Turning From Vanity

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways. -Psalm119-37 NASB

I heard this verse in a song by Sherri Youngward yesterday. It’s a song I’ve heard a number of times but the words of this one line struck me.  “Turn my eyes from looking at vanity”…

There are 2 things that came out and I want to write them out in order to share with you but also so that I remember.

In a bloggers world as I have tried to figure out my [writers] voice, something has always felt right and something has always felt off.

I believe that the ‘off’ part is because, even though I try to be transparent, I know there’s too much of me in some of the lines. – What does balance between those two angles look like? 

I think I've got part of my answer...

In that verse, there was a click for me, as to where some of that self-focus came from…. A story perhaps for another day… but it satisfied something.

The part that is right about blogging, is that instead of a blog, it's more about processing His Word for my life. Philippians 3:14-16 assures us each that when we step out to pursue him, He will right our paths, in His time. –When He knows we’ve matured enough to get to the next junction. -When we can handle the next nugget.

This idea swam nicely with another realization that’s been floating lately in the air.  About how some of this self-reflection – is turning in, instead of out.  Looking directly at self, instead of focusing on Him.

Does Proverbs 3:5-6 not say:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

It is the same when we don’t write at all, but instead speak in and about our lives, for example: When we focus on people pleasing and apologize for every little thing that we do, be it right or wrong, because we worry about what others expect us to be.  –Worried about our image. Worried about what [or who] we are. Worried about what others might be thinking…. about us...  constantly looking at our image.

Our good Lord already tells us that we ARE made in HIS image. We ARE Formed and Fashioned by Him, just like rubies and sunshine and life.

Do not be afraid, just believe [that] truth and move forward.

Then you are free to look at what you might have to offer others and free to see and embrace what others may have to offer and teach you.

If I applied this new answer here [on a blog], I might not try to analyze or be so fixated with WHY I did, or was, or came to be, but instead HOW I might move forward and be free to glorify.

What a wonderful nugget and prayer for the day: Lord Turn our eyes from vanity and revive us in your ways.

I hope that this blesses you as much as it did me. :)

Photo Credit: http://taigamemienphimoinhat.com/ngut-mat-voi-nhung-hinh-nen-thien-nhien-dep-me-long-nguoi-xem-h133.html