Almost everyone I know is living with some form of trial or dysfunction. Isaiah 53: 6 states "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way". We come from our family system that is often kind and loving but carrying some legacy of dysfunction. We move into a fallen world that is in the middle of a war and spiritual battle. People that are emotionally and spiritually wounded are often unaware of what they have been scripted and damaged with. The family legacy weather healthy or dysfunctional has been passed on and handed to the next generation. This system is learned and becomes what looks like as our normal. I learned about two different types of trauma as a licensed psychotherapist. One trauma type, you could call a B or bad trauma. This could be defined as emotional, verbal or physical abuse. A person, situation or event does something abusive to you and you suffer the pain and woundedness of that abuse. A second trauma type I learned can be referred to as an A trauma. This can be described as an absence trauma. As a dad or parent, I never spent time with my children, I never hugged them and told them I loved them. I never went to their soccer games or dance class. I didn't take the time to learn their heart and gifting and calling in life. This is an Absence A trauma. The problem here is that you don't know or miss what you never received. People have a lot of critical needs that go unmet and unfulfilled. You know something is wrong and missing but you are not sure what. This creates a significant void in someone's heart and sense of self. When people have a void or emptiness in their heart there is always some form of counterfeit that is ready to fill that void. There are also the traumas that we did to ourselves and to others. We will need to ask for forgiveness and restoration from the Lord Jesus so that we are not taken into bondage and a spiritual stronghold that we have made an agreement with. Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it flows the abundance of life". Children and even adults don't always know how to guard their heart. We need to be devoted and intentional about loving God, people and even ourselves. We are all given a gifting, purpose and calling for good works.

I have worked with hundreds of clients that are highly stressed and overwhelmed to the point that they are almost unable to function. They are trying to move in all different directions at the same time. If you apply the principle of First Things First and focus on making the main thing the main thing, you can often accomplish a lot. In a seven day week you may be able to solve at least seven major problems, which is a big deal. This is similar to the Atomic Habits where you make at least one manageable change every day or so. At the end of the week you have accomplished a great deal. Once you are successful with this discipline you will often see what behaviorist call a scatter effect. You realize you can demonstrate this discipline in other areas of your life! Take what you can use and leave the rest.

What is one thing you can do to guard your heart?