When You Are Spoken To Unkindly By Someone Close To You-What To Do/

 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.Ephesians 4:31-32

Many people may lash out when under stress for something else but if a person close to you ridicules you or pokes fun at you that is uncool. The saying goes hurting people hurt people so what if you are on the receiving end of being beat up with words and worse yet the other person sees nothing they said as wrong. 

Birth order has much to do about how you react to things. Also if a person was abused as a child or hurt with words they may be programmed to not realize they are wrong. Your job is to not sling words and accusations back but to remain calm and non combative. Only through the love of Jesus will this behavior be squelched. 

PRAYER: Father I give you my day and all people I will encounter today. Help me be kind and loving even when strangers or people I know are rude to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shhhhhh!

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.Psalm 141:3

In James chapter 3 the theme is taming the tongue and how difficult it is. No one can really do it. Just when I think I have it mastered, poof. I blow it again and dig myself into a deep hole. 

Satan loves more than anything when we run off at the mouth without giving thoughts to our words and how they are  received by the person listening. Misspoken words cause hurt, pain, separation, divorce, revenge and a host of things that simply are no where near the fruit of the spirit. 

Be loving to those who have hurt you. Pray for those you have hurt. Ask God for restoration if needed. Above all let it go and begin anew. Don't dwell on what is over. Just make it better your next go round. Allow the Holy Spirit to transform you. 

PRAYER: I am thankful Lord for second chances, third chances, and even more. You forgave so we should forgive. Help me learn from mess ups and try to grow closer to you as a result. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Be Still And Know That I Am God

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  Psalm 46:10(NASB)

There is allot of craziness in our world today. Things the Bible says are wrong are legislated into law trying to deem them right. Wars and terrorism attacks go on around the world. Many just shake their heads and wonder, where is God? 

God has not gone anywhere. He is Lord over creation and the entire world. Our days and our  plans are in His hands. His way is truth and righteousness,  which wins in the end. He only asks that we trust Him and BE STILL. In the chaos and confusion He is still in our midst. Evil will not last forever. 

Yesterday's devotion dealt with this as well. A person can not hear too much "rest, relax, have peace'. Whatever it is that is troubling you when you focus on it too much obviously it will rob you of the peace God wishes for you. Tell God you need His help to keep focused on the truth in the Bible and know He reigns. 

PRAYER:Lord Jesus I choose to not get anxious over worldly things. When I get anxious help me to remember to go to my knees in prayer for it is there real peace comes. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Happy Lord's Day...enjoy this worship song. Click link.

Http://youtu.be/twuLr5rQmp0

He Opened Not His Mouth

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

Are you the kind who likes to get the last word be it in a dispute or just in general? Let's say someone has made you angry somewhere and in many cases self control is needed so you do not end up being reported to the police or fired from your job. Perhaps as a kid you were made fun of or bullied and you sort of just took it. Sometimes keeping our mouth closed is the best option.

Imagine Jesus hanging on the cross for a moment. He got spit on, stripped of his clothes, whipped, yelled at ,yet he took it and he did so for you and me. In the recent blockbuster true film, 'Unbroken' the character of Louis Zamperini was imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp and greatly abused. God was definitely with him to help him survive the immense amount of abuse and torture. 

The way to go through life is to listen more and speak less. Believe me I need to do this more often. Opening your mouth could cause more trouble than good. Trying to prove your point is not always best. Jesus is the greatest example of someone who suffered more than we could imagine yet He kept quiet. What he did say was "Forgive them for they know not what they do". Could you and I do that? How about we at least try. 

PRAYER: I want to be more like you Jesus in the way I act, think, and talk. Guide me Lord and give me the strength to not always say things when it is n it necessary. In Jesus' name. Amen.