Delighting myself-part 4

Well, I will one day finish my diary on delighting myself in God! The next point that was presented is one that I really like, but again, have a hard time articulating how I need to apply it in my life.

"Nothing external can steal our right to delight"

I guess it seems to explain itself! If I am not delighting it is no one's fault but my own! I tell Nathan that he cannot blame others for his feelings, but then I catch myself telling him that he is making me angry! This is not true-I am letting myself get angry at his actions. If my response to his wrong actions is wrong, I cannot blame him. I can only change my actions, and of course discipline him so that he learns not to do the wrong again.

But I cannot discipline most people I encounter. I cannot let others rob me of my joy or let their actions make me stop trying to delight in God and what He has for me.

One example Beth Moore gave of something that can steal our delight is worry. Psalm 37:8 says not to fret because that leads to evil. Worry is a sin and it is a waste of time and a time and sleep killer. Although I have a mom who worries a lot, I tend to not worry too much, but when I do, I can't sleep. I don't know if this is a thin connection, but I have found that a lack of sleep (due to worry or children) robs me of delight because the next day I am short tempered. And then start blaming others for my bad mood! Letting the external steal my delight!

Like my watermelon! The other day I was delighting in a small watermelon growing in my yard. Well some person (probably a cute 2 year old) stepped on the vine and broke it! Now my watermelon has disconnected from it's source of life! I was crushed! But I can't let that external disappointment steal my delight!

I think out of this, I need to take away the point of focusing on God for my delight. Just like 37:3 says, delight yourself in the Lord. If I am focusing on God, who is inside me therefore not external, the things of life that want to pull me down will not have an easy task. There is much in the world to worry about, but their is more in God to delight in.

Amy