I know a lot of people who seem to have this trait, and I tend to struggle with it as well. I notice that I wrestle with it more when I am around others who are negative, grumblers and complainers. But to be quite honest, I don’t need anyone’s help. I have the negativism thing down pretty good on my own. Why do we do this? I’m not really sure. Sometimes, as Americans, I think we are a bunch of big ‘ole spoiled brats. We have more than we need and when things don’t quite go our way, we get all upset. We stomp our feet like little children and get angry. Then we start to moan and groan and complain and grumble. But I think we are showing ingratitude toward God when we do. I believe we must seek to change this by becoming grateful to God for all the blessings He has given us. Otherwise, we are sort of acting like the Israelites back in the Old Testament. They moaned and groaned and complained, too. And what happened to them? They wandered around in the desert for 40 years!! I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to do that!!! I want to get victory over being negative, complaining and grumbling and to stop wandering around in the desert!!
Well, I came across this wonderful devotional from Our Daily Bread. I actually tried not being negative for a week. Let me tell you, it’s harder than you think. At least it was for me. I felt like the harder I tried, the more I failed. I felt like there was a little demon following me around saying, “Oh yeah, I’m not going to let you succeed at this, Missy.” But, that did not stop me from trying. And, so I continue… when I fail, I repent and ask God’s forgiveness and keep on trying. One of these days, I will have victory over it. Because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Clean Up The Environment
What a frustrating problem pollution is! Everybody suffers with it, yet everybody contributes to it.
Pollution takes many forms, but one type is often overlooked. Charles Swindoll calls it “verbal pollution,” passed around by grumblers, complainers, and criticizers. “The poison of pessimism,” Swindoll writes, “creates an atmosphere of wholesale negativism where nothing but the bad side of everything is emphasized.”
A group of Christian friends became concerned about this form of pollution and their personal part in it. So they made a pact to avoid critical words for a whole week. They were surprised to find how little they spoke! As they continued the experiment, they actually had to relearn conversation skills.
In Ephesians 4, Paul called believers to that sort of decisive action. He said we are to “put off” the old self and its conduct that grieves the Holy Spirit (vv.22,30) and “put on” the new self that builds up others (v.24). As we rely on the help of the Spirit (Gal 5:16) we can make those changes in our conduct, our thinking, and our speaking.
If we want to be rid of verbal pollution, we must choose to change and ask for God’s help. It’s a great way to start cleaning up our spiritual environment.
~by Joanie Yoder/Our Daily Bread (April 8, 2010)
I hope this has been an encouragement and blessing to you.
God Bless!! :o)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Free Easter Printable
Happy Crafting and God Bless!!
"...Love Extravagantly..." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Friday, April 8, 2011
Brokenness
I have been listening to a new series by Pastor James MacDonald called 10 Choices to Change Your Life Forever. All I can say is WOW! If you are serious about change in your life, for the better, you must hear this series! Go to walkintheword.com (or click on the link under blogs/sites I follow) and find a station that carries his broadcast. This series truly will change your life if you are serious about making a change! You can also order the series on DVD or CD (I did as I needed to hear the messages over again a few times-it's THAT good!) and Pastor James also has a book out on the series. After I view and re-view the series a few times, I will post some of the content that I think is really important on my blog. But, you really need to hear the entire series, trust me!! :o)
Many times I find myself needing to surrender it all to God and needing to become broken before Him. Too often I try to do things in my own strength rather than letting Him guide and lead me and work through me. God has really been working on my heart lately and trying to get me back on track in my relationship with Him. I am learning that it's really all in the choices I make. Instead of just "reacting" to things, which is my normal way, I am trying to consciously "choose" how I react. Will I react in a godly, God-honoring way and let the Holy Spirit lead me? Or will I react in my flesh; in an angry, selfish, prideful way and dishonor God?
I found this great devotional at walkintheword.com that Pastor James wrote on Brokenness. I hope it blesses your heart. :o)
Have you ever been broken? Brokenness is empty-handedness before God. It has no demands; it make no requests. It is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. It is not just saying, “God, I need You,” but “God, You are all I need.”
Brokenness is saying “no” to the clamoring voice of your flesh. It is saying “no” to the pride and self-confidence that has made you restless and unhappy for so long. It is saying “yes” to the longing for God that He has planted deep within the soul of each person.
Before a horse can be useful to its owner, it has to be broken. An unbroken stallion is proud and strong. It will paw and snort and let no one ride it. But then a bit goes in its mouth, a saddle goes on its back, and someone climbs up and hangs on. The stallion immediately starts to buck, because it doesn’t want to be broken. But eventually it stops fighting and surrenders to the will of its master.
Sometimes we have that same stubborn, rebellious, I-can-do-it spirit within us. God has to break those attitudes because they keep us from experiencing true intimacy with Him. You say, “What exactly is going to be broken?” Here are some of the big ones:
1. Stubbornness. “I am going to do this my way.” If you are one of God’s children, that attitude is on its way out. You can fight with Him for a long time if you want, but your stubbornness will eventually be broken.
2. Pride. “I know better; I am better.” God hates pride in the hearts of His children. He hates it in my heart; He hates it in yours. People who have been greatly used by God have come to grips with the need to dispense with all pride.
3. Willfulness. “You can’t make me. You can’t tell me. When I am good and ready, I will.” That’s willfulness, and it is also on its way out. If you are one of God’s children, He is going to use whatever He has to use to get that out of your heart and life.
4. Independence. “I can make it without You.” Nothing will inhibit your intimacy with the Father like an attitude of self-sufficiency. Those who have been used greatly by God have recognized their weakness and relied on His strength.
All of these attitudes keep us from experiencing true intimacy with God. That is why He will do whatever it takes to break us. You say, “Well how does God break us?” Here are some of His most common tools:
Have you ever been broken? You will never experience true intimacy with God until you are able to come before Him in genuine humility, utterly desperate for Him. You need to be broken. ~Pastor James MacDonald
I pray this devotional has brought you some insight into brokenness and has blessed you!!
God Bless!! :o)
Many times I find myself needing to surrender it all to God and needing to become broken before Him. Too often I try to do things in my own strength rather than letting Him guide and lead me and work through me. God has really been working on my heart lately and trying to get me back on track in my relationship with Him. I am learning that it's really all in the choices I make. Instead of just "reacting" to things, which is my normal way, I am trying to consciously "choose" how I react. Will I react in a godly, God-honoring way and let the Holy Spirit lead me? Or will I react in my flesh; in an angry, selfish, prideful way and dishonor God?
I found this great devotional at walkintheword.com that Pastor James wrote on Brokenness. I hope it blesses your heart. :o)
Brokenness
Have you ever been broken? Brokenness is empty-handedness before God. It has no demands; it make no requests. It is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. It is not just saying, “God, I need You,” but “God, You are all I need.”
Brokenness is saying “no” to the clamoring voice of your flesh. It is saying “no” to the pride and self-confidence that has made you restless and unhappy for so long. It is saying “yes” to the longing for God that He has planted deep within the soul of each person.
Before a horse can be useful to its owner, it has to be broken. An unbroken stallion is proud and strong. It will paw and snort and let no one ride it. But then a bit goes in its mouth, a saddle goes on its back, and someone climbs up and hangs on. The stallion immediately starts to buck, because it doesn’t want to be broken. But eventually it stops fighting and surrenders to the will of its master.
Sometimes we have that same stubborn, rebellious, I-can-do-it spirit within us. God has to break those attitudes because they keep us from experiencing true intimacy with Him. You say, “What exactly is going to be broken?” Here are some of the big ones:
1. Stubbornness. “I am going to do this my way.” If you are one of God’s children, that attitude is on its way out. You can fight with Him for a long time if you want, but your stubbornness will eventually be broken.
2. Pride. “I know better; I am better.” God hates pride in the hearts of His children. He hates it in my heart; He hates it in yours. People who have been greatly used by God have come to grips with the need to dispense with all pride.
3. Willfulness. “You can’t make me. You can’t tell me. When I am good and ready, I will.” That’s willfulness, and it is also on its way out. If you are one of God’s children, He is going to use whatever He has to use to get that out of your heart and life.
4. Independence. “I can make it without You.” Nothing will inhibit your intimacy with the Father like an attitude of self-sufficiency. Those who have been used greatly by God have recognized their weakness and relied on His strength.
All of these attitudes keep us from experiencing true intimacy with God. That is why He will do whatever it takes to break us. You say, “Well how does God break us?” Here are some of His most common tools:
- Broken health
- Broken careers
- Broken dreams
- Broken relationships
- Broken promises
- Broken hearts
Perhaps life is going very well right now, and you can say, “I’m not going through this breaking thing.” That’s not very comforting, actually. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you’re not going through any hard times, then God is not working on you. And if God is not working on you, perhaps you are not one of His children. Maybe you need to examine yourself and see whether you are in the faith.
Have you ever been broken? You will never experience true intimacy with God until you are able to come before Him in genuine humility, utterly desperate for Him. You need to be broken. ~Pastor James MacDonald
I pray this devotional has brought you some insight into brokenness and has blessed you!!
God Bless!! :o)
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