As I’ve said multiple times in multiple ways… if you don’t know where you are you can’t move to where you want to be. Obvious. However, it seems that we don’t always follow this logic. For some it’s a move along even if we aren’t certain of where we are… or, for that matter, where we’re headed. For others, it may be I know where I am but I don’t know where I need to go so I’m going to stop. Neither position gets us to where we should be.
Truly, The Father isn’t trying to ‘trip us up’ or give false clues or keep us from learning and growing. So why do we act this way? If you take the time to reflect on what is happening and what obstacles you may be facing… then you have the opportunity to refine your action plan. You do have an action plan… yes? And if not, why not? Life isn’t meant to be lived unthinkingly. No, we don’t have to obsess or plan out every single moment, but when we are wanting to accomplish something or to go to point B from point A – how can we do this apart from a plan?
‘Reflect’ isn’t always a deductive reasoning… nor is it always inductive reasoning
“inductive reasoning moves from specific instances into a generalized conclusion,
deductive reasoning moves from generalized principles that are known to be true to a true and specific conclusion.” (study.com)
Both approaches work to lead to your best decision. It basically depends on what functions best for you in your path. My personal view is that ‘reflect’ is my backup strategy… where I go when I realize that I don’t know where I’m going, I just know the destination I want.
‘Refine’ is being where you need to be. Perhaps that isn’t a helpful description. My hoped for approach to life is that I need to be alert to what’s happening around me, both positive as well as negative forces. If there is a better way to get to where I need to be, I want to be attentive to make the ‘refinement’.
Webster gives us a few clues about how we should view ‘refine’:
“… to free from moral imperfection; to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing; to improve by making small changes…”
Some of the synonyms are: “amend, enhance, enrich, improve, perfect, upgrade…”
This definitely gives a context to the word. We may start with the best plan we can, but we can also be alert to making a ‘better mousetrap’ along the way. Reflecting is our methodology to creating by refining to achieve the ‘best’.
