes, and ultimately, shape the deepest part of
your being. No matter what your circumstances (the outside) are, if your heart
(the inside) is right, you're going to be okay.
But if wrong things (i.e. bitterness, hatred, jealousy, racism, and
etc.) in our hearts go unattended, they will become deeply rooted and harder to
deal with. The quicker you can detect a wrong heart condition and get it
straightened out, the better off you are.
In
addition, Phillipians 4:6-8, sums it all up for me. Stand Firm in
the Lord
…6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.…
…6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.…
In closing, guard your heart and certainly watch out for the fire
monkey, roaring lion, and fiery darts!
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