Today’s Readings: Psalm 24; Genesis 32:1-21; Luke 2:15-21; Acts 16:13-15; Psalm 93
There’s an interesting element in today’s passage from Genesis that caught my eye. The element concerns a trait that many of us have. That element is found in Jacob’s initial response upon hearing the news that his brother Esau (the one whom Jacob had treated VERY badly) was on his way to greet Jacob. Even worse from Jacob’s perspective was the news that Esau wasn’t alone – he had brought 400 men with him. Now here’s the element of the story that caught my eye: Jacob’s response in verse 6. Some would read this verse and say the element of the story I was referring to was Jacob’s propensity to always assume the worst. While that would be a traditional assumption to make concerning Jacob’s response, I have a different take on what was happening inside Jacob. I don’t see if simply as a matter of assuming the worst; I see it as a matter of Jacob projecting his thoughts and values onto another. He had struggled to gain the upper hand against his brother Esau early in life and resorted to whatever he needed to in order to secure Esau’s birthright; consequently, Jacob assumed Esau would act in the same manner. Esau didn’t. He was a bigger person that Jacob had been. Over the years I’ve found this same propensity to project our stuff onto others in lots of folks – including myself! As a result, we often end up preparing ourselves for lots of different external scenarios, instead of spending time tending to the one place we need the work most: on ourselves. I would invite you to explore your life and your relationships and see if this dynamic is at work in your own life? If you find some projection-issues present, consciously invite God into those inner recesses of your life. Who knows what might happen when you quit projecting your values and expectations onto others and begin to receive them on their own terms?! Til next time…
There’s an interesting element in today’s passage from Genesis that caught my eye. The element concerns a trait that many of us have. That element is found in Jacob’s initial response upon hearing the news that his brother Esau (the one whom Jacob had treated VERY badly) was on his way to greet Jacob. Even worse from Jacob’s perspective was the news that Esau wasn’t alone – he had brought 400 men with him. Now here’s the element of the story that caught my eye: Jacob’s response in verse 6. Some would read this verse and say the element of the story I was referring to was Jacob’s propensity to always assume the worst. While that would be a traditional assumption to make concerning Jacob’s response, I have a different take on what was happening inside Jacob. I don’t see if simply as a matter of assuming the worst; I see it as a matter of Jacob projecting his thoughts and values onto another. He had struggled to gain the upper hand against his brother Esau early in life and resorted to whatever he needed to in order to secure Esau’s birthright; consequently, Jacob assumed Esau would act in the same manner. Esau didn’t. He was a bigger person that Jacob had been. Over the years I’ve found this same propensity to project our stuff onto others in lots of folks – including myself! As a result, we often end up preparing ourselves for lots of different external scenarios, instead of spending time tending to the one place we need the work most: on ourselves. I would invite you to explore your life and your relationships and see if this dynamic is at work in your own life? If you find some projection-issues present, consciously invite God into those inner recesses of your life. Who knows what might happen when you quit projecting your values and expectations onto others and begin to receive them on their own terms?! Til next time…
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