Here are my thoughts on gentleness...
Sometimes I forget the power of my words. I forget that love conquers all.
Proverbs 25:15 -
"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone."
Gentleness is a command from God. He calls us to love others by honoring others and respecting them.
Ephesians 4:2 -
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Our response to God's never-ending love and patience with us is gentleness and love toward all.
Colossians 3:12 -
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Gentleness is more beautiful than outward appearances. It is also more handsome :) It shows inward beauty and maturity.
1 Peter 3:4 -
Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
-Aylin
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Forever Faithfulness
I think faithfulness is SO important. I am so glad that I have people in my life that love me. They won't ditch me for more popular people. They will reply to my emails, pray for me, and check up on me.
People need to know that someone is there for them. I once heard of one, single phone call that stopped a teen from committing suicide. They had no idea someone cared, so they hopelessly reached for the "out" called death - when the phone rang. It was just a girl returning a phone call, yet it saved a life.
Although we live in a individualistic culture, we were never meant to be totally solitary creatures. We need community. We need to know that people care. We need someone to be there for us. And, someone needs YOU to be there for them. Today, let's take time to make sure we are.
-Aylin
People need to know that someone is there for them. I once heard of one, single phone call that stopped a teen from committing suicide. They had no idea someone cared, so they hopelessly reached for the "out" called death - when the phone rang. It was just a girl returning a phone call, yet it saved a life.
Although we live in a individualistic culture, we were never meant to be totally solitary creatures. We need community. We need to know that people care. We need someone to be there for us. And, someone needs YOU to be there for them. Today, let's take time to make sure we are.
-Aylin
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Being Good
"Goodness in man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good." (http://www.dictionary.com/)
That's what the Dictionary says goodness is. "A deliberate preference of right to wrong." Not only that (everyone probably prefers right to wrong), but acting upon that feeling. Goodness isn't just wanting right. It's doing right. It's moving toward perfection in Christ, which is shown through maturity. Making right decisions motivated by the love of God.
The thing is, it isn't easy to just up and do right. Our sinful nature tries to stifle all urges toward righteousness. Paul says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)
This isn't something we can do on our own - there is nothing we can do perfectly on our own. This is a part of the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of us working hard. Yes, we do have to want it and do our best to go after goodness, but being truly good is only made perfect in God. We can't get there on our own.
-Aylin
That's what the Dictionary says goodness is. "A deliberate preference of right to wrong." Not only that (everyone probably prefers right to wrong), but acting upon that feeling. Goodness isn't just wanting right. It's doing right. It's moving toward perfection in Christ, which is shown through maturity. Making right decisions motivated by the love of God.
The thing is, it isn't easy to just up and do right. Our sinful nature tries to stifle all urges toward righteousness. Paul says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)
This isn't something we can do on our own - there is nothing we can do perfectly on our own. This is a part of the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of us working hard. Yes, we do have to want it and do our best to go after goodness, but being truly good is only made perfect in God. We can't get there on our own.
-Aylin
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Kindness
"Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor." Proverbs 21:21
Kindness. So simple, yet so hard.
I love how precise Paul is when he is writing this--a lot of times, I think of love and kindness as the same thing. But they aren't.
You see, you can love someone without being kind to them. I love my little sister, but I'm screaming at her more than I'm doing things for her.
In fact, I think that that is one of the devil's favorite lies: Thinking that, because you love them, you are automatically kind to them.
Because of this lie, we often wind up doing the opposite. Thinking that because you already love them, you have no need to be kind to them.
But don't get me wrong--you have to be kind to more then just the people you love. That right there is the hardest part.
But, you know what? It is God's command to be kind to everyone, because He first loved us. We are without excuse.
We, as Christians, must follow God's example of kindness, especially to those we don't love.
~Elizabeth
Kindness. So simple, yet so hard.
I love how precise Paul is when he is writing this--a lot of times, I think of love and kindness as the same thing. But they aren't.
You see, you can love someone without being kind to them. I love my little sister, but I'm screaming at her more than I'm doing things for her.
In fact, I think that that is one of the devil's favorite lies: Thinking that, because you love them, you are automatically kind to them.
Because of this lie, we often wind up doing the opposite. Thinking that because you already love them, you have no need to be kind to them.
But don't get me wrong--you have to be kind to more then just the people you love. That right there is the hardest part.
But, you know what? It is God's command to be kind to everyone, because He first loved us. We are without excuse.
We, as Christians, must follow God's example of kindness, especially to those we don't love.
~Elizabeth
Monday, February 20, 2012
Patience
Patience, patience, patience. That is one of the hardest things for me. It extends to everything. Patience enough to keep loving people that are really hard to show love to. Patience to wait for God's plans and His timing. Patience to wait and help that person instead of tearing off to where ever I want to be. It's hard. Some people seem to have an endless supply of patience. I am not one of them.
We live in a "now" society. Why wait to actually eat in a restaurant when you can use the drive through and eat while you drive? Why stop and call someone if you can text them while you talk to someone else? Now trust me, I am not an old lady lamenting new-fangled technology. We live in a fast pace world of schedules and all that. I get that. But, some things are worth waiting for.
Like spending time with God. Making time for Him is really important. It sets up the whole day. Spending time praising Him, listening to hear His voice, and reading the Bible are too important to miss. The rest of the day can wait until that's done. That's something that I have to drill into my own head all too often. God took quite a bit of time saving us. He has patience with our sin-corrupted lives - just waiting for us to come to Him. He gives us a lifetime to decide. He deserves our time and heart.
-Aylin
We live in a "now" society. Why wait to actually eat in a restaurant when you can use the drive through and eat while you drive? Why stop and call someone if you can text them while you talk to someone else? Now trust me, I am not an old lady lamenting new-fangled technology. We live in a fast pace world of schedules and all that. I get that. But, some things are worth waiting for.
Like spending time with God. Making time for Him is really important. It sets up the whole day. Spending time praising Him, listening to hear His voice, and reading the Bible are too important to miss. The rest of the day can wait until that's done. That's something that I have to drill into my own head all too often. God took quite a bit of time saving us. He has patience with our sin-corrupted lives - just waiting for us to come to Him. He gives us a lifetime to decide. He deserves our time and heart.
-Aylin
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Perfect Peace
"Be Peaceful."
That's what the first page of my journal says (yes, I keep a journal!). It was printed there by whoever made it. It was ironic that on the day I first laid pen to paper in that book, I was anything but peaceful. I didn't really have any reason not to be, but I was anyway. Yes, it was about 90 degrees out and I was stuck in an air condition-less camper trailer. And, yes, I had been cramped, just before that, in the tiny backseat of the family pickup truck next to my siblings.
That didn't really give me the right not to be content. I had already spouted off angrily at my sister and was scowling inwardly at the all-to-hot sun when I opened the journal. "Be Peaceful." I sighed and wrote about the heat and the ice cream truck's annoying tune and the fact that my pen kept skipping at inopportune moments. It didn't help. At all.
I was miserable. I was restless inside, and it spilled out in the way I dealt with everybody else. That's the thing - what I feel inside eventually comes out. If I'm stifling anger, bitterness, or unhappiness, it's eventually going to show in how I react. I need to let God deal with what's inside of me in order to deal with people. He can give peace that passes all understanding. He's the only one who can dissipate the ugliness that builds up inside.
-Aylin
That's what the first page of my journal says (yes, I keep a journal!). It was printed there by whoever made it. It was ironic that on the day I first laid pen to paper in that book, I was anything but peaceful. I didn't really have any reason not to be, but I was anyway. Yes, it was about 90 degrees out and I was stuck in an air condition-less camper trailer. And, yes, I had been cramped, just before that, in the tiny backseat of the family pickup truck next to my siblings.
That didn't really give me the right not to be content. I had already spouted off angrily at my sister and was scowling inwardly at the all-to-hot sun when I opened the journal. "Be Peaceful." I sighed and wrote about the heat and the ice cream truck's annoying tune and the fact that my pen kept skipping at inopportune moments. It didn't help. At all.
I was miserable. I was restless inside, and it spilled out in the way I dealt with everybody else. That's the thing - what I feel inside eventually comes out. If I'm stifling anger, bitterness, or unhappiness, it's eventually going to show in how I react. I need to let God deal with what's inside of me in order to deal with people. He can give peace that passes all understanding. He's the only one who can dissipate the ugliness that builds up inside.
-Aylin
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Pure Joy
Joy. One of the many emotions typically associated with Valentines Day.
Note how God did not inspire Paul to write happiness.
Happiness is the emotion that you get when you get a valentine, a box of chocolate, or small box of conversation hearts. Happiness comes up randomly and is gone just as quickly.
Yet joy is different. Joy is something that last for a long time (if not forever), during the good and bad times.
Joy is where something delights you so much that it sticks with you when things aren't going your way. Something that is worth remembering. Something that shines so brightly that, even when all other lights go out, joy burns on. Joy over what Jesus has done for us--and over what the Spirit continues to do in us.
After all, we have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our heart, not high in our brains.
So, don't be depressed if you didn't get everything you wanted today--and don't be exuberent if you do; because that isn't joy, it's happiness.
"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
~Elizabeth
Note how God did not inspire Paul to write happiness.
Happiness is the emotion that you get when you get a valentine, a box of chocolate, or small box of conversation hearts. Happiness comes up randomly and is gone just as quickly.
Yet joy is different. Joy is something that last for a long time (if not forever), during the good and bad times.
Joy is where something delights you so much that it sticks with you when things aren't going your way. Something that is worth remembering. Something that shines so brightly that, even when all other lights go out, joy burns on. Joy over what Jesus has done for us--and over what the Spirit continues to do in us.
After all, we have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our heart, not high in our brains.
So, don't be depressed if you didn't get everything you wanted today--and don't be exuberent if you do; because that isn't joy, it's happiness.
"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
~Elizabeth
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