dwelling

On what do we dwell?
What do we think about?
What do we ponder, consider, mentally chew?
What do we retrieve over and over in our minds?

Do we dwell on our pasts...
its memories, events, wrongs inflicted upon us?

Do we repeat these things to others, regurgitate them in conversations, chew on them, retrieve them to play on repeat in our minds?

Do we dwell on ourselves...
who hurt us, how we were hurt, when we were hurt, how it still follows and troubles us?

Do we repeat these hurts and painful memories to others, regurgitate them in conversations, chew on them, retrieve them to play on repeat in our minds?

Or, do we remove the focus from ourselves and place it on Another?...

Do we dwell on Jesus...
His sacrifice, His life, His death, His power, His forgiveness, His Spirit, His cross, His resurrection, His ascension?

Do we repeat these truths and promises to others, regurgitating them in conversations, chewing on them, retrieving them to play on repeat in our minds?

Do we realize that that on which we dwell becomes that which doth define us?

Either we are defined by our problems, our pain, our methods and routines for dealing with our stuff, or....

We are defined by Jesus, His solution, His pain on our behalf, His forgiveness and hope, His Truth, His Word, His power.

What defines you?

What do people think of when they think of you?

Are others' thoughts pivoting around your sorrows, around you?

Or are the thoughts of others fixed on Christ as a result of your focus?

When we fix our gaze down on our circumstances, our history, ourselves, vaunting our own merits and works, Christ is diminished, ignored.

When we look up to the cross, remembering Jesus and His work on our behalf, His love, His hope, then He is exalted, honored, rejoiced over, worshiped.

Look up and live!

On what are you dwelling today?