BILLY HOLLAND
Collaborating columnist
Jthere is a huge difference between personal transformation and just talking and wishing. We can advise, advise, pray and encourage someone, but only they can discipline their thoughts, take the initiative and chart a new direction. For example, being an optimistic person does not just happen out of the blue and happen on its own, but rather it is a learned behavior similar to the development of bad habits such as a negative attitude or a rude personality. We cannot prevent unpleasant things from happening to us, but we decide whether they will control us or we prevent them from controlling us. As we discover what God wants us to be, we are then faced with the decision of whatever we are going to do.
Philippians 1:6 says, “Being assured of this very thing, that he (God) who hath begun a good work in you shall carry it on unto its completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” The writer says that God regards you as his most precious possession and is filled with anticipation and excitement to see you prosper and prosper according to his plans. However, it will take self-discipline to overcome fear and doubt because it won’t force us to obey it the same way it doesn’t force us to love it.
Throughout our lives, we look at those who have accomplished admirable things while the unseen forces of negativity remind us of how we could never do this. You’re not good enough or you don’t deserve this or that are some of the most common lies people face when they have low self-esteem. The truth is that these individuals who soar in the clouds were also stalked by the same dark voices and deceptions, but became determined to rise above them. Anyone who has grown in the wisdom and obedience of God has learned to be careful who he listens to. Unfortunately, some have become victims of their environment and need to break free from the cycle of dysfunction.
Our thoughts control our actions and eagles have no place in the henhouse.
Birds of a feather gather and if you are determined to be an eagle, it is important to spend time with other eagles.
A healthy mind is one of the greatest gifts we have received and it is our responsibility to guard and protect what it absorbs. Ears and eyes are windows to the soul and as guardians of our garden of thoughts we must be very careful about the type of seeds that are planted and allowed to grow.
We are reminded in Proverbs 23 that a person thinks in his heart, so is he. You see, the farmer was aware of what the eagle was supposed to be, and knew that if the eagle believed he was a chicken, he would still live like a chicken. A true leader can recognize another leader and it is the zookeeper who understood the potential of the eagle and did everything to help him see his destiny. Many of us were lucky enough to have someone who saw our abilities and helped us fly. In turn, after realizing who God has called us to be, it is our mission to help others who need encouragement and inspiration to look in the mirror and see themselves as God sees them. I know people who are confused and are directionless because they say they can’t find their way. We may indeed be adrift, but God knows exactly where we are and where we need to be. If we sincerely seek Him in prayer, Matthew 7:8 promises, “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
We are called to be eagles, but our nature tends to be complacent and content to take the easy way out.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane just before he was arrested, he asked his disciples if they would watch and pray with him. After a while he went to see them and they were sleeping soundly. It is quoted in Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak.” The story of the eagle and the chicken is about knowing our identity and, as Luke 1:37 states, “NOTHING is impossible with God.”
Learn more about the Christian life and Dr. Holland’s book, “Convictions and Considerations – Encouragement for the Soul” at billyhollandministries.com.
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