Speaking Life

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

In John 1:42, Jesus changed Peter’s name from Simon (which means “God has heard”) to Peter (which means “Rock”). Jesus was having an “I see in you” conversation with Peter. He basically was saying to him “I see in you someone who will become the foundation of this movement.” or “I see in you stability and strength.” Jesus was pouring into Peter’s life what he wanted Peter to become.

Peter, years later, did the same thing to the early church. He was writing to the churches scattered around Asia Minor. He was having a similar “I see in you” conversation with them that Jesus had with him. He said “I see in you a chosen people. Royal priests a holy nation, God’s possession. You have received his mercy so go out and share his goodness with everyone around you.” He was pouring into their lives the truth of who they were.

These verses and many others pour the same truth into our lives. God sees in us, his believers, a chosen people. Royal priests called to share his goodness and his mercy. We are God’s possession and we are to be holy.

When you go about your day, are you living your life according to God’s call on it? Do you share encouraging words with others and remind them of who they are in Jesus? Do you lift them up the way God lifts you up and build them up so they too can step up to the call?

It’s a practice passed down from Jesus to Peter to the Early Church to us. Today, pray for the people you encounter and let the Holy Spirit speak words of life through you to them.

Are You Helping Satan?

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.  Revelation 12:10

It is not secret that Satan accuses us. As the Bible says, he prowls about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). It is his desire to bring us down. In Revelation we are told that he accuses us before God day and night. Over and over again.

When I read this verse I wondered, Do I help him? Do I help Satan accuse my brothers and sisters by talking about them? Do I share stories that are not uplifting? Do I do it and stand behind a bunch of excuses that sound like there is a good reason for my sharing? I think sometimes we gossip or share things about others that we should not share and excuse ourselves with some trumped up guise that we think makes it alright.

The thought horrified me. The horrifying thought? That I am helping Satan in his battle against us by doing the same thing he is doing. Instead, I should be aligning myself with Christ and defending everyone against the lies that are being told.

There are three questions you can ask yourself before you repeat something about someone. The origins of these are disputed but the questions are excellent!

Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?

When I ask myself those questions before I speak, I've found that an awful lot is eliminated. It's a good reminder. I do not want to help Satan destroy any of God's kids.

The next verse in Revelation 12 says:

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
    and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
    that they were afraid to die.  (v 11)

Satan will be defeated by the blood of the Lamb first and our testimony second.  What will be your testimony? Will the words you speak reflect the Christ you know?

Did I Say That Out Loud?

What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. Job 7:17-18 (NLT)

Have you ever had something come out of your mouth and realize (almost immediately) that you should have not said it? We joke around and say "Did I say that out loud?" and we laugh. But seriously. I do this more than I would like.

I can make all kinds of excuses about how my brain is going too fast or my schedule is too full or I need a break and all those may be true but in reality, excuses aside, I am responsible for my tongue.

One of the disciplines I have been learning and practicing is the discipline of talking to God while I am talking to someone else. While I am having a conversation with them, I ask God "Is there something you want me to say?" or "How can I help them? How can I comfort them?" Interestingly, the answer is sometimes to not say anything. Sometimes, the answer is to just be there and listen.

I have found that when I practice this, I regret less and less the things I say. I have less instances of beating myself up and having to ask forgiveness of God and the people I love. I also have more instances of joy because I was more helpful and able to listen well. I especially find great satisfaction in knowing that God was in control of that conversation.

I am still learning this discipline. I still forget to engage God when I'm going too fast. I'm praying about it and God is teaching me. I love that he pays attention to even our smallest conversations and is involved with what we do.

Father God, Examine me. Examine me every morning and every evening and every moment in between.  Teach me to be more like Jesus. Amen.

Spiritual Conversations

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7 (NLT)

I walked into the grocery store and headed straight to the bakery. I knew what I wanted and I had limited time. I stood there and looked around for someone to help me. Nada. I looked for a bell to ring...perhaps by the big sign that said "We are always here to help you. We'll be happy to write anything you want on your cake." I looked from the sign back to empty bakery area.

I finally opted to go down to the deli counter and ask them if they could call someone. As I walked back to the bakery counter I heard the loud speaker announcement that a customer needed help in the bakery.

The lady appeared from the back and asked what I needed. I explained that I wanted to buy one of the cakes and have something written on it. She responded "I'd be happy to do that for you but it's not going to look good, I have terrible hand-writing." I said "Excuse me?" She repeated herself. And as she was taking the lid off of the cake she followed up with "And I'm sick." 

Now, I am a pretty expressive person so a lot of thoughts were going through my head about how to handle this and what to say. I started with "Stop (I didn't want her germs all over my cake.)" I told her it was OK, I would write on the cake myself meanwhile thinking that my writing was certainly worse than hers and why was she 1) working in a bakery offering to write on my cake if her handwriting was terrible and 2) why was she even at work if she was sick!

So she starts to hand me the cake, without the cover, across the counter. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I'm giving it to you so you can write on it." Now, my mind is racing with more not nice thoughts wondering how I was supposed to stand there, hold it with one hand and write on it with the other? I bit my tongue.  I explained to her that is would do it at home.  All this time, I resolved to go complain to the manager.

Needless to say, there was more unproductive conversation but just as I was about to open my mouth to tell her my opinion I heard "Ask her why she's sick." The thought was so overwhelming, I did it. She told me. Then, I heard "Tell her it's OK and that you'll take it home and take care of it." So I did. As she handed me the cake over the counter (this time with the lid on it), I heard "Tell her you hope she feels better." I obeyed.

As I walked away resolving to just go home and not tell the manager, I knew God had intervened. If I had told her what I thought, I would have felt terrible and so would she. I am so very thankful that God spoke up and turned off the "This is not how I am supposed to be treated" speakerphone that was going off in my head and replaced it with "Do you see the woman behind the counter?" voice.

I got home and my son (who has much better cake decorating skills than I do) wrote on the cake for me.  All was right with the world and more importantly, all was right with my soul. Thank you, God!