Category: Treasures for the Heart

Everyone can use encouragement!

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Better or Bitter?

August 22, 2018

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”  Philippians 1:6

We will incur many adversities in our lives.  How we choose to approach them will affect our outcome.  Will you choose to be better and allow the trial you are currently enduring to make you stronger becoming the victor through Christ’s help?  OR will you choose to become bitter and allow yourself to fail and become the victim?

Though I fail at times, I would like to think that I try to press on to the victory – looking for the lesson I might learn that I may grow in Christ and in turn be able to help others do the same.  Sometimes pain is the very thing that God can use to help you help show the love of Christ to others in only a way that you can.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:14

“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off.  You sit and trust the engineer.” – Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor.

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Gentle Persuasion

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”  Romans 15:1-2

Romans 15:1-2 teaches that we that are strong ought to help the weaker.  We are not just to please ourselves, but rather help teach others to do right and build them up in the Lord.  Our greatest example is Christ who bore our sins on the cross.

There’s an old English proverb which states, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”.  Tis true.  We can also apply this to life.  How many times have you been in a situation where you were yelled at by someone which resulted in an argument rather than come to a peaceful agreement?  What about the opposite?  Do you remember a situation where you were upset about something and someone only had kind words to say which helped you to calm down?

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”  Proverbs 15:1

People generally are drawn to kindness and quickly repelled by criticism.  Our love for others will prove to the world that Christ is real.  Remember to be sweet and loving with your speech.  We need to make the most of every opportunity to be a light for Christ.

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”  Colossians 4:6

“Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.”- Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863), British Hymn writer & Theologian.

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