Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.--Proverbs 18:20-21 NLT
Oh boy...well, I usually try to be careful of how I talk. I don't ever want to say anything that could hurt someones feelings. I really do try to say whatever I feel needs to be said in the kindest way I can without diluting the truth of it so that it becomes unrecognizable and ends up being of no benefit to anyone. But in light of Proverbs 18:20-21, my new prayer is that my words; whether whispered in prayer or chattered among friends or given as instruction to a student, or spoken between me and my husband or my kids will be satisfying like food and, since I DO love to talk, be words that absolutely NOURISH LIFE!!!
- Lori
- Believer, Lover, Leader, Follower, Writer, Singer, Wife, Mother, Mimi, Sister, Friend
Mysterious & Knowable
Colossians 2: 2-3
2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Oh man I love this bit of scripture! It is my prayer for me and for everyone who calls Jesus their savior. God's mysterious plan is Jesus...If you want to know the mysteries of God, START with Jesus. ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him. The more time I spend with Him, the more I learn about Him. The more I learn about Him, the more I realize there is to learn about Him. He is an inexhaustible Source, a Living Well of Living Water, He is unbridled passion, outrageous affection, incredibly unselfish and generous with all He is and all He has; He's everything good, everything eternal, and The only thing I need--I love Him!!!
2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Oh man I love this bit of scripture! It is my prayer for me and for everyone who calls Jesus their savior. God's mysterious plan is Jesus...If you want to know the mysteries of God, START with Jesus. ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him. The more time I spend with Him, the more I learn about Him. The more I learn about Him, the more I realize there is to learn about Him. He is an inexhaustible Source, a Living Well of Living Water, He is unbridled passion, outrageous affection, incredibly unselfish and generous with all He is and all He has; He's everything good, everything eternal, and The only thing I need--I love Him!!!
Let us "let" us be who we are!
One body, many members... Romans 12: 6-8, We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
Here is what jumps out at me in these three verses: if a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach, if it is encouraging, let him encourage...Do you see where I'm going here? I used to read this and think "if someone has the gift of prophecy, he better be doing it." and "There is no excuse for a teacher not to teach..." I have read this scripture and put the emphasis in the wrong place...Today, I read it and see that it is my responsibility to let the man who's gift is prophecy prophesy; I am to let the servant serve; the teacher teach...Do you see what I mean? I used to think this scripture was telling the prophet and the servant and the teacher and the encourager and the giver and the leader and the merciful one that they had to 'do.' But I think this scripture may really be talking to me (to us, the one body, with many members) saying, 'let these people 'be' who they are; give them the space, the place, the permission they need to function according to their Master's design....let them be who they are; and find out who I am and start 'being' that!
Here is what jumps out at me in these three verses: if a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach, if it is encouraging, let him encourage...Do you see where I'm going here? I used to read this and think "if someone has the gift of prophecy, he better be doing it." and "There is no excuse for a teacher not to teach..." I have read this scripture and put the emphasis in the wrong place...Today, I read it and see that it is my responsibility to let the man who's gift is prophecy prophesy; I am to let the servant serve; the teacher teach...Do you see what I mean? I used to think this scripture was telling the prophet and the servant and the teacher and the encourager and the giver and the leader and the merciful one that they had to 'do.' But I think this scripture may really be talking to me (to us, the one body, with many members) saying, 'let these people 'be' who they are; give them the space, the place, the permission they need to function according to their Master's design....let them be who they are; and find out who I am and start 'being' that!
One Body, Many Members
So, I just read this scripture in Romans 12, verses 3 through 7. It talks about not thinking more of yourself than you should, but to basically line up your thinking with how God thinks about you. Vs 3: "...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you...." Then it talks about how the body of Christ is like a human body--many parts & different functions that serve one purpose--the healthy life of the person. Vs 4: "4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." I have read this many times, but today I saw "and each member belongs to all the others..." for what felt like the first time. And now as I think about it more, I think, 'well of course we all 'belong' to each other!'
But think of this, a human body functions the most perfectly when all the parts are healthy and properly nourished and aligned...and if there is something wrong in any one part (no matter how big or small), it can adversely affect the whole body. If somebody sprains an ankle, it can change the way they walk which can lead to back pain, that can lead to neck and shoulder pain, that can lead to headache, that can lead to sleepless nights...right? That one injured part can really impact the quality of that persons' life. Only a foolish person would try to pretend like there was no injury...not going to the doctor, trying to walk without limping, etc...and suffering in the denial. The wise person would be really diligent in the care of the injury so that it heals well. He would go to the doctor, obey the doctor's instructions, wear a brace or bandage if necessary, and keep his weight off of the injury. He would call on all the other parts of his body to make a temporary adjustment so that the ankle could heal completely and in as short amount of time as possible. The same thing is true in the body of Christ...if we know there is an injury and pretend like there is not, we will, as the body of Christ, be crippled. Not rendered completely ineffective, but hindered from the full potential God intends for us. Wow!
But think of this, a human body functions the most perfectly when all the parts are healthy and properly nourished and aligned...and if there is something wrong in any one part (no matter how big or small), it can adversely affect the whole body. If somebody sprains an ankle, it can change the way they walk which can lead to back pain, that can lead to neck and shoulder pain, that can lead to headache, that can lead to sleepless nights...right? That one injured part can really impact the quality of that persons' life. Only a foolish person would try to pretend like there was no injury...not going to the doctor, trying to walk without limping, etc...and suffering in the denial. The wise person would be really diligent in the care of the injury so that it heals well. He would go to the doctor, obey the doctor's instructions, wear a brace or bandage if necessary, and keep his weight off of the injury. He would call on all the other parts of his body to make a temporary adjustment so that the ankle could heal completely and in as short amount of time as possible. The same thing is true in the body of Christ...if we know there is an injury and pretend like there is not, we will, as the body of Christ, be crippled. Not rendered completely ineffective, but hindered from the full potential God intends for us. Wow!
Peace without Justice?
I subscribe to a blog by Rabbi Daniel Lapin called Thought Tools. In today's blog, he wrote, "Sometimes the only avenue to real peace leads through the pain of conflict because peace without justice is no peace. It is merely a temporary cease-fire." I think that is such a profound statement. I think of the peace I have in my life. Is it real peace or a temporary cease-fire? Am I able to find peace when I am on an avenue of painful conflict? I have two answers: 1) YES, when the conflict is between me and someone I love (who also loves me) and we walk together before the Lord in honest humility, it leads us to justice which leads to resolution--repentance and restoration. We both come to peace; and 2)YES, when the conflict is between me and someone I love (who also loves me) only I am alone in the walk (because for whatever reason, the other person does not join me). In this case, each of us have to find our own way back to peace. As for me, I put my hand in Jesus' hand and walk through it with Him. He becomes my justice. He reveals the resolution...if repentance is required of me, I obey. And He becomes again my peace and I am restored as I am covered over again in His presence. (and I pray for the same thing for the other person...)
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