12.2.24 ~ Dust Bunnies
Good morning!
Winter has arrived here in Michigan and certainly in the midwest part of the United States! Over the past few days we have focused our attention on the wells that Abraham dug to benefit all those around him and the dust (man-made activities and lifeless people that clog up those wells.
This morning, I decided to examine my own life to see whether I was that lifeless dust in people's lives. Join me on this 'Sherlock Holmes' investigation of different 'dusty' qualities that clog wells of those around us.
In this week's Torah portion, Vayetze, Jacob leaves his house to go to his uncle Laban to find a bride. There are multiple characteristics that are revealed in the characters that we would be wise to take note of. Obviously, the text does not say these things out right, but there is more inside the story than just a written text.
In this morning's study, I want to focus on some behaviors that each one of us should be mindful not to do in our own lives (Matt. 7:1-4), as well as being aware of those who practice these behaviors; not just display them from time to time (1 Cor. 5:9-11)...there's a big difference.
The dust that fills the wells contain toxic qualities. They aren't pretty, but like Scripture, truth reveals them all inside of me. Personally, I have to say, as I look at this week's Torah portion, that being critical ascends to the top of the list. Dust bunny #1 the critic.
Someone who criticizes everything, especially when it comes to other people's lives who try to serve. Oftentimes we can learn more about the critic at this time than about the person they criticize (Rom. 2:1-4).Moreover, if they talk about others and spread gossip about them, they probably do the same when you’re not around. Those who constantly engage in gossip, rumors, and try to harm the image of others are among those who do not show quality in their actions, they take advantage of people's flaws to stand out in the midst of friendships. Ouch! These individuals demonstrate their lack of happiness and lack of occupation by making unnecessary comments about others. If they speak of others this way, I'm not far away from their lips to others.
From this point out, it's easy to point fingers and think of others, but I remind myself as I'm typing that the 'buck starts with me and it stops with me'. That's one of the reasons why I meditate on the Torah...it's what transforms my life and restores my soul (Psa. 19:7)...more on tonight's zoom call.
Dust bunny #2: The eternal optimist: The always optimistic, positive person can be a little scary. They are extroverted, always smiling, wishing the best and claiming to be available to help anytime anywhere. And though this person is often seen as popular and extroverted, anyone who seeks to always please everyone is overtly trying to maintain a hyper positive image and establish their own popularity above genuine relationships. To them, I'm just another face in the crowd, another number to win and maintain attention. Frequently, their motivation is to seek attention and company living in a world of illusions. One day you're their best friend, the next you're disposable as garbage.
Sad to say, I've seen these hideous traits in myself too many times in life. Hence, I'm glad that Scripture uses the narrative of the protagonists and antagonists to help me see these negative qualities in my own life! These stories are written as guides to our lives. Therefore, it's imperative to learn from their successes and failures in order to preserve healthy relationships and protect your emotional well-being.
Dust bunny #3: Manipulators. These are the Esaus of this world. They are characterized by selfish behavior, seeking personal advantages at the expense of others. They are experts in employing manipulative tactics, such as lies, psychological games, and emotional exploitation to achieve their goals. With their actions, betrayal, emotional harm and breach of trust are not far away.
Commercial break: Stop thinking of 'that person'. This is Sherlock Holmes' investigation of my own life in the dust bunny qualities of those in this week's Torah portion...Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Identifying signs of manipulation is crucial for self protection. This includes observing a lack of transparency, inconsistent behavior patterns, and a constant feeling of being controlled. As we've talked on many zoom calls and studies together, establishing clear boundaries is essential to communicating assertively and expressing discomfort in the face of manipulative behaviors.
Dust bunny #4: the Ruth-less person who lacks empathy. One of the keys to authentic relationships is to recognize a person's ability to show empathy. A person who lacks empathy is more likely to deceive and harm others for their advantage. The ability to put oneself in other shoes and understand their feelings is essential to real relationships. For those who lack empathy it makes them less trustworthy. An empathetic person would hesitate to cause pain to others, as they would be able to imagine the suffering their actions could inflict. They are likely not to take responsibility for their actions; as untrustworthy people tend to be selfish, caring only about themselves, and ignoring the consequences of their own deeds .
Dust bunny #5: The multi-tasker. Ugh. This is when someone pretends to listen or fakes listens. Have you ever encountered someone who, in attempting to maintain a conversation response with a simple 'I understand' or 'that’s true' without genuinely engaging in the discussion? This isn't just boring, but also disrespectful. The worst scenario occurs when the person responds to what you say, but when it’s your turn to speak, pretends to be listening, gets distracted by the phone or agrees without showing genuine interest in what you’re saying in a verbal exchange. It’s like you’re talking to yourself. There's no logic in prolonging a conversation directed at someone who seems not to be listening or doesn’t care about what you say and you’re not obligated to invest your time in someone who doesn’t value your words.
Dust bunny #6: The 'woe is me' syndrome. This one who perpetually faces problems, lives in the midst of conflicts and claims that life is a tough sentence with never ending obstacles. They are never satisfied with anything, but also do nothing to change it. This person often complains to everyone mentioning constant difficulty and declaring ignorance about what is happening. If someone is in an endless succession of problems, it’s not just a coincidence, or a cosmic conspiracy against them in many cases. In many cases, the person contributes to their difficult situation by making wrong decisions and repeating mistakes without learning from them. And, if you get involved with them these problems end up reaching you. This person may also face challenges controlling their own emotions. Remember that someone who seems to attract obstacles and drama often encounters true difficulty in their own life and surely you don’t want that difficulty to transfer to you specially, since we already have enough problems to deal with in our own lives (Gal. 6:1-4).
Dust bunny #7: The 'burr under the saddle'. These people constantly provoke irritation and think they’re always right. This emotional and psychological game occurs gradually and discreetly so that you don’t fully realize the maneuvers they attempt on you. Some people act this way, purely for the pleasure of provoking others. If someone can constantly provoke irritation it’s a sign that they are poking at you trying to get a rise for the gratification of superiority.
Yeshua/Jesus taught from Leviticus 19:17, that we should never be angry in our hearts against our brother. This is the person who speaks kindly to your face but when you are gone, they spread all types of rumors about you and other people. Don’t be surprised when gossip about you starts to surface. These individuals can quickly switch between a friendly smile and pleasant conversation to speaking ill of you to everyone. We know it as being 'two-faced'.
Unfortunately, I've been guilty too often of too many of these 'unhidden' character traits found in our Genesis narratives and beyond. I sure am glad I have people around. me who spur me on to being a better man. Thanks for being that person for me!
Shalom!
Commercial: All in one spot...studies, blog, audio studies and videos: https://allmylinks.com/lightintorah
This morning, I decided to examine my own life to see whether I was that lifeless dust in people's lives. Join me on this 'Sherlock Holmes' investigation of different 'dusty' qualities that clog wells of those around us.
In this week's Torah portion, Vayetze, Jacob leaves his house to go to his uncle Laban to find a bride. There are multiple characteristics that are revealed in the characters that we would be wise to take note of. Obviously, the text does not say these things out right, but there is more inside the story than just a written text.
In this morning's study, I want to focus on some behaviors that each one of us should be mindful not to do in our own lives (Matt. 7:1-4), as well as being aware of those who practice these behaviors; not just display them from time to time (1 Cor. 5:9-11)...there's a big difference.
The dust that fills the wells contain toxic qualities. They aren't pretty, but like Scripture, truth reveals them all inside of me. Personally, I have to say, as I look at this week's Torah portion, that being critical ascends to the top of the list. Dust bunny #1 the critic.
Someone who criticizes everything, especially when it comes to other people's lives who try to serve. Oftentimes we can learn more about the critic at this time than about the person they criticize (Rom. 2:1-4).Moreover, if they talk about others and spread gossip about them, they probably do the same when you’re not around. Those who constantly engage in gossip, rumors, and try to harm the image of others are among those who do not show quality in their actions, they take advantage of people's flaws to stand out in the midst of friendships. Ouch! These individuals demonstrate their lack of happiness and lack of occupation by making unnecessary comments about others. If they speak of others this way, I'm not far away from their lips to others.
From this point out, it's easy to point fingers and think of others, but I remind myself as I'm typing that the 'buck starts with me and it stops with me'. That's one of the reasons why I meditate on the Torah...it's what transforms my life and restores my soul (Psa. 19:7)...more on tonight's zoom call.
Dust bunny #2: The eternal optimist: The always optimistic, positive person can be a little scary. They are extroverted, always smiling, wishing the best and claiming to be available to help anytime anywhere. And though this person is often seen as popular and extroverted, anyone who seeks to always please everyone is overtly trying to maintain a hyper positive image and establish their own popularity above genuine relationships. To them, I'm just another face in the crowd, another number to win and maintain attention. Frequently, their motivation is to seek attention and company living in a world of illusions. One day you're their best friend, the next you're disposable as garbage.
Sad to say, I've seen these hideous traits in myself too many times in life. Hence, I'm glad that Scripture uses the narrative of the protagonists and antagonists to help me see these negative qualities in my own life! These stories are written as guides to our lives. Therefore, it's imperative to learn from their successes and failures in order to preserve healthy relationships and protect your emotional well-being.
Dust bunny #3: Manipulators. These are the Esaus of this world. They are characterized by selfish behavior, seeking personal advantages at the expense of others. They are experts in employing manipulative tactics, such as lies, psychological games, and emotional exploitation to achieve their goals. With their actions, betrayal, emotional harm and breach of trust are not far away.
Commercial break: Stop thinking of 'that person'. This is Sherlock Holmes' investigation of my own life in the dust bunny qualities of those in this week's Torah portion...Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Identifying signs of manipulation is crucial for self protection. This includes observing a lack of transparency, inconsistent behavior patterns, and a constant feeling of being controlled. As we've talked on many zoom calls and studies together, establishing clear boundaries is essential to communicating assertively and expressing discomfort in the face of manipulative behaviors.
Dust bunny #4: the Ruth-less person who lacks empathy. One of the keys to authentic relationships is to recognize a person's ability to show empathy. A person who lacks empathy is more likely to deceive and harm others for their advantage. The ability to put oneself in other shoes and understand their feelings is essential to real relationships. For those who lack empathy it makes them less trustworthy. An empathetic person would hesitate to cause pain to others, as they would be able to imagine the suffering their actions could inflict. They are likely not to take responsibility for their actions; as untrustworthy people tend to be selfish, caring only about themselves, and ignoring the consequences of their own deeds .
Dust bunny #5: The multi-tasker. Ugh. This is when someone pretends to listen or fakes listens. Have you ever encountered someone who, in attempting to maintain a conversation response with a simple 'I understand' or 'that’s true' without genuinely engaging in the discussion? This isn't just boring, but also disrespectful. The worst scenario occurs when the person responds to what you say, but when it’s your turn to speak, pretends to be listening, gets distracted by the phone or agrees without showing genuine interest in what you’re saying in a verbal exchange. It’s like you’re talking to yourself. There's no logic in prolonging a conversation directed at someone who seems not to be listening or doesn’t care about what you say and you’re not obligated to invest your time in someone who doesn’t value your words.
Dust bunny #6: The 'woe is me' syndrome. This one who perpetually faces problems, lives in the midst of conflicts and claims that life is a tough sentence with never ending obstacles. They are never satisfied with anything, but also do nothing to change it. This person often complains to everyone mentioning constant difficulty and declaring ignorance about what is happening. If someone is in an endless succession of problems, it’s not just a coincidence, or a cosmic conspiracy against them in many cases. In many cases, the person contributes to their difficult situation by making wrong decisions and repeating mistakes without learning from them. And, if you get involved with them these problems end up reaching you. This person may also face challenges controlling their own emotions. Remember that someone who seems to attract obstacles and drama often encounters true difficulty in their own life and surely you don’t want that difficulty to transfer to you specially, since we already have enough problems to deal with in our own lives (Gal. 6:1-4).
Dust bunny #7: The 'burr under the saddle'. These people constantly provoke irritation and think they’re always right. This emotional and psychological game occurs gradually and discreetly so that you don’t fully realize the maneuvers they attempt on you. Some people act this way, purely for the pleasure of provoking others. If someone can constantly provoke irritation it’s a sign that they are poking at you trying to get a rise for the gratification of superiority.
Yeshua/Jesus taught from Leviticus 19:17, that we should never be angry in our hearts against our brother. This is the person who speaks kindly to your face but when you are gone, they spread all types of rumors about you and other people. Don’t be surprised when gossip about you starts to surface. These individuals can quickly switch between a friendly smile and pleasant conversation to speaking ill of you to everyone. We know it as being 'two-faced'.
Unfortunately, I've been guilty too often of too many of these 'unhidden' character traits found in our Genesis narratives and beyond. I sure am glad I have people around. me who spur me on to being a better man. Thanks for being that person for me!
Shalom!
Commercial: All in one spot...studies, blog, audio studies and videos: https://allmylinks.com/lightintorah
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