How do you come to a place where you feel comfortable making a decision?
What principle framework, or belief system, do you employ on a daily, personal basis, that allows you to get through your day?
“I never thought about that Dave… I just decide what to do and do it.”
What is a decision making frame work, or belief system anyway?
I believed, because of my personal experience, that I was destined to be poor, monetarily, my entire life.
I believed, because of my personal experience, that no matter how hard I tried (or thought I tried) that my “stuff” just wouldn’t work out in the end.
Plans… doomed to failure from the start.
Pretty bleak outlook.
If you have read my last few articles, first… Thank You… second… you will know that I have had a personal revelation about where my belief system developed… and how now… with new information provided me… it has led to the truth, that my poverty experience, could have been avoided, at a minimum things would have been ok, and much different than they were… if my dad would have made better decisions himself as the head of our family and presumed man of the house.
It is a true statement, that, “the truth will set you free.”
And I can witness to the fact, that, yes… He does.
Crises always reveal character.
Oswald Chambers Devotion September 10th
I was in crises.
I could not get passed my past.
Something wasn’t right. All of the “success” books; motivational quotes; even Timone and Pumba with their “Hakuna Ma-ta-ta” couldn’t release me from having to “know the truth.”
Whatever that meant.
So I grabbed a shovel and kept digging, even though I was in a hole already.
Do you believe in Godly appointments?
I do. Appointments… like meetings. Just to clarify a word usage.
It truly was an information revelation. A revealing of the truth.
And the lie, like a computer bug, infected, disrupted, and co-rrupted, my DECISION MAKER.
The decisions I would make in life were based off of false programming… so how was I to know that my experiences then were also corrupted, also false?
I have learned that we only know what we know, until something jars us to look at what we know, to see if what we know, is really so.
And with new, and accurate information, our world could be turned completely upside down.
Maybe that’s why we do not pursue the truth as we ought to pursue it.
We never feel ready, or prepared, or that the reason is pressing enough to actually suit up, saddle up, and face our beliefs in a jousting match to test what we know… to tear that black cloak off of that dreaded knight… and only once do we tangle with him do we realize, “he isn’t a dreaded black knight at all.”
He is crystal clear.
My level of manliness was holding me back, my level of understanding at the misunderstanding rung of the ladder, and my level of maturity was screaming, “You are not ready.”
But something wasn’t right and I had to know.
Worship aright in your private relationships [personal, private meetings with Christ], then when God sets you free… you will be ready, because in the unseen life which no one saw but God you have become perfectly fit, and when the strain comes you can be relied upon by God.
Oswald Chambers Devotional September 10th
I may not have felt mature at the time, but as He has done in the past, and continues to do today, He has moved me up to my proper position needed, to be able to take in, and understand, the new information He knew that I needed… and more importantly, was ready to receive.
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ John 8:31-32
In the manliness industry today they are fond of saying, “No one is coming to rescue you.”
Roger that.
I thought I was behaving as one who was taking on the responsibilities of being a man… but as I looked around at what I was responsible for… the little things had been left undone.
Myself included.
I had been stunted in my mental growth and was operating on an immature level… comparative to a 14yr old… or so it seemed to me.
Reacting to life instead of living it.
Reacting… the action of an immature 14yr old; and that of a “slave”… I had to be freed from somethings or someone else’s control, I was behaving as if my parents were still alive; I was behaving like a teenager with no regard for the future; I was behaving like a child, and not a man… that’s why I didn’t feel like one, all the way back in 2009.
Can take awhile to dig yourself out of that hole.
My mom and dad are gone.
Period.
I am free to choose, of my own accord, which way I go.
I am the man of the house.
I am responsible. You can’t dodge that!
I can’t trust my past experience.
I can’t trust myself right now, my decision maker is programmed incorrectly.
How… at my (our) age do I find the right decision making frame work to re-program my mind with?
That is truthful; trust worthy; and dependable?
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” ~ Phillipians 4:8-9
To turn a phrase from Billy Gibbons, yeah that Billy Gibbons, from ZZ Top…
He said, “The stronger statement is, “It only takes one.””
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
The EMERGING MAN… working his way through the battle smoke of life; offering Positivity w/ Work Gloves, as he tries to ENCOURAGE, EQUIP & ENGAGE with you… so that you too may come to a knowledge that surpasses all understanding.
theemergingman.com 