Bridle Your Tongue!

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity." -Proverbs 21:23
 
Did you know what you say defines your life? The Bible says, "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Prov 18:21) Wow! That's pretty powerful - having the power of life and death in our tongues. But, do we realize what that really means?

As a culture, we're pretty prone to putting ourselves down. "Oh, I'm just stupid." Or "Man, I'm an idiot." The thing that we did may have been stupid, but a stupid move doesn't mean we are stupid. It just means we made the wrong choice. But, when we speak negative words over our lives, we're limiting our potential for growth. We even need to be careful what words we're singing over ourselves when we're singing along to songs on the radio.

"The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit." -Proverbs 15:4
 
Although the Bible talks of specific application of our tongues to our personal lives, it also brings it to a broader perspective.

"When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time." -Proverbs 11:11-13
 
And this is just evil talk! Not even evil deeds. Evil talk turns a city into a ghost town. This "city" could also be a home, a business, a church, or a community. Do you remember a time in your life where negative words pieced the life out of you? Have you ever been hurt by the negative effects of gossip?

Commit today to let no negative words come out of your mouth. With our words, we create our reality, and the reality of others. Set an example for those around you. Encourage others with your words. Please God with the use of your tongue. Praise Him. He gave us our mouths - let's use them to the benefit of God, ourselves, and others.

Thankfulness

 

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:15

The best cure for restlessness and lack of contentment is learning to be thankful. 

Contentment doesn't have to do with the stuff we have now, the place we're at, where we want to be, or the person we hope to be - it has to do with a choice that we make in our hearts in the here and now. The Bible says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise." (Ps 100:4) Thankfulness invites the peace and presence of God.

There is a story of a blind boy who sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were just a few coins in the hat.

"A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up.

A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?"

What do you have to be thankful for today? 





Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1603377/a-parable-about-being-thankful

Happy Christians vs. Angry Christians

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." -John 3:17
 
"The #1 barrier that keeps unbelievers from trusting Jesus is not the Good News but the sinful attitudes of believers." - Rick Warren

Frequently I meet Christians who are caught up in the legalism of their beliefs. The stark contrast between right and wrong is their fuel. Grace in grey areas is difficult for them to grasp. For them, the pursuit of righteousness is so important that their religious views seem to overshadow the importance of building relationships. Religion has become their god.

How does this fit into the model of Christianity? We are called to love others, no matter how different or difficult they may seem. Jesus said this of a prostitute He once met: "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47 When we realize how much we've been forgiven, we love more, and are able to forgive more.

Christianity has a P.R. problem today. Many people outside of the Christian faith call us hypocritical, stern, and unloving - mainly a political action group. They see us as hostile and condemning, versus loving and full of joy.*

How are we ever going to change this perception? This is clearly a far cry from the life God has called us to. Jesus said they would know us by the love we have for one another - that includes non-believers too!

In order to change this, each of us needs to make a commitment to be open to God's Spirit, at all times. Once we're saved, the journey has not ended - it is just beginning. We need to be open to being continuously renewed - to becoming more like Jesus.

We need to grow the spiritual fruits of hope, faith, joy, graciousness, and love in our lives. (Gal 5:22, 23) By the evidence of these things in our lives that the world cannot explain, we will be known as "happy" Christians, versus "angry" Christians.




*See the book UnChristian

We Either Are or We Aren’t

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” -Matthew 12:30 NLT

There is a great movie that came out called Grace Unplugged.  The story is about a girl named Grace who wants to pursue her dream to become a singer, and moves away from home to the pop music capital of the world:  L.A.  However, she does it out of frustration with her family - specifically because she is feeling smothered by her dad. 

There are many decisions we make out of the heat of emotion that we will probably regret.  But no matter how bad people treat us or what happens to us in life, we are still responsible for our own actions, and the roads they may take us down.  No one else will be accountable for us when our lives on this earth are over, and so we need to make the best decisions we can - without allowing our emotions to take over.  The decisions we make now will impact us for eternity, and eternity is a long, long time.  

I won’t tell you the ending of the movie, but toward the end, Grace is faced with the reality of where her decisions have taken her.  She comes to a turning point - she has to choose whether she will serve herself and her desires - or if she will choose to serve God and make it right with her family and friends.

The Bible speaks very candidly about the black and white of serving God.  We can’t serve ourselves, the enemy, or money and God at the same time.  We’re either serving God or we’re not.  But the truth is, serving God is much better - in this life and the life to come. 

Are there any areas of your life that you need to give completely over to God?  Surrendering our lives to Him is one of the best things we can do - He is big enough to handle any problem that we face.  We can trust Him to bring our destiny to pass. 

Jesus Already Paid for That

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." -Matthew 6:15
 
Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone? We all experience things in our lives that can cause us to hold unforgiveness against someone else. It is especially difficult if the person who has hurt us continues to do the same things over and over again. So, how do we respond? What can we do? 

Let's imagine for a moment you owned a convenience store. A family member keeps on coming in and taking candy from your store. They don't think it's wrong to steal from you... after all, you're family! It's all free for family, right? But it's making you upset. After all, you have a business to run! Don't they see their actions are causing you to lose money? Don't they want you to be successful? 

Eventually, you tell your family member they're not welcome in your store anymore unless their willing to pay for the merchandise they stole. They don't like it, and they don't come back. Phew! Problem solved, kind of. But, what are you going to do about all the money you lost? Thinking about it still makes you upset. You're not likely to be glad to see the family member at a family gathering any time soon - they didn't even realize the fault of their actions! 

At the end of the night, you're about to close up shop, and a man walks through the door. He buys a coffee, hands you a $1000 bill, and tells you to keep the change. "What?" you say. "I can't take this, it's way more than the coffee you just bought!" 

"I know," says the man. "But I want you to have it. It's my gift to you." 

Overjoyed, you're not sure what to think. This man just made up more than the difference!
Whenever we're faced with situations where we need to forgive, there is a great temptation to hold a grudge. But we need to remember that like the man in the story gave the $1000 bill, Jesus has already paid the price for the other person's sin. We have to give it over to God. When we do, it isn't our problem anymore. But it involves our forgiveness, our letting go - and our trust that God will make up the gap. 

Jesus already paid the price. Will you allow Him to take any hurts you may be experiencing off of your shoulders?

Turning Weaknesses Into Strengths

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." -2 Corinthians 12:9

Each of us has a different personality, complete with its own set of weaknesses and strengths. Some of our weaknesses are natural or physiological weaknesses, such as being either more introverted or extroverted, while other weaknesses are the result of offenses from the past.

It's crucial for us to recognize the difference between these two types of weaknesses; whether it's because it's the way we're naturally wired or the result of wounding. The one can hold us captive in our hearts, (Heb 12:15) while the other is simply a matter of growth. Both can limit our potential. But both, with either forgiveness or openness to change can be overcome.

Consider this: An introverted person can be afraid to speak, but because of their thoughtfulness and perception, can have a lot of great things to say. A shy person who has been shut down in the past by stronger personalities needs to recognize that they too have worth and value.

A "type A" person can be more domineering, but without this direction or initiative, nothing would get done. A person like this who has been hurt will likely try to control outcomes and people. This person with resolved offense will view leadership as management of all that is God's.

A "people person" loves to hang out with others. They are the "life of the party". Sometimes though, they can care too much about what others think - to the point of defining their standards on what helps them gain acceptance. They may be really sensitive. This person with God's perspective in mind will know that they can uphold God's standards for their lives and still be "the life of the party".

A laid-back or happy-go-lucky person may not be very organized, but have a great ability to bring ease and resolution to tense situations. This person may be more predisposed to being lazy or lethargic. But when they recognize this and "go against the grain", they are able to successfully balance their lives with work and play.

Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Knowing them is a great tool for knowing how to relate and interact with others, and also to develop to the fullest potential yourself, letting God's power shine through you.



References: See Tim LaHaye's Temperament Analysis, also the Call Self-Assessment

Shameless Persistence

"But I tell you this - though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence." -Luke 11:8 NLT
 
Have you ever been persistent about something? I know persistence is hard for me - I tend to shrink away at the first sign of rejection. But, my first marketing job at 23 was selling coupon books door to door. I had to get over my fear of rejection quickly! 

Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx, is an incredible success story. Now a billionaire, she went from selling copy machines to running a multi-billion dollar operation. She recently did an interview on CNN talking about her story. 

When asked what her secret to success was, she said that it was mostly due to her upbringing. "My dad would sit with my brother and I at the dinner table and ask us what we'd failed at that week. I'd say, 'Dad, I tried out for (this or that), and I was horrible!' He'd give me a high-five." She said her father created a culture in their home that true failure was not in doing poorly - it was in not trying at all. 

Later, when she came up with the idea for Spanx, all of the hosiery manufacturers refused to make her product because they thought it was a bad idea. Eventually, she found a man who was willing to give it a shot because his three daughters convinced him it was a good idea. But if Sara had given up, she wouldn't be where she is today. 

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." -Luke 11:9-10
 
Is there anything you need to persist in? Ask God for the grace to be shamelessly persistent.

Getting Results

"Jesus told them, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.'" -Matthew 11:4,5 NLT
 
Jesus was a "results" kind of person. He wasn't into fooling around. He came for His purpose, to save the souls of men, out of His love for mankind, and the rest is history. I find the way he answered John the Baptist's question about if He was the real Messiah so fascinating. 

"Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor." 

Jesus responds back to John with an elevator speech, of sorts. He doesn't say, "Yes, I am the Messiah." He doesn't ask, "Who are other people saying I am?" His response is all about results! He didn't lead with His title, He led with the results of who He was.
Good grades will get us into better schools and better jobs. Solving problems will get us more opportunities, and career advancement. Getting people results, or real answers to their problems, is the best thing we can do with our time and money. 

Prophecies will cease, but faith, hope, and love, will remain. (1 Cor 13:13) These are the results of a successful Christian life. 

"But wisdom is shown to be right by its results." -Matthew 11:19b NLT