~ Guard Your Heart ~

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."-Proverbs 4:23 

Guarding your heart...what does that mean exactly? How do we do this? I like to pick apart and explore scripture so lets check out what it means to Guard something :

 
Guard: "A person who keeps watch, esp. a soldier or other person formally assigned to protect a person or to control access to a place.

Verb: Watch over to keep safe. "

So it appears to  me , to Guard Your Heart is no small task. It means to keep watch over , to keep safe, your heart.  God asks us to do this because our hearts are the wellspring of life. All of life, stems from and flows from our hearts. Specifically , our emotions, feelings, love, concern , care, everything good...flows from our hearts. We even see that what we say comes from what is in our hearts. The heart is a big deal to God.  He wants us to Guard it. Not just, watch it...but to guard it as a soldier would keep watch over someone to protect them. We are to watch over and keep safe, our hearts. 

 

This can be done in a million different ways really. But, to spare a long post again I will just pick a few ways we can do this. First and foremost perhaps this would be protecting your heart from falling in love with too many people who only will hurt you and leave your heart broken. Choose who you give your affections, your heart too, wisely. After one too many heartbreaks your heart may turn bitter, resentful, unforgiving and unloving.  Also, maybe just guard it from others who are trying to put hurtful and hateful things into it. Just be careful of who you get close too. Love others but maybe some, just should not be your closest friends or even maybe keep your heart protected from certain family members. Whatever goes into your ears and eyes, you have to filter it out before it gets to your heart. Lastly, God cares about your heart. He made it, and He created all of your emotions and designed you exactly as you are. If He gave you a very soft and loving heart that burdens for others easily, this is so precious to Him. How do I know? Because that is HIS heart.  He made you the way you are and He wants you to take seriously protecting your heart from the world changing it and stealing what He put into you...which is LOVE and care and concern. 

 

Be who you are, who God made you to be, and honor Him by loving other people and giving back to Him what He put in your heart. Guard your heart so you can protect the Heart God made in you from turning cold and bitter. 

Keep on loving and stand Guard!

 

In Christ's Love,

~M~

~The Hope of Spring~

This is such a beautiful time of year for so many reasons.  We went through the cold , cruel and "dead" winter months. Long and gloomy days bundled up inside the house. Now, the weather is warming up, we are shedding the winter clothes and getting outdoors more to take in the refreshing spring air! People walk their dogs more, ride bikes with their kids, tend to their yards and gardens, talk to neighbors, take walks as a family and play at the playground. Everyone seems to have a bit of a "spring" in their step. I know that our family tries to get outside as much as possible on these gorgeous days. One advantage of home schooling is that we can put school off until later and just enjoy every sunny beautiful day together as a family! Before the weather turns too hot and it's almost too much to stay outdoors for more then a few hours. I thank God so much for Spring!

Jesus' death and His resurrection are also something we Christians celebrate this time of year. This is perhaps the most important holiday followers of Jesus celebrate because it is the entire message and reason of our hope and belief in Him. And it is so very fitting that it is celebrated in the season of Spring. Christ's death for those 3 days was like the winter months. Dark, sad, lonely, gloomy.....a period of mourning and loss and staying "inside". Similar feelings to what winter can bring to many. His death, was a barren time for those that loved him. But then, in just a few days....He rose to life once again!  And not the same life He had before..but a "new" life! Those that saw Him , that spent that time with Him  before he ascended to heaven, I am sure that was a Spring like season for them. And it is for us!  When we celebrate not only His dying on the cross for us, for our sins, but also and  most importantly His resurrection....we are entering into the Spring season with Him. New  life, refreshing warmth and hope as the winter fades and the sun shines more and more. And refreshing warmth and hope at His rising to life that He truly IS the Messiah , God's Son, sent to save the world from sin and bring us into an everlasting relationship with Him. The fact that He not only died (winter) but then God rose Him in 3 days (spring) proves He is who He said He is....and that there is a glorious hope for us in following, loving and believing in Yeshua. He ascended into heaven and He said he would make a place for us in His Fathers house and He would come back one day to get us and take us home with Him....this is the essence of EASTER and the message of Spring! As you walk outside with your family, as you tend to your garden and observe the beautiful new flowers pushing through the dirt...and all the green that is coming back to this "dead, cold" world blossoming from winter...think of Jesus. Think about His sacrifice for you and me on the cross...and then His resurrection 3 short days later that gives us a new life, new hope, warmth and refreshment! The new flowers coming through...like Jesus rising from the dead and giving us a hope, a hope that there is more to this life and that there is beauty after the long , cold, dreary days of "winter". There is hope....thank you Jesus!

Happy Spring Everyone!!!

~ Well Done!~

These are words I long to hear at the end of my life when I meet Jesus and stand before God...

"Well done, good and faithful servant!"


Lets live our lives for God, not based on works, but based on wanting to fulfill the great commission.  The call from Jesus for us to go into the world spreading his message and teachings. This can be  in many ways these days. Most common would be missions throughout the world but also right in our own communities, families and circle of friends. 

When you simply "work" for God you are just trying to win your salvation through working for Him. If you do this, you think that by doing more for God you will earn your salvation and place in Heaven. This is not how salvation works though. We are taught in His Holy Word that our salvation was bought and paid for by Christ Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection. 

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--"

and

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God."

This shows us that we cannot do anything to gain our salvation. When we believed in Jesus, in God, that is when we were /are saved. We cannot take any credit for our salvation by working for it. It is a beautiful gift from God to us! What a loving God we have! He  gives us the most important gift of our lives.

With that said, does this  mean we are not to  "work" or serve the Lord at all? I think this can be a confusing message for some. It was for me. To learn the difference between serving God (with the intention of hoping you will be earning your salvation as a reward) and serving God out of love and just a part of living a life of faith. James (the brother of Jesus) reminds us of this difference and that working for and serving God is a part  of our journey of faith.

"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."~James 2:17

and

"In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn't cause you to do any good things"

Can we work for our salvation? No. It is a gift given  to us by God. But, should we sit around and do nothing and simply say "well, I believe in Jesus so I'm saved so that is enough". No, not according to James. Faith alone, is DEAD without good deads or actions. Good dead & actions go hand in hand with Faith. It is not wrong to serve the Lord in any way He calls you or that you feel led too! Actually, serving and working for the Lord is a part of having faith. You can't just sit back and do nothing and say you believe but yet you show no desire to serve others and the Lord. For James says that faith alone is Dead.

Don't shy away from service because you are afraid you will appear to others like you are trying to work for your salvation ...or you are afraid you will be trying to earn your way to Heaven. God knows your heart. That is all that should matter to you.  What God knows and see's in you. He will know why you are doing something. He will know if you are just trying to earn salvation or if you are serving out of true love for Him and others.

My heart is burdened for the needy, for the poor, for those less and for missions. More and more, I have an increasing desire to serve in some way. I can only imagine this is a result of my belief and faith in Jesus. As we die to our selves a little more each day, we will be filled more and more with Jesus. And if you are truly filled with Jesus, you will begin to have a desire to serve others in some way (and there are many ways!). When Jesus walked this earth, He did not need to work and earn his salvation~He is God! But did He then sit back and watch others do it and do nothing? Absolutely not. He was the one out there, going days without food or drink or anywhere to rest His head. He was the one teaching and loving and serving. Washing His disciples feet when they should be washing His!

Lets work for God because we LOVE Him and we love others. And if you don't feel the urge to serve yet, keep laying down your life and asking God to fill you with Jesus more and more. Ask Him to give you a serving heart and a burden for others. In time, you will start to desire these things. For God will make your desires and His desires one.

At the end of our lives, when we meet Jesus and stand before God....what do you want to hear Him say to you? Maybe many many things! I know one thing I hope to hear is "Well done my child! You had faith, belief, love and you served my children."  That would be the greatest gift, to hear God say to me. What do you want God to say to you? 

Love In Yeshua,

~M~

~ Blessing God~

God loves when we spend time with Him. He cherishes the moments we set aside just for Him alone. Like any parent, you just LOVE when your children want to spend time with you. You always love them and you know they love you...but when they want to lay and cuddle in bed with you, when they want you to sit and read with them or just hug them....those are precious beautiful moments you cherish! God is the same. He always love us and knows that we love Him , but when we take time with Him , you can imagine His joy over this. It blesses Him when we just rest in Him. When we take more then 5 mins to spend time in His word, to talk to Him in prayer or just to lay and think of Him. 


Often, we go to God with requests and needs. He tells us to do this and is happy we trust Him. But, how often do we pray to Him -just to bless  Him and nothing else? I just love to hear songs or read things that simply bless God. Psalm 145 is such a psalm that completely praises and blesses the Lord and nothing else. It doesn't ask anything of God. It doesn't ask God to bless anyone, no, it simply wants to bless God and that is all.

"A psalm of praise of David. ¹I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. ²I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. ³Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. ⁴Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. ⁵I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. ⁶Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. ⁷Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. ⁸The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. ⁹The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. ¹⁰All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. ¹¹They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. ¹²They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. ¹³For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. ¹⁴The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. ¹⁵The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. ¹⁶When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. ¹⁷The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. ¹⁸The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. ¹⁹He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. ²⁰The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. ²¹I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever."

I highlighted the parts that move me when I read them about the Lord.

In all the many times we go to God with prayer requests and needs, lets try to also remember to praise Him and bless Him :-)

In Yehsua's Loving Name,

~M & M~

~ God Still Speaks~

I am sure many of you have cracked open a Chinese fortune cookie , pulled  out that little slip of paper inside, and did one of a few things. You either throw it out right away and just eat the cookie, you read it and laugh, you read it and scratch your head in confusion, or you read it and say "hmm, well isn't that interesting."  

Last night, we ordered Chinese and I did just that. I read the little slip of paper (and then I normally just throw it out not paying any mind to it, because I do not base my life on Chinese fortunes on little pieces of paper tucked inside a cookie ) however, I read it and paused last night. I paused  and thought "Hmm..now that is interesting." Here is what it said :

"Act boldly and unseen forces will come to your aid"

Ok, now some of you may wonder why in the world I would even care about what that says. Here is why it stood out...

Lately, I have been asking God to give me His boldness and courage when sharing the gospel of Jesus with others. Or even just courage to pray with someone when they are sharing a tough time in life with me.  I am horribly shy when it comes to this. I am happy to serve others, to do kind things for people and volunteer...but when it comes to talking about spiritual things with non believers, most of the time I clam up and talk about something else. I know this is important to God. He is patiently waiting to return because he does not want even ONE of his children to perish/to be lost. He is waiting because He wants more people to hear about Him , about Jesus, and to be saved so they can know God and enjoy eternity in heaven. And many times, He wants to use Christians to reach these children he loves so much. I have been asking God lately, to use me for His purpose. I really want to be open to whatever He would ask me to do. But I have no trust in myself!! I am horrible when it comes to speaking about these things. It's easy for me to write and type about what is in my heart about God but again I am shy when it comes to talking face to face about it. 

Anyway, so you can now see how this tiny little paper with these 10 black words on it made me stop and think for a bit. And, spoke enough to me that I decided to blog about it!  I really do think that God can speak to us through any means He chooses! There is nothing that can stop God from getting a message to us that we need to hear. Some could say this was just a coincidence but I do not think so. I have been praying for this very thing and I think about it often. To read this last night , felt like God was talking to me directly. Telling me, to step out boldly in faith , to trust Him and do what I sense  He is asking me to do, and He will send me help! The "unseen forces will come to your aid " part, that is Holy Spirit, Christ himself, whatever God chooses to send me to help me. This is huge and has been just what I need to hear. 

Does God still speak to his children today? YES! He does...He speaks loud and clear in many many ways. Through other people, through movies, through books, through  The Bible, through blogs, through text messages, through songs, through Pastors, through Moms & Dads, through spouses, even through Children (and most often for me, my children). And now, I will add to that list, through Chinese Fortune Cookies!! 

Thank you , Jesus, for using things we have created to talk to us. To get  your message across that we need to hear! Thank you!! 

Look for God's messages to you in all things around you...you will know when He is speaking to you..just like I did last night. I am going to keep this little white paper and put it some place where I can look at it often and be reminded that 1) God speaks to me and 2) I need to step out boldly in faith and trust that He will send help when I do. 

 With God's Everlasting Love,

~M~

~ Transformers ~

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."~ Romans 12:2

Have you ever thought about the similarity between Transformers, and the transformation that happens in us when we are renewed in our  minds? Ok, maybe not. But , I am kind of odd like that and I tend to see connections in strange places, such as the  Transformers movie.  How so? Well...I will try my best to explain. 

I suppose  it's kind of obvious in a way. Transformers, well they transform from one thing into another thing. And, we can transform in our minds from one thing to another. Yes, pretty simple, but I had fun diving into this and so I will share my thoughts with you.. 


In the movie, we see that these Tranformers change from being any ordinary vehicle into something HUGE, powerful, and heroic. The good ones are focused on saving people, each other, etc and we end up having some fondness for these make believe characters. Because when they transform they are something, just amazing. Something unreal, something out of this world, something we just don't see in our ordinary every day lives. They are the good guys working against the bad guys and well the graphics are pretty cool too! How does this relate in any way to us being transformed in our minds?


God says in his word "to be transformed by the renewing of our minds".  Most of us  may think, "Ok-we need to think different then the world. Got it."  I mean, that is what I thought for a  long time before I had this silly thought about transformers and then dove into it a little more. You see, it is much more then  just "thinking differently then the world". That is a big part of it...but that's not all. 


To be TRANSFORMED  in your mind is no small or simple thing. Lets see what this word TRANSFORMED means: 

1. Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of.

2. Undergo such a change: "an automobile that transformed into a boat". 


Based on the definition alone, to be transformed is to go through a THOROUGH OR DRAMATIC CHANGE somehow. Weather it is in your appearance, form or character. That is pretty fitting for transformers! How  about us? God tells us to be "transformed" in the renewing of our minds. Hmmm....he is not just saying to just think a little different then the world does. He wants us to go through a THOROUGH AND/OR DRAMATIC change in our thinking!!

To be transformed in your mind and thinking...is going to be life changing. You are not going to think like you used too. And then you probably will not act like you used too or speak like you used too. This is a big transformation guys...this is dramatic and thorough. 

When our beloved Transformers change...it's no small change is it! They go from a nice sports vehicle into some GIGANTIC, unimaginably huge character! They talk, they walk, they sing, they dance, they fight....and most impressive, they are smart and have caring hearts. They morph from something simple and normal (a vehicle) into something absolutely amazing and majestic! And it is no simple change! People notice when they transform.
I am sure you are seeing the connection now..just like I did.  That is the same kind of change that we are going to have in our minds...once we start being renewed in our minds. Our thinking, our speaking, our way of life is going to change dramatically.  It won't be something unnoticed or simple. You may very well transform into  someone focused on God and loving Him, someone devoted to helping others, and someone that realizes it's not uncool or old fashioned to be holy. God calls us to be holy!! But, how does this transformation happen?


1. We begin to realize that God does not want us to conform to the patterns of this world. He wants us "set apart and holy". He is holy. He calls us to be holy. His BRIDE must be holy.  Will we mess up? sure. Will we always be holy? No, we aren't perfect. But, the key is realizing this and changing how you think.Whatever the world thinks is good and right...you begin to see and sense that it is not good and right and you start to make choices that are opposite. This may come with a price, your friends and family may abandon you for this. It's a price we must pay to live for God sometimes. 
 As you start to see how God wants us to not follow the patterns of the world but follow Him, you will be more aware and sensitive and start making different decisions.


2. This transformation in your thinking is not done all on your own. God will  help you. He sends Holy Spirit to help us and guide us and Wisdom to teach us. Just ask :-)  
"If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn't find fault with them"~James 1:5


3. Spending time in God's word, to hear and see how He wants us to live is part of this transformation. You will slowly start to see and change your life.


4. A big part of this is prayer and asking God to change you. Ask God to transform you. Pray that very scripture to God "Lord, Transform me by the renewing of my mind. Renew my mind and heart Lord".  And He will! But be ready, it's going to change you dramatically!! 


5. And remember, we are not perfect. This is a process that takes time and isn't an overnight change. You will slowly start to see how God is changing you and how you are being transformed. But , by the end you will look back and see just how much you have changed /Transformed into a new person! 




 Remember that God loves us and is patient with us and so very forgiving. He wants us to be transformed in our minds and He is ready to help us! 




In The Love of Christ Jesus,


~M~
 

~Resting In Him~

If you are like me, and facing a tough time in life...waiting can be extremely difficult. 
Waiting for test results, waiting to hear back from that company if you got the job...waiting to hear if you are pregnant after longing for a baby...waiting to hear news on a possible life threatening disease for yourself..or a loved one. Whatever it is, waiting can be the hardest part. 

I am waiting right now to hear back from my doctor, the results of an MRI I had done recently...to see exactly what is going on with my brain.  It is Friday, if I do not hear today, that means waiting the long weekend until Monday to hear anything. The waiting is so so hard. You just, want to know..either way-good or bad-you just need to know. 

What do we do with this?This, almost pain in your stomach of having to wait. Well, I know that all I can do is just rest in Him. Rest in Jesus.  Does this sound a bit too simple or unrealistic? Well, that is the beauty of Jesus. His love, is simple. His care for us, IS simple and very realistic. If you are like me, and you are in a time of waiting...please remember to just rest in Him. Be confident that He already knows the answer and He will take care of you. 

With all the Love of Christ Jesus,

~M~

~The Tongue & Heart Connection~

"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."-Luke 6:45 (NLT)

What we say, flows from what is in our heart.  Wow. That's a deep one the ponder! What we speak to our loved ones, to our friends, even to our enemies...or what we say about people...comes from what is in our hearts. For me personally, there are days when I reach the end of my day and I am on my knee's praying to Father God...and He reveals to me, in gentleness and love, my errors that day. I see how the words I speak over and about people are like "darts in the spirit". If you can picture this with me for a moment. When I say something uplifting, kind, loving and build that person up with my words...It's like I shoot an arrow of love at them with my words. The arrow hits them and it is life giving. In the same sense, I say something bad , tear them down with my words, curse them even...and the arrow I shoot hits them and it is like poison. It is not life giving. These arrows break down, the person and the relationship I have with them. And the negative words build  up a wall between us slowly over time. It's like each  word I say, each word someone else says..slowly builds the brick wall and before I know it, that person cannot be reached any longer.  And, what am I doing to that person by saying those things about them?

Think I am crazy? Let's take this and test it against God's Word. For that is the best and only way to know if what someone is talking about, is in fact a Godly thought. Check this out :

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit"-Proverbs 18: 21


and another translation ( I like this one):
"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences"-same passage


Can it be put any clearer then this? God says in His Holy Word to us...that our tongue (our mouths and what we say) "CAN BRING DEATH OR LIFE"!  Your words and what you say about your spouse, your children, yourSELF...can bring either death , or life. 

Another passage:


"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin."-Prov. 18:21

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."(Matthew 12:36-37)

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." (James 3:9-12)

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." (Matthew 12:26)

Ok, I don't know about you, but I think I get what God is trying to stress to us here. Do you see now how ..our words about ourselves, other people...can either build them up or tear them down? This is not a joke or something to be taken lightly. This is a serious matter to God. And to be completely honest with you...I do struggle with this at times!  Please know that this is not something we can do on our own. This is only something that we can do in teamwork with God. We confess and ask Him to work in us and change our HEARTS. It really does start with what is in your heart. If your heart has bitterness, unforgivness or anything of darkness in it...then perhaps that is why those life stealing words come out of our mouths. But, this is not hopeless friends! We just ask God to "search our hearts" and to reveal these ways in us and the darkness in our hearts. We may not even realize it. But, Holy Spirit will show you. He has shown me..and I confess them, I ask forgiveness and ask God to keep changing  me and working in me. God's refining process in you won't be easy. You are going to face some UGLY parts of yourself..as I do almost daily. I hate when those sides come  up..but I try to remember that it's simply God getting that smut and foulness out of my heart. Once God gets that out of you and you keep giving it to him (don't hold onto your bitterness and anger because then, it will be tougher for God to change your heart..let it go!) but once it's out..He can then change your heart. And one day, you will realize..."Wow, I didn't realize this but, I have not been gossiping as much for the past few weeks!" That's because you let those dark sides go to God! You aloud Him  to work in your heart and create you to be more like His son, Jesus. He is changing you and me, but remember , we have a part in that too. You can't hold on. You must let go to Him. As  He works that stuff out of your heart, you will begin to be more aware of the words you say about others. You are not perfect so don't be hard on yourself if you mess up a few days.Just keep giving it to Him. Probably means there is some more filth to clean out of your heart. More and more, you will speak life giving words and you will WANT to speak life words. When others start gossiping or speaking those negative words, you will notice it. You will be spiritually aware of what they are saying, or even of what you are saying. Have peace and  joy knowing that is because God is changing your heart!!  As you speak more life giving words over your family, yourself and others...pay attention to what happens with those relationships. Is your marriage improving? Are your children starting to act a little more respectful? Did your diagnosis from the test you had come back that everything is ok? Not kidding here. And, if you think this is some hocus pocus non-sense, go to God's word. Remember, this is a serious matter to God. You will see  that as you read His word. 

As I close today, I encourage you with this scripture that I always go back to when I am struggling with this. It comes from the book of Ephesians Chapter 4.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

The words in italics are the ones I  focus on most. Say only what is HELPFUL in buidling others up. Lets build up love and tear down hate with our words. 


In Christ's Never Ending Love,

~M ~ 

~Blessing Others~

You get an angry phone call from a friend, co worker, relative...they go on and on with you for a simple misunderstanding. You feel increasingly upset, even angry..you can feel your blood pressure rising by the minute. Your heart rate is as if you just ran a mile. You try to explain yourself to them in a calm , cool  , and collected manner (though you may not FEEL like doing that) and yet, they cut you off and still ramble on. The conversation ends badly. Someone hangs up on the other. You feel like you want to call back and fix it yet, you are so angry with them. How could they treat you like that over something so trivial? Or even if it's big...why won't they let you explain yourself? The conversation stirs in your mind all day and all night. Your day just isn't the same. It started off pretty good but  now, now it's ruined. You think, "This person has serious issues." You start to justify  yourself and your actions and point blame at them. It was him or her anyway that went off on YOU. And, you are not in the wrong! Maybe they are wrong and don't want to admit it...or no one is wrong they are just misunderstanding something you said, something you did or did not do, or maybe someone else told them a  lie about you or that you said about them. Your anger and your almost disgust or perhaps hatred towards this person is increasing as the hours pass. Maybe this is the first time this has happened with this person.  Maybe it's the 100th time this has happened. Perhaps it's someone who tends to flip out often and not get all  the information first. You find yourself judging and judging more and more. "But God," you say, "it wasn't my fault! "

You may be right. It was not your fault. They are in the wrong. They should have called you or came to you face to face in a calm manner trying to figure this thing out. Trying to get answers in a mature fashion. We are all  adults anyway right?
We all have dealt with this situation.  They take things the wrong way and then they just go on and on with it. Not letting you explain or tell them what happened or what you meant by what you said or did. They just think they know and they just lose it.  It is even harder if you really did not do anything wrong. What do we do in a situation like this? 

This is a type of scenario we ALL encounter at some time in our lives. Some of us, more often the we like. Whether it is work related, or family related...it's not easy. It's tough to have your head bitten off and chewed on. Thankfully, God has an answer to this stressful situation. But...it may  not be the answer we want to hear. Many times that is the case.God asks us to act in a way that is in total conflict to how we feel. (Hence the battle between flesh and spirit) But, we can  rest assured that His way will always ALWAYS produce better results. 

So, what does God ask  us to do in His word with this type of situation and person? He asks us to....drum roll....BLESS THEM AND PRAY FOR THEM. Oh, and we must not forget...TO LOVE THEM. Yup. You got it. These individuals  that are spewing fire out of their  nostrils and throwing daggers at us, over seemingly nothing...we must LOVE, BLESS and PRAY for. Whew. That's a tough one!  

Here is what God's word actually says in Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Ok, I  admit this is not easy for me! But, I have been taking this to God and asking Him to help me to love others as He loves them. And to help me bless others when they are difficult. I just pray for them and ask God to bless them and forgive them and help me to love them. And you know what?  More and more, as I remember to do that, I find that I don't feel so negative towards them anymore. Seriously, it's kind  of amazing but, I suppose it's how God works! :-) He will bless US for blessing others! When we choose His road, the High road, and we obey Him and just love and bless and pray for people when we would rather rip off their  heads....then He of course see's this sacrifice and our obedience and He in turn blesses us. He is blessing me with the ability to see them how he see's them, to see why they did what they did and how they are hurting ....to have compassion for someone I am at odds with! That's something only God can do in you! 

As we each deal with these tough people, or even enemies , I pray that we all would learn how to love not only our family, friends and neighbors, but how to love our enemies as well. And that we  would all remember to pray for them and to bless them. Remember, it may seem unthinkable and unachievable but God WILL help you do this! Just ask him :-) 

Hang in there and keep on loving!!

In Jesus' Mighty Love,

~M~