Choose the Right Words

Explicit language is everywhere, in the music, on television, in movies, and you hear people using  foul language every day; it is all around us. I used to curse back in the day myself, so bad that I did not even realize I was cursing.  It was part of my vocabulary.  It took me a long time to stop cursing, so I try my best to not be around people that do, nor watch or listen to anything that contains explicit language. 

I am not judging those that do because that is your prerogative. I just feel that you can get your point across without having to use explicit fillers to do so.

But the question you should be asking yourself is "do you want to please God?" If so, then you should consider the words you speak.  If your character and reputation are important to you, then you should also consider the people you associate with.

The people you associate with on a regular basis can have a tremendous effect on you. Such a big affect, that you can start sounding and acting like them. Speaking from experience, your circle of influence can affect you positively and/or negatively. That is why you should surround yourself with people that will edify you and lift you up. People that have a positive attitude and can give you wisdom about life and any future goals you want to accomplish.

If you want to stop using profane language, you can! With God all things are possible.  Ask God to forgive you and deliver you from that stronghold. It will not happen over night, but you will be more cognizant of the words you choose when communicating with others.  After a while, you will notice a change in your words. Remember, you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.

Bible verses to meditate on:
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Col 3:7-8 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Peace Thru the Storm

When you hear the newscaster saying that there is a storm coming and that people need to get prepared for it, the first thing we think about is that storm is not coming this way. Half the time, those meteorologists are not accurate and the storm usually sways another direction. But what happens when that storm heads to your location and hits your home; what do you do then?

Storms can cause major havoc in our lives. We have to make sure that we are prepared for the storm before it shows up, but usually we are reactive instead of proactive. We tend to wait till the storm has shown up before we start thinking about what we need and what we should do to protect ourselves from it.

The storms of life will have you in fear and unaware of the outcome once is subsides. We tend to make decisions out of desperation instead of waiting for the Lord to speak to us while we are going through.

During the storm, we need to seek God and have faith that no matter what we are going through, he will protect us from the storm. God can give us the peace that we need to endure the storm, but we have to keep our minds stayed on Him.

If we keep focused on God, instead of the storm, He will surely hear the petitions of our heart and will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. God gives you a peace that allows you to deal with the storm in a way that does not affect your daily activities. It is a peace that gives you a hope knowing that no matter how strong the winds are blowing, you will be able to stand and endure it. This peace transcends anything that we could ever imagine; to the point that others would not even be aware that you are undertaking a storm.

In addition to having peace during the storm, you must have faith that the storm will not overtake you; knowing that the storm has a purpose in your life. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  So God knows we will have storms in life, but those storms do not have to control us! We are overcomers and can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength through any storm we are dealing with. We have the power to go through anything and come out of it victoriously. That is why God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). We have the same power that He has living inside of us, but we must learn how to tap into that power.

The are a couple of ways you can tap into God's power:

1. Spend time with God through his word.
2. Seek God daily through prayer.
3. Repent of your sins and forgive others who have also sinned against you.
4. Get involved in a bible based church where you can hear the word of God and fellowship with other believers.
5. Be still and learn to hear God's voice speaking to you.
6. Love others as God loves you.

Today's scriptures to meditate on:

• Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) -You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
• Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
• Romans 8:11-And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

You have the power and are equipped to endure any storm that comes your way. As long as you keep God first place in your life, he will give you a peace that will not be able to steer you away from God's purpose for your life.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you would share "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Clean Your Heart

It's spring time and usually we make an effort to do some spring cleaning by getting rid of things we do not use or need anymore. We should also consider doing some spring cleaning within ourselves. Have you ever thought about getting rid of things that you have been holding onto inside?

When was the last time you cleaned your heart? Throughout the year you go through disappointments, hurts, betrayals, and loss. During those seasons, you tend to tuck away all that hurt and pain in your heart instead of guarding your heart and keeping all the filth away.

If you continue to store away all that stuff in your heart, there will be no room to store it, so it will eventually have to come out of you. And what will come out will be the ugliness that was inside of you.  Usually the way that filth comes out is through your mouth.

  

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Have you considered what has been coming out of your mouth lately? Has it been positivity or negativity? Do you sound bitter and resentful? Well, whatever you have stored in your heart is what is coming out of your mouth.

So how do you clean your heart from all of that filth that is slowly eating at you? You have to let it go and forgive the person that caused you to feel this way. For you to be forgiven, you have to also forgive others. Just because you have forgiven does not mean that you will forget. By forgiving them, you have been able to release it from your heart; and that's what's important! 

Every day, you should consider letting go of what occurred that day, to keep your heart purified. With a purified heart, you are able to receive everything the Lord has for you. The Lord wants you to be free from all that filth that can only destroy your life.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV).

I challenge you to take an inventory of yourself and get rid of all the stuff that you do not need in your life. Start anew and clean out all that filth that is holding you back from experiencing the abundant life that God has for you!

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you would share "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Follow me on:

 Twitter @seeabundantlife

www.facebook.com/seeabundantlife

Choice Driven Life

Life is choice driven! There are easy choices you can make throughout your day from what you plan on wearing, to what you are going to eat. Then there are those significant choices like what career you plan on pursuing to whom you plan on marrying.

With each choice you make there is a consequence or a result of your decision. Sometimes these results can be positive or negative. It just all depends on the outcome of the results.

We would all love to have a happy life and always make wise choices, but the reality is, that is not always going to happen. You are bound to make good choices and bad choices; that is part of living. With every choice you make, you will learn something, especially if it's a wrong choice. A bad decision can surely alter your future plans and your life for that matter.  So in every decision you plan on making, you should first seek God for wisdom and direction to make the right choice. He will help you as long as you listen to his advice.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5).

Now I know you are wondering, how do I hear from God? God speaks in many different ways. It is important that you spend time reading the bible and learn more about who God is and how to live an abundant life. Through his word he can reveal many things to you and will show you the way you should go. His word is a lamp to guide your feet and a light for your path (Psalm 119:105).

Another way you can hear from God is by listening to that small voice within you called the "Holy Spirit". People always refer to it by saying, "something told me"; that something is the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us on a daily basis, but sometimes our lives are so loud (full of too much) that we are not able to hear His voice. It is important that you quiet yourself at times, so you can hear the Holy Spirit speak to you.

God also speaks to us through other people. He may send someone in your path that will provide you with wisdom regarding your situation. Of course, before you consider that person's advice, they should be followers of God and not someone who is living unrighteously. (Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness 2 Corin 6:14)

When it is all said and done, your choices will have a lot to do with how your life will turn out. If you want to live an abundant life, make sure you make good choices that will be pleasing to the Lord. Fear should not stop you from making choices in life. We will not know the outcome of our choices, unless we take a leap of faith and make the decision. Regardless of the outcome of the choice, whether positive or negative, you must remember that "all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Follow me on:

 Twitter @seeabundantlife

www.facebook.com/seeabundantlife

Honesty is Still the Best Policy!

When you were a child, do you remember using the term-liar-liar, pants on fire? What if every time someone lied, their pants will catch on fire? We would have to put out a lot of fires throughout the day and the fire department would be pretty busy.

All jokes aside, everyone will be burned one way or another some time in their lives. At the same time, there would be more honesty in the world because once you get burned, you would not want to get burned again.

You can interpret "getting burned" in two different ways. The person that lied will eventually get burned by the discovery of the lie that was told by them. Then there is the receiver of the lie. They too will be burned because they were deceived by the liar.

I don't believe anyone would like to get burned either way, but it happens daily! Sometimes we are aware of it and other times we have no clue that we are being lied to. There are people that lie on-a-regular bases and are called "compulsive liars"; do they not have a conscious?

Isn't easier to be honest than to lie? I would think so, since you would need to keep up with your lies and remember them. Every time you lie, you have to say another lie to keep the lie going. After a while, that can be stressful on the liar, to remember what was said before. Eventually the liar will be caught in the lie or will have to fess up.

Lying is hurtful and can cause someone anguish and pain. Lying can cause a relationship to end because trust has been broken. Lying is something that God detests and will cause you to not see the abundant life God wants you to have.

So why lie? The underlying reason people lie is due to selfishness. All they are doing is thinking about themselves instead of the person they are lying to. In the end, selfishness will not produce the positivity that you seek in your life. Selfishness will not give you the desires of your heart.

God wants you to focus on others and to love them as you love yourself. Would you lie to yourself? Would you want someone to lie to you? It goes back to the "Golden Rule", treat others as you would want to be treated.

Bible verses to meditate on:
Prov 12:22 The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

1 Pet 3:10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.

Prov 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Next time you have the urge to lie-think about it! What are you gaining by lying? If you want to live righteously and please God, lying should be last thing you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Follow me on:

 Twitter @seeabundantlife

www.facebook.com/seeabundantlife

The Golden Rule

Do you have any pet peeves? One of my pet peeves is when I open the door for someone and they do not say "thank you". This usually happens when I drop my 3 year old son at daycare. There are certain people that I know do not say thank you when I hold the door for them, but I still hold the door for them if they are walking-in behind me. The way I see it, I would want you to hold door for me if I were behind you and going to the same establishment; the only difference is that I will thank you for it.

I have learned throughout the years that you cannot do things for people to get a reaction from them. You should want to do it because it is the right thing do. If you are doing things, so you can get some type of recognition, I am sorry to say, but you may never get it!

Always remember that God is keeping an account of the things we do on earth and the only person you should be concerned about is yourself and what you are doing. You cannot worry about what others are doing and not doing! It is already difficult to keep track ourselves, imagine keeping track of others; it is just not practical.

Envision what the world would be like if we all expected some type of recognition for our actions before doing anything; nothing would get accomplished!

That is just the wrong attitude to have! We should always have in the back of our minds, "What would Jesus do?" Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephes 5:1-2).

Jesus is love and He would want us to love others and treat them the way that we would want to be treated; The Golden Rule should always be in the back of your minds. So even though I may not get a "thank you" from every person that I hold the door for, I am going to keep holding the door knowing that it is the right thing to do and I know my good works put a smile on God's face!

Bible verses to mediate on:

Matt 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Prov 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..

I challenge you today, to do something good for someone else regardless if you are going to get recognized for it!

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Follow me on:

 Twitter @seeabundantlife

www.facebook.com/seeabundantlife

You Are a Work of Art!

Do you know how wonderfully made you are?

News media, magazines, and public figures provide us with images of what we "should" look like, which in turn, gives us an "imperfect" view of ourselves. We should not allow the opinions of others affect the way we feel about who we are in Christ.

 We are God's creation!

Learn to accept and love yourself just the way you are. God loves you and has created you with his wonderful hands.

We are all made in the image of God and he does not make mistakes!

Biblical Verses of what God says about you:

Gen 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Matt 5:48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Psalm 119:73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

You should not worry about what others think about you, the only person you should be concerned about pleasing is God.

Always Remember
YOU are "perfectly" made by God!


‪If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread "See Abundant Life" by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

~Marilyn Biggs, See Abundant Life

Follow me on:

 Twitter @seeabundantlife

www.facebook.com/seeabundantlife