Guard Your heart Gracefully!

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.


Unfortunately there are some people in life who seem to effortlessly strive to bring others down. As a Christian. There are certain situations where you can both guard yourself from their toxic tactics while at the same time lifting a Godly standard that might help them consider improving their behavior.

Communication is key when trying to co-exist with someone who constantly rubs you the wrong way. Here are 4 simple steps will help you communicate to those who seem to like to say the things that can disrupt your good day!
1.Inform- Make them aware of your displeasure by saying "Do you realize that you are being rude, condescending, insulting, etc.?" This gives them a chance to see themselves from your perspective without being too confrontational.
 2. Request- Set a standard by saying" I would appreciate if when you are speaking to me you'd refrain from that particular behavior." This introduces them to your standards of how to treat someone.
3. Insist- draw a boundary by saying- "If this continues I will do blank." Blank is whatever is in line with you guarding your heart mind and spirit. This should help them to understand that being inconsiderate can have consequences.
4. Follow through- If they don't comply with your request, then be a person of your word. Put the consequences into action and make sure that you only make statements that you can and will deliver on.
Look forward to a more delightful environment, and say a prayer for those who have not yet learned having love and consideration for others according to what God teaches can be good for all involved.

The Mean People need you the most!

I believe that as Christians, God has arranged our lives so that we might be positioned in places where people need to see, hear, and learn the ways of Christ. After all Jesus did come to save the lost. When He was on earth people often questioned why He wasn't spending more time hanging out with the high and mighty socialites. Instead he walked among among the people who seemed to be the least tasteful of society. His answer to his critics was, "It's the sick people who need a savior."
From His example we know that it is our mission to reach those who are lost, which makes it easier to understand why we encounter some of the unsavory people that we do.  The truth is, if you had never been exposed to the mean and head hearted people you've known, you would be too busy enjoying life to stop and notice that there are some people who really need a Godly person to pray for them, and ask God to deliver them from their their wicked ways. So now when you encounter the mean woman at work who you dread to see coming, or that unbelievable relative who makes you question if they have a soul, or that not so loyal  friend who caused you to redefine the boundaries of trust, instead of resenting that they are in your life, you can realize that they are the reason why we have been stationed out on the mission field to try to find ways to reach people for Christ. For women on a mission for Christ,  it's all about  using your gifts, talents, and love to find a way to reach people for Christ!

We should Always tell the Truth!

One of the 10 Commandment is- Don't bear false witness against thy neighbor. This is the commandment that no one really talks about very much, but it has to be important to God in order for Him to include it on the same list with "Thou shall not kill."
You'd think that killing is quite possibly the worst thing you can do to a person, so how can bearing false witness against thy neighbor or in other words lying,  possibly compare to that, and what does it really mean  to do that?  It's actually done quite often, but it comes under the disguise of the so called fun activity that we know well as gossip. It also shows up as the misguided loyalty of having your friend's back, or even the deceptive practice of stealing from the boss by vouching for a co-worker who often leaves early, but clock out late. To bear false witness against thy neighbor means to say things about someone that are not true, or that you can not prove. It's when you share information that can be damaging to a person's reputation, or even helpful to their reputation without taking responsibility for making sure that what you say is absolutely true, and necessary to be said. Consider if you can readily see the positive and Godly benefit of what you testify to concerning someone else. Bearing false witness often contributes to the demise of  those being falsely accused. It also causes some to suffer at the hands of deceitful people who gain influence as a result of those who are willing to lie for them. Killing destroys people quickly, but bearing false witness destroys people in ways that are slower, and even more painful. As Christians we have a responsibility to be accurate with the information we share. We must also be considerate enough to ask ourselves, am I handling this information  in the way that I would hope that others would, if they were holding my reputation in their hands.  I believe that if we let that question determine what we say about others, then we would choose to avoid rumor mills and bashing sessions, but only share the things that can correct, improve, and lift others up to a higher and more Godly way of life.

The most important thing is Love

The Bible says that the most important thing we can have as Christians is love for each other. It says that not even our talents, or even our mission for Christ can be useful without love, because they won't be effective.  1 Corinthians chapter 13 explains the characteristics of love. As we go through life getting better and better each day, we must also strive to get better at learning to LOVE according to God's standard!

The Most Important Commandment

1. Commandment #1-The first guideline that God gives us for living life our lives in a way that is best for everyone is that we must make Him and only Him our God. We must worship and serve only Him. There are a lot of things in this world that influence us to do the opposite of what God says, so in order to be good Christians we must first commit to being loyal and faithful to God. We do this by only following the rules for life that are set by God and supported by what the Bible says. Any law, rule, or guideline that can not be supported by the Bible is not in the best interest of everyone, so we don't agree with it, because to do so would be disloyal to God, and Christians ALWAYS stick with what God says. Only God knows everything that is right and good to do because again, God knows and considers what's best for everyone.

Always think of what's good for Eveyone

God made all of us and he wants all of us to be happy and healthy and have a prosperous life filled with good fellowship, and a fulfilling purpose that makes us feel productive and valued as a capable and intelligent human being. In order for us all to have  that He says that we must honor the guidelines that He has put in place which allows everyone to the opportunity to be they're best.
These guidelines come in the form of the 10 Commandments and the other Biblical principles that God teaches us all throughout the Bible, that is why it is absolutely necessary that we study the Bible so that we can know what God says that we should do in order to show love to everyone, including ourselves.
When we read what God says it alerts us to how we are behaving, so that we can make adjustments as necessary. This helps us stay true to His goal of promoting a healthy and happy life for everyone.

Judging versus being Held Accountable

Have you ever spoke up against bad behavior that was hurting you or others and you got hit with a big fat "Don't Judge" statement from the one in question or his or her supporters?
To be accused of judging almost implies that you don't want what's best for everyone. On the contrary, when you lift up the standards of God against someone who is clearly trying to bring those standards down, you prove that you do care for everyone, because our only hope for peace, love, and harmony is that we all strive to do the things that God has commanded us all to do. Of course there are those who believe that they know better than God, and they go outside of the boundaries that He has set for us. It's up to those of us who know better to take a stand for what we know is right. That is why it is imperative that we study the Bible daily so that we can distinguish between what God says is right from wrong.
As we do that we prove ourselves to be considerate and an advocate of everyone. God is the one who knows what's best for everyone and all of His commands were designed to protect the best interest of all of the people He created on earth, but it is up to us to live out those commands in our own lives, and to remind one another of those commands when it seems that anyone of us has forgotten. That is not judgement, that is holding each other accountable. There are people who don't follow God's rules, but when they are confronted they aren't willing to bear the weight of their transgressions, so they can repent and get back on track. However, if being accused of being judgmental by the ones who like to turn their faults around on others, is the price we must pay to keep society as close to God's order as possible, then so be it. The Bible says that judging others will cause us to get judged back, but when you are a Christian who desires to please God you're not afraid to be accountable, because if there is any fault in us, God's Holy Spirit within makes us want to fix it so that we can be a better example of Jesus and His proper order and His love.