Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 83). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book John says, “Study after study has shown that, especially in times of stress, we lose focus, perseverance, and energy when we feel disconnected from others… Genesis 2:18… is so clear that it’s not good that we are alone. Presence comes from one another and from God. In Psalm 16, David says to God, ‘You will fill me with joy in your presence’ (v. 11). Over and over in the Bible, God lets us know that the ‘being with’ is important to him, for our sakes.” Earlier John said, “We know from neuroscience and from attachment research that a great deal of growth and health comes from simply communicating to each other that we are present with them. Just letting them know, using very few words, that they are not alone causes endorphins to be released, and the person can forge ahead in their challenges, buoyed by the connection.” J...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 74). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) John in introducing internalization said, “Psychologists have termed this internalization, meaning that humans take in, or internalize, good things from other humans, which then become a part of their own character. Just as a root draws nutrients from the soil, we are always internalizing something from those around us, whether healthy (grace, support, and wisdom) or toxic (judgment, shame, or control).” He goes on, “When a relationship is sufficiently important to a person that they can feel some sort of interest in and emotion toward another, the transfer can happen. Our brains need not only objective data such as facts, principles, and research but also experiential data. (My book Leading from Your Gut deals in-depth with these two needs of the brain.) Here are a few examples of how this can happen. “•​You tell a ...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 72). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Right before this John said, “I use the term relational nutrients to drive home the reality that these aren’t things you can make up in your head. They come from the outside of you, from the right kinds of relationships, from people who can dispense them to you. The different aspects of grace and truth—which is another, broader way of describing the nutrients—provided over time, come from our relationships with God and with people. That is why the horizontal… is so important. Remember that God created a system in which the vertical is not enough for us. He designed us to be fueled by his Spirit, his Word, and his people. When we truly become what I call relationally oriented, rather than self-sufficient, everything changes for the better.” And we need that to be true, don ’ t we? He goes on, “We can’t ‘do the relatio...