Kindness Transforms and Heals

Devotion

2-11-10

Kindness Transforms and Heals

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

 

There are two main aspects of love, patience and kindness. I really like how the book “The Love Dare” explains these two powerful attributes. “Kindness is love in action. If patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance. Patience avoids a problem; kindness creates a blessing. One is preventive, the other proactive. These two sides of love are the cornerstones on which many of the other attributes we will discuss are built.”

Read the story below to see these principles in action.

 

Joyce didn’t know what to do next. Her heart longed to be in the church serving the Lord with her husband and enjoying good Christian fellowship. Yet her husband didn’t believe in God and was struggling with her being gone. He wanted her every moment of attention to be on him. His overwhelming demands to do the things he wanted and the way he wanted them caused Joyce to ache and feel torn apart in her spirit. She knew she was to submit to her husband as to the Lord but she also knew she was not to forsake the fellowship. Around and around her head would spin with the battle of how to do both. At times she would become so overwhelmed by it that she became impatient with her husband’s attitude and with God’s timing. Day in and day out she would fall upon her knees crying for God to do a work in her husband. But it seemed with each passing day his attitude only worsened. And then one day a dear sister in Christ shared a message of hope with her through God’s word.

 “Submitting to my husband as to the Lord doesn’t mean submitting to him only if he is a believer, but submitting to him becomes submitting to the Lord because it is God’s will for me to do so. But what is submitting? It is being able to do what he wants because I have the mind set that I am doing it for the Lord more than for him. It is being kind to him when he least deserves it, having a tender heart toward him because he is lost and cannot understand the ways of the Lord, being patient with him on his journey because I have the faith that the Lord is in control, understanding that I must forgive him for his attitude toward me just as Christ has forgiven me and I must pray for him, show him godly kindness because I desire for him to know Christ, the One who fills me with kindness and love for him. It is being able to stay home with him on Sunday because I am honoring his desire to be with him and can pray for him to see God through my gentleness and willingness to fulfill his needs. It is knowing that I submit to his desire for me to stay home because marriage is the first institute God created and should be honored and nurtured, believing God will bless such obedience and in turn strengthen my family which will strengthen the church when we do go together; Yet, understanding that I am not required to submit to unlawful acts or to go against scripture. Wow, Lord, I am going to apply this and do it Your way for now on.”

 

With that commitment for God to change her own attitude about her situation, something amazing began to happen. She looked at her husband in a whole new way. Through her prayers for her husband the Lord revealed that she was no longer to pray for his salvation but to thank Him for it. The kindness and patience she poured out on her husband came from an understanding of God’s kindness and patience for her and for His forgiveness he gave her for marrying unequally yoked. A peace filled her heart and a confidence filled her spirit that the day would come when her husband would accept Christ and their marriage would know true oneness.

Did it ever happen? Yes. After 20 years of praying and believing, learning to show godly kindness and patience towards her husband, trusting God to save him, a transformation took place in his heart. Today they serve the Lord together in a spirit of unity and love. Yet every day Joyce is in awe of the transforming work God has done, not only in her husband but within her life as well.

 

Showing kindness, being tender-hearted, forgiving and trusting God to do the work He promised are all powerful tools to equip you with the ability to love unconditionally and to submit faithfully which will open the doors for the Holy Spirit to teach and encourage you while He is turning the heart of the one you love towards Him.

The Love Process

Devotion

2-10-10

The Love Process

John 3:16

 

Today’s devotion needs little explanation for the child of God who is truly seeking to hear God’s voice, to know His will, and to obey His commands.  As you read it ask yourself two questions: Who loves me? And, whom do I love?

Let God’s word directly speak to your spirit, your heart, your mind, your soul, your emotions and your abilities. The words to follow are HIS words so listen as He speaks to you today. For what you will read is the process of love outlined by God.

 

HIS LOVE FOR US

“For God so LOVED the world, that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him shall NOT perish, but HAVE eternal life. For God did NOT send the Son into the world to JUDGE the world, but that the world might be SAVED through Him.  He who BELIEVES in Him is NOT judged; he who does NOT believe has BEEN judged already, because he has NOT believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  This IS the judgment, that the Light HAS come into the world, and men loved the Darkness RATHER than the Light, for their DEEDS were evil.  For everyone who DOES evil HATES the Light, and does NOT come to the Light for FEAR that his deeds will be EXPOSED.  But he who PRACTICES the Truth COMES to the Light, so that his DEEDS may be MANIFESTED as HAVING been wrought IN God.”

John 3:16-21

 

HOW TO PROTECT HIS LOVE

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.  Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

Proverbs 17:27-28

“He who separates himself seeks his own desire, he quarrels against all sound wisdom.  A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.”

Proverbs 18:1-2

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.  With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;  He will be satisfied with product of his lips.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:19-21

“Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel.”

Proverbs 20:3

“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.”

Proverbs 20:22

“He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles,”

Proverbs 21:23

 

 

 

HOW TO SHARE HIS LOVE

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.  For each one will bear his own load.  The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his won flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and ESPECIALLY to those who are of the HOUSEHOLD OF THE FAITH.”

 

Galatians 6:1-10

More Like Him

Devotion
2-9-10
More Like Him
Romans 12:2
"…Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
There are times in our lives when we look at a person and think, "How do they do it? Why does living the Christian life look so easy for them?" Perhaps we spend too much time wondering about others and not realizing that the Lord has made it possible for each of us to live a life that reflects Him as well. Yet, it seems that all too often we are caught up in the hurts of our past, the struggles of every day life, the worries about our futures, and we loose the daily opportunities to embrace the very power of His presence which will transform our lives into a light of His hope for others to see.

Romans 12:2, tells us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How do we do that in our fast pace, hectic lives we all live today? Dearly beloved, the power to be transformed comes in the daily feeding of your mind with God's word. Conforming and renewing can ONLY happen when we are spending time in His word. Knowing what He thinks and how He feels about the issues of life will help you to make decisions without worry and with a confidence that you are in His will.
God never says anything that isn't true. He says that being transformed by the renewing of our minds will prove the will of God. We will be able to do that which is good, acceptable and perfect. He says we can, so we can.

Daily time with God, filling our minds with His words and not with the lying noises of the world, will not only draw us closer to Him, give us a deeper and stronger understanding of Him, but it will make us more like Him. You don't have to try to be good. You don't have to try to do what is right. You don't have to struggle with decisions. You don't have to work at "looking like" a Christian. You don't have to pretend to be like Christ, you will be like Christ. As you hind His word in your heart you will begin to be transformed in how you think, act, talk, and live your life. When He lives in you and His word abides in your heart and mind, you become transformed to His likeness. You will do more and more that which is good and acceptable and perfect. You will be more like Him.

More like Him, I have made this statement several times in this devotion. Why, because I want you to remember it and to receive the truth in it. You and I were created by God for God to be like Christ so that we might honor God in and through our lives, so others will see Him in us and receive His gift of salvation and life. Let's daily be more like Him!

What?

Devotion

2-8-10

WHAT?

 

The lady standing in line in front of Sally seemed very frustrated and almost angry as she waited her turn to check out.  Sally wondered what was going on in this lady’s life to make her express her feelings in public.  She thought she would say hello and help her get her mind off of waiting, maybe it would open the door to minister to her.  Sally leaned forward and said, “The store is really busy tonight, aren’t they?”  The lady replied with, “Yeah and I wish that checker would hurry up, I need to get out of here.”  Sally listen as the woman complained about everything under the sun.  She talked about how important it is for people to be considerate of others and not to be so slow getting their work done.  She was sure the checker needed a few lessons in speed checking. 

 

Sally tried to change the topic and asked her, “Where do you work?”  The woman’s reply totally threw Sally for a loop. “I work here, and I am that checker’s boss, that’s how I know she needs some more training.”  “You are her boss?” Sally asked with surprise. “Yes I am and I have never seen anyone move so slowly.  I don’t know what I was doing when I hired her.”  “What’s her name?” Sally asked.  “I don’t know what her name is, she is just a checker.  I don’t have time to know the names of all the little checkers that come and go.  I am busy with other bigger details?”  Sally didn’t know what to say next so she just stood there for a moment in thought and prayer.  Then suddenly she spoke up.

“Excuse me mam, but I would like to ask you another question.”  “Go ahead,” the lady said.  “Well I was wondering, if you are the checkers boss and you didn’t even know her name, how can you pass judgment on her?  Are you sure there isn’t a reason she is moving slow?  I just don’t understand how you could be the boss and not understand your own employees.  You have the hand book, you said you even interviewed her and yet you know nothing about her, not even her name.

 

This story reveals a truth about so many who called them believers, or Christians.  They say they believe in God, they go to church, they buy up all the excitement and the fellowship and yet the One they are there for they do not even KNOW His name.  What am I talking about?  Well let’s look at John 3:10.  Here, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and has told him about being born again in order to see the Kingdom of God.  Nicodemus cannot understand how it is possible to be born again.  Even after Jesus explains he still doesn’t get it.  That is when Jesus says a very powerful statement to Nicodemus.  Look up verse 10 of John 3 and write it below.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Notice what Jesus calls Nicodemus.  He calls him ____________________________________

 

Jesus is amazed at the fact that Nicodemus is a teacher of Israel and yet does not understand the things of God.  How can that be? 

 

What about us?  We say we are believers in Jesus Christ and yet do we, or to make it more personal, do you understand the things of God?

 

Are you willing to understand God’s thinking?

 

Are you willing to abide by His will?

 

Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

 

Do we know not just His name, but do we know Him?

 

Do we call ourselves Christian with no interest in getting to know the One who served us to His death on the cross?

 

In the story of the boss and the checker, the boss didn’t know his employee just like the teacher of Israel didn’t know the things of God.  She said she was the checker’s boss but knew nothing about her, not even her name and therefore truly had no connection to the checker, only the name boss, over her.  We cannot live on just the name “Christian,” we must KNOW the one we say we are working with, Jesus.  We must know His ways and call Him by name just as He calls us by name. 

 

God loved us so much that He came to earth Himself to take on the form of man and to die on the cross as the payment for our sins so we could one day come and dwell with Him forever in Heaven.  He knows who we are, but do we know who He is?  Really?

 

God’s question to Nicodemus was almost a “What?” question.  What do you mean? How can this be possible?  Jesus knew that if a man called himself a believer in Him that they would also seek and know the ways of God and abide by them.

 

He is calling us all to stop, look and listen to what He is saying to us.  What is the question He is asking you today about your relationship with Him? 

 

Will He say, well done My good and faithful servant or will He look with sadness in His eyes and say, “What?”