Thursday, October 27, 2011

day 27 {the light}

Ephesians 4:28-29
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

I’m finding it more and more difficult to try and find “good hard work” to do with my hands. sometimes I feel like the God wants too much out of me. how in the world am I supposed to go to school, go to work, have a photography business, have time for friends and family and then somehow still make time to be His hands and feet.

and then I remember all the people that I encounter while I’m at school, and at work. all the (hopeful) clients I’ll have, and the time I spend with family and friends.

no, my life isn’t a mission trip. but, what I, what we do, around the people we’re in constant contact with is being His hands and feet.

I need to state here though, before I go any farther, that missions are important. physically being His hands and feet is just as important. but, there’s a lot we can do right here (or there depending on where you are)

I think a lot of times Christ followers get the “mission blues”. we mope around because we haven’t ever been to a third world country, or helped rebuild a home.

Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

the first thing, is getting over the word world.
I find (from personal experience) that when the bible says words like the “world”, it’s not meaning the literal world…I mean it is…but stay with me on this one. God needs us to start with our world first.

He needs us to be the hard working hands in our own homes and communities, our worlds. because girls, take a look around, there are a lot of people who need the loving arms of Jesus. and it’s our job to bring them to Him.

so instead of reading it like this: you are the light of the world.
read it like this: you are the light of (insert your towns name here)

I am the light of {Indian Harbor Beach}

now lets take a look at verse 29…the one about our “foul or abusive” language.

as you know by now, I’m a server at a restaurant. and holy cow do I hear some language.
and what’s worse is the fact that when I work a lot during the week, I tend to replace words like “shoot” with a different word.

if you’ve got a bad tongue I suggest you stay as far away from the book of James as possible, here’s why:

james 3:5-10
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

told you.

james is warning us of what our tongue can do, and paul is instructing us to encourage people with our words.

it’s a hard thing to do, but it has to be done. we all know how hurtful words can be. and, how ugly they can be.

I can’t tell you that I never use a potty word. because I do. I’m human, and sometimes I stub my toe.
it’s also something I struggle with.

lately I’ve really been trying to get the ugly out of my life. the ugly thoughts, the ugly words, the things in my life that bring me down and don’t ever try and build me up.

it’s a work in progress. but I know that with Him I can do it.

challenge: write out I am the light of {your town} and stick it on a sticky note. pray for God to help you understand it. and how's the tongue?

God we know that without You we are nothing. I thank You God for putting me here in Indian Harbor Beach God because I know that there is Your work here for me to get done. I pray that You help me and guide me in that work. And God I pray that You help me with the taming of my tongue. Lord I pray that only things about Your beauty come from my lips.
amen.

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