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Quite often when people think of the word sober they correlate it to the word alcohol. But sobriety is much bigger than just than being free from the bondage of alcohol.
Do you know what it means to be sober in heart and mind?
It means that you are clear, and present.
It means you are free in heart and mind to make a decision, even when uneasy, that will benefit not only you but others around you.
It means that there is a lit pathway that allows us to see ahead of us. Although we are not able to see everything that is to come, we have a level of clarity and focus that keeps us prepared for what we can control.
It is important to understand how what feeds our lives, affects our lives. There are a lot of instances where we do not see what we nourish ourselves with as being significant; but eventually there is a physical manifestation of all that we have devoured. Whatever we take into our hearts and minds affects our entire bodies.
We are on display and a daily representation or reminder of what we choose to prioritize first in our lives.
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. (Luke 11:33-34 ESV)
It is hard to be conscious of the choses we make when we are not sober. The true difficulty comes about when we try to decipher between what is real and how we feel about what is real.
Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. (Luke 11:35 ESV)
One time I shared with my dance students that a lot of times we hear a song, and react to it based on how it makes us feel; and the emotions it triggers. When we do this it is harder for us to hear what is really happening in the music. It is hard for us to hear all of the intricate parts that have come together to create a particular piece of music. In turn it makes it difficult for me to teach the choreography that correlates to the song because when I play the music, people are not hearing the song, they are hearing how it makes them feel.
This too can happen while reading the bible. We read and interpret according to how we feel about what we have read and then we end up missing the true message that the Holy Spirit is trying to share with us.
When we are only hearing from our feelings, we are not hearing the message of faith that is being shared with us; and the only way we can hear in faith, is when we are ready to hear the message.
You have to be available, sober, and present in order to be a light and a message; to be a vessel and tell a story, or even your story.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” (Luke 11:35, 36 ESV)
Being able to be sober, live life, and share who you are created to be with the world is not always a smooth ride. It can be very hard because we each have something unique to offer the world through our lives. It is a constant journey of learning and development.
I am learning to be sober so that I can be available to have a relationship with God.
I am learning to be sober so that I can really hear and listen deeply to the truth of what is rather than only my perception.
I am learning how to be sober, so that God can utilize all that He has placed within me.
I am learning to be sober in my relationships with others, as well as myself.
This does not mean that you ignore what you feel. Emotions and feelings are a gift from God; but we do have to be careful of what we indulge ourselves in.
If we are not aware of what is true, then we will not understand what is really real apart from how we feel.
When we are constantly riding through a sea of emotions without focus or clarity, we are lacking the stability that allows to function in beneficial ways.
About the Author :
Francine E. Ott is truly thankful to have a relationship with God and is seeking Him daily for guidance and any opportunities to walk closer with Him in truth and love. Francine is a choreographer/dancer, teacher, and soon to be counselor who has a heart to see God's transforming power, renew, restore, and heal the minds, souls, and bodies of people's lives.
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