Daily Devotional: 4/20/2018
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.
Two of the main focuses of Jesus’s ministry was love and peace. He preached loving each other, even loving your enemy. He preached that if someone slaps you on the cheek turn to them the other, if someone sues you for your shirt you give them your coat as well, if you are forced to go a mile go two (Mt. 5:39-41). We are told to not pay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9., Rom. 12:17). When we pay evil with evil we are just making the situation worse than it should be. We have the choice to do the right thing; you have a bucket of water and a bucket of gasoline, what are you going to throw on the fire? You get no where if you play with fire and throw gasoline on it. There is an old saying, “if you play with fire you’re going to get burned.” The Message version for the second half of this verse says, “but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.” People if are paid evil with evil are just going to throw more evil at you, but if you pay love with evil they are not going to know what to do. It is more powerful to be the better person and show love even if that person hurt you deeply. Forgiveness is a key to living a happy and good life. If you do not forgive, you will grow bitter. Bitterness is a easy way for you heart to harden, and it is always a good way for the devil to grab a hold to your heart. All the devil need is a crack in the door to your heart. The devil is slick and smart, but Jesus is slicker and smarter. So just be aware and protect your heart. The devils’s biggest weakness is love and Jesus is love. Yesterday, I watched two brothers in Christ of mine get persecuted by 20 plus other brothers in action. A part of these 20 there were other brothers in Christ in the mix. It was one of the most heart breaking things to watch. I never seen such a thing, I had know I idea what to do. I did the only thing I knew how to do in the situation was try and be the voice of reason. I played Switzerland, because I did not agree with the way the 2 went at something, but at the same time it was not the “wrong thing” it was something they thought was “right.” The way they went at it and the others would have went at it, there was no right way or wrong way, just different perspectives. We should always put ourself in other people’s shoes before jumping to conclusions. We should always look at other people’s perspectives before crucifying. That is the problem with this world now, specially this country. We are all guilty of having a one-track mind and do not take into consideration the side of the opposite. Try something new today, put the shoes of your “enemy” see their side. Try new things. Step out of your comfortable zone. Experience new things. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to even pray for them (Mt. 5:44).
Lord, thank you for waking us up this morning. Thank you for your word. I pray that it cuts us at the heart, molds us to be the men and women you want us to be. Dull our tongue, and protect our hearts. Allow us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Allow us to put the shoes of the opposite on and experience their way of life. Allow us to be the light in the world of darkness. Allow us to be gentle in our words and encouraging. Allow people to learn and love. I pray for the persecuted and persecutors. In Jesus’s I pray, Amen.
#LetsBeAMovement
Two of the main focuses of Jesus’s ministry was love and peace. He preached loving each other, even loving your enemy. He preached that if someone slaps you on the cheek turn to them the other, if someone sues you for your shirt you give them your coat as well, if you are forced to go a mile go two (Mt. 5:39-41). We are told to not pay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9., Rom. 12:17). When we pay evil with evil we are just making the situation worse than it should be. We have the choice to do the right thing; you have a bucket of water and a bucket of gasoline, what are you going to throw on the fire? You get no where if you play with fire and throw gasoline on it. There is an old saying, “if you play with fire you’re going to get burned.” The Message version for the second half of this verse says, “but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.” People if are paid evil with evil are just going to throw more evil at you, but if you pay love with evil they are not going to know what to do. It is more powerful to be the better person and show love even if that person hurt you deeply. Forgiveness is a key to living a happy and good life. If you do not forgive, you will grow bitter. Bitterness is a easy way for you heart to harden, and it is always a good way for the devil to grab a hold to your heart. All the devil need is a crack in the door to your heart. The devil is slick and smart, but Jesus is slicker and smarter. So just be aware and protect your heart. The devils’s biggest weakness is love and Jesus is love. Yesterday, I watched two brothers in Christ of mine get persecuted by 20 plus other brothers in action. A part of these 20 there were other brothers in Christ in the mix. It was one of the most heart breaking things to watch. I never seen such a thing, I had know I idea what to do. I did the only thing I knew how to do in the situation was try and be the voice of reason. I played Switzerland, because I did not agree with the way the 2 went at something, but at the same time it was not the “wrong thing” it was something they thought was “right.” The way they went at it and the others would have went at it, there was no right way or wrong way, just different perspectives. We should always put ourself in other people’s shoes before jumping to conclusions. We should always look at other people’s perspectives before crucifying. That is the problem with this world now, specially this country. We are all guilty of having a one-track mind and do not take into consideration the side of the opposite. Try something new today, put the shoes of your “enemy” see their side. Try new things. Step out of your comfortable zone. Experience new things. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to even pray for them (Mt. 5:44).
Lord, thank you for waking us up this morning. Thank you for your word. I pray that it cuts us at the heart, molds us to be the men and women you want us to be. Dull our tongue, and protect our hearts. Allow us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Allow us to put the shoes of the opposite on and experience their way of life. Allow us to be the light in the world of darkness. Allow us to be gentle in our words and encouraging. Allow people to learn and love. I pray for the persecuted and persecutors. In Jesus’s I pray, Amen.
#LetsBeAMovement
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