SHOT THROUGH THE HEART

James 3:9-10  With our tongue we praise the Lord and our Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's image.  Out of the same mouth comes praising and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

As I sit down to write this blog, my heart fills with despair and sadness over the words spoken in anger and bitterness. So many of us do not stop to think before we speak which lands us in the lap of the enemy.  Words cannot be taken back.  Words spoken in haste, words spoken in a moment without and thought process can cause immense pain and suffering on those who those words are spoken too.   The recipient of our words spoken is often an innocent bystander that simply receives the brunt of our anger.   Sometimes these are the people we love the most.   We become angry.   We are offended.  We are bitter.  So we vent without thinking, we speak without thinking, and we destroy relationships because we allowed the enemy to speak through us.  

We may think that the people we are speaking to deserve to hear the words we are speaking, they may have done wrong to us, they may have hurt us.  And in reality, maybe they do deserve our words, but do they deserve the pain of the arrows we shoot out of our mouth?   Do they truthfully deserve our venomous words?   Do they honestly deserve the endless spew of anger out of our mouth?  Think about it for a moment.  Yea I may feel better in the moment,  " I have to get these things off my 

chest!"  "I need to give them a piece of my mind!"    Okay let me be honest, many of us, including me, cannot afford to give anyone a piece offer minds.   

Listen, out of the heart, the mouth speaks.  So what are your words saying about the condition of your heart?    For way too many years I allowed my mind to speak with really thinking about what I was saying.  I spoke my mind.  But when God revealed to me that my  words told the true condition of my heart, it made me sad.  It also made me get honest with myself about what was really going on in my heart.   I had to get real!   I had to have a heart evaluation done!  I had to let God reveal the pain I had hidden deep in my heart.   Something I had forgotten about, something I had buried in my past that caused me to say things I knew were wrong.  If I didn't deal with my past, if I wasn't honest, if I never looked at the condition of my heart and let God convict me, my words would have remained the same.I would have continued living offended, angry and filled with bitterness.

We have an enemy, his name is Satan.   He wants our words to be filled with anger and bitterness.  He wants us to live our life offended.  He wants us to spam words that shoot an arrow through the heart of those we are speaking to. He wants us to spew words of poison.   To give people a piece of our minds leaves him feeling victorious.  If he can cause friction and pride and selfishness to divide us, he wins.  

Do you really want to allow th enemy to win?   Do you really want to allow him to use you to speak his words to others from your mouth?  I don't.  "Sometimes you just cannot control myself."   BULL!   We do not have to speak words that hurt others.   We do not have to allow our anger to take over.  We do not have to allow our bitterness to infect our words.  And we do not have to allow our mouth to ramble on like a car without a break.   We do not have to give anyone what they trulydeserve,whether they deserve it or not.  

Listen if anyone deserves to spew venomous words and words that shoot throw the heart, it's God!  He could bombard us with words of anger and bitterness towards us, but He doesn't.   He could put us in our place and throw words at us like arrows, but He doesn't.  He could be angry, bitter and offended because of the way we live, act and speak, yet He doesn't.  No matter what we do, He loves us.  No matter what we say to Him, He loves us.  No matter how we treat Him, He loves us.   

We are sinners!  We screw up everyday!  We make the same stupid mistakes over and over and over again.   We are humans and God knows that.  He knows our tongue has been used to curse others, while praising Him. Yet He is still willing to forgive, but we must realize our sins and ask Him to forgive us.  We must allow Him to change our hearts and our words.      We must listen when  He tells us to be quiet!  

Our words should bring life to others, as well as ourselves.  Our words should be encouraging and loving.   Our words should be filled with peace.  Our words should bring healing.   

RIGHT AND WRONG

James 4:17   Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

I want to do what I should do but I don't.  I know what is right but I don't care.  I'm gonna do what I want to do and no one can stop me.  I know it's wrong but who cares, I'm not hurting anyone.   We have all heard these sayings and, to be honest, we have said them.  Alright I will speak for myself, I have said these same words.  For me it's usually when someone tries to tell me what to do or how to do it.  I don't like to be told what to do or how to do it.  After all I know what to do and how to do it.  I'm perfect and I'm always right.  

I remember the time my dad tried to help me with my bowling skills.  To be honest, I sucked at bowling!  It would have helped me if I had listened to my dad and allowed him to teach me, but no!  Not me!  So to this day I still suck at bowling, my dad is in heaven, so I don't chance to learn that from him any longer.  This truly saddens me.  I knew it would be beneficial if I shut up and kept my pride at bay.  I'd probably learn something important.  But no I let my pride and selfishness get in the way.  I was too good to learn a lesson.  I didn't want to admit I was doing things wrong.  I wasn't willing to admit my weaknesses.  My pride and my selfishness got in the way of a lesson learned and because of that I missed out on spending quality time with my dad.

You see, my dad loved to bowl.  He was on 3 different bowling leagues.  He knew what he was talking about.  He knew the right way to throw a ball and the wrong way.  He knew the correct way to handle the ball.  I didn't.  The thing is, I knew it was wrong to ignore his instruction.  I knew it was wrong to continue throwing the ball the way I did, but I did it anyway, just to spite him.  I didn't want to admit he was right.  I didn't want to listen.  I was stubborn, bullheaded and prideful.  How sad it is for me to admit all of this to you.  I still deal with these thoughts of doing what I want to do even though I know it is wrong.  I am human.  

The difference between then and now is Jesus Christ.  When I believed in Jesus, my life changed.  My thoughts began to change. My words began to change.  My TV programs changed.  My music began to change.  My actions began to change.  I have learned that doing my own thing when I know it's wrong, is sin.  Since I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ inside of me and if that statement is true, then doing what I know is sin, is no longer an option for me.  Doing my own thing whether it is wrong or not is not something I wish to do.  Oh I do fail this test occasionally but I realize my sin quicker and ask for forgiveness as soon as I realize.  

To be full of pride is sin!  To be stubborn and bullheaded is sin.  To not be willing to admit you're wrong is sin.   To go ahead and do what we know is wrong is sin.  This is plain and simple!  No doctrine needed!  And as a true believer in Jesus Christ I know it.  The second I do something I knew it was wrong.  I have been instantly convicted by the Holy Spirit many times.  I have heard the whispers;  "You shouldn't have said that."  "Did saying that really make you feel better?"  "Why did you do that?"  "Why didn't you do what I asked you to do?"

Yes, these are ouchy moments that require me to take a good long look in the mirror and let God get really honest with me.  It's not always a good feeling to be honest with ourselves and with God, but I have learned so much about myself and my Almighty Father in Heaven.  I have grown and changed because of my being willing to be convicted and admit my sins.  God has never once condemned me for my sins.  He uses these weaknesses and sins to instruct me to be a better me.  He guides me back onto the path He wants me on.  He forgives me for my sins and failings.  He restores me.

Now I have a tendency to close my eyes in stressful situations.  I close my eyes and pray internally.  "God keep a watch over my mouth.  Let your words, be my words.  Let your actions, be my actions.  Let your love flow from me and keep me in your peace."  Those simple words have prevented me from doing things and saying things I knew were wrong.  Maybe it'll help you too.  

PEACE OUT

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus.

Ah, the sound of peace.  Can't you just breathe it in?  As the sunsets on another day I can sit back and think about the events of today.  The great times, the awesome laughter, the memories, the conversations about life.  Life for me is peaceful, for the most part.   I cherish peace, I crave peace.  I can't imagine what my life would be like if peace wasn't my mission.  That's right peace is a mission for me.  I wish everyone would strive for the peace.  This world would be a much better place.  There would be no wars, no conflict, no fights, no arguments, no screaming or yelling.  Now you have to admit, that sounds amazing.  But if everyone had the peace I do my best to experience, the news wouldn't have anything bad to report.   Prisons would be empty and lawyers wouldn't have any clients.  

For a lot of years I didn't know what true peace was.  I lived offended.  What people said about me or didn't say about me, would offend me.  What people did or didn't do, would offend me.  I remember many years ago a group of friends would get together for a girls night out.  Well I never got invited.  I was so deeply offended that I became very angry at them.  (Yes this is true.)  I probably said some things I shouldn't have, which I deeply regret now, but I was offended.  Well they got word and apologized.  The next time they got together I was invited.  I was so excited.  By the end of the evening, I realized that I really didn't want to go out with them again.  Going out to bars drinking was not my thing, making fun of people was not my thing, complaining about my husband and gossiping about everyone was not my idea of a good time out.  

I realized after that night out that God had me right where He wanted me.  Home with my husband and babies.  So while I was all offended and bitter, God was trying to teach me a very valuable lesson, He had better plan for me.   He wanted me to find true peace and joy. I cannot imagine now what it would be like to live as offended as I was.  To live in turmoil and chaos, filled with anger and bitterness is not any way for me to live.  Oh trust me I fall off the wagon and get offended, but God speaks to me through His Word and I let it go.  Like Elsa says, "Let it go!  Let it go!"  Ah come on I know you're singing along with me.  

Anyway, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, that is one of the first times I truly experienced real peace.  This peace I have experienced is not the normal type of peace we humans think of.  This peace is a peace that is so deep and so profound that I don't understand it and cannot explain it.  

There are times when life throws me a curve ball, you know one of those moments when you sit back and say, "Really God?"  That is when I get so tempted to throw in the peace towel and get offended and angry and bitter.  It is so hard to keep my mouth shut, but God whispers to me "Don't open your mouth!"  So instead I close my eyes and pray silently for God to keep a watch over my mouth so I do not sin against Him.   At those moments when I close my eyes in the midst of a conversation or argument, I am praying and I am listening to the truth of God.  

God's truth changed me.  When ever I feel offended, I do my best to look in the mirror and say "What is there in me that I need to change?"  "Why do I feel this way?"  I have stopped blaming others for making me angry, bitter and offended and I look in the mirror.  Because truth be told, we can control our moods, our feelings, our emotions and our attitudes.  Too often we just refuse to do it.  We also don't want to admit we're at fault.  It way easier to blame someone else.

My life has been a series of choices that include be honest with myself.  As painful as that has been, it has been the most life changing.  When I got real about me and let God deal with me and when I allowed Him to change me, that is when I experienced His peace.  His peace has invaded me like a sunset.  He peace is still changing me and transforming me.  Day by day, bit by bit, little by little His life changing peace is working in me.  It's not easy, trust me, but the pain and reality of who I really am has helped me to grow.  

Listen people, the enemy wants us to live our life offended and bitter and angry.  He loves it when we confront those who have hurt us.  He wants us to yell and scream at people we love.  He wants us to shut others out of our life.  He want to steal our joy, kill our peace and destroy relationships.  Nothing makes him happier.  So we have a choice to make.  We can live the way the enemy wants us to, or we can live the way God wants us too.

PEACE, JOY AND HAPPINESS

OR 

OFFENDED, BITTER AND ANGRY.

Which do you choose?