The things we don’t talk about with others are often the same things we don’t examine about ourselves in private. Instincts. Motives. The impulses we’ve enfolded into our understanding of ourselves — the wallpaper in our everyday — such that we don’t bring them into our conversation with God, and we surely don’t examine them for a remodel.
Wow! These words from you are precisely what I have felt stirring in my spirit from our Great Father. I have personally been ruminating on Psalm 138 and 139. When I find myself falling into patterns of the past, I return specifically to 139:17-18 to restore my heart, mind, spirit to align with Him.
Praying for your sweet ones (and you and your hubs) in this season.
I love it when God brings two different people and resources to say the same thing in my life. I was recently listening to a podcast “Managing Leadership Anxiety” from Steve Cuss…this along with Kurt Thompson has been saying over and over “what instinct/habit served you as a child might not be serving you as an adult.” We develop certain habits for many reasons and some of them serve us for the time being, but as His new creation, it is time to step into who God has fully created us to be. It is time to develop “out of” those habits. I appreciate the conversation with Maggie below…the title had me questioning, but I also appreciate a title that sends me into the meat of what is being said. :)
Sara, thank you so much for your much needed words today. I have been struggling today, but also these past few weeks about how my instincts are history formed, rather than God formed. I really feel like you have been looking inside my journal and my mind with this post. It's exactly what I needed to hear and I am so thankful for your words and vulnerability in your writing. It helps me remember that I am not alone in this journey on earth.
Sara this is absolutely breathtaking because it is right where my soul is. Thank you for articulating and exposing what I knew not how to do. I’m deeply grateful for your heart, beloved sister Alison Ross
Thanks always for sharing from your heart, Sara! If I may, I feel like in this context “instincts” is actually your mind’s tendencies, life experience, habits, fears, etc. which cause reactions that aren’t always for your best health and God’s trust, right? Maybe I get too caught on semantics but I wrestle a lot when I hear faith leaders and writers say we can’t trust our instincts because I think at the core of all you mentioned in this article, our human instinct is to trust our bodies and hearts without the world and our minds getting in the way. But of course they always do. I think that God places instincts in our bodies to inform, and if we can’t trust our God-given minds, hearts, bodies and souls, and the ways God speaks to us from them, how are we to listen to God in every way possible? I think I’m largely agreeing with every sentiment of your post but I suppose if it’s broken down only into the title (ie not trusting our instincts) - my instinct and gut pulls hard against that. Not because of my desires and ego but because my instincts are always a place of holy communication and learning from God and the cosmic Christ within. Hope that makes sense. Would love to hear your thoughts. ❤️
Well, I am waaaay late in reading this article, but as usual, the timing could not have been more perfect. This has been my struggle this week. Nearing the end of your writing when you talked about God wanting to do a new thing, I gasped out loud because that’s exactly where I am right now. And the things you mentioned praying… Yes!! I feel like God is trying to do a new thing in my thinking. There are these well worn paths that I travel—analyze, strive, review the mentor’s notes, pull out the highlighted book sections. Yep! All the things—when I come up against an obstacle at work or with my kids or whatever… and it often leaves me feeling stuck, empty, even inadequate. The Holy Spirit brought that new thing scripture up to me in a fresh way this week as we are in the middle of a church remodel. I’m having to work inside the church building as it’s being renovated. The shell is the same, but rooms are being rearranged. Walls are being built, and torn down and moved. There are days I can’t think because it’s noisy and chaotic, and there are constant interruptions. But, it’s all for a better, more effective use of the space. It’s a new season. We’re experiencing growth. The Lord showed me that’s what He’s doing in my life right now, but honestly it can feel so disorienting. Earlier this week, the Lord reminded me of a conversation I had with a fighter pilot a few years back. He told me that when he’s flying through storms, he often feels like he’s right side up when he’s actually upside down or visa versa. He said they’re trained not to trust their feelings (instincts) but to trust the gages because the gages never lie. For him it’s the difference between life and death. Oh, to learn to trust the gages of His word and His Spirit above our instincts.
Wow! These words from you are precisely what I have felt stirring in my spirit from our Great Father. I have personally been ruminating on Psalm 138 and 139. When I find myself falling into patterns of the past, I return specifically to 139:17-18 to restore my heart, mind, spirit to align with Him.
Praying for your sweet ones (and you and your hubs) in this season.
I love it when God brings two different people and resources to say the same thing in my life. I was recently listening to a podcast “Managing Leadership Anxiety” from Steve Cuss…this along with Kurt Thompson has been saying over and over “what instinct/habit served you as a child might not be serving you as an adult.” We develop certain habits for many reasons and some of them serve us for the time being, but as His new creation, it is time to step into who God has fully created us to be. It is time to develop “out of” those habits. I appreciate the conversation with Maggie below…the title had me questioning, but I also appreciate a title that sends me into the meat of what is being said. :)
Sara, thank you so much for your much needed words today. I have been struggling today, but also these past few weeks about how my instincts are history formed, rather than God formed. I really feel like you have been looking inside my journal and my mind with this post. It's exactly what I needed to hear and I am so thankful for your words and vulnerability in your writing. It helps me remember that I am not alone in this journey on earth.
Sara this is absolutely breathtaking because it is right where my soul is. Thank you for articulating and exposing what I knew not how to do. I’m deeply grateful for your heart, beloved sister Alison Ross
Isaiah 43:19 has been a fav verse for many years - such a great reminder to re-center us on God’s truth!! 😘
Thanks always for sharing from your heart, Sara! If I may, I feel like in this context “instincts” is actually your mind’s tendencies, life experience, habits, fears, etc. which cause reactions that aren’t always for your best health and God’s trust, right? Maybe I get too caught on semantics but I wrestle a lot when I hear faith leaders and writers say we can’t trust our instincts because I think at the core of all you mentioned in this article, our human instinct is to trust our bodies and hearts without the world and our minds getting in the way. But of course they always do. I think that God places instincts in our bodies to inform, and if we can’t trust our God-given minds, hearts, bodies and souls, and the ways God speaks to us from them, how are we to listen to God in every way possible? I think I’m largely agreeing with every sentiment of your post but I suppose if it’s broken down only into the title (ie not trusting our instincts) - my instinct and gut pulls hard against that. Not because of my desires and ego but because my instincts are always a place of holy communication and learning from God and the cosmic Christ within. Hope that makes sense. Would love to hear your thoughts. ❤️
Well, I am waaaay late in reading this article, but as usual, the timing could not have been more perfect. This has been my struggle this week. Nearing the end of your writing when you talked about God wanting to do a new thing, I gasped out loud because that’s exactly where I am right now. And the things you mentioned praying… Yes!! I feel like God is trying to do a new thing in my thinking. There are these well worn paths that I travel—analyze, strive, review the mentor’s notes, pull out the highlighted book sections. Yep! All the things—when I come up against an obstacle at work or with my kids or whatever… and it often leaves me feeling stuck, empty, even inadequate. The Holy Spirit brought that new thing scripture up to me in a fresh way this week as we are in the middle of a church remodel. I’m having to work inside the church building as it’s being renovated. The shell is the same, but rooms are being rearranged. Walls are being built, and torn down and moved. There are days I can’t think because it’s noisy and chaotic, and there are constant interruptions. But, it’s all for a better, more effective use of the space. It’s a new season. We’re experiencing growth. The Lord showed me that’s what He’s doing in my life right now, but honestly it can feel so disorienting. Earlier this week, the Lord reminded me of a conversation I had with a fighter pilot a few years back. He told me that when he’s flying through storms, he often feels like he’s right side up when he’s actually upside down or visa versa. He said they’re trained not to trust their feelings (instincts) but to trust the gages because the gages never lie. For him it’s the difference between life and death. Oh, to learn to trust the gages of His word and His Spirit above our instincts.