"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36
Do you suppose there is any one of us who has not been mistreated, swindled or wronged in some way, at least in our own view point? My guess is not likely. Each of us has experienced pain at the hand of another, hurt from the words of another, disappointment at the the actions of another. What is most difficult, is that not every person who has broken our hearts has been someone we would have called an 'enemy' but instead it was a friend or family member.
It seems to me that those closest to us actually hurt us more. The wounds are much deeper when cut by the sharp words of a loved one. The bruise to our heart is longer lasting and harder to recover from when the punch comes from the seemingly selfish choices of a family member. And because of that, it's all the more important and infinitely more difficult, to pray our way out of the temptation to lash back.
Jesus speaks of 'turning the other cheek', not stopping someone from taking your tunic and if someone takes what belongs to you do not demand it back. Why? Because it so much easier retaliate than it is to hold your tongue. It so much easier to repay evil for evil and hit for hit than it is to stand your ground holding to the Word of God. It is easier to harbor hate, than it is to pray for those who have hurt you no matter how large or how small the hurt is.
I pray this morning that each of us finds it in our hearts, because it is there through the power of Jesus, to pray for our enemies. To take the higher, less traveled road and not look for retribution or fairness. When we don't think we have it in us to do it, we have to sincerely ask God to help us with it. It may only be one or two words, "Help me, Jesus", at first. But it will grow if we continue to seek His help, His strength and His love to do it with. It is not in our own abilities that we could ever accomplish this, but in His.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Heated Moments = Hurtful Words
I have been searching this morning for guidance. As we all do at times, I am faced with Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18
The tongue that brings healing is the tree of life,
but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Provers 15:4
I have been searching this morning for guidance. As we all do at times, I am faced with conflict and with that I am filled with competing emotions. These emotions are strong and they demand attention, but I must determine if in doing so external action will be necessary or wise.
When I am upset, hurt, torn by the words or actions of someone else the temptation is always there to react. But, that urge to react must be controlled. It has been my experience that it is seldom prudent to speak when angry or emotionally charged no matter what the reason. Often, when I do not hold my tongue, I say things that are hurtful, even if unintentionally so. On numerous occasions I have allowed myself to react to a barb, or jab from the tongue of another and in doing so I inevitably say the wrong thing. It may even be a truth that comes flying from my mouth, but it is something that was better left unsaid.
The Bible, the Word and wisdom of God, says clearly throughout that our words are to build one another up. If we rebuke another, it should be done in love and not in anger. The words that come from our mouths spill from the overflow of our hearts but our hearts are sometimes deceiving. The heart can be a very fickle thing. We may feel up and happy one moment, down and depressed the next. The only way to avoid letting our heart, our emotions run away with us is to hold our tongue and take time to think it through. Ask ourselves if what we are thinking and feeling is a reaction to a momentary situation instead of a response to a real situation? Does anything need to be said? Will what I am going to say, or want to say serve to build others us or tear them down?
The old saying we have all heard, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" comes into play here. Hurtful words, once hurled into the open, cannot be sucked back in. They have been spoken and heard. They have been received and although forgiveness may come with time they will most likely not be forgotten. I know I must be careful what I say, when I say it and to whom I say it. I must weigh each response against the Word of God and His guidance. I must also pray for self-control so that when I am faced with a difficult situation I will be able to stop myself through the power and strength provided through my relationship with Christ.
I pray this morning for that self-control and for the love of God to flood through me. Let everything and everyone I come in contact with today be seen and heard through the covering He provides. May His love, His wisdom and His guidance be evident in all I think, do and say today.
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18
The tongue that brings healing is the tree of life,
but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Provers 15:4
I have been searching this morning for guidance. As we all do at times, I am faced with conflict and with that I am filled with competing emotions. These emotions are strong and they demand attention, but I must determine if in doing so external action will be necessary or wise.
When I am upset, hurt, torn by the words or actions of someone else the temptation is always there to react. But, that urge to react must be controlled. It has been my experience that it is seldom prudent to speak when angry or emotionally charged no matter what the reason. Often, when I do not hold my tongue, I say things that are hurtful, even if unintentionally so. On numerous occasions I have allowed myself to react to a barb, or jab from the tongue of another and in doing so I inevitably say the wrong thing. It may even be a truth that comes flying from my mouth, but it is something that was better left unsaid.
The Bible, the Word and wisdom of God, says clearly throughout that our words are to build one another up. If we rebuke another, it should be done in love and not in anger. The words that come from our mouths spill from the overflow of our hearts but our hearts are sometimes deceiving. The heart can be a very fickle thing. We may feel up and happy one moment, down and depressed the next. The only way to avoid letting our heart, our emotions run away with us is to hold our tongue and take time to think it through. Ask ourselves if what we are thinking and feeling is a reaction to a momentary situation instead of a response to a real situation? Does anything need to be said? Will what I am going to say, or want to say serve to build others us or tear them down?
The old saying we have all heard, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" comes into play here. Hurtful words, once hurled into the open, cannot be sucked back in. They have been spoken and heard. They have been received and although forgiveness may come with time they will most likely not be forgotten. I know I must be careful what I say, when I say it and to whom I say it. I must weigh each response against the Word of God and His guidance. I must also pray for self-control so that when I am faced with a difficult situation I will be able to stop myself through the power and strength provided through my relationship with Christ.
I pray this morning for that self-control and for the love of God to flood through me. Let everything and everyone I come in contact with today be seen and heard through the covering He provides. May His love, His wisdom and His guidance be evident in all I think, do and say today.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
One Big Family
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.a]'>[a]
And by him we cry, "Abba,b]'>[b] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in
his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:15-17
I am overcome this morning with the knowledge and promise of the great family of God. This greatness not measured only by it's goodness rather by it's vastness beyond my comprehension. I grew up in what most people would consider a big family. I have six siblings, five sisters and a brother. We did all the normal things like pick on each other, fight with each other and ultimately love each other too. You would think that I would be used to enormity but in fact I am much of loner on many levels. Being surrounded by people all the time with very little privacy made me crave solitude all the more. Living in a four bedroom home with one bathroom did not lend well to that desire.
I am encouraged now however by the realization that I am never truly alone. I think my latent tendency from childhood still rears its head and demands to be indulged. My stubborn independence and pride sometimes influences my decision to attempt tasks as an individual that would be best accomplished as a group. As a result, I then withdraw from the chaos when I feel overwhelmed by constant change seeking quiet solitude with God. A time when I can converse with Him in prayer, journaling or quiet meditation. These times help me process my emotions and ask myself the hard questions that help me grow. In these moments however, it is obvious to me that
God is with me and by extension so are those who are called by His Son.
I am thankful that through Jesus Christ I have an extended family of sisters and brothers that although not relatives
by my human blood, are part of my family by His saving blood. These people, these glorious children of God
have come to my aid in many ways over the years. They have supported my spiritual growth through prayer
and study, explanation and debate, discussion and compassion. They have provided for physical needs
during times of great stress or illness. They have shored me up emotionally by comforting me in loss and
celebrating in times of great joy. But best of all, even when I am alone, whether by choice or circumstance,
I know I don't have to be. I can call on Jesus, or I can call on His children. I never thought that I would want or
need more when it came to family. The truth is, we all can use more. More love, more support, more
encouragement and with that comes more family. The wonderful, crazy, varied beyond measure, enormous
family of God. And I am so grateful to be a member of it!
I am praying for you, "my family"! May you be blessed today beyond all you could ever ask or imagine!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Bearing with one another in love
2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
What gives me encouragement this morning is knowing that I am forgiven! Having godly friends lends some level of assurance that they will follow God's word, be patient with me and I with them and bear with one another in love. Even as faithful followers we still make mistakes. We still make choices that to us seem important, but to others may seem untimely or inconvenient. And when that happens, when someone we love, or even
someone we are simply acquainted with does something differently than we would have liked and we feel let down then we need to remember Jesus' command.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another". John 13:34
We must be willing to love one another in spite of ourselves. We should be humble and gentle remembering that what may be inconsiderate in our eyes may have been innocent in theirs. We need to look to the heart of the matter and strive to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Jesus himself, when dying on the cross, said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing" Luke 23:34 If He can ask that, if He can forgive us for the many sins we have committed against Him up to and
including crucifying Him on the cross of Calvary then should we not be able to humble ourselves and forgive our loved ones when they make choices we do not agree with?
I struggle with this myself. I have argued with myself over and over because of choices my family members have made. Choices that will affect me and my family. Choices that will affect all of my siblings in one form another. It would be easy to just say, "they made that choice, let
them deal with the consequences." But in my heart, I know that on some level, the decision they made was what they thought was right at the time. Although, it may not have been the best choice, and there are repercussions, it does not mean that I have to just wash my hands of it. I should follow God's word and Love them anyway, as God has loved me.
He forgave me of the messes I made in my life. He has pulled me out of a pit more times than I care to count. So, should I not humble myself and reach out to my loved one in unity of the Spirit? I should think so. It does not mean I approve of the decision that was made. It simply means that I forgive them, just as God has forgiven me. I love them, just as God has loved me. And, I will help them just as God has helped me.
I pray you all have a wonderful and encouraging day in the Lord. Spend some time with Him today and let Him encourage your heart and your soul. If your encouragement tank is on empty, pull up to the pump that is the Word of God. He will fill you up to overflowing!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Better Together
12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Hebrews 3:12-14
This was a warning and a reminder to the Jewish converts who were wavering in their new found beliefs to watch out for one another. Like most Christians, these new believers had a fierceness about them when they first heard and accepted the gospel of Christ. They wanted to believe
and they were willing to lay down the traditions and the man-made laws that the Pharisees preached for the simplicity of faith in a new relationship with God.
In many ways, the same struggle is still being waged today between rigid ritualized religion and the need for an intimate relationship with the Father through Christ. The distraction of human tradition taking away from focusing on what is truly important, knowing Jesus with our hearts
and not just our minds. Sin is still very much a part of every day life. Temptations are still hurled at us from all directions by the enemy who does not want us to make the eternal connection.
There is Hope! We must share Christ with one another and hold firmly to the confidence we had in the beginning. The fire and excitement we had in the infancy of our relationship is still there if we just take the time to reach for it and hold it as tightly as we possibly can. It's like any other pursuit in which we have a goal. We must spend time nurturing it and working toward our desire. When we stop paying attention to it, it grows cold and elusive.
Light the fire ladies! Pick up your Sword and strap on your shield, put on the whole armor of God! Defend yourselves and each other from the attacks of the enemy by encouraging one another and spending time with the Savior. Do not let the deceitfulness of Satan creep into your lives and convince you it's okay, you can do it on your own today. It's not true!
We need one another and we need Jesus! Let's seek Him together!
This was a warning and a reminder to the Jewish converts who were wavering in their new found beliefs to watch out for one another. Like most Christians, these new believers had a fierceness about them when they first heard and accepted the gospel of Christ. They wanted to believe
and they were willing to lay down the traditions and the man-made laws that the Pharisees preached for the simplicity of faith in a new relationship with God.
In many ways, the same struggle is still being waged today between rigid ritualized religion and the need for an intimate relationship with the Father through Christ. The distraction of human tradition taking away from focusing on what is truly important, knowing Jesus with our hearts
and not just our minds. Sin is still very much a part of every day life. Temptations are still hurled at us from all directions by the enemy who does not want us to make the eternal connection.
There is Hope! We must share Christ with one another and hold firmly to the confidence we had in the beginning. The fire and excitement we had in the infancy of our relationship is still there if we just take the time to reach for it and hold it as tightly as we possibly can. It's like any other pursuit in which we have a goal. We must spend time nurturing it and working toward our desire. When we stop paying attention to it, it grows cold and elusive.
Light the fire ladies! Pick up your Sword and strap on your shield, put on the whole armor of God! Defend yourselves and each other from the attacks of the enemy by encouraging one another and spending time with the Savior. Do not let the deceitfulness of Satan creep into your lives and convince you it's okay, you can do it on your own today. It's not true!
We need one another and we need Jesus! Let's seek Him together!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Peace, God’s Peace…
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
Peace, God's Peace. What could be more encouraging or comforting than to have His word, His promise that He gives to us what no one on earth can, peace? Through faith and believing in not only the existence of the Creator but also recognizing his sovereignty, trusting in his wisdom and being assured of his presence we are experiencing and reaping
the benefit of being his most highly valued creation, children of God.
He wants us to experience life as he planned it, not as the world would have us to. The outside influences of society and the pressures of living in this fallen world can become overwhelming to any of us if we allow our focus to stray. We need to look to God when we feel the pull of humanity dragging us away. He alone can soothe our troubled souls and untangle our confused minds. He can lighten the load of concern if we share our burden with him in prayer.
Let's travel our road with Him today allowing Him to take whatever worries we may have as His burden, not ours. He can handle it. He loves us!
I pray you each find yourself in a great conversation with Jesus today! He is waiting for you to talk to him with great anticipation and care. Will you meet with Him? Will you share your load?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Encouragement Overflowing!
My heart overflows with a good theme...
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalm 45:1 NASB
This morning as I look out into the creation of God I see dark clouds and rain gently washing the dirt from the surfaces of the plants and such. The grime that had built up through the winter months, in spite of the snow, was blanketing the leaves and branches of plants making everything look dull and lifeless. But this rain is washing it all away making the way for new life to begin to sprout and flourish. It is feeding the roots that have grown deep into the ground and beginning the process of waking up the plant and wild life from its long winter nap.
People can be much the same. Winter time for me is difficult. I don't like going out in the cold and the lack of light, glorious sunlight, tends to depress my mood. But just as the rain is washing away the remnants of a long difficult winter, and the sunshine that will soon flood in will begin to lift my mood so does the the the encouraging words of friend or even a stranger at times help brighten my outlook.
Yesterday a group of teenagers came to where I work to take a tour. They were not all that interested really, at least most of them, but there were a couple who asked many questions. Their excitement and curiosity was almost contagious. The teacher that was with them spoke to me on one of the trips into the radio room and asked me if I remembered her father. I did. He was a former fire chief that I had worked with many years ago. She told me that when he heard they were coming to visit us that he asked her to tell me hello. She said he remembered me and wanted to let me know how much we were appreciated.
Now, normally in my business there are not many words of thanks. People as a rule remember the response units because the ones who are in front of them in the flesh are much easier to relate to and recall. But the voice on the other end of a telephone or over a radio becomes a part of the whole. It meant a lot to me to know that someone actually took notice. It was the high point of my day.
As I walk my life journey I pray that God will bring to mind anyone that I have let go unnoticed who may also need a word of encouragement. I pray as well that He gives me courage and boldness to speak it and not let circumstances discourage me from doing so no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. I know the kind words meant a lot to me, so I can only think that it would be helpful to someone else.
God let me use my tongue to be the ready writer whose heart overflows with a good theme and let that spill out on those around me and be absorbed into their hearts. Let me be aware of the need and willing to share your word with them.
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalm 45:1 NASB
This morning as I look out into the creation of God I see dark clouds and rain gently washing the dirt from the surfaces of the plants and such. The grime that had built up through the winter months, in spite of the snow, was blanketing the leaves and branches of plants making everything look dull and lifeless. But this rain is washing it all away making the way for new life to begin to sprout and flourish. It is feeding the roots that have grown deep into the ground and beginning the process of waking up the plant and wild life from its long winter nap.
People can be much the same. Winter time for me is difficult. I don't like going out in the cold and the lack of light, glorious sunlight, tends to depress my mood. But just as the rain is washing away the remnants of a long difficult winter, and the sunshine that will soon flood in will begin to lift my mood so does the the the encouraging words of friend or even a stranger at times help brighten my outlook.
Yesterday a group of teenagers came to where I work to take a tour. They were not all that interested really, at least most of them, but there were a couple who asked many questions. Their excitement and curiosity was almost contagious. The teacher that was with them spoke to me on one of the trips into the radio room and asked me if I remembered her father. I did. He was a former fire chief that I had worked with many years ago. She told me that when he heard they were coming to visit us that he asked her to tell me hello. She said he remembered me and wanted to let me know how much we were appreciated.
Now, normally in my business there are not many words of thanks. People as a rule remember the response units because the ones who are in front of them in the flesh are much easier to relate to and recall. But the voice on the other end of a telephone or over a radio becomes a part of the whole. It meant a lot to me to know that someone actually took notice. It was the high point of my day.
As I walk my life journey I pray that God will bring to mind anyone that I have let go unnoticed who may also need a word of encouragement. I pray as well that He gives me courage and boldness to speak it and not let circumstances discourage me from doing so no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. I know the kind words meant a lot to me, so I can only think that it would be helpful to someone else.
God let me use my tongue to be the ready writer whose heart overflows with a good theme and let that spill out on those around me and be absorbed into their hearts. Let me be aware of the need and willing to share your word with them.
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