Daily Devotion - Tuesday, August 11

Stinkin’ Thinkin’

“Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord,
and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.”
--An ancient song
Psalm 25: 6

This week we are spending time meditating on the above verse. Recognizing mercy and grace is a primary aspect of spiritual development.

Have you ever heard the little phrase “stinkin’ thinkin’”? Whether or not we acknowledge it, we all possess it. All of us have learned or developed some unhealthy patterns in our lives that we remain attached to. We participate in them freely without realizing that we are doing so because it is a learned behavior. Sometimes when we get stuck in the pattern or behavior, we can view it as something that is unhealthy. Obvious examples of this are alcoholics, drug addicts, or people with pathological behaviors. But equally true examples can be things like specific intolerances or phobias. (Don’t get defensive - just allow yourself to absorb this possibility!)

The one type of thinkin’ that appears healthy to me, especially when I am faced with my own “stinkin’ thinkin’” is: I am accepted by the Holy One. I am embraced with a steadfast love – even if/when my thinkin’ is stinkin’!

Prayer: God, thanks for your embrace, even when my thinkin’ isn’t quite right. Amen.

--Ben Keckler
08.11.09