I love The message’s version of our scriptures for today:
"Don’t figure ways of taking advantage of your
neighbor
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect."
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect."
I find it difficult to write of these words in
scripture, because I would hope that none of us are doing these things,
knowingly. So, I find myself going
before the Lord and asking Him, “How would this look, if we weren’t aware of
what we were doing?”
To “take advantage” is to put ourselves in a
superior position. I don’t think we are
ever meant to inhabit the throne of superiority. How do you navigate an environment of
productivity, while encouraging personal growth? In your ministries, in your small groups? It is hard to lead with a compassionate heart
coupled with a heart that allows others to explode into their God-given
destinies, while maintaining a humble, contrite heart- AND still moving
forward! He calls us to a tightrope,
with grace as our catching net. So, to
not take advantage of each other, in our day to day. To encourage and build up is the key I think-
as hearts struggling to get it right in a fallen world.
Don’t walk around looking for a fight. What
could this look like? We all have buttons that get pushed and the enemy knows
our triggers far better than we do. Do
you find yourself irritated, lashing out – and not sure why? I would offer that the enemy used your
trigger and stomped on your last nerve.
Slow down. Take account of what
you are feeling and what is going on around you as the irritation builds. Don’t
speak in anger and don’t lash out. Wait. Pray. Listen. What is the Lord telling you about….You? About your triggers? The Lord is so gracious that He provides us
with so many opportunities to houseclean our own hearts – we simply couldn’t have time to look into anyone
else’s for malignancy!! My heart is my
full time job.
Don’t be a bully. As women I think we can bully through
controlling natures. To micromanage and to force our way into all we do. Again,
a tightrope with grace as our catching net. To allow others to flourish and
bloom through a servant’s heart- while moving forward and serving the King. Not
an easy road to haul. Not an easy road
when you are in a position of authority.
How do we maintain a nurturing environment, encouraging others and not
loosing sight of goals? Not an easy position when you are in ministry and under authority. John 13:34 says,
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." In all situations to allow conversations and encouraging winds to flourish.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." In all situations to allow conversations and encouraging winds to flourish.
Grace is such a key to all of these situations
and our Christian lifestyle.. His grace for us, shared freely with all that we
interact with. To treat others with loving kindness, slow to speak, slow to
anger, quick to listen, quick to encourage.
The ESV goes on to say:
30 Do
not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
As
Christians, we do the best we can, making choices minute by minute. It will rain on the righteous and it will
rain on the wicked. We GET TO make choices minute by minute. We GET TO choose the higher road and operate
out of His grace. People hurt us and disappoint us. People will “contend with us” for no apparent
reason that we are aware of. We are all
sinners saved by grace and we GET TO operate out of God’s economy forgiving and
loving, because He showed us how. He
loved us when we were still sinners, forgave us all of our trespasses,
continues to forgive me moment by moment.
His thoughts about me outnumber the sands and He sings over me. I GE
TO operate out of His grace moment by
moment- difficult situation by situation.
Hurtful people become a mission field for my heart to grow through
offering grace and forgiveness.
Nobody
said Holy Obedience to the Ordinary was going to be easy!
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