James 1:19 tells us that we should "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger..." These are the thoughts God places on my heart.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Have you ever felt like a doormat? Jesus tells us that we are supposed to forgive but does that mean we lose ourselves in the process? Are we okay with not being right all the time? Sometimes we think we are just as right as the other person but we are probably just as wrong. I find that taking some time away from the situation helps tremendously. We try so hard to convince the other person that our point of view is right that we forget about God in the process. Sometimes stepping back and letting God work is the best solution. Sometimes God works on us as well. Understanding that what is driving us often is mind garbage. The devil spends a lot of time placing this mind garbage in our brains. The best time to do this is when we are creating the list of bad habits, traits, and quirks of the person that is disagreeing with us. We focus very often so intently on the negative things that we fail to see the positive things. Mind garbage can infiltrate our lives and make us become very negative people. It can also train us to always focus on the negative aspects of our relationships, our lives, and even ourselves. How do we prevent this garbage from being dumped on us? By focusing on the positive. The next time you are confronted by a friend, family member or spouse that is disagreeing with you, take a step back and list the positive things about this person. Thinking about all of the good things that this person brings to the relationship allows God time to remedy the situation. It also crowds out the negative and pretty soon, you are not even able to remember the things that you consider to be nuisances. Isn't that the way you want to be treated? Why not try it out today.