Max Lucado's "A Love Worth Giving" By Christy

I’d like to thank the lovely ladies from Thursday night for the enlightening discussion. It was an honor and a blessing and I look forward to being as excited for the next one. And I’m sure as ya’ll read this you’ll know just how touched HE wanted to make sure I was.

We all know that we have a lot of power when we want to use it and even sometimes when we know we have such power we tend to abuse it if it isn’t harnessed correctly. God has given each of us different abilities, skills, talents and gifts but HE expects us to use it for HIS Good, for HIS Will and for HIS Kingdom to be lifted up.
It’s when we use it to hurt, cause pain, or tear others down that we are abusing the power that HE gives us. We have to control what we put in our minds and hearts because it does come out. We do reap what we sow eventually and I don’t know about anyone else but I’ve worked in gardens before and I’d rather reap blessings for our King than spoils for the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (King James Version) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

As HIS Children, we have to remember how easy it is to go either way so we can stop ourselves if we are doing harm and instead edify and lift others up…even ourselves. Thanks to my Sister for the next very valid way to think before speaking.

Is what I’m getting ready to say going to a)hurt someone, b)help someone c)not even need to be said? Maybe not exactly like that ;) but the point is that we need to know when to say something (only to lift up not tear down) and when not to say anything (avoid gossip).

When we can start doing that, man, what a blessing it is.

Quote from Max Lucado’s ‘A Love Worth Giving’

pg 136 - You have the power to change someone’s life simply by the words that you speak.

Pg 137 – There is a test for the tongue. Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger? You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger.

1 Corinthians 8: 1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Ephesians 4:29 (King James Version) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Proverbs 18:21 (King James Version) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 4:20-25 (King James Version) My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
These verses are only a few but reiterate the fact that we need to know how powerful our heart & tongue really are for ourselves and for others. We need to know that Christ’s desire for us is to desire and seek to fill our minds and hearts with HIS Word and His Love so that we can share it with others.

Even if you aren’t an evangelist (yet) eventually we all kind of turn into one  just on different levels lol, your actions and reactions can speak on many levels to people. Yet we also have to remember that yes, we have to be aware that there will always be people watching our every move to see how we react, how we respond etc., but even more importantly, we have to remember that the Father, the Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit ALWAYS see our actions, reactions, thoughts, words (spoken and unspoken) when no one else is around. How do we act then? Is His Kingdom being Glorified by what we are thinking or saying to ourselves, about ourselves, about others, sometimes even about HIM?

If not, we need to become more aware of it and before we know it, we will become more aware of it and our actions will change.

I pray that wherever you are today, whomever you come into contact with even for a brief moment, that somehow, someway, they get a glimpse of our Lord and Savior in you so that it blesses them to be in HIS Presence. Give it a try and don’t be surprised by the reaction. Remember you are HIS Shining Light so it’s not your reflection that they should see, it is HIS.

I love ya’ll and hope you have a GREAT and Glorious Friday!!! God bless!

Christy