Shake It Off
As I am sitting here looking at a white screen on my computer and thinking about what to write about today, I hear the voice of a little imp say to me, “You don’t have anything to say today, just forget it and go fold clothes!” First of all, folding clothes is not one of my favorite tasks to do, even though it needs to always be done. As I’m looking at the blank screen, my mind goes to an old story I’m sure many have heard. It’s about the donkey and the farmer.
The old farmer’s donkey fell into a well and the farmer thought, “Oh my goodness, how am I going to get my donkey out?” So, he thought to himself, “I’ve had this old donkey a long time and it has served me well. I guess it’s time to let it die in this well.” So, the old farmer started throwing dirt into the well to bury the donkey. But every shovel of dirt the farmer threw in to the deep well, the donkey would ‘shake it off’. The old donkey kept climbing, higher and higher on the growing dirt pile, until it reached the top of the well. He shook that dirt off his back until he made it out of the well and was able to walk free.
The enemy of our soul wants to keep us in a sense of defeat by filling our minds with negative thoughts about anything - self, family, finances, jobs, health, relationships. This is his tool that he uses against everyone and has since the beginning of time. So, what do you do when these negative situations are thrown at you, or you find yourself in negative self-talk?
The Word says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) Are you going to be like the old farmer that gave up saying, “This situation looks hopeless.” Or, are you going to have the donkey mentality and say, “Whatever’s thrown at me I’ll use as a steppingstone to go higher until there is a breakthrough in my life or circumstances, or until I see a change. I will keep climbing upward in God until I see the light of day.”
I don’t know when the change will come, but one thing I do know is that you will not be boggled down or burdened because you see no light. The key to being free within is to not embrace the negativity. When negative thoughts flood your mind, use the Word of God to flush them away. When you feel like your soul is in a famine, feed your soul with the Word of God to strengthen it.
The next time you feel like you are in a dark place, do like the donkey and decide to shake it off mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Speak the truth, the Word of God, to your situation, and keep climbing.
“Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!” (Psalms 68:1)
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
The old farmer’s donkey fell into a well and the farmer thought, “Oh my goodness, how am I going to get my donkey out?” So, he thought to himself, “I’ve had this old donkey a long time and it has served me well. I guess it’s time to let it die in this well.” So, the old farmer started throwing dirt into the well to bury the donkey. But every shovel of dirt the farmer threw in to the deep well, the donkey would ‘shake it off’. The old donkey kept climbing, higher and higher on the growing dirt pile, until it reached the top of the well. He shook that dirt off his back until he made it out of the well and was able to walk free.
The enemy of our soul wants to keep us in a sense of defeat by filling our minds with negative thoughts about anything - self, family, finances, jobs, health, relationships. This is his tool that he uses against everyone and has since the beginning of time. So, what do you do when these negative situations are thrown at you, or you find yourself in negative self-talk?
The Word says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) Are you going to be like the old farmer that gave up saying, “This situation looks hopeless.” Or, are you going to have the donkey mentality and say, “Whatever’s thrown at me I’ll use as a steppingstone to go higher until there is a breakthrough in my life or circumstances, or until I see a change. I will keep climbing upward in God until I see the light of day.”
I don’t know when the change will come, but one thing I do know is that you will not be boggled down or burdened because you see no light. The key to being free within is to not embrace the negativity. When negative thoughts flood your mind, use the Word of God to flush them away. When you feel like your soul is in a famine, feed your soul with the Word of God to strengthen it.
The next time you feel like you are in a dark place, do like the donkey and decide to shake it off mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Speak the truth, the Word of God, to your situation, and keep climbing.
“Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!” (Psalms 68:1)
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)