To the addict of the unkind word...

 Today's Daily Thought: To the addict of the unkind word

 James 3:2, 9-10, "We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check...With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

The most powerful muscle in your body is not your arm or even your leg. You may be able to lift a heavy weight or run far and yet may not be truly strong. True power, true strength, is found in your mouth. It's by the control of your tongue a person is shown to have power and strength.

He or she who can control the muscle of the tongue can control all of themselves. By the control of their tongue they can control their behavior and the very direction of their lives. (James 3:3-4)

On the other hand, by the power of the tongue great evil is accomplished. Like a fire that burns and destroys, the tongue can bring horrible destruction (James 3:5-6). Lives can be ruined by the things we say. Very often our own life is engulfed in the blaze of our words.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, has lectured throughout this country on the powerful, often negative impact of words. He often asks audiences if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to, another person. Invariably, a small number of listeners raise their hands, signifying "Yes." Others laugh, and quite a few call out, "No!"

Telushkin responds: "Those who can't answer 'yes' must recognize that you have a serious problem. If you can't go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you're addicted to alcohol. If you can't go 24 hours without smoking, you're addicted to nicotine. So if you can't go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you've lost control over your tongue." [Mark Mitchell, "The Life-Giving Tongue," Qoheleth blog (11-15-13)]

Have you lost control over your tongue? We are often so flippant in the things we say. We become addicts of negative words and malicious banter. We give our words so little thought. What would happen if we spent as much time training our tongues as we did training our bodies? What would happen if we changed our negative words into affirming positive ones? How could it change our lives and the lives of those around us?

Here are words to live by: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..." (James 1:19).

You want to change your life? Start with what you say and the rest will follow.

 Prayer: Our Father God, forgive us for our weak tongues, unguarded words, inappropriate speech, unkind gossip and malicious banter. Bring to us words that praise, that affirm, that build up and bring You glory. Be the Lord of our tongues. In Jesus name, amen.

The influence of a godly mother...

Today's Devotional Thought:

Proverbs 31:26-29, "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.""

As Mother's Day approaches our appreciation of Mom comes to the forefront of our minds. A godly mother is worth her weight in gold. We don't always appreciate her as we should, but a godly mother can make all the difference. Denzel Washington, the actor, shares how his godly Mom made all the difference:

 "When I was young and started really making it as an actor, I came and talked to my mother and said, 'Mom, did you think this was going to happen? I'd be so big and I'll be able to take care of everybody and I can do this and I can do that.'"

Mama Washington reprimanded her son: "Oh, you did it all by yourself? I'll tell you what you can do by yourself: Go outside and get a mop and bucket and clean these windows—you can do that by yourself, superstar."

She said, "Boy, stop it right there, stop it right there, stop it right there!" She said, "If you only knew how many people been praying for you." How many prayer groups she put together, how many prayer talks she gave, how many times she splashed me with holy water to save my sorry behind. [Michael W. Chapman, Denzel Washington to College Grads: 'Put God First,' CSNNEWS.Com (5-11-15)]

Mom's, your godly influence can make all the difference. Never doubt the power of that influence. Never give up in training your children in the way they should go. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."

Praise God for godly Mothers! Isn't it time to show appreciation and love towards yours?

 Prayer: Father God, we thank you for godly mothers. We thank you for their positive influence in our lives. Will you encourage them this Mothers Day? Bless them Father. In Jesus name, amen.

The Beauty That Comes From Pressure...

 Today's Devotional Thought:

 James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Geologist Dr. James Clark recounts visiting the Soviet Union a few years after Communism dissolved. He was asked to preach at a small Russian Baptist church that lived through a long season of persecution. Some in the congregation had been in prison because of their testimony in Christ.

Others had husbands or relatives that had suffered or had even been killed for their faith. Dr. Clark decided to use the following geological illustration:

Clay is actually composed of many microscopic clay mineral crystals, which not even a light microscope can see. But under pressure the clay minerals are not crushed or made smaller. Rather, they grow larger. The minerals change into new larger biotype grains forming slate, found on many homes. With even more pressure, the minerals become even larger. And some are transformed into garnets, which are semi-precious gems.

Clark said:

I explained to the congregation that this geological process illustrates how pressure and suffering can be used to refine, purify, and mold a person into a more beautiful soul. I will never forget what I saw when I looked at the congregation. It seemed like the whole congregation was sparkling. The babushkas' (old women) eyes were gleaming bright with tears recalling past suffering. What makes a gem so attractive? It's the reflection. And these dear women and men were reflecting God's glory through the suffering they had endured.

The metamorphic rock story doesn't end there. With even more pressure applied, a new mineral forms called staurolite (see picture). The name is from two Greek words meaning "stone cross." The twin variety forms deep under high mountains in the shape of a cross. A reminder of Christ's ultimate suffering for us all. [Adapted from Dr. James Clark, "Dr. James Clark Speaks on Metamorphic Rocks," You Tube (12-2-10)]

When it comes to your suffering no one can answer why. Whatever trial you face no trite answer will make it easier. But you are not alone. God will go with you and as He does He can use your suffering to make you into a beautiful soul. How do I know? Because of the cross. When God says, "I understand your pain," you can know He does. When He says, "I can turn ashes into beauty," you can turn to the cross and know it's true. He already has and He will do it for you too.

 Prayer: Father, we thank You that You loved us and love us even now when we suffer. We thank You for the hope that You can work even our suffering into something beautiful. If we must face it we will and can if we have You. Will You go with us along this road? Will You carry us when we are too weak to stand? Will You turn our tears to laughter and our mourning to joy? We know You can and have the hope You will. In Jesus name, amen.

Something has to die...

 Today's Devotional Thought:

 1 Peter 1:18-19, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

Luke 9:23-24, "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it."

Popular author and shame researcher Brené Brown recently talked about coming back to church after years away and the moment "the whole Jesus thing" finally clicked. She said:

 "People would want love to be unicorns and rainbows. So then you send Jesus, and people say, "Oh my..., love is hard, love is sacrifice, love is trouble, love is rebellious." As Leonard Cohen sings, "Love is not a victory march … it's a broken hallelujah." Love isn't hearts and bows. It is very controversial. In order for forgiveness to really happen, something has to die. Whether it's your expectations of a person, or your idea about who you are. There has to be a death for forgiveness to happen. In all of these faith communities where forgiveness is easy, and love is easy, there's not enough blood on the floor to make sense of that." [William McDavid, Ethan Richardson, and David Zahl, Law and Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (and Saints), (Mockingbird, 2015), page 47]

God has not called us to an easy love. He's called us to a cross. Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Unless you die to self you cannot follow. If you do not follow you are not Jesus' disciple. Slick-tongued preachers pour honey coated words into itching ears, "I'm ok, you're ok." We sing, "Just As I Am," as if God expects nothing from us but our assent. Perhaps no one has loved you enough to tell you: unless you die you cannot live. Taking up your cross daily and following Jesus isn't easy-chair Christianity. But there isn't grace without a cross. Grace may be free but it isn't cheap.

For their to be forgiveness something has to die. Christ must die so we might live. We must die so Christ may live in us. This isn't unicorns and rainbows. Real love is messy. Real love leaves blood on the floor.

 Prayer: Holy Father, today we take up our cross and follow. Help us, as John the Baptist once said, to decrease and Christ to increase. Help us to die to ourselves that we might live. We thank You for Your messy love that left the precious blood of Your Son on the floor for us. It is our only hope. We pray in Jesus name, amen.

Bringing Unity in Marriage

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Today's Devotional Thought:

Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

New York Times columnist David Brooks argues that there are three different lenses through which to think about marriage decisions—the psychological, the romantic, and the moral lens.

Most of the popular advice books adopt a psychological lens. These books start with the premise that getting married is a daunting prospect. So psychologists urge us to pay attention to traits like "agreeableness," social harmony, empathy, and niceness.

The second lens is the romantic lens. This is the dominant lens in movie and song. More than people in many other countries, Americans want to marry the person they are passionately in love with. But in their book "The Good Marriage," Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee concluded that 15 percent of couples maintain these kinds of lifelong romantic marriages.

The third lens is the moral lens. In this lens a marriage exists to serve some higher purpose. Brooks points to Tim Keller's book "The Meaning of Marriage," where Keller argues that marriage introduces you to yourself; you realize you're not as noble and easy to live with as you thought when alone. Brooks writes:

In a good marriage you identify your own selfishness and see it as the fundamental problem. You treat it more seriously than your spouse's selfishness. The everyday tasks of marriage are opportunities to cultivate a more selfless love. Everyday there's a chance to inspire and encourage your partner to become his or her best self. In this lens, marriage isn't about two individuals trying to satisfy their own needs; it's a partnership of mutual self-giving for the purpose of moral growth and to make their corner of the world a little better. [Adapted from David Brooks, "Three Views of Marriage," The New York Times (2-13-16)]

Paul asks the Philippian Church to look through the moral lens at their relationships. There was disunity in the Church. There was grumbling and arguing (Philippians 2:14). There was quarrels and fights (Philippians 4:2). The problem, as Paul saw it, was pride or self-centeredness. The cure, the thing that could bring unity, and can bring unity in our marriages as well, is humility or other-centeredness.

Have you found disunity in your marriage? The answer is to value your spouse above yourself and consider their needs above your own. Any marriage in which both partners look through this moral lens will find joyous unity and healing. The end result will be a marriage that will stand the test of time.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we often struggle to put others above ourselves. You ask us to bear a cross of self denial. Help us in this daily difficult task. Bless our relationships. Bless our marriages. Bring us unity and let it bring You glory. In Jesus, amen.