"Because you're a failure!"
These words caught my attention in Sunday school today. Though said in a joking manner, I still felt bad for the boy these words were directed towards. Simply because this boy lost a game, he was getting called a failure. Taking it good naturally, he just laughed away the insult, but I could tell it still hurt.
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be lifting each other up, not putting each other down. It's certainly not bad to joke with one another, but we, as Christians, must be careful what we say, and how we do it. Jokes such as, "...you're a failure!", and "you know nothing!" will only hurt others. Nothing out of those jokes, or similar ones, even if obviously untrue ones, will build up others in their faith and love for Christ. None of that molds them into who God wants them to be. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" When we speak, we need to make sure that what we say, will benefit those who are listening to us. Who will even want to be around someone who is constantly demoting another?
Yet there is a balance between the two. We shouldn't constantly be putting others down, and at the same time, we need to be encouraging others to do better at areas in their life that they struggle with. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says, "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone". As that verse says, we need to encourage the timid, warn the idle, help the weak, and with everyone, be patient! Throwing compliments simply to butter people up will also, in the end, harm the person. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We need to be gentle with our words, and encouraging one another. Yes, we must build each other up, but we need to be gentle in how we do it. Being harsh will only cause hurt and anger, consequently turning them away from any words they may need to hear. Can't we all do better at this? Can't we all benefit from doing this?
Kayla Joy
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Complete Trust in the Making
It's a warm, beautiful fall day. Leaves of all colors, red, orange, yellow, some even violet, are sitting on the ground, crunching audibly as someone passes by. Just a few feet away are giggles from a happy five year old. This girl sits on her bike, bouncing her short, curly locks up and down, waiting for her mother to catch up. As her mother catches up, the girl spreads a smile throughout her face, anticipating what's coming next. Her mother gives her a soft push, just enough to get the girl going, as the girl learns to pedal for the first time. Every so often the mom gives a harder push, and the girl bursts out into unstoppable giggles. These giggles soon latch on to others, and within seconds everybody watching is giggling happily. Though the girl sometimes falls, she knows that her mother will be right along side of her, the whole way, and she will be safe. This bright eyed happy child, knows that her mother cares for her, and wants what's best. She trusts her mother will catch her so much, that she isn't afraid of falling.
Don't we do the opposite sometimes? We know that God has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) We know that He cares for us and loves us. Yet we're not willing to put our full trust in Him, the Maker of the world! We're afraid to fall and make mistakes, which all of us are going to do, hundreds of times, no matter how much we're afraid of it. We worry about situations. But if we put our full trust in God, we won't need to worry. Because we know that He'll be alongside us the whole way, catching us as we fall, and helping us get back up. Why can't we put our full trust in Him, in every and any situation? He's who's in control of the situations, anyways. It's not like we were in charge of the situations before, and now are letting God take control, because He was always in control, we're just deciding to acknowledge that. Can't you put your full trust in the Maker of the universe, the One who made you breath? The One who made you walk? The One who loved you, even before you were conceived?
Kayla Joy
Don't we do the opposite sometimes? We know that God has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) We know that He cares for us and loves us. Yet we're not willing to put our full trust in Him, the Maker of the world! We're afraid to fall and make mistakes, which all of us are going to do, hundreds of times, no matter how much we're afraid of it. We worry about situations. But if we put our full trust in God, we won't need to worry. Because we know that He'll be alongside us the whole way, catching us as we fall, and helping us get back up. Why can't we put our full trust in Him, in every and any situation? He's who's in control of the situations, anyways. It's not like we were in charge of the situations before, and now are letting God take control, because He was always in control, we're just deciding to acknowledge that. Can't you put your full trust in the Maker of the universe, the One who made you breath? The One who made you walk? The One who loved you, even before you were conceived?
Kayla Joy
Couldn't We Do the Same?
We impatiently waited in the long line at the grocery store, more than ready to go home. I had my piano lesson in a few minutes, and the store was packed out. When we were finally making some progress in the line, one of the machines started complaining and not functioning properly. We kept waiting in that particular line, it was the smallest line, after all, hoping to have the issue resolved soon. We waited more, and some more. Yet the problem wasn't resolving. Employers were called up to that checkout line, as other workers opened up some more lanes.
We quickly walked to a newly opened line, and waited behind a man and his young daughter. His energetic daughter, with a wide smile chattered away to her father, asking him, "why are there people in the store?" She was only about 3, or 4, and had the cutest blond wavy hair. Within seconds of waiting in the newly opened checkout lane, however, the man turned around to us and invited us to go ahead of him in the lane. We politely turned down his offer, pointing out that he only had a few groceries, and we had quite a few. Yet he insisted that we went before him, so we finally accepted, thanking him for his graciousness.
As we tossed our groceries on the checkout counter, I happened to glance behind me, catching this gentleman talking to the lady behind him. After a few seconds the woman's face light up, and he scooted his cart and daughter to the side as she slipped ahead of him in the line. Because he had a young daughter with him, even though she was gracious about letting others go first, it must have been hard for the girl to wait to get home. All in all, the lines moved more quickly after that, and the man and his daughter left the store only about two minutes behind us. Yet they put smiles on our faces, and a message in our hearts. Couldn't we do the same? Couldn't we be more patient, wait just two minutes more, in order to do WWJD? Wouldn't we want the same done to us? 'Do unto others as you would have done to you' may come to mind, and it's what we should do. We should always be aiming to be more like Jesus. Though we can't, obviously, come close to how perfect Jesus is, we can still try to be.
Kayla Joy
We quickly walked to a newly opened line, and waited behind a man and his young daughter. His energetic daughter, with a wide smile chattered away to her father, asking him, "why are there people in the store?" She was only about 3, or 4, and had the cutest blond wavy hair. Within seconds of waiting in the newly opened checkout lane, however, the man turned around to us and invited us to go ahead of him in the lane. We politely turned down his offer, pointing out that he only had a few groceries, and we had quite a few. Yet he insisted that we went before him, so we finally accepted, thanking him for his graciousness.
As we tossed our groceries on the checkout counter, I happened to glance behind me, catching this gentleman talking to the lady behind him. After a few seconds the woman's face light up, and he scooted his cart and daughter to the side as she slipped ahead of him in the line. Because he had a young daughter with him, even though she was gracious about letting others go first, it must have been hard for the girl to wait to get home. All in all, the lines moved more quickly after that, and the man and his daughter left the store only about two minutes behind us. Yet they put smiles on our faces, and a message in our hearts. Couldn't we do the same? Couldn't we be more patient, wait just two minutes more, in order to do WWJD? Wouldn't we want the same done to us? 'Do unto others as you would have done to you' may come to mind, and it's what we should do. We should always be aiming to be more like Jesus. Though we can't, obviously, come close to how perfect Jesus is, we can still try to be.
Kayla Joy
Everything for God's Glory, or a few things?
A thick brown gooey substance oozed into my hand. Just moments before, I had been intrigued by a new shampoo in our bathroom. Instead of having any flavor to it, like most shampoos, this shampoo simply had the words "Extra Strength" on it. My curiosity was spiked, and I couldn't resist using this shampoo. As soon as the shampoo hit my hand, the scent also hit my nose. I cowered back in disgust, this new shampoo smelled so strong and horrible. This shampoo didn't look like it was smelled bad, but in this case, its looks were deceiving.
Aren't our looks deceiving? We might look like we do everything we do for the glory of God. But do we really? Do we wake up every morning, thanking God for giving us a chance to sleep safely in our beds last night? Do we wake up, determined to walk for God's glory, to talk for His glory, to eat for His glory? Do we wake up, ready to do all of our appointments for the day, anticipated or dreaded appointments, all for God's glory? Do we really? Or do we wake up, recalling all of the appointments for the day, struggling to get through them all? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” This verse isn't saying, "So when you go to church, do it for the glory of God." This verse is saying when you do anything, eat, drink, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. It doesn't matter if we're riding in a car, bathing our pets, or cleaning the house, we need to do all things for the glory of God. God gave us the ability to do all these things, can't we do all these things for His glory?
Kayla Joy
Aren't our looks deceiving? We might look like we do everything we do for the glory of God. But do we really? Do we wake up every morning, thanking God for giving us a chance to sleep safely in our beds last night? Do we wake up, determined to walk for God's glory, to talk for His glory, to eat for His glory? Do we wake up, ready to do all of our appointments for the day, anticipated or dreaded appointments, all for God's glory? Do we really? Or do we wake up, recalling all of the appointments for the day, struggling to get through them all? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” This verse isn't saying, "So when you go to church, do it for the glory of God." This verse is saying when you do anything, eat, drink, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. It doesn't matter if we're riding in a car, bathing our pets, or cleaning the house, we need to do all things for the glory of God. God gave us the ability to do all these things, can't we do all these things for His glory?
Kayla Joy
Labeling Vegetables, or Labeling People?
I hastily searched through our rather large cabinet of canned goods, hoping to find non-expired green beans. I was asked to pick a vegetable for our dinner, and, being as green beans are a favorite of mine, I instantly decided upon green beans. Whenever we buy cans of any kind, we stack them in a certain cabinet. Sadly, some of these canned goods get pushed into the back, often being forgotten about for who knows how long. My dad calls this cabinet the ‘catacombs’ because of how long they get practically buried underneath other ones. Finally, I found a can of green beans. Though much encouraged after what seemed like ages of searching for a single can, I still needed to find another can--one can would too quickly be devoured by my family. I started taking cans out, looking for green labels around cans. All of our canned vegetables always have a light green label around them, making them easier to find than most. Finally, buried in the far left corner, I spotted a can with a green label. Smiling with relief, I reached back and grabbed it. Then I looked more closely at the can I had in my hand, and I realized something. I was holding a can of spinach, not green beans. From a distance, it looked like the can could have contained green beans. But when I actually took the time to look, I found it was something quite different than I imagined.
Sometimes we label people by their looks. And why not? Maybe they’re dressed in a skull jacket with chains dangling down, maybe their face is barely noticeable under all their make-up, maybe they don’t look the smartest. You know why not? Because John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It doesn’t matter how they look, we’re supposed to love them regardless. If we can get over constantly labeling people by their looks, we can actually get to know them and find out just how special God created them. It doesn’t matter if everybody is making fun of them for their looks, Jesus loves them. Jesus loved them so much, that if that were the only person in the world, Jesus would have still died for that person. Jesus loves those people, so why can’t you stop labeling them long enough to love them?
Kayla Joy
Sometimes we label people by their looks. And why not? Maybe they’re dressed in a skull jacket with chains dangling down, maybe their face is barely noticeable under all their make-up, maybe they don’t look the smartest. You know why not? Because John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It doesn’t matter how they look, we’re supposed to love them regardless. If we can get over constantly labeling people by their looks, we can actually get to know them and find out just how special God created them. It doesn’t matter if everybody is making fun of them for their looks, Jesus loves them. Jesus loved them so much, that if that were the only person in the world, Jesus would have still died for that person. Jesus loves those people, so why can’t you stop labeling them long enough to love them?
Kayla Joy
Longing for Earthly Treasures?
Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” The first sentence, ‘Whoever loves money never has money enough’ is the very beginning of a hint to us. If you love money, you’ll always be aiming to get more and more money. Before you know it, getting money will be the goal of your life. Matthew 6:19 says, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.” If you store up all the money possible here on earth, you will have too much to spend! You can sit there for hours staring at all the shiny coins and brand new dollar bills, but when you leave this earth, all of this will be gone. Every single coin. So what’s the point of loving money? Loving money will lead to always wanting more, and if you always want more money, you’ll take your eyes off what is important, Jesus.
The second verse says, ‘Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income’ This sentence holds a similar message, don’t get caught up in your belongings! You may have a great job, one that has a high income. But if your love for money goes to such an extent that you find yourself wanting a higher income, and complaining with the income that you currently have, you may be doing the same as in the first sentence, always wanting more and more of something. The last sentence sums it all up, “This too is meaningless”. There’s only one thing that’s good to find yourself longing for, and that’s Jesus. The more God opens your eyes and your heart, the more you’ll want to know about Him. He’s the only thing we should be constantly longing for.
Kayla Joy
The second verse says, ‘Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income’ This sentence holds a similar message, don’t get caught up in your belongings! You may have a great job, one that has a high income. But if your love for money goes to such an extent that you find yourself wanting a higher income, and complaining with the income that you currently have, you may be doing the same as in the first sentence, always wanting more and more of something. The last sentence sums it all up, “This too is meaningless”. There’s only one thing that’s good to find yourself longing for, and that’s Jesus. The more God opens your eyes and your heart, the more you’ll want to know about Him. He’s the only thing we should be constantly longing for.
Kayla Joy
Love to Last us a Lifetime
Sometimes we feel like we're sinking beneath our heavy load. We don't see God reaching out His hand to us we begin to lose hope. We think, 'If God loved us enough, surely He'd reach out and save us'. God has an unmeasurable amount of love for us, which is why He sometimes chooses to let us struggle through something. But God never lets us struggle on our own, He's walking right beside us the whole way, holding our hand and whispering words of comfort.
If your child was begging to eat only chocolate for three meals a day, would you let them? Of course not! Because you love your child, you want the best for your child, even if it means disappointing them. God has a reason for every struggle in your life. Though it may not be obvious at the moment, it may strength your faith as you learn to rely on Him. You may be able to help someone else who is struggling with the same thing. Or it may make you appreciate all of your blessings more. Whatever the reason, God has a plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Why do we sometimes doubt and have a tough time believing this? Have we ever read a Bible passage about God breaking a promise? No! God doesn't go back on His word, or break His promises. Which is why we can trust Him. People will disappoint us. People will hurt us. People will deceive us. But God always keeps His promises. He never deceives us. And because of this, we can have faith that this, also, is true. God does have plans for us, and not only does He have plans for us, but He has plans for us to prosper, for us to have hope, and for us to have a future. We don't know the plans that He has for us. But thankfully, He does. Struggles will be a part of your future. But even throughout our struggles, we can trust the One who loved us enough to create us, to have amazing plans for our life.
Kayla Joy
If your child was begging to eat only chocolate for three meals a day, would you let them? Of course not! Because you love your child, you want the best for your child, even if it means disappointing them. God has a reason for every struggle in your life. Though it may not be obvious at the moment, it may strength your faith as you learn to rely on Him. You may be able to help someone else who is struggling with the same thing. Or it may make you appreciate all of your blessings more. Whatever the reason, God has a plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Why do we sometimes doubt and have a tough time believing this? Have we ever read a Bible passage about God breaking a promise? No! God doesn't go back on His word, or break His promises. Which is why we can trust Him. People will disappoint us. People will hurt us. People will deceive us. But God always keeps His promises. He never deceives us. And because of this, we can have faith that this, also, is true. God does have plans for us, and not only does He have plans for us, but He has plans for us to prosper, for us to have hope, and for us to have a future. We don't know the plans that He has for us. But thankfully, He does. Struggles will be a part of your future. But even throughout our struggles, we can trust the One who loved us enough to create us, to have amazing plans for our life.
Kayla Joy
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