How You Live Your Faith in Christ Matters More Than You Know

We were made for mission - to live our faith in Jesus in ways that are generous and winsome because people often decide on Jesus by the way we live. #Jesus #BibleStudy #LivingFaith #Blessings

Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 85 languages.

The 5th and last in his list of purposes is – “You Were Made for a Mission.”

“Your life mission is both shared and specific. One part of it is a responsibility you share with every other Christian, and the other part is an assignment that is unique to you.”
Purpose Drive Life by Rick Warren p. 281

And in his letter to the Colossians, Paul makes this important point for all followers of Jesus:

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.
Colossians 4:5

You and I are called to be aware that everywhere we go and in everything we do . . . we are witnessing. We are either representing the loving message of Christ Jesus or we’re not. We are constantly being used to build up or tear down.

That’s why the next words are so very important:

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Colossians 4:6

Peter said it like this:

You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15

The Good News about Jesus makes perfect sense to you and me. Yet, as we live our faith among those to whom it seems foolish, our words and actions must be an example of His truth and love.

We want everyone to know that the Lord is El-Shaddai (All-sufficient) and El-Elyon (Most High God).

Many strive for power, possessions, and popularity but those things never last . . . there will always be a new generation with new ideas, methods, and goals. But not for those of us in Christ. Through Jesus, you and I are given everything we need today, tomorrow, and eternally. We are loved, forgiven, redeemed. We are never alone and never rejected. We are given so much love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that we can give it to the people around us.

And believe me, they’re watching. Don’t you want your joy, encouragement, and gratitude to be so contagious that others are left with a longing to KNOW JESUS!

That’s the “mission” we were made for . . . to live with contagious faith.

A Prayer to Live My Faith with Kindness and Grace

Father, how do I begin to thank you for all You have done for me . . . all You have given me. You have poured grace and mercy into my life. You have shown me that You are “All-sufficient Most High God.” You fill my life with love, joy, peace, patience, and so much more. I want everyone to experience the blessing of knowing and loving You.

Please forgive me for the many times I fail to love the way You want. Forgive me for failing to speak graciously and gently. Forgive me for the ways I’ve failed to show respect. I am so sorry. I realize that people think they know who You are based on the ways Your followers speak and act. Please help me, Lord.

I want to love You with every part of me and I want to love the people around me with Your love. I want those who know me to want to know You. I want people to want what I have. So, Lord God, please fill me with Your love until it overflows onto those around me. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might trust and obey Your will. Make my words and actions “gracious and attractive” that I might have the right response for everyone. Please help me live my faith with love that shares kindness, hope, and joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Pause today and ask the Lord to guide you as you live the unique assignment He has for you. Ask Him to fill you with overflowing joy. And ask Him to make you winsome for Jesus . . . to live with contagious faith.

On today’s note write:

Today, with God’s help, I will live my faith in Jesus by loving others.

May God bless you and give you everything you need today to love like Jesus.

Click here to read the rest of Colossians 4.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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The One Way You Can Be Laser-Focused on What Really Matters

9 / 7 / 219 / 7 / 21

Prioritizing and time management programs always tell you to focus on what really matters - on your highest priorities. There is only One that really matters. #Priorities #Faith #Blessings #BibleStudy

I did a Google search for “Productivity Helps” and links to 338,000,000 articles popped up. Then I searched for “Time Management Helps” and there were so many they asked me to narrow down my group to – “self, student, employment, parent,” or several others.

The same is true of time management seminars and books – the options are endless!

I’ve learned they all have one thing in common: You must determine your highest priorities and intentionally make your efforts and time align with them.

So, what would you say are your highest priorities?

Or when it comes to how you spend your time, maybe a better question is…

How can I be laser-focused on what really matters?

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christand become one with him.
Philippians 3:8–9a

You and I want to make knowing and living for Christ Jesus our highest priority. We want to continue growing in faith and serving Him, but when I examine how I spend my time . . . I have to question whether I have really made spending time with Him a priority. Can you relate?

Well, don’t give up! Paul wrote this word of encouragement as well…

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13b–14

So, how can you and I be laser-focused on what really matters?

We celebrate the forgiveness we have received through Christ Jesus. We make it a goal to know Him and to be like Him. We manage our time and our resources as gifts from Him to be used for Him. And we surrender to His Spirit – asking for help that nothing will distract or deter us from this goal.

A Prayer to Be Laser-Focused on What Really Matters

Father, You have given me so much! You have given me life and faith and forgiveness. You have given me a future and hope. I love You and I want to make knowing and loving You through Your Son, Jesus Christ, my highest priority. Please forgive me yet again, I allow the things of this world to distract me. I allow myself to be caught up in the noise and confusion around me. I am so very sorry!

Please help me! Fill me with the power of Your Spirit. Prompt me to become focused on Jesus . . . He is what really matters. He is my Lord and Savior. Give me a passion for Your Word – help me read, study, and understand all that You have inspired that I might SEEK and FIND all that You want for me. Give me a humble tender heart of love and service. Father, I want to love like Jesus.

Loving You, Lord, and loving others is what really matters. It is the sum and total of what You ask of me. Give me the strength I need to remain laser-focused on Your mission of love. Give me the courage I need to fight my spiritual battles. You have promised that Your children can do “all things through Christ” who gives them strength. (Philippians 4:13) Thank you, Father. Your grace is all I need every day now and forever. Amen.

What really matters?

Love!

Loving God and loving others.

You and I have been gifted by God to do what really matters . . . to show our love for Him by loving others right where we are with the gifts He has given us.

And that’s what I want to focus on as I set my priorities and plan my schedule. I want to remember that everything else is unimportant compared to knowing and loving Christ Jesus, my Lord. And with the Spirit’s help, I will forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. Because by God’s grace what lies ahead is the heavenly prize of an eternal future in the Lord’s presence.

On today’s note write:

Loving Jesus and living for Him is what really matters!

May God bless you and give you everything you need to live in the love of Jesus today and always.

Click here to read the rest of Philippians 3.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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How to Show Jesus the Glory He Deserves Every Day

9 / 6 / 219 / 6 / 21

Jesus gave up His divine privileges to serve and save people. We are to have an attitude like His, and serving is the way to show Jesus the glory He deserves. #LovelikeJesus #JesusQuotes #Blessings

If the King or Queen were about to visit a city near you, there would be a frenzy of preparations to be sure they received the treatment that should be bestowed on them. After all, they are called “royal visits.”

Even when celebrities gather for an award event they “roll out the red carpet!”

It’s just what’s expected for VIPs.

Have you ever read some of the things celebrities expect backstage before they will agree to appear at an event?

I think it’s fair to say, that many come to expect preferential treatment.

That’s what is so astonishing about Jesus, rather than seeking the spotlight He “gave up His divine privileges” and “took the humble position of a slave.” (Philippians 2:7)

I read a quote recently that said, “Jesus proved that He was fully man on Good Friday and He proved that He is fully God on Easter.”

And following Easter…

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
Philippians 2:9–11

So, how can you and I best show Jesus the glory He deserves?

Paul simply and boldly tells us:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Philippians 2:5

And Jesus attitude was one that told His followers:

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:43–45

And that includes His followers today . . . you and me.

To answer the question above.

If you and I want to show Jesus the glory He deserves we will serve others with His love.

A Prayer Asking God to Help Me Show Jesus the Glory He Deserves

Father, It’s hard to fully comprehend all that Jesus sacrificed to save us. I reflect on His suffering and death and that is HUGE! But when I think about giving up the perfection of heaven to come and serve sinful broken people . . . I a truly overwhelmed.

He could have demanded that He be treated like royalty but rather than living in luxury, You chose a poor humble carpenter’s family. He could have mingled with the rich and famous but He chose to serve the poor and needy. He could have used supernatural power to change the world but He chose to touch lives and influence tender hearts. He chose to show us Your love!

And when He had accomplished His goals and won the victory over sin, death, and evil, He only made one request—”Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34)

Please forgive me for my pride and selfishness. Please forgive me for wanting to be served rather than humbly serving. Tender my heart, Father God. Make me like Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to love and serve like Jesus. Please help me have the same attitude as Christ Jesus that I might live each day in ways that shine the light of Your love and in ways that bring glory to Your holy name. I pray in the name of the Servant Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Paul went on to say what it means to have a Jesus-like servant attitude:

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:12–13

Not “work hard” to earn salvation but to show what Jesus has done for us.

And what does it mean to “work hard”?

It means to surrender to God and humbly ask Him to give us everything we need to have an attitude that loves like Jesus.

On today’s note write:

I surrender myself to God’s will that I might live in ways that show Jesus the glory He deserves.

May you be blessed today as you shine the light of Jesus’ love by serving others.

Click here to read the rest of Philippians 2.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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You Need to Know How to Show the Freedom You Have in Christ

7 / 19 / 217 / 19 / 21

I’m guessing at one time or another you’ve heard someone say…

“There’s nothing wrong with it, so I have the freedom to do what I want!”

And no, I’m not talking about your kids. I’m talking about adults in the church.

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul invited his reads to take a closer look at the freedom we have in Christ.

Paul was answering a specific question that for us today seems kind of strange . . . Is it right to eat food that has been sacrificed to idols?

Animals were being sacrificed at pagan temples and the meat was taken to the local markets and sold. The problem . . . Corinthian Christians were sharply divided on whether or not a believer should eat something that had been sacrificed to a pagan god. Paul’s answer must have surprised and confused them at a first. He said there is only one God and so eating meat sacrificed to nonexistent gods is fine.

But he knew that some believers, at one time, sacrificed those idols themselves and might have felt convicted that eating this meat was a sin. So he added…

But that doesn’t mean we should!

But wait! Don’t we have freedom in Christ? If it’s not a sin isn’t it okay to do?

I like the way The Message shares Paul’s explanation:

Fortunately, God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
1 Corinthians 8:8–9 (MSG)

So, why does this conversation matter?

Because love is what matters! If our doing something that is neither right nor wrong troubles someone else, our love for Christ and others should move us to give up our freedom so we don’t offend or hurt another member of the Lord’s family.

Or as Paul sums it up:

While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.
1 Corinthians 8:1b

As people who love the Lord, we will willingly give up the freedom we have in Christ to share His love.

A Prayer Asking God to Help Me Put Love First
as I Live Out My Freedom in Christ

Father, forgive us . . . we are selfish. I am selfish. Too often, I only think about whether or not something is “right or wrong.” It’s too easy for me to view life from my own perspective when You ask me to look at things with a heart of love. You ask me to put my love for You and others first.

We live in a world that seems to applaud selfishness and it’s hurting us. Selfishness results in less joy and happiness. You created us for relationships. You created us to love and be loved. Please forgive us and help us.

You showed Your great love for us by sacrificing Your only Son. We have freedom in Christ because You love us. You are love and when You created us in Your image . . . You made us to love.

Jesus set His freedom aside to show us Your love—to show us His love. Please help me put love first. Please help me live to show everyone I meet Your love . . . even if it means I have to set aside my freedom for a moment. I want to love like Jesus. Please grant me grace and help me to love. Amen.

The truth is, the freedom you and I have in Christ isn’t the freedom to do whatever we want . . . it is the freedom to do whatever God wants. And that is true freedom!

Selfishness sounds like freedom but it is a bondage that never satisfies and makes us miserable. With God’s help, we can put other people’s feelings ahead of our own. We’re not called to excuse or deny sin but when it comes to things like drinking alcohol, playing the lottery, or eating certain foods we are free to practice our own convictions with love. It also means that we will show love by not offending someone who believes something is a sin.

On today’s note write:

The best way to show freedom in Christ is to put love first.

May you celebrate the freedom you have in Christ today with love.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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An Important Reason Why We Need to Speak Gently and Stop Judging

7 / 5 / 217 / 5 / 21

Paul wrote that we should speak gently and think about our own accountability before God rather than arguing and condemning one another. That's godly advice. #Truth #BibleQuotes #BlessingBloggers

I’ve been blogging for more than 12 years, and I don’t remember ever receiving the kind of verbal attacks on my faith like I have in recent months.

Technology has put a powerful weapon into the hands of social media and those who use it. Studies show that the vast majority of “chatter” on line is negative and condemning. And Christians are even “calling out” one another.

Sadly, there is strong evidence that these platforms have been devastating to many—especially young people. Despair, depression and even suicide have tragically impacted people in increasing numbers.

Once again, as Solomon wrote. . .

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.
Ecclesiastes 1:9

The format may be different but the problem remains the same. Paul wrote:

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Romans 14:10,12–13

Most of us don’t want to think about Paul’s reminder to use all our words carefully, wherever they appear, mindful that we each will stand personally accountable before the Lord.

Jesus made us righteous . . . but not so we can be self-righteous.

He makes us righteous to speak His truth gently with kindness and respect.

When you and I stand before God and give a personal account of our lives, we won’t be worried about what our Christian neighbor or any neighbor has done.

Yes, there are Scriptural truths on which the church should never compromise but too often our moral judgments are based on our own opinions or the current cultural climate.

So, let’s pray and ask the Lord to help us speak the truth gently with love and choose our words carefully with kindness and respect.

A Prayer to Speak Gently and Stop Judging

Father, It’s humbling and even a little terrifying to think that I will stand before Your judgment seat one day and give an account for my life. I can quickly and easily think of so many ways I have failed to fully trust and obey Your will. Were it not for Jesus . . . I would not be able to come before You at all. Yet, by Your grace, through Him, I am forgiven and redeemed.

Jesus said that I should take the “log” out of my own eye before I worry about the “speck” in my neighbor’s. (Matthew 7:3) Please forgive me and help me. It is so tempting and easy to jump on the judgment bandwagon. Sometimes it seems like judging and “condemning” others has become our national pastime. Please help us.

Please help me make it a personal goal to choose my words carefully, wherever I share them. Help me SEEK to KNOW Your truth and help me speak that Truth gently and kindly. Help me treat everyone with respect. Help me treat others the way I want them to treat me. Help me love like Jesus . . . who lived an obedient life of TRUTH, who spoke the TRUTH, and who taught us how to love. Help me live a life of goodness, peace, and joy in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Paul went on to say:

For the Kingdom of God is . . . living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Romans 14:17–19

The Lord wants so much more for us than the pain we cause by fighting and condemning. May we, by His grace and with His help, commit to speaking the Lord’s Truth gently that we might build each other up and live united by His love.

On today’s note write:

Lord, help me speak gently, stop judging, and love like Jesus.

May God bless you today as you pause and pray to choose your words carefully so you can speak gently.

Click here to read the rest of Romans 14.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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God Will Give Us Everything We Need to Love Like Jesus

4 / 26 / 214 / 2 / 21

It's hard to love like Jesus but that is what He commanded, to help when it's not easy and give when it hurts, to forgive, and live with compassion and care. #Jesus #Prayer #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

As I sit down to write, it’s Thursday of Holy Week and John 13 is the next chapter on my writing schedule. There are no coincidences in God’s perfect timing.

I’ve often wondered what it was like for Jesus that night before His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death? But today, I’m pausing to think about HIs inner circle . . . those closest to Him. The ones He addressed in John 13 – 17.

In August of 2007, Rev and I were told that he needed heart surgery . . . one that most cardiologists didn’t want to perform because the mortality rate was high and the morbidity rate was higher. We were given the news that it was his only hope but it was very likely he wouldn’t survive. During the days leading up to surgery, Rev and I had one conversation after another to help me know how to manage the parts of our lives that he had always managed.

I tried to pay attention but honestly, I didn’t want to think about it and I didn’t want to hear it.

Jesus had been telling His disciples for weeks that His suffering and death was nearing.

John 13 begins with the words…

Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.
John 13:1

Jesus spent that evening instructing His disciples and preparing them for a weekend that would change their lives forever.

He washed their feet and taught them about humble service. (13:4–17)
He pointed out His betrayer. (13:18–30)
He predicted Peter’s denial. (13:31–38)
He taught them about the Father. (14:1–13)
He promised the Holy Spirit. (14:14–30)
He encouraged them to remain focused on Him and His love. (15:1–17)
He told them about the world’s opposition and hatred. (15:18–16:4)
He taught them about the Holy Spirit. (16:5–15)
He taught them prayer and promised His presence. (16:16–33)
He prayed for Himself, for them, and for all of us. (17:1–25)

Love was the theme that night. Jesus love and theirs.

He showed them that true love is more than warm fuzzy feelings and flowery words. True love is revealed in actions.

Jesus said…

“I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34–35

The Life Application Bible Notes explain that to love like Jesus we must help when it’s not convenient, give when it’s hard, actively care for the welfare of others, and absorb the hurts inflicted by others with grace and mercy.

Loving like Jesus is hard. No . . . it’s impossible without God’s help.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer to Love Like Jesus

Father, thank you for Jesus. I can’t imagine how difficult those days leading up to His death must have been. He knew that He would be rejected, betrayed, tortured, and abandoned. And yet, He continued to walk forward with love and humble service.

It’s so easy for me to focus on myself. To let my own concerns and fears distract from the needs of those around me. To quickly speak about love but neglect to act with love. Please forgive me.

Please help me. I want to love like Jesus. I want to act with compassion and kindness. I want to give generously. And I want to consistently offer grace and mercy to the people who hurt me. On my own, I can’t. I won’t. But with Your help, I believe I am able to surrender myself so You can love people through me. I love You, Lord and I want to willingly love sacrificially . . . like Jesus. In whose name, I pray. Amen.

May you and I join the disciples these next few days and humbly listen and learn as Jesus teaches us and shows us how to love.

On today’s note write:

God, please help me love like Jesus.

God bless you today as you celebrate and share the extent to which you are loved by Jesus.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

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How to Honor the Most Important Commandments

2 / 2 / 212 / 2 / 21

Jesus took the 10 Commandments and in two short statements told His followers about the importance of loving and why it is the most important commandment. #Jesus #Commandments #Faith #BibleStudy #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings #BlessingBloggers #WWGGG

How important is it that you and I obey the commandments?
Is there a “most important commandment?”

You must not have any other god but me.
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind.
You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You must not commit adultery.
You must not steal.
You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:3-17

One day, a Pharisee, who was considered an “expert in religious law, tried to trap Jesus” with the following question:

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Matthew 22:36

Notice he really didn’t want Jesus’ answer so he could better obey God. He wanted to engage Jesus in one of their favorite past times – self-righteous debate through rule qualifying.

But once again, Jesus understood their true motives. So, He simply summarized God’s Commandments in two short sentences…

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-–40

God is perfect unfailing everlasting love. If you and I want to honor and obey Him . . . love is the answer.

And because of sin, because of our self-centered selfishness it is impossible for us to love the way God wants without His Spirit’s help and we only have His Spirit’s help when we repent of that self-centered selfishness and surrender ourselves to the saving grace of Jesus.

To read more about what it means to love God with your “all” go to – How to Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.

And to read more about the meaning of loving others as you love yourself, check out – How to Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself.

But first, let’s go to the Lord…

A Prayer to Honor the Most Important Commandments

Father, thank you for Your perfect unfailing everlasting love. Thank you for generously demonstrating Your love by sending Jesus to suffer the punishment I deserved.

Please forgive me. I am selfish and self-centered. I fail every day to trust and love You completely. I stubbornly do things my own way. I listen to the shouts of the world and I worry. And I fall so far short of loving others the way You want me to.

Please help me. Teach me Your truth that I might fight back against the enemy’s lies. Help me hold Your promises in my heart that I might trust and follow Your will. Fill me with Your love that I might love others in ways that glorify You.

May it forever be my heart’s desire to love You and others as my loving response to all the grace, mercy, and LOVE you have given to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

It’s hard, isn’t it? It’s not in our human nature to love like Jesus. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can proclaim with John:

All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

We love each other because He loved us first.
1 John 4:15–16, 19

May God’s love be the first thing people see in us and the last thing they remember about us.

On today’s note write:

LOVE is the Most Important Commandment!

Take a moment to read all of Matthew 22 here.

God be with you today and may He fill you until you overflow with His love.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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How to Stop Judging People So You Can Love Like Jesus

8 / 10 / 208 / 10 / 20

Judging people with whom we disagree seems to be a way of life but what if we could love like Jesus and actually influence hearts and minds with compassion? #socialmedia #judgingpeople #don'tjudge #compassion #countingmyblessings #WWGGG #BlessingBloggers

Self-righteousness is an attitude of moral superiority that is derived from the idea that a person’s beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those held by anyone who doesn’t hold to the same beliefs and attitudes.

Or to say it more succinctly – self-righteousness says I’m right and therefore superior to anyone who disagrees with me.

But I have a question for you…

Have you ever been judged by someone because of your appearance, something you’ve done, a rumor, or a simple misunderstanding? Have you ever had someone assume things about you without ever talking to you?

Have you ever made assumptions and judgments without pausing to care?

Maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking or even saying:

Shame on them . . .
How could he . . .
I can’t believe she . . .
I would never . . .

I wish I could say I’ve always been consistently caring and compassionate with everyone but I can’t.

The thing is . . . nothing destroys our ability to love others the way Jesus commanded than our sin-labeling and finger-pointing.

Sin-labeling decides which sins are the “big ones.” The ones we need to call out and judge. And of course, those sins are the ones we don’t think we do. The ones that make us feel comfortable picking up our judgmental word stones and throwing them at one another with all our might.

But Jesus said:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”
Matthew 7:1–2

I don’t know about you but . . . I don’t want God to judge me the same way I’ve judged others. I want Him to cover me with His grace, mercy, compassion, and love.

And He does.

I don’t want other people to judge me either. I want them to look past the surface, the rumors, and assumptions. I want them to care enough to get to know me without sizing me up and writing me off.

But the only way I can is with God’s help. Jesus not only tells us to cover one another with grace, mercy, compassion, and love, He gives us what we need to do so through the in-dwelling of His Spirit. He pours so much love into each us that by His grace there is plenty for us to pour over the lives of others if we’ll only let Him.

So, let me ask you a question…

Are you comfortable being judged the way you judge others? Are you comfortable with the comments you make on social media about people and politicians in the news . . . people you’ve never talked with or even met personally.

I’m uncomfortable with labeling and hurtful comments that are being made about those who don’t follow Jesus, but I grieve when believers point fingers and throw word stones at each other.

Why are we happy when others fall? Why do we delight in pointing out their flaws? Why doesn’t it break our hearts and drive us to our knees? Why are we so quick to add labels like hypocrite or Pharisee to our brothers and sisters and refuse to see those same qualities in ourselves?

Somehow because Jesus publicly called out the “Pharisees” and hypocrites . . . many Christians believe it’s okay for them to do the same. But it’s not!

Jesus knew the hearts of men, and He was and is sinless. You and I are sinners who are incapable of knowing someone else’s heart and mind. We can’t know a person’s thoughts, beliefs, background, wounds, or motivations.

We have one job!

To love others for God’s glory!

That’s it!

Love is our job. Love is our calling. Love is God’s command to us.

Self-righteous judging of others comes from pride but if we’re really being honest, you and I have nothing to be proud of when it comes to sin. God does not grade us on a curve. We are all sinners saved by grace alone!

“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 15:11

So, maybe it’s time for us to focus more on loving people like Jesus and stop judging them for Jesus.

Peter said…

God had chosen [us] in advance to be His witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with [Jesus] after He rose from the dead.And He ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.
Acts 10:41–42

Jesus is the only one God has given the authority to judge people. He has commanded the rest of us to show people the blessing of trusting Jesus for forgiveness and freedom forever. I believe there are some things you and I can do…

How to Stop Judging People So You Can Love Like Jesus

1. Stop believing stereotypes – Don’t believe generalizations and groupthink. Refuse to believe that all people of any race, background, or religion all think alike. So you can really…

2. Stop and get to know people – We often judge too quickly. We judge the character of the person based on an individual word or action. If we haven’t shared their experiences it is impossible for us to understand their choices.

I’m not saying we should approve of every behavior but I believe we are called to care about the person behind the behavior.

3. Avoid the social media bandwagon – I know it’s tempting to add your opinions and rants to a post on social media . . . but please don’t do it. Just don’t! When you and I publicly condemn and shame anyone we are not loving like Jesus. He didn’t call out those who were sinners . . . He called out the self-righteous.

So, if we want to love like Jesus we need to…

4. Make kindness and compassion the goal – I have made it my goal to remember that no matter who it is—a political leader, a public figure, a friend, or even a complete stranger . . . I don’t know all the facts and details. And because I can’t know their hearts, minds, and motivations . . . I need do my best to lead with kindness and compassion.

I want to love them with the love of Jesus.

Finally, let’s take a look at what James, Jesus’ half-brother, had to say”

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
James 4:11–12

And the Life Application Bible Notes add the following:

Jesus summarized the law as love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God’s law. When you’re ready to criticize someone, remember God’s law of love…

Can you imagine the difference we could make if we stopped judging people and offered caring compassion to those with whom we disagreed? What if rather than judging them we reached out to them and pointed them to His Word of truth? What if we showed them Jesus?

May we make that our prayer and our heart’s desire.

And just a couple of quotes to consider:

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” ~ Augustine

“Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

And…

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.” ~ Rick Warren

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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Verses to Pray When You Need Help to Love God More

5 / 15 / 205 / 15 / 20

Even when you and I want to love God more by showing Him our love perfectly 100% of the time, we can't. But He loves us so much we can pray & ask Him to help. #Prayer #LoveGod #BibleStudy #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself when you read…

Jesus said, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”
Mark 12:29–30

I don’t know about you, but I fall so far short of the “all” part.

All my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength … that’s 100% intentional love and focus 24/7. That’s ALWAYS!

And that’s where I fall short. It’s what I want! I want to obey Him. I want to show Him how much I love Him by trusting and obeying His will consistently but like Paul, I miss that mark way too often.

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:18–19

And even when what I do is right, I’m often guilty of doing it with the wrong motives. And I know the loving Him with my “all” falls short!

I’m not telling you this so we can both sit around and wallow in the guilt of our failures. I don’t believe that’s what God wants for us. I believe this realization is supposed to do two things in us.

Send us running to Jesus.

Look what Paul said next…

Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:24b–25a

And 2. Ask God for the Holy Spirit to help us change.

Jesus promised…

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”
John 14:15–16

Isn’t that awesome!

When you and I recognize our sins and run to Jesus in repentance … He not only forgives us but He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us in the future.

And although we will never trust and obey Him perfectly this side of heaven … He will never stop forgiving us and giving us what we need through His Spirit.

And that’s why we don’t have to wallow in guilt … Jesus carried it all to the cross. You and I can surrender it all to Him and rejoice because…

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

So, I’m praying today and asking God to:

Help me quickly run to Jesus each time I fail.
Fill me with the Spirit, my Helper, that I might more faithfully love Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Verses to Pray When You Need Help to Love God More

Those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him.
1 John 2:5

Oh, Father, this is a hard word. It’s easy to say we trust You for salvation but harder to live in obedience. And it’s impossible to perfectly obey because I don’t perfectly love.

The 10 Commandments can be summed up in … loving You and loving others. Jesus said that to love is the “Greatest Commandment.” And I know I don’t love perfectly. I don’t show You my love through obedience and I don’t show others my love … I can so easily become selfish and prideful. I’m sorry. Please forgive me and help me. I want to love You with every part of me all the time. I want to love like Jesus.

“Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
Luke 7:48, Luke 15:10

Father, Thank you! You are faithful to forgive. Always!

And what a wonderful word! The angels rejoice when I repent! You forgive me and the angels rejoice. It simply doesn’t get any better than that! There are no words to fully express my gratitude. And this is why my heart’s desire is to trust and obey You faithfully. Please help me!

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever … for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15–16, 17b

Father, I do love you and I want to keep your commands. I want to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and I want to love people like Jesus loved them. It makes me sad when I realize how far short I fall of my own goal … I know I’m not even close to Yours.

So, I run to You. I lay my failures at the foot of the cross and ask that You will forgive me through Jesus. I’m so sorry! And Lord, I want to do better in the future. Will you please fill me with Your Spirit and give me all I need to love, trust, and obey as You want. Help me keep my heart and mind focused on You and trust that if You ask anything of me … You will give me everything I need to obey You in love.

I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.
Ezekiel 36:26–27

Father, what an amazing promise! You take my stubborn prideful selfish heart of stone and replace it with a heart that loves You and wants to live by Your commands.

I am so well aware that I can’t love and obey You well in my own strength. But with Your Sprit’s help … everything changes. You give me everything I need to live in Your love each day. Help me faithfully SEEK to KNOW Your TRUTH. Help me walk in Your love. Help me love You and show Your love to others in ways that will give You glory.

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Romans 8:26–27

This promise gives me hope, Father! Thank you!

Thank you for your Spirit who not only guides and directs me according to Your will but He goes to You on my behalf and tells You my needs. Your Spirit knows my every need and the intentions of my heart. Good and yes, even the not so good. And He pleads for me … telling You what I need to grow closer to You. He knows exactly what I need to be able to love You with all my heart and soul, my mind and my strength.

There really are no appropriate words to fully express my gratitude. Thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit to help me. Thank you for Your grace and mercy to help me focus my heart and mind on You. Thank you for helping me love You more and more each day. You are my greatest blessings! Thanks and praise now and forever. Amen.

We need help to love God more.

And when you and I reach that place where we recognize that we want to love God more we typically also come to the realization that we can’t do it on our own. The Good News is we don’t have to.

Our past is forgiven through Jesus. And our future is blessed through the gift of His Spirit to help us.

So, stop today and give it all to the Lord in prayer … all your faults and failures, humbling admitting that you aren’t capable of loving perfectly on your own. Then rest in the truth that when you want to love God more … He is perfectly able to give you everything you need.

May you be blessed today by His grace as you live for His glory!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Jesus is the One Who Can Unite People in a Call Out World

6 / 10 / 196 / 10 / 19

Is it okay to call out all the people with whom we disagree? What about other Christians? I've challenged myself to find out what the Bible says. #BibleStudy #ChristianCommunity #SocialMedia #CountingMyBlessings

Eight years ago, I spent the months of June and July updating my passport, getting the required vaccines, and trying to figure out what in the world I should pack. Each day spent getting ready to travel to Bolivia as a member of the World Vision Bolivia Bloggers Team.

I was considerably older than the rest of the team’s members and I definitely had the smallest platform … I’m still in awe of the ways God worked to graciously allow me to go on this life-changing trip.

If you’re curious about the trip itself … you can learn more here.

The trip itself is not the reason for this post.

You see, the reason I’m writing this is … I met Rachel Held Evans that week.

I chose not to speak out while she was ill and following her death. But recently, I’ve felt the Lord’s nudge to share some thoughts with you.

Not as much thoughts about Rachel as thoughts about the rest of us.

You see, I struggle with being judgmental. There is something self-righteously satisfying about stopping to call out the people we deem”false teachers.” The people we believe are doing or say “it” wrong. Whatever we decide “it” is.

Honestly, I caught myself being guilty again just the other day.

So, I’m definitely not here to preach at you. Like you, I’m on a journey of faith … honestly sharing the things the Lord lays on my heart. They are things I need to hear and so I wonder if you might need them too.

Back to Bolivia and meeting Rachel…

Rachel and the others in the group were the ages of my children. Their life experiences differed from mine in almost every way. Although, I probably shared my thoughts with them more than I’d like to admit … I hope I asked lots of questions and listened intentionally because several of their ideas were new to me and I wanted to know more.

Rachel was in the middle of writing her book – A Year of Biblical Womanhood.

The following is the first paragraph of the book’s synopsis on Amazon.

Strong-willed and independent, Rachel Held Evans couldn’t sew a button on a blouse before she embarked on a radical life experiment—a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued by the traditionalist resurgence that led many of her friends to abandon their careers to assume traditional gender roles in the home, Evans decides to try it for herself, vowing to take all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible for a year.

I smiled as I read those words because I don’t remember Rachel, as being strong-willed, although I’ll admit I only spent a week with her.

What I do remember about her is her smile and willingness to laugh, her kindness, and her passion for the children and families we were visiting and her heart for the ministry of World Vision.

Did I agree with everything that was said that week? No.

But I cared for and about everyone on the trip … including Rachel. When I heard she was ill, I prayed and prayed and prayed that God would heal her. And it broke my heart to learn she had died.

There was something else that broke my heart…

People using that heart-breaking time to say cruel and hateful things about her on social media because they disagreed with what she wrote.

Jesus is the One Who Can Unite People in a Call Out World

So, why am I writing about this now weeks later?

Last week, the Lord tapped me on the shoulder as I was read the following in Jonah and 1 John…

Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh.

Why? Because Jonah hated the Assyrians and believed they deserved God’s judgment. Jonah had judged them and believed they deserved whatever God’s punishment.

So, when God asked him to go and “deliver the message” … Jonah took off in the opposite direction.

Which is how he found himself in the belly of a big fish.

God graciously and mercifully turned him around and gave him a second opportunity to obey. Which he did.

Jonah went to Nineveh and gave them God’s message:

“Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”
Jonah 3:4

And do you know what happened?

The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.
Jonah 3:5

But Jonah was not happy…

“Didn’t I say before I left home that You would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
Jonah 4:2

As I sat there pondering my own judgmental attitudes, I turned to my New Testament reading in 1 John 2:

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.
1 John 2:7

So, my heart was hearing … don’t judge people—love them!

I kept reading…

If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
1 John 2:9

The Life Application Bible Notes say:

John’s words focus on the attitude that causes us to ignore or despise others, to treat them as irritants, competitors, or enemies. Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people’s well being and treat them with respect, whether or not we feel affection toward them.

And I would add, whether or not we agree with them.

The LAB Notes also say:

Love should be the unifying force and identifying mark of the Christian community. Love is the key to walking in the light.

Friends, you and I are representing Jesus to the world. Why would anyone want what we have … when we publicly ridicule, condemn, and call out those with whom we disagree.

When we don’t agree, you and I are called to speak the truth in love.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.
Ephesians 4:15

Maybe we need to be more focused on love because too often we forget that part, choosing to speak the truth with a sledgehammer.

What if speaking the truth in love looked more like…

Worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
1 Peter 2:15b–16

What if we did a better job of humbly telling our own broken stories that share the transforming power of God’s love!

What if we just told people about Jesus, the One who not only knows the truth but who is the Truth and the Way and the Life.

You see, He’s the One who prayed..

Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, You have given me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as we are.
John 17:11

He prayed for us to be united by His love and I want to honor Jesus’ prayer.

So, I’m asking God to give me eyes to see everyone as a soul desperately in need of His love. I’m asking Him to make me gracious and merciful in the way I treat others. I’m asking Him to help me listen more and call out less.

Because…

I don’t want people to know the truth according to Deb. I want people to know Jesus and experience the power of His transforming love.

1 John 4:8 says:

God is love!

Overwhelming love! Love who never gives up … who mercifully and patiently seeks out people and transforms lives.

Love who can unite people in a broken and sinful world. Love who can heal hearts and relationships. Love who has promised us LIFE!

I want to care more about people and less about being right. I want to treat everyone with caring kindness and compassion. And I want to be silent when I’m tempted to call out.

I’m praying with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will do a better job of loving like Jesus.

Will you please pray with me?

Father, thank you for faithfully showing me Your grace, mercy, and love. Please, please forgive me for failing to extend the same grace, mercy, and love to others. Please help me realize that I don’t have to agree with someone to be respectful, caring, and compassionate. Help me to be a better example of Your love in my home, at work, at church, in my community, and online. Unite us, Father, by Your love. In the name of Jesus. By Your grace and for Your glory. Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Day 13 – God, Help Me Love Like Jesus Loved

12 / 4 / 1812 / 4 / 18

Jesus said the second “most important command” is to, “love your neighbor as You love yourself.” Matthew 22:39

I don’t know about you … not often, but occasionally, I can get to the end of the day and feel like I’ve loved “my people” pretty well.

But then there are those other days, those “not often” days.

And there are far too many of those days … when I don’t love “my people” well and I don’t even want to talk about the people who aren’t on my people “list.”

I want to do better. I need to do better! Maybe you do too.

Will you pray with me..?

God, Help Me Love Like Jesus Loved

Father, I need Your help.

Your Son, Jesus said:

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34

A commandment that falls right next to loving You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength … is loving like Jesus loved.

Father, that means You want me to love…

Compassionately. Matthew 14:14
Sacrificially. John 15:13
With humility, patience, kindness, and forgiveness. Ephesians 4
Without favoritism or prejudice. James 2:8–9
Unconditionally. Colossians 3:14
Even my enemies. Matthew 5:44

I really want to love like Jesus because I know it’s what You want, what You command. People are just really hard to love sometimes.

I know, that doesn’t surprise You!

But then again, Your command doesn’t say I’m to love when it’s easy.

You commanded me to love like Jesus loved.

Please help me! Please make me more like Jesus.

Help me look beyond my “self” and see people as He saw them.

Jesus SAW the broken, sick, and hungry in need of healing and love. He looked beyond the surface into the person.

Jesus SAW…

The person who needed Him … a Redeemer, a Savior, a Shepherd, a King.
The person who needed … kindness, healing, help, freedom, and hope for the future.

Father, please help me look beyond the surface and not only see the need but help me see in every person I meet … someone who is dearly loved and precious to You.

Help me see Jesus in them and love as if I’m loving Him.

Jesus also said, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Matthew 25:35–36

And when asked how that’s possible, He replied…

“I tell you the truth when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40

That is loving like Jesus!

It’s seeing everyone as “the least of these.” For the truth is, we are all hungry, thirsty, and in need. We all need Your love.

So, by Your grace, may I surrender my “self” and look beyond the surface. May I serve others like I’m serving You.

Help me love like Jesus loved.

I ask this in His name. Amen.

I am so blessed that you are joining me for this journey…

You’ll want to subscribe to Counting My Blessings (if you haven’t already), to receive a link to 40 Days of Mountain Moving Prayers in your inbox each morning.

It’s true! This is the busiest time of the year but I promise this will only be a 2-minute a day commitment…

One that will ask and seek and knock through bold prayers … and watch what only God can do when we go to Him with anything is possible mountain moving prayers.

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How to be a Better Listener When You Just Want to be Heard

10 / 8 / 18

Last week, I told you that I have opinions … lots of them.

I’m also a Sanguine talker.

Combine those facts you might assume that it’s taken me a long time and more than one bloody tongue to learn that I don’t need to share my views on everything with everyone. And you’d be right!

Something I’ve learned from my bloody tongue experiences is that as much as I feel the need to be heard and want to change the opinions of the people around me … my relationships benefit and I’ve actually learned a thing or two when I’ve shut up and listened!

At a time when more of us are talking than listening, I thought it might be helpful for me to honestly share my journey … because in all honesty, I didn’t get here easily!

6 Ways to be a Better Listener

♥ Listen without Assumptions

It’s so easy to assume that we know how someone thinks based on their skin color, gender, religion, or where they live. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Each person is uniquely and wonderfully made by God.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
Psalm 139:13–14

Each person is dearly loved by God and precious to Him.

You are a child of God, you are wonderfully made, dearly loved, and precious in His sight. Before God made you, He knew You. There is no one else like you. ~Unknown (based on Psalm 139 and Col. 3:12)

It takes time to get to know people individually but it’s important … really important.

♥ Listen without Judgment

Everyone you meet has a story and every story has its painful broken chapters.

I’ll admit, I’ve had more times than I care to admit when I was quick to judge people whose lives were a mess. Back when I was doing everything I could to be a “good girl” and “do life RIGHT,” I was quick to assume that life’s messes were caused by personal bad choices. Although that’s true sometimes … it’s not true always!

Boy, was I humbled when my mess was exposed to public view and I felt the scrutinizing judgment of others.

God allowed me to learn a huge lesson the hard way…

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:36–37

You and I can give the gift of listening with kindness and compassion. We can make it safe for people to share their stories of brokenness by showing them the love of Jesus.

♥ Listen to Understand

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. The collective monologue is everyone is talking and no one is listening.” ~ Stephen Covey

Can you imagine the difference we could make if we really listened and asked questions to understand before we replied to people?

Everyone looks at life through a lens of their own personal perspective … a lens that takes years to shape and polish. They have well-developed long-standing reasons for their beliefs.

I want to do a better job of listening to understand by asking “why” and “please help me understand” questions. I want to keep conversations going and learn the reasons behind the beliefs and opinions people hold.

♥ Listen to Learn

I still have so very much to learn. In fact, the longer I live and the more I learn … the more I realize just how little KNOW.

Sure my wise mentors and teachers have taught me tons but I’ve also learned a lot by listening to hurting friends and the heartfelt stories of complete strangers.

God is at work in lives, friends! When you and I listen to each other with a desire to learn, we benefit from His work in every life.

Tell your story and encourage the people you meet to tell you theirs!

Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. Proverbs 22:17

♥ Listen Respectfully

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interest but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3–4

Whew, we could go a long way in the respect department at the moment, couldn’t we?

Truthfully, those other people really need to do a better job of being respectful! (Sense my sarcasm?)

If you’re like me, it’s easy to point fingers and blame those who disagree with us. But aren’t we really just trying to get that speck out of the other guy’s eye before getting the log out of my own.

“How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:4

Respect begins with me and it starts at home. Help us, Lord!

♥ Listen Intentionally

I don’t know whether I have ADD or I’m just easily distracted, but it’s hard for me to sit in a restaurant and not have my eyes dart around the room like I’m watching bumble bees in a garden.

I love people watching. But because I want to listen intentionally to the people I’m with … I sit with my back to the activity so I can focus on the people with me.

I also sit near the front in church or any place I want to avoid distractions.

If you and I want to listen intentionally we need to avoid distractions, put down our devices, and look at each other! Then listen without interrupting. (Yeah, that one’s hard for me too.)

I want to be a better listener!

Friends, there are so many emotional subjects on the table right now. Feelings are frayed. And sides have been taken.

But I believe you and I can make a difference. Jesus showed us a better way.

He listened. Really listened to people.

At the end of the day, which will matter more…

That people know our opinions on the most recent political conversation or social issue or that they feel the love and compassion of Christ?

Will you and I ever do it perfectly this side of heaven?

No, probably not.

But I’m not willing to quit trying to be a better listener.

And believe me, I’m a work in progress. I’m still just trying…

The other day, we had a tech repairman visit because we were having problems with our cable box. As he asked me to try a variety of solutions, all of which I’d done earlier, my replies became more agitated and impatient.

Then I had one of those Holy Spirit moments of conviction. I had not listened well nor had I been respectful or compassionate.

But this time…

I caught myself and apologized. We ended up having a good conversation.

Now I need to work on my responses to the poor people who happen to pick up my phone call at the end of a long phone tree. Yep, like you, I’m still a work in progress.

And the truth is we’re all agitated, some say they’re even frightened. Everyone believes they know the truth and want to be heard.

This may just be the perfect time for you and me to make a difference by being a better listener even when we just want to be heard.

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and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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