Thought of the Day #3: Listen to Your Intuition

 

Two things women seem to be particularly bad at because of how our culture has shaped us overall:

1. Ignoring our intuition when we initially meet people and often times at many steps along the way.

2. Thinking we can fix anyone with enough love and time.

God gave us a conscience and a built-in warning signal, an intuition, that can protect us in many ways along our life journeys. But too often, we can ignore these little cautions for several reasons. Either others do not see things as we do so we doubt ourselves, or others do not have our same life experiences and therefore can possibly lack crucial knowledge in dealing with particular situations that really need that insight at that time. We can doubt ourselves because of past wounds or current criticisms by those around us. We can also over think things in an attempt to do what is best for everyone else, while ignoring our own inner needs and signals. And lastly, but most importantly, we can ignore that inner signal out of a desire to be "nice." Nice was never in the Bible. Kind is. And kind will speak the truth when needed, regardless of the cost, because it comes from true love for the soul of another. It will seek the best time and way (though we are human and will often fail in choosing this right time and way), but it will always seek the true good for all involved, and yes, that includes even self at times. Not to be self-ish, but because we are all made in the image of God and we all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. To let another harm us is to treat part of God's creation without that needed dignity. 

Sometimes people will fail in their delivery of truth to ourselves even, and it is good to listen and to take it to God, as we all have blind spots in life and we know that the heart is deceitful above all - our emotions can lead us into situations or relationships based on how we feel about others, versus noticing how they treat us over time (I wish I could remember who told me that once - which writer). But we are also given that intuition, that danger signal. And even with fine-sounding arguments and defenses, that signal is important to weigh. I love spiritual direction for this very reason...it can help us to let another very trusted and knowledgeable spiritual person help us in discerning these different voices within, whether it is just ourselves being blind and selfish, or whether there is really merit to that warning signal. Just because we don't like something someone says doesn't mean it's untrue, but then, not every person has good intentions and even if there is some truth to what they say, their intentions alone could destroy our lives over time if heeded. 

God calls us to love every person who walks across our path. But He does not enjoin upon us to necessarily be in relationship with every person that crosses our path. Sometimes tough love is needed, too. And sometimes it is just better to face temporary loneliness than live to dearly regret the wrong relationships. Sometimes we will miss the signs and come alongside the wrong person or we can choose to think that if we just love others enough we can fix everything. But truly, not everything can be fixed just by love and listening. Sometimes it takes the courage to listen to that inner voice and do what is right for self and other, no matter the personal cost. And even when that courageous thing doesn't seem like enough at the moment, there is still this one thing...while those that do not have our best interests at heart may seem to prosper for a time, God will always make right what is wrong. He has an uncanny way of completely reversing fortunes at the times we least expect, when we are stubborn and refuse to listen to what He is telling us within. I have to believe, because I've seen it happen time and again, and I know God sees the hearts of all...the personal cost of listening to that intuition and being courageous, despite even our many failures in attempting to do so, will be worth it in the end.

photo credit: Toni Cuenca, stocksnap.io