I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.



This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.



Hugs

Jeannie







Saturday, October 8, 2011

10.8.11

Colossians 4:5-6 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

My Thoughts
I remember times when I believed in God, but just didn't understand how to be close to God, people that were "believers" that were so harsh in their words. Hurtful... harmful actually. Putting things in a way that kept me from Church instead if drawing me to Church.  We once ate dinner with a couple, I had been gambling that week and mentioned it early in the night. From that moment on I was a "sinner!" I was not considered a child of God in any sense of the word.  I could not say a word without being shot down by scripture...I was constantly interrupted and never allowed to finish anything I said.  I felt like these people had doomed me straight to hell.  At the time I was at a Church I was not so comfortable at... I told my husband that if that is what "Church people" were like I didn't want to go to church...and I didn't for years after that dinner.  Godly people had kept me from Church.  At that time in my life I could have been loved into Church..then taught how to have a closer relationship with God and God would have took care of what I was doing wrong. Instead I was condemned by people that had sinned themselves...in their past but in that moment also,  by judging me without getting to know me....there was no way they could know me they didn't take the time to listen to my words, or learn where I was at in my growth or lack of growth as a Christian.
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We are told here in God's word to be very careful of our conversations... that they should be gracious and attractive... We should make sure that people know the love and forgiveness of God. Most people want to do better they just don't know how.  To do better we have to first know God, then God takes care of our heart when we make an effort.  I love Philippians 2:13... God tells us that he will give us the desire and the power to do what pleases him.... those are powerful verses! Colossians 4:5-6 should be put deep into our remembrance as Christians so that we are always mindful of how we treat people...it is our job to win souls to God and his love ... not to make them feel like they could never, ever be good enough.  None of us could ever be good enough on our own... we all need the grace of God to get better, and better.

That weekend when I had gone gambling...I had taken $40 with me... when that was gone I had not spent another dime... to me, at the time I was playing games carefully...with a limit...and I was sticking to that limit.  One day on the way to spend another $40 we passed a pawn shop, then another, and another... the closer we got to the Casino the more pawn shops I saw... God spoke to my heart that day.  What I saw that day was me adding to the destruction of the lives of people that couldn't stop at $40.  I have never been back. Not because a person condemned me... but because a God that I was getting to know better spoke to my heart.  I would have heard his voice sooner if I had not been pushed away, treated like I was so bad that I had no chance.

We need to be mindful of others. We don't know what they have been taught in their lives, we don't know what they have been through.  I think most people are doing their best to be their best... they are doing what they know how to do.  We need to draw them in with love, with kindness. We need our words to be gracious and attractive. We need to be the kind of person they want to be like not the kind of person they want to run from.

I have forgiven my "attackers"... but I have kept that memory of that night in my head. Careful, hoping and praying that I never push people from God.  Learning from that experience that we need to love people, we need to make sure that people see the amazing love of God in  us.  Knowing that each person grows in God at different paces.  I never assume that somebody doesn't know God.... I try never to accuse any body of any thing... after all I could not ever cast the first stone.  I just hope that I live my life in such a way that people want what I have because they see the Joy of the Lord in my face...and they feel the love of God from my words and actions.  I don't always do it right.... but I know that as long as I look to God...as long as I talk to God... as long as I make my effort God will help me do the rest.

What I understand now is that couple we had dinner with were growing in God too....they were trying to be good...they were loving God....and trying to do their best as Christians...they were learning and growing and finding their place. They were trying their best to be a witness for God. They had no idea what they did to me that night...they were doing their best at the time to be a good witness.  I know that God knew their heart even if I didn't know their heart on that night.

I know that life is amazing when we love God.  I know that God's love is amazing and it changed my world.

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