Inside Out
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29 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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Bee's Thoughts:
Sometimes I wonder if blogging what's in my heart is "unwholesome talk". I have been pretty candid about how I feel and blog about my feelings without pretence. To me, my blog is my personal diary to express and release my trapped thoughts and feelings. I don't share those things with my offline friends at all. So to know me well, my blog is the best place to begin with.
So do what I write at my blog help build others up?
I have learnt that certain people who read my blog do get encouraged most times because they know that they are not alone in their situations. For not only do I blog about my joy and sorrows, I blog about my solutions too. I hope that by sharing what I have gone through would help my readers who are in similar situations.
Dear Lord,
I pray that whatever I say will be edifying to my listeners. In my transparency let me be a beacan of light to those who need some enlightenment. Let me not be a stumbling block to anyone as I share my thoughts.
In Jesus'name I pray. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
Be truthful
Today passage talks about how we sometime put on different faces, acting and talking differently to different people. The problem with this kind of falseness is that we will sometime forget or accidentally speak in the wrong way to the wrong person. Another thing is it’s hard and tiring to cope with continually putting on faces and covering all kinds of pretense, manipulation and lies we made. As Christians, we're all connected to each other. So, when we lie to others, we actually are lying to ourselves.
Don't go to bed angry
The passage also teaches us not to hold grudges, hating others as it’s the easiest way to give the Devil foothold in our life. The Bible does not forbid us from being angry; after all it’s normal to feel angry towards things like injustice. But God want us to be careful with it so it does not fuel us for revenge, taking things into our own hand.
Do not steal
Sometime we can still ‘steal’ without being a shoplifter or robber. For example, we can steal from our boss by doing our personal work or wasting time in the office when he’s not around. We can steal from our family or loved one by spending all our time for selfish pursuits and indulgence. We can steal from ourselves by being lazy, dishonest, irresponsible, reckless, jeopardizing our life and future. We can steal from God by being a bad Christian, disappointing others and deterring them from seeing Jesus through us.
Each word a gift
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can hurt my entire life! The bitter pain of a word spoken against others can hurt them for a lifetime. What others say to us and what we say to others can last a long time, for good or for evil. The casual sarcastic or critical remark can inflict a lasting injury on others. We need to think before we speak and speak only what helps, encourages, and builds others up; inspiring them for the rest of their life. Treat each word a gift.
Don't break His heart
As Christian, we need to realize the most intimate part of our lives: the Holy Spirit, God Himself, lives, moves and breathes in us. We need to stop living a life as if He is not there; taking God’s gift for granted. We need to begin a life that refrains from all kinds of unwholesome talks, behavior and habits; being genuinely gentle, sensitive and loving to others, forgiving one another like the way God in Christ has forgave us.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding all these again to me: Be truthful; do not ‘steal’; careful of anger and words; and acknowledging the presence of the Spirit in me. Lord, I pray that I may live in ways that others may see the love of Christ reveal in me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy
