Who's in Control?

Who is in control of your life?

Are you the one who decides what you will do and where you will go?

Or have you surrendered it all to God?

Our lives are not our own. They belong to the one who created us.

Our purpose for being on this earth is to bring Glory to Him in ALL that we do and in ALL that we are.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:3

Can people tell a difference in the way you live your life from the rest of the world?

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4

Is God a part of your everyday life? Is He the MAIN part or do you just fit Him in whenever you have the time.

Are you self-centered or God-centered?

Do you limit God by deciding what you will and will not do?

Our lives, here on earth, are so short compared to eternity.

How we live our lives determines where WE will spend eternity as well as where OTHERS will spend eternity.

What impact are you having?

Are lives being changed through the way you live your life?

Are you allowing God to work in you and through you?

I know these are a lot of questions but they are very important questions that we should continually be asking ourselves.

Life is so much more than just “getting through the day”.

When we pillow our heads at night...we need to know that we have made a difference.

If we are not making a difference...than what’s the point?

Like I said...we are here for a reason and purpose.

We must surrender EVERYTHING to God and be willing to follow His lead no matter what.

This can be a very difficult thing to do but it is necessary for us to experience the fullness of what God desires for our lives.

So I challenge you to begin living your life in way that is focused on eternity.

If you do...you will be amazed by what God will do in and through your life. I PROMISE!!

 

My Blessing

Are you Blessing others with the Gift of your time, concern, and full attention?

In other words...Are you a good listener?

What makes a person a good listener?

Being totally focused and tuned in to what someone is saying.
Giving someone your undivided attention and not allowing yourself to get distracted.
Not being judgemental.
Being slow to speak.
Not jumping in every chance you get to interject your thoughts, ideas, or feelings.

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t share our thoughts and feelings. We just need to make sure that we do it at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way.

Sometimes people just need to “vent”.

They may not be wanting for you to solve their problem or give your opinion.

They may just want someone to listen.

A lot of times people are able to gain a better understanding of their situation just by talking through it.

Only give advise or opinions when they are asked for.

Body language and facial expressions are also a big part of being a good listener.

“Battle the press of time and urgency and the hunger to get away. Just lean in, quietly, emphatically, purposefully. And listen.” – The Resolution for Women

We, as humans, tend to be very self-absorbed.

“Most of the time we’re so focused on ourselves and preoccupied with our own feelings, every conversation becomes ultimately about us and how we’re being affected.

We’re parsing what the other person is saying, interpreting as we go, trying to fix whatever problem she’s presenting, jumping in at every possible opening with our own attempts to turn the attention back to us, our experience, and our opinions.

Even if we have good intentions, even when we try really hard to make ourselves listen, we have a hard time keeping it up for long.

And every time our focus lags, we translate to the other person a disinterest not only in what she’s talking about but in herself as a person.” – The Resolution for Women

What is the most difficult part of listening for you?

Not allowing myself to get distracted.
Feeling the need to share my thoughts as soon as I have them because I am afraid I might forget what they were.

Who is the least self-absorbed person you can think of?

Jesus Christ....maybe??

He was the least self-absorbed person to ever walk the face of this earth.

We are supposed to model our lives after His.

^“3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” – Philippians 2:3-5

Do you choose your words wisely?

What does it mean to “choose”?

Choosing means you are making a conscious decision.

This requires us to think before we speak.

^“29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians  4:29-32

What can happen if we don’t think before we speak?

We might say something we wish we wouldn’t have.
We might say something we really didn’t mean but let our emotions get the best of us.
We might not express ourselves in the best way possible which could lead to misunderstanding.
We could hurt someone in a way that will have a lasting or even lifelong impact.

Once you speak words...they can never be taken back.

There’s no rewind or backspace button.

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20

Don’t let your emotions dictate what comes out of your mouth.

Even if it’s true...sometimes it’s better left unsaid.

It can be difficult or even impossible to repair the damage done by your words.

Lines of communication could be severed.

Trust could be lost.

Respect could be lost.
Confidence could be lost.

What kind of talk should we avoid?

Gossip
Speaking negatively about other people.
Condemning (I can’t believe you did that. You are so awful.)
Criticizing (Why can't you be...? I wish you would...)
Discouraging (You can’t do that. You aren’t good enough. You aren’t smart enough.)
Making fun
Sarcasm

Before speaking...think about how it would make you feel.

If you must share your feelings...make sure to do it in a loving way.

Remove yourself from the situation if necessary...at least long enough for you to gather your thoughts.

This is also a good thing to practice if you are in a situation where others are speaking negatively about someone else or gossiping.

Don’t give in to the temptation to join in. Be an example to those around you.

Your words may one day be used against you.

Before speaking, ask yourself...

Are these words going to teardown or buildup?

Is it really worth saying?

Is it going to do more damage than good?

Sometimes...”Silence is Golden”.

Biting our tongue can be difficult for us to do but it may be well worth the effort.

What you say reveals the contents of your heart.

What is your heart filled with?

What should your heart be filled with?

God’s Word, Love, compassion, understanding, concern, respect, patience

What should your heart not be filled with?
Resentment, hatred, jealousy, unforgiveness, critical or judgmental spirit

^“45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”- Luke 6:45 NIV

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14

“You must be the Guardian of your own heart, ensuring that you do not allow it to become polluted by anything that will hinder your mission of being conformed into the likeness of Christ.” – The Resolution for Women

Spend time this week taking inventory of what your heart is filled with.

Ask God to help you to get rid of the “bad” and to fill your heart to overflowing with the “good” through the work of His Holy Spirit.

Take advantage of any opportunities you have to speak positive words into someone’s life.

Just as negative words can have a lifelong impact...so can positive words.

What do you want to be known for?

I want to be known as someone who is a good listener who chooses her words wisely and has a heart filled with good things!!

Resolution #6 – My Blessing

I will be a woman who is quick to listen and slow to speak.

I will care about the concerns of others and esteem them more highly than myself.

 

Reading for April 20th: Pages 127-142 (My Forgiveness)