If You Can't Say Something Nice...

My last post ended with me deciding to have a talk with my husband about our marriage. We did have that talk and everything has been good since then. We both apologized and listened to each other's explanations; I'm glad we worked things out.

This morning, I was thinking about some sermons I had heard by Joyce Meyer on the words we use and how we speak. I realized how important words are; I realized I am not careful enough with my words. I am quick to speak and slow to hear - the exact opposite of, "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."  
James 1:19

I'm like Nathaniel, who when he heard about Jesus said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  (John 1:46) Negative, thoughtless words - that's me.

But even though those were his first thoughts, Nathaniel did go see Jesus and after speaking with him said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  John 1:49

When we talk with others, our words should be uplifting, positive and loving. Paul said, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."  Colossians 4:6

Jesus said, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."   Luke 6:45

So, I have some work to do about my mouth and what it speaks. I cannot change myself, because as Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing."  John 15:5  But I can give my heart and my mouth to Jesus and ask him to fill them with good things and to not speak so fast, but to listen and think first. This may take Jesus a long time to do in me since I'm a slow learner - but I know he is patient with me and with everyone.

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." 
 Proverbs 18:21

I Can't Believe I Live Here!

"The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you."  Genesis 12:1

A lot of my childhood was spent packing and moving. I was born in a little town called Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. We moved to Calgary for awhile, to Midway, BC, and then to Victoria, Bc.

When I was 6 we toodled off to California. My brother had asthma and the doctors recommended a dry, hot climate. In California we lived in 8 different houses, I think. Where we lived depended on whether my dad had a good job or a bad one.

I loved moving. It was so exciting to live in different houses. Sometimes I had my own bedroom, other times I shared a room with my older sister. I'm sure my poor mom wasn't happy about all the moves.

I thought of this tonight when I was reading about Abraham. God asked him to move from Ur, a major city of the day, and then Haren and go to a land he had never seen, Caanan. God said he would give this land to Abraham and his descendants.

I wonder how hard that was for Abe and Sarah, his wife. Did Sarah complain about losing all her friends? And she probably never saw her family again. But it says they went in faith, believing and trusting in God.

There was one move I went through as an adult that frightened me. My husband and I had lived in small towns and cities after we married. We didn't want to raise our two girls in a big, bad city. But years later one of our daughters lived in one, Vancouver, BC. She had two boys who were very upset about the daycare they had to go to before and after school. We had a chance to move there and we did so I could babysit the boys.

When we got there I looked up at the tall skyscrapers and wondered what I had gotten myself into. A couple of million people lived there and they all seemed to be walking downtown as we drove by. Taxies, buses, bikes, the homeless, beggers and the police were everywhere! To be honest, I felt terrfied. I thought, "I can't believe I'm going to live here!"

We were there for 5 years, and as I've looked back I've realized those were the happiest years of my life. I came to love that city and all the crazy people in it. I loved being with my grandsons. We had so many good times; did so many fun things. We lived two blocks from the ocean and four blocks from Stanley Park, a gorgeous place. I went for long, peaceful walks every day while the boys were in school.

So, what's the point of this looong narrative on moving? Only this, if God asks you to go somewhere and you are scared stiff, go anyway. You won't regret it.

Why Do (some?) Christians Act Like Jerks?

Who is God?

Someone who accepts and loves you as you are. Someone who has saved you from death. Someone who wants to have your company, your friendship and your love forever.

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. 
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames."     1 Corinthians 3:11-15

I believe these verses are talking about the works of a Christian. As you can see, there are all kinds of works from all kinds of Christians. 

Some things we do are worth gold; some things we do are worthless. Yet, because the person had faith in Jesus' death for him, he will be saved. For we are not saved by works, but by faith in Jesus alone.

"So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'"   Galatians 3:11

Who am I?

A sinful Christian.

Why are some Christians irritating, awful people? Even the best of Christians can be annoying. Why do we sin by not loving enough? Why do we lose our temper? Why aren't we perfect? Why aren't we more like Jesus?

There are hundreds of reasons for this. The main reason is we are all sinners living in a deeply fallen world. We all come from unique backgrounds with weird family members who can mess us up pretty badly. We join different churches and have different pastors who teach different things. We are born with screwy DNA. 

Some of us are dumb; some are smart. Some of us take years to learn things (me); some learn very quickly. Some are born with a sweet disposition; some of us are born angry. Some were abused; some had ideal childhoods. 

Paul says this about his own struggle with sin:

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am un-spiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 

Romans 7:14-25, 8:1

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