Tonight at Epic Life, Sean Lawrence spoke about patterns. Specifically, about breaking patterns. He emphasized the importance of noticing patterns and understanding why we do the things we do.
This topic reminded me of something that had been heavy on my heart and mind a while ago, but somehow was forgotten in the shuffle of life. Tonight was like an alarm on your cell phone reminding you where you're supposed to be in fifteen minutes. It was God saying, "Pay attention to this. This is important. Listen, and let this be processed."
Many of our patterns are learned. These include thought patterns, behavior patterns...They are not all negative, either - we can learn patterns of maintaining good dental hygiene or showing up on time for class. Many of our patterns come from the people we spend the most time surrounded by, the people who pour into us the most. The people we look up to.
We've all heard the saying, "The acorn didn't fall far from the tree." I had a new perspective on this cliche tonight. It is good that the acorn didn't fall too far from the tree. We don't want to lose the many wonderful, timeless, positive things that can be passed down to us by family or other close relationships. But it is also very important that the acorn does indeed fall. We can't continue old cycles. We must become the new creations that God set us apart to be when He created us. We have to shed what should be left in previous generations in order for a new generation to take root.
