I really liked this It is from my Girlfriends in God devotional...... :)
It's something that we all need to reminded of every now and then.
It's something that we all need to reminded of every now and then.
Our son Noah recently graduated from kindergarten and inside his journal one of his favorite teachers wrote some really encouraging and kind words to Noah. She spoke of what a joy that Noah was to her. I was touched by her kind words. We all need to be uplifting to one another as there already is so much cruelty in the world alfready! They just might even brighten someone's day!
Today's Truth
Proverbs 12:18 (NIV): "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise bring healing."
Friend to Friend
As my mother always said..."if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Could you imagine a world where this happened? How different the work place, the media, our homes and even our churches would be if we lived our lives only saying nice things?
What do we talk about around the water cooler or see when we turn on the TV or computer? This morning my homepage on my computer looked a little like this: Why Paris was cuddling w/K-Fed; Jessica Simpson accidentally exposed; angry smoker rams into wife's house; Recipe for divorce: hiding debt. I had to ask myself, "What value do these news headlines bring to our lives and our world?"
What about our homes? What do we say about our self or our family? What negative thoughts or words steal our peace on any given day? Did you wake up this morning feeling frustrated or critical of your weight, your children, your husband, or your job?
And our churches? Was there another critical conversation about a pastor's teaching or the fact that he drives a nicer car than you do? Were there conversations about member's dissatisfaction with the worship style or the current choice of Bible study?
How different would the world be if we asked ourselves this question before speaking: "If I were Jesus, would I be having this conversation?" In Matthew chapter 27, Jesus teaches us that we must love God and love our neighbors. Anything outside of loving and encouraging words should snap our lips shut.
I believe it is time for a "Live Love" revolution! If God created the world with words, we can change the world by words spoken in love!
Webster dictionary defines "revolution" as:
1. Sociology. A radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure.
2. A sudden, complete or marked change in something
This revolution begins with examining our self talk. Jesus said, "The mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart" (Matthew 12:34b NIV). When we assassinate our own character with words, we destroy our self-esteem and stop ourselves from purposeful living; we become who we say we are.
Likewise, when we criticize or judge another person, whoever we are giving our opinion to will now have a different perspective of the person we are criticizing. I have recently been personally convicted of this truth. I was sharing with a friend how an email received from a relative had hurt my feelings. Being the good friend that she is, she defended my position and took my side immediately. This of course made me feel better until the Holy Spirit convicted me of my actions. Without even thinking about it, I had scarred my relative's reputation. My friend would never view my relative the same again. I was mortified, but knew I must apologize to both my friend and my relative.
It is time we distinguish ourselves as Christian women who speak life and "Live Love". Together we have the power to change a world that pierces hearts like a sword, bringing division and breaking community. Together we can bring healing and build unity. The revolution starts with you and me!
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I Thank you Lord that by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am a new woman in Christ. I thank you that I am growing in grace, humility, and compassion every day. I have a significant role to play in this world. That role starts with loving YOU and loving others. My role as a maturing Christian is to build others up. I will no longer allow myself to use words that wedge division between me and others or that destroy my own spirit and self-esteem. I am a woman of maturity and purpose, distinguished by the image of Christ. I speak life and live love. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Today's Truth
Proverbs 12:18 (NIV): "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise bring healing."
Friend to Friend
As my mother always said..."if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Could you imagine a world where this happened? How different the work place, the media, our homes and even our churches would be if we lived our lives only saying nice things?
What do we talk about around the water cooler or see when we turn on the TV or computer? This morning my homepage on my computer looked a little like this: Why Paris was cuddling w/K-Fed; Jessica Simpson accidentally exposed; angry smoker rams into wife's house; Recipe for divorce: hiding debt. I had to ask myself, "What value do these news headlines bring to our lives and our world?"
What about our homes? What do we say about our self or our family? What negative thoughts or words steal our peace on any given day? Did you wake up this morning feeling frustrated or critical of your weight, your children, your husband, or your job?
And our churches? Was there another critical conversation about a pastor's teaching or the fact that he drives a nicer car than you do? Were there conversations about member's dissatisfaction with the worship style or the current choice of Bible study?
How different would the world be if we asked ourselves this question before speaking: "If I were Jesus, would I be having this conversation?" In Matthew chapter 27, Jesus teaches us that we must love God and love our neighbors. Anything outside of loving and encouraging words should snap our lips shut.
I believe it is time for a "Live Love" revolution! If God created the world with words, we can change the world by words spoken in love!
Webster dictionary defines "revolution" as:
1. Sociology. A radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure.
2. A sudden, complete or marked change in something
This revolution begins with examining our self talk. Jesus said, "The mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart" (Matthew 12:34b NIV). When we assassinate our own character with words, we destroy our self-esteem and stop ourselves from purposeful living; we become who we say we are.
Likewise, when we criticize or judge another person, whoever we are giving our opinion to will now have a different perspective of the person we are criticizing. I have recently been personally convicted of this truth. I was sharing with a friend how an email received from a relative had hurt my feelings. Being the good friend that she is, she defended my position and took my side immediately. This of course made me feel better until the Holy Spirit convicted me of my actions. Without even thinking about it, I had scarred my relative's reputation. My friend would never view my relative the same again. I was mortified, but knew I must apologize to both my friend and my relative.
It is time we distinguish ourselves as Christian women who speak life and "Live Love". Together we have the power to change a world that pierces hearts like a sword, bringing division and breaking community. Together we can bring healing and build unity. The revolution starts with you and me!
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I Thank you Lord that by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am a new woman in Christ. I thank you that I am growing in grace, humility, and compassion every day. I have a significant role to play in this world. That role starts with loving YOU and loving others. My role as a maturing Christian is to build others up. I will no longer allow myself to use words that wedge division between me and others or that destroy my own spirit and self-esteem. I am a woman of maturity and purpose, distinguished by the image of Christ. I speak life and live love. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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