I am not a gambling person myself.  I have learned these days that things in my life have been too hard to come by and I don’t lay my treasures on the line for the taking.  However, even so, I WILL bet you that my Dictionary has different definitions than yours does.  You think I am kidding?  All you have to do is communicate or have a conflict with someone and “assume” that they think like you do.  Now that makes us all laugh.  But do you really get it?

When I had my epiphany moment about “my definitions” is when I realized that our experiences most times fill in the blanks in each of our personal Dictionaries.  And only when our belief is altered is our definition altered.  It is as simple as that. 

We do what we do as long as we believe what we believe.  So that means there are millions of different definitions to the same words.  Amazing that we agree at all isn’t it?  Once I realized that all of us run around with personal dictionaries that do NOT contain accurate definitions even though they are OUR definitions – I was stunned.  So then I saw that it was OUR responsibility to make sure that the applied definitions in our lives became the real truth that God laid out in the one true dictionary. 

Do you know His dictionary?  The Bible.  He knows that our every inclination is to stay believing what we already have been told, experienced and believe.  That is why we should pray, “We have the mind of Christ and do hold to the thoughts, feelings and purposes in His heart.” 1 Corinthians 2:16

One night in meditation, I literally pictured myself sitting by Jesus as He opened MY dictionary in front of Him and began to erase wrong definitions in my belief system.  For a few days, I cried and was totally vulnerable to all my thoughts and reactions.  That is, until I realized He never closes our dictionary.  He simply continues to erase and change our dictionary to change our truth to His truth more and more…day by day…when He decides we are ready.

I hear people slam themselves when they fail.  And I am a perfectionist…I assure you!  So who told us perfection was attainable in this life?   It is NOT.  We never have to measure up to Jesus.  We never have to hang on as the scale tips to the loser side of an experience.  We never have to stand before Him with our actions attempting to make us more valuable to Him. 

Like you, I may struggle with self confidence in some areas.  But my friend, in total faith in this area – I KNOW that you and I will always make Jesus’ heart leap in love and anticipation.  That is absolute!  I have learned how to get up and brush off my knees and keep going after a stumble in life as the years pass…as I am changed again.  I press on because I see Jesus holding the finish line and waiting for me….and You!

Don’t let your present or past life keep you stuck to definitions that aren’t even true.  Open your dictionary and let Jesus work a creative miracle in you. In all honesty, it never ends…and I can’t help but laugh as my dictionary keeps Him busy.  I can still see Him shake His head, saying “Patti Renee,” as He erases another one…

Patti Corbello Archer

Dictionaries and Definitions

October 14, 2012