I love to be inspired. I think every person does. Even the crotchety folks who won’t eagerly admit to it. Each of us is inspired by different things at different times, often unexpectedly, but sometimes purposely.“Inspiration” as a word means a breathing into. Inspiration as a feeling is like taking a deep breath of the very VITALITY of life. When you are inspired, something or someone- somehow- BREATHES into you a new breath of a life worth living. And you feel alive. Motivated. Perhaps to change, perhaps to stay the same.
Some people are thrill-seekers. At this time in my life, I would say that I am more of an inspiration-seeker.
One day very recently, I was feeling about as UNinspired as a person can be. On this particular day, I did not feel I was taking deep breaths of anything invigorating or life-giving. I felt more like I was hardly breathing at all. But when I did, I was inhaling a heavy, smoky, infectiously negative air which brought me down so low that I could have cried on demand. I thought, “I need some inspiration! But I guess I can’t be inspired ALL the time.”
I’m not sure if that thought was my own, or if it came from my enemy.
I continued to think about it, and then to counter-think it, asking, “WHY NOT? Why CAN’T I be inspired all the time? ” (I’m not sure if that thought came from me or from the Holy Spirit.) I thought, “How would my life look differently if I purposely sought inspiration on days like today? Is there a cure for this slump that I so easily find myself in?” And I realized that YES- the remedy was a heavy dose of inspiration to be administered immediately and as much as necessary!
What inspires you? What doesn’t?
I propose that you and I counteract any mutinous uprisings of UNinspiration in our days, by seeking out the things and the people that breathe life into us! And AVOID the things (and people) that suck the life right out of us! If this means calling or writing to someone who “lifts your spirits”, or if it means severing soul ties with someone who UNinspires you, then that’s what must be done! If it means choosing to spend your time differently from how others expect you to, then so be it!
I have challenged myself… and now am extending the challenge to you… to seek some amount of inspiration EVERY DAY, even if only a small nugget.
Can we really have too much life breath?
If “life is short” (and it is a vapor, according to James), why should we waste any hours being uninspired?
If you are inspired when being outdoors, be there as much as you can! Listen to the music that lifts you emotionally and makes you think of rich and meaningful things! Read what makes you think about the wonders of God and your purpose-driven life! Dwell on Scriptures, memories, prayers, writings, relationships- that make your spirit SOAR! Learn about what interests you. Learn about your MAKER. KNOW Him. I believe the more we deliberately pursue the things that inspire us, the MORE WE’LL BE INSPIRED! And we’ll find one inspiration leading into another.
AND the obvious outcome will not only raise us up in our tri-part being (body, soul, spirit), but will cause us to inspire others who also need MORE inspiration! Think about all the times people have written down their thoughts, their stories, their music, when they were inspired to do so. What if they hadn’t? The world would be devoid of life-giving air for you and me to breathe! But no, there is a myriad of it, because those people chose to SHARE it. So as we seek sources of inspiration, we must also understand that we may be that source to someone else. As we are inspired, we will be more likely to inspire others. A person giving CPR won’t be able to give breath, if he himself is laboring to breathe!
The Lord has given YOU a unique story, one which can be shared and treasured by others- one which has great potential to INSPIRE. How can OUR hardships- and OUR overcomings- be used to help someone ELSE through a personal trial or a spiritual battle?
In closing, I need to say that OUT OF ALL THE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION, the Holy Spirit supersedes them all. HE breathes the LIFE OF GOD HIMSELF into us when we invite Him to do so. HE is the GIVER of new and ABUNDANT life- life that personifies loving forgiveness and true devotion to the CREATOR of all things. In our times of uninspiredness, we can reach for the Word of the Lord and be brought back to life. We don’t even HAVE to reach for it! We can just quote it, pray it, meditate on it…and the inspiration comes.
So in summary….
1) WE NEED MORE INSPIRATION!
2) We need it daily.
3) We may be required to SEEK IT OUT on our own; it does not always readily present itself.
4) We need it to come from the LORD more than any other source.
5) And we need to GIVE it when we feel led.
Now, go inspire and BE inspired!! With love, DAVIDA
