What comes for your lips?

What comes for your lips? You probably wonder what the heck I am posting about today. But really what comes from your lips? Are you lifting people up or tearing them down? Are you furthering the kingdom or tearing it down?

Saying kind things can go a long way for a lot of people. I don't know if you have ever heard about the five love languages, but words of affirmation is definitely right there at the top me. When you are saying uplifting things to other people and are encouraging them, it is amazing the impact that you can have.

On the other hand, think about what words can do for someone in a negative context. Words can tear people down. Words can make you loose trust in someone and harm relationships. Words can hurt.

As I was reading through Proverbs 10 this afternoon I came across one of the Proverbs of Solomon. There were a lot of verses in there that talked about the good things you can say and the bad.

I will list the good verse and what was included along with the bad.

I will start with the bad.

Bad

- Proverbs 10:10 - ...and a chattering fool comes to ruin

- Proverbs 10:11- ...the mouth of the wicked conceals violence

- Proverbs 10:14- ...but the mouth of a fool invites ruin

- Proverbs 10:19- ...Sin in not ended by multiplying words

- Proverbs 10:31- ...but a preverse tongue will be silenced

- Proverbs 10:32- ...but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse

You can see from these verses that a bad mouth causes ruin, violence and only knows what is perverse.

Good 

- Proverbs 10:11- ...The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life

- Proverbs 10:13- ...Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning

- Proverbs 10:19- ...but the prudent hold their tongues

- Proverbs 10:20- ...The tongue of the righteous is choice silver

- Proverbs 10:21- ...The lips of the righteous nourish many

- Proverbs 10:31- ...From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom

- Proverbs 10:32- ...The lips of the righteous know who finds favor

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, it contains wisdom, it is nourishing, produces fruit, and is favorable.

I encourage you to take heart about what is good and much of a positive affect words can have. I hope that next time something comes from your lips and your tongue that is it something that is good and honorable.

Remember, you are loved.

Be prepared in season and out of season

Do you ever feel like not doing something...like not studying for finals? I know that this week it has been easy to have that mindset. Or do you ever not do something because you don't feel prepared? For example, I could have started studying for finals a couple of days ago (which I did) but told myself I wasn't prepared to study for them yet because I did not have a study guide made. Make sense? Good.

I am here today to tell you that we should always be ready. We should always be ready to practice what we preach. Heck, God has given you and me everything that we need so we should feel prepared and ready to do whatever it is that He wants us to.

I was encouraged by some scripture in 2 Timothy this evening that I knew I had to share with you.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ) 

I was mostly encouraged by the part that says: "be prepared in season and out of season." That is super motivating for me. Whether we think it is time to do something or not, we need to be prepared. I am reminded of the many off seasons I experienced during my basketball career. I have a goal every off season to be in the best shape that I can possibly can be. So that when Fall comes around, and the season starts, I am ready to go. I prepare myself whether it is the season for off season. When I think of a relationship with Christ. I think of the one and off feelings that everyone feels. The "roller coaster" as some might say. Sometimes Jesus just isn't the number one thing in your life. That doesn't mean that you should not be prepared when the time comes. We should always be prepared to preach the word, correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful interaction no matter how you feel. Because trust me, you are not always going to want to encourage someone, or spend time with Jesus, but that doesn't mean you should not be prepared. We should always be prepared.

That verse really encouraged me, to always be prepared. Life is crazy and you never know what is going to happen, so we need to be prepared for everything.

If you don't feel prepared, my hope, my prayer and my encouragement for you is that you begin to ask God to prepare your heart. It's will be a marathon, not a sprint.

Wisdom's call

I don't know how many of you might follow me on twitter, but on last Friday I tweeted: "I fear God more than I ever have." Some of you might not understand what it means to fear God and that is totally fine, I didn't really understand what it meant either.

Based on scripture I have read and people I trust, I have come to the conclusions that fearing God is a sign of respect towards God. I fear God because of all the amazing power that He has. He has the power to change your life, and the power to give and to take away.

In the book of Proverbs it talks about how the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I feared God more than I ever have on Friday because I didn't know what his plan for me was going to be after I screwed up. I was petrified.

Another verse that relates to my feeling comes from Proverbs 8:13 which says. "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."

I feared the Lord because I hate evil. I hate it. I hate the evil schemes that we are attacked with every single day, and I hate how sexy or attractive evil might seem to a lot of people. I hate how easy it is for people to fall into committing evil acts. I just truly hate it. Evil is the one thing that I believe it is okay to say that you hate. I also hate evil because you can do a thousands good deeds and one thing that is evil and then it's like you never did anything that was good in the eyes of a lot of people or the person that you hurt. Evil also sucks because you loose one battle with it, and so easily forget all of the battles that you won!

Like I said, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

I don't know if you knew this or not, but wisdom has been around for a very long time. Wisdom was there before God created everything.

Take a look at Proverbs 8. That is what I will close with. Its very cool to read about how wisdom is always there and has always been there.

8 Does not wisdom call out?
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
    for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]
    before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
    before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
    so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30     Then I was constantly[e] at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.

32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
    blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
    and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
    all who hate me love death.”

Read through verses 32-36 again, really take those verses to heart. We need to listen to wisdom's interaction, and do not disregard it. When we listen to wisdom we are blessed. When we as Christians find wisdom we find life and receive favor from the Lord. Open your heart, your mind, and your eyes to wisdom and your life will change. 

Avoid the chatter

By the time you finish reading this post, I hope that I was able to encourage you to avoid what is ungodly. 

I am excited to be able to sit down right now and put a lot of time into this post. It is been a whirlwind of a week. Conversations, school work, emotions, a night in Chicago, it was busy, busy, busy! It was definitely one of the most emotional filled weeks of the entire school year. I was reminded this week that we serve a God who is forgiving and wants us to live for Him in everything that we say and do. 

There were so many times this week where I needed to let God do God things and every single time, that is what He did. He never fails. His love, His ways, His plan, it never fails. 

"Avoid the chatter" 

What does that mean to you? For me it means not participating in ungodly conversations when you are surrounded by them. It means not gossiping or talking about people behind their backs. It means not judging someone that you have never met in your entire time, or not judging someone that you see and interact with every day.

Now it's so hard to do all of those things. It's taken me years to start doing a better job with it. It's also a difficult thing because sometimes we have to become like other people in certain situations so that we can witness to them. Which is tough to understand, but I believe that God has all of those situations planned out. 

I want to encourage you that when you become better at "avoiding the chatter," you will notice God more and feel his presence more than you ever have. When you feel his presence, you will feel God's presence, it is amazing how much better you treat other people. Feeling God's presence allows me to look at everyone the same, we were all created by the same holy and all-powerful God. It also reminds me that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Avoiding the chatter is tough. It is crazy how easy it is for us to talk about people. When you practice avoiding it, you notice it so much more. It might be a little awkward for some of you to communicate with someone when you don't talk about other people, but there is so much more life in conversations when it's not about other people.

Now for some scripture!

Keep reminding God's people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid the godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

( 2 Timothy 2:14-16 ) 

There is no value in the quarreling of words. None. We need to do our best to present ourselves to God as one who has handled the word of truth correctly and without shame. We are told to avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it, will become more and more ungodly. I want to say this too! This scripture says that we are so avoid ungodly talk. I imagine ungodly talk being about sinful things, judging, pleasures, etc. I believe that you can have a Godly conversation that doesn't have to be all about God. Like I am not telling you that all you have to talk about is Jesus. It would be amazing if He is what we talk about all the time, but that just isn't going to happen. I am trying not to be annoying about this topic, just as encouraging as I can be.

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are in his," and. "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ( 2 Timothy 2:19-24 ) 

Flee from evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Also, do not have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because those are pointless and amount to nothing. Flee from evil desires and pursue God. 

I encourage you, avoid the chatter! The Lord knows who is his and who is not. When you practice on avoiding things that you should not be apart of, you will be able to recognize what God wants for you with your life. It is amazing what happens when you get rid of the bad things in your life, and replace them with the good. Unfortunately, it's a difficult process for a lot of people. If you cannot fish out the bad, put your focus on what is good. Remember, what you want more of is what your magnify. So if you want more of what is good in your life and more of Jesus, that is where your focus should be. 

Now that we have reached the end, I hope that you understand what it means to "avoid the chatter" and I hope that you begin to avoid it to the best of your ability. It is amazing what will happen. Let God do God things. 

Walk in His purpose today

Today, I simply want to encouraged you to walk in His purpose and that He has a plan for you and for this day. At times, it might seem like what you do is not appreciated and that it doesn't have a purpose, but I want you to keep on doing what is right in the eyes of God. He will never forget all of the work that you have done and the love that we have shown him and his people.

Someday, there will be people who will appreciate what you are doing and what you have done. Keep on walking in His purpose for you every single day. I promise that you will not regret it.

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. (Hebrews 6:9-10)

Although this post was short and sweet, I believe that it will encourage you today. I was encouraged by it this morning when it was texted to me. I hope that I relayed the message well to you.

Have a blessed day.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

What is happening in your mind every night before you go to bed? What are you filling it with, what are you seeing and what are you thinking.

I know for me, I say a prayer every night before bed and that is right before I fall asleep. But what is being done before that. During the time when you lay there on our phone, scrolling through social media. I know that there are good things on social media and there are also bad things. Late at night, when we are laying in our beds scrolling through every social media app, we can easily become susceptible to things we shouldn't, due to what we see.

Let's step away from the social media aspect of it. What do your conversations consist of before bed? For guys, conversations before bed are often things that you would never ever want to leave the bedroom.

My point is that the devil tries so hard to trap you and make you sin when we are so susceptible to pleasure and feelings late at night.

Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent. (Psalm 4:4-5)

I love that scripture. It's such a perfect reminder to not sin when you are on your beds. We are to search our hearts and to be silent. I don't know what that looks like for you. But maybe you need to put the phone done a little sooner and rest and God's presence. It is something that I have tried to do the past couple of nights. As soon as I text my girlfriend goodnight, I make sure that I do not get back on my phone until I hear my alarm in the morning. It's been great. I have slept better, and my mind has been on the things it should be before bed. God, family, girlfriend and friends. Maybe that might be a good option for you.

When you search your heart before bed, you will fall asleep so peacefully. Maybe you pray before bed, maybe you never have, or maybe you think about life. Try praying before bed sometime. It's amazing what the power of prayer can do. When I cannot fall asleep, my mom always used to ask if I have tried praying yet. That seems to work every time. When I find myself praying before bed, I am pretty sure I fall asleep taking to God every time.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord, 
make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8) 

The best you can do when dealing with any sort of thoughts you shouldn't be having at night, is to un from it.

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way. (Proverbs 4:14-15) 

The feeling I get when I search my heart and seek God before I go to sleep is an amazing feeling. It's tough to put into words. It is such a warm and comforting feeling and I know that feeling only comes from God's presence. It's like falling asleep in the light...God's light.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19) 

I think that verse describes it pretty well. When you are setting your heart and your mind on things you should, you are doing what is right and are righteous. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun that is shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Sit there and think about. In the morning when you see the sun rise on a perfect cloudless day, it's nice and cool outside, and as the day goes on and on and as the sun rises, it gets brighter and warmer. When we are righteous and make the right decisions that is how it is for is. Brighter and brighter. We become more radiant to other people and people are going to wonder what makes us different.

So when you set your heart to the right thing, its like falling asleep in the brightness.

Lastly, what are we suppose to do?

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free from perversity; 
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27) 

I encourage you with all my heart to guard your hearts. The devil tries to make us sin and mess up all the time, but we serve a God who has already defeated him. We must guard our hearts because everything that we do flows from it. Our actions, what we say, how we love, how we treat other people, everything flows from your heart.

Keep your mouth free of perversity and keep corrupt talk far away from your lips. When you keep your mouth free of those things, it is amazing how much your mind and your thoughts change.

Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Don't look to the right or to the left. What you have in front of you is all of the amazing blessings that God has placed in your life . We should never have to look to the left or to the right in order to search for something else. What is straight ahead is your life. It's amazing how when you put your focus on what it straight ahead of you, how your life will change because you are focused on the things that you should be focused on.

Lastly, give careful thought to all that you do. I encourage you to guard your heart, set your heart on what is right before bed, and run far away from all the thoughts you shouldn't have.

You got this! You are loved.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good girth and of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Ponius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep his command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time-God, the blessed and only ruler, the King of kinds and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:11-16) 

You better not wait

Every time today that I have looked at the clock, I have been in shock because time has been flying. I think it is just that time of year when time seems to fly. That isn't a bad thing because I am sure those of you who are finishing class this week and taking finals are hoping the time flies. This is one of the most stressful weeks of the year. I think the week before finals is always more difficult. 

With time seeming to fly more and more everyday, there is a verse that I came across today that was a perfect reminder for me. It comes from Proverbs chapter 3. 

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to act.

Do not say to your neighbor,

"Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you"-

when you already have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28)

I don't know what it is about these two verses but I find it so important. It's incredibly prevalent at this time of year. A lot of the people you are around right now, you probably won't see until next fall, when we start school again. If there are good things that you want to say to people, apologies you have to make, or just things that you want someone to know, you need to tell them. At the blink of an eye it will be summer, and you will have missed out on the chance. 

Do you put off having serious conversations with people? Do you wait to compliment someone? Do you wait to make an apology? 

That seems to be the easy thing because it is tough to open up to people and to be vulnerable. 

Why wait is the question I have for you? If you know what you want to say, why put it off any longer? 

Life is short, and only today is promised. When it is in your power to act, make sure you act on it. 

I challenge you this week to take action. If there is someone you want to compliment or encourage do it. If you wronged somebody, and have to apologize, do it. You never know, you might not ever be able to make something right with someone because, like I have said before, crazy things happen. 

Take Action! You will not regret it. The more you practice being vulnerable and having tough conversations, the easier it becomes. 

You are loved.