Sunday, March 20, 2011

Focus

God has really been putting my focus on his 2 commandments lately: Love Him and Love others. You think these things are easy to do until you really try to apply them all of the time no.matter.what. Yeesh. That, my friends is tough! More recently I have been pressed by what Jesus said in his command to love one another as He did - a sacrificial love that knows no boundaries. I don't know about you but I'd much rather love those who love me back but that's just not what He did. He loved us all.

There are so many ways we can love and be love to others as Christ commands but the one that stands out the most to me tonight and the one that will be the focus of my week is Ephesians 3:29:

"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."


How can we love others if we are constantly bringing them down or causing them to either stumble or be downcast? It's impossible and if we are going to truly do as Christ so boldly commanded then we have to consider what we are saying before we say it. I know a lot of times I will just talk or complain about something before I even realize how my words may be affecting someone else who is listening -someone my original intention may have never had anything to do with. I don't know about you, but I want to be helpful to others. I want to be an encouragement, a joy - something positive in this world full of negativity and hate. Put simply, If I don't have anything nice to say then I won't say anything at all.


Further reinforcement for this goal is Matthew 12:36, 


"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken."


Ouch. Raise your hand if you're excited about that one? Where was this verse 10 years ago?! I mean, doesn't it make you kinda not ever want to speak again? There is a reason God takes what we say so seriously - He knows how powerful words can be.

Clearly not speaking is impossible for me so I'm going to focus on Him. I'm going to think before I speak and hope that my faith and love for Jesus will literally speak for itself.

2 comments:

How "Sweet" it is... said...

I love this, Bethany! I'm right there with you.

Erin said...

These same scriptures and message have been a recurring theme over the past 2 months. It keeps popping up in various places. I'm certain He is trying to get my attention :)

I'll be lifting you up in this challenge, because I know how HUGE of a struggle it is for me daily, hourly. Thank you so much for sharing!

Ps 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the doors of my lips"