The Over thinker
I’m an over thinker. I will analyze every conversation I’m involved with to understand what went well and what didn’t (this doesn’t mean that I’ll learn from my mistakes just that I’ll think of them). I used to wake up in the middle of the night and review a conversation or consider the possible solutions to a work problem. I hardly ever do that anymore.
Many times, now, I wake up and get an idea for a devotion. Sometimes the ideas are gentle ideas. Sometimes they are “you will be awake until we iron out what you are going to write.”
I know that most of you don’t know who writes a lot of these devotions and believe me, that’s just fine with me. But, as part of my thinking through things, I decided to answer questions that I imagine you might ask if you knew who I was.
1) Why are you writing these?
Patrick. He asked me to and, although I was hesitant at first, the more I write them, the more I want to write them. You see, before coming to our church, I had read the Bible several times for someone else’s benefit. I knew I needed to be able to defend my faith to share it and I knew I was commanded to share it. I thought if I only read the Bible enough times, I’d know how to respond to people if they ask a question or challenge me.
Boy, was I wrong, I’ve gotten myself in a regular daily habit of reading the Bible and quiet time activities for me. I’ve found that I need to have a better understanding of the Bible. The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to understand. I can only imagine how Patrick feels.
The thing I thought I needed to prepare for - defending my faith - has happened regardless of my preparation. I’ve felt that in a couple of occasions, the Holy Spirit has aided my response. Just what the Bible tells me will happen.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” - John 14:26 ESV
2) Where do you come up with ideas for devotions?
I don’t think I do. At first, I waited for things to hit me. Then I tried to think of ideas to write about. That is when I felt the pain of writer’s block (or whatever you want to call it).
Now, I wait for the idea to come to me. Sometimes, the ideas are gentle whispers (like this devotion) meant to encourage your faith walk. Other times, the thought booms in my head until I type it out (I wrote a devotion about welcoming new and unusual people to church recently).
A few times, an idea has boomed in my head, but I tried to put it off or ignore it. That is when I become consumed with the idea. It’s all I can think of when my mind wanders. This doesn’t stop until it gets created. For example, within the last few months, I felt compelled to write about how God uses the unusual person for the job - David, the Shepard instead of the Athletic built Saul for example. I wanted to do some significant research to try to identify all the applicable situations. In the end, the significant research wasn’t needed for a devotion (maybe a dissertation paper but not a devotion) and I was being pushed to get it out.
3)
If I’m anonymous, what do I get out of writing these? Great question! Firstly, I’m a very opinionated person and love sharing. Second, I’m a reformed teacher. I taught High School and all my years as a manager and an actuary, I always felt like a full-time teacher. Third, I’m finding that certain passages have more and more impact on my life than I thought possible before writing these. For example: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:34
Interestingly, writing these devotions has encouraged me to read my Bible in a nonlinear manner. This year, for example, I’m reading the Bible chronologically and spending all year reading the book of Romans. Doing things differently has blessed me immensely.
But the most important thing I get out of writing these is the growth of my faith walk. I believe the Holy Spirit helps me write these. Writing these has made me stop over-analyzing less significant things like conversations and other issues and shut my mouth. This quiet time helps me listen when the Holy Spirit talks to me. I find me considering more and more what God wants first and not focusing on myself and my wants. That is, by definition, growth in my faith walk.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:1-10
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” - Numbers 6:24-26
