Great Expectations - Guest Post

This week’s devotional is actually an email from a dear friend.  She sends lovely ponderings each month that truly cause you to stop and think.  Recently, she wrote about expectations and it was simply too good to keep to myself.  So, with permission from my friend, I give you….Great Expectations.  Some revisions have been made for clarity in this devotional setting.

“People are so quick to become angry or offended when their expectations aren’t met.  It’s hard to first of all know what those expectations are and secondly, to meet them all.  

Why expect so much of people?  Why get offended (or sever a relationship) when an expectation isn’t met?  Here are some expectations followed by thoughts to ponder:

1. Do we expect our husbands to read our minds? (How could he possibly know what I was thinking?)
2. I should have been told first that they were expecting a baby! (It is not the end of the world if I do not know first.  Why steal their joy of sharing the news?)
3. She should have apologized for XYZ! (Why should I expect her to apologize if I never told her I was offended?)
4. My feelings are hurt because she didn’t speak to me at the store. (She probably did not see me in the store.)
5. I heard they don’t like me so I am upset. (I should find out from THEM if they are offended with me and try to make it right...)
6. You didn’t invite me for supper and you invited THEM! (I should assume that person or family needed some one on one TLC and be happy for them.)
7. They didn’t tell me that they are engaged.  I should have been told before anyone else!! (Who made THAT rule?  What does it matter?)
8. You haven’t called me in a whole week! (Are you counting?  Who made a rule that someone needs to call in certain intervals anyway? The phone rings both ways.)
9. You haven’t been to see me in ages! (The road runs both ways, too.)

There are many more examples. My advice: don’t have unreasonable expectations of people.  Give lots and lots of grace in all situations.  Never keep score. Never count. Try never to feel left out.  Choose to believe the best in people.   Those are all choices. 

Not everyone has bad intentions.  Not everyone tries to leave you out or forget you exist.  Not many people conspire behind your back to make you upset, mad, or hurt your feelings. People are human and make mistakes.  Sometimes the list is too long and you are accidentally left off of it.  Sometimes the human mind is frail and forgets.  Sometimes people are thinking of other things and forget.  Maybe you only heard part of the story.  Sometimes they have a good reason (like someone else needing TLC) as to why you weren’t included.  Don’t assume the worst.   Does it really matter in the long run?  A year from now will you still remember (unless you hold grudges which you shouldn’t do anyway)?

Remember: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.   Are you showing true love to others?”

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.  Psalm 119:165

Prayer:

Father, thank You for experiences that allow me to practice giving grace.  Please help me to not place expectations on other people that set me up as Junior Holy Spirit and Judge.  Amen.

Challenge:

Take a good hard look at your life this week.  Do you place expectations on others that are unreasonable?  Oh, of course, we all have expectations of people who claim Christ acting Christ like, our children being obedient, services being provided in a timely manner, etc.  Those kinds of expectations are good.  Focus on areas of your life that you have set up expectations, if even in your mind, that are unreasonable and unfair to others.

Gayle B. 2012

Edited and revised by Jen G. 2012

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Feelings, wo-wo-wo-feelings...

Do you ever get your feelings hurt?  I do.  I can get my feelings hurt just by walking into a messy room.  Somehow the stuff lying around translates in my brain to, “We do not give a hoot about how hard you work to keep our house nice and clean, Hazel.  Um, I mean…Mom.” 

Have you ever felt wounded at dinner time when someone at the table did not seem quite gleeful over the cheesy broccoli and liver casserole you made? How about the time when your husband forgot to bring flowers home on the anniversary of the day you bought your first couch; or last week when that person from church ignored you in Wal-mart. (Too bad that she didn’t even see you.  She should have felt your presence and sought you out.)

Whatever it is, we can get our pantaloons all in a bunch over some pretty silly things.  Our irrational reactions make us miserable and give us a reputation as someone who is easily offended and must be handled with kid gloves or dropped like a hot potato.

A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle. Proverbs 18:19

We do need to remember, though, that feelings are not bad things; after all, God has feelings and we are created in His image. But…because we are not God (no matter how hard we try to be at times) we do not always use our emotions correctly.  The Lord sees the whole picture, all the facts.  We tend to use our feelings as facts.  We feel a certain way, therefore, it must be true.

Like a thermometer, feelings can give us some idea of our emotional temperature.  We can feel our blood start to boil or our heart start to feel cold towards someone based on their words or actions. Those same feelings, however, should not be used as our thermostat.  Once we feel our emotional temperature responding to a situation, we need to turn to the one true source that can regulate our response – God’s Word.

The Word of God is an endless resource of correct responses that glorify Him, and....it is always true.  Hope in His Word and allow it to set your thermostat and keep you from being a Feelings Diva.   When you do that people won’t run when they see you coming, they will be happy to welcome you.

Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your Word.  Psalm 119:74

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us emotions to enjoy.  Please give me the wisdom to set my emotional thermostat by Your Word.  Amen.

Challenge:

Take time to read through Proverbs, making note of all the verses that address how to respond in a godly way to various circumstances and people. Afterwards, flip over to Psalm 119 and see how the Word of God should be the thermostat for all areas of life.

 Jen G. 2012

The Perfect Sin-o-Meter

This article was posted last November on Fresh Starts.  At the time, I was breathing a huge sigh of relief because I thought the Lord was all done with the area I addressed in this writing.  Boy, was I wrong!  He was just getting started.  Our God is so faithful to finish the job, never leaving anything undone or unaddressed.  I pray that He will speak to you again, or for the first time, through this week's Fresh Start.  Jen

This past year has been the most wonderfully difficult time I can remember in my adult years. You might think the words ‘wonderfully’ and ‘difficult’ do not belong in the same sentence, but I can tell you that they certainly do! The Lord has been taking me through the deepest, darkest parts of my heart exposing and rooting out selfishness, unforgiveness, resentment, pride, harshness, anger – the list is long and ugly. I was unaware that most of these things where even in there. Thankfully, the Lord has a handy attribute called Omniscience and He is not afraid to use it.


In His goodness, the Lord has allowed me to see, read, and hear my own ugliness. This year long process came to a head this past month when He directed me to Psalm 19, having me read over and over again how His Word is the perfect sin-o-meter.

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19:12,13

When I see justification for an offence taken, the Word sees an excuse to set up walls to keep others out. (Proverbs 18:19) When I see a reason to withhold forgiveness, it sees a woman who is willing to receive the precious forgiveness of Jesus but is unwilling to extend that same forgiveness to a peer. (Matt. 18:23-35) When I see a situation that is ripe for sarcasm and anger, He sees a heart that is refusing to live at peace with all men. (Romans 12:18)

I encourage you not to stuff and ignore those nagging feelings that pop up. Trust me on this - I tried to ignore the conviction and it only extended the process, creating more issues along the way. Recognize the niggling for what it is: a warning to be heeded (Psalm 19:11), and the reward for paying attention and taking action is great and worth the pain of facing and dealing with your sin.

When we allow the Lord to work freely in our hearts, the process is usually very uncomfortable. The great thing is that with that pain there is the gain of having a clean heart before Him. The secret faults, the presumptuous sins – none can be hidden from the lamp of God’s Word. When those secret sins are exposed and dealt with the effects are long reaching to our homes, churches, friendships, and workplaces, making the result of the difficult process truly wonderful!

Prayer:
Father, thank You for exposing my sin. Thank You for doing it little by little, bringing me to a place of repentance. Help me to walk in Your ways in every area of my life, never resisting Your good and perfect plan for me.

Challenge:
Read Psalm 19 in its entirety each day this week, focusing especially on verses 7 through 14. Make special note of what the Word of God is. Be careful not to fall into presumptuous sins - things that tend to be given a stamp of approval because, well, we are human after all. Some of those might include your tone of voice with your kids (They made me mad!), your critical spirit over the worship at church (It is just not my style. Why can't we sing more [insert favorite style here]?), your resistance to do something your husband has asked (He knows I hate fish! Why should I have to cook it?). Those justified sins can be the most dangerous and quickly gain dominion over you (Psalm 19:13).
Jen G. 2009

Thin Skinned

"People with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense." -Proverbs 19:11

Every now and then, one of our chickens will lay an egg that has no shell. Instead of a shell, the egg will literally be only a thin, leathery membrane of skin. For some reason or other, the egg didn't become calcified before being laid. With no shell, it doesn't take much to destroy the delicate innards of the egg.

It is easy to become offended. It's second nature to allow our innards to become scrambled by life's abrasive and abusive ways. We need to be prepared for the fact that our enemy is merciless and is seeking to destroy us. We must not be thin-skinned! We must put on the armor of God to protect our precious hearts. One of the greatest ways to protect ourselves is through basic obedience to God's Word and self-control.
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"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." -Proverbs 25:28

Ruling our spirits and submitting them to God's ways protects us from most of what the enemy will throw at us. Life will happen, but how will we react? Men will betray, and many will hurt us without even trying. What will we do?

"For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours." -Matthew 6:14&15

Forgiveness protects us from not only destroying ourselves with bitterness, but also from the wrath of God. Forgiveness is like a shell protecting us. God will not forgive us our offenses if we do not forgive others. If a holy God can overlook our offenses when we humble ourselves and repent, who are we to not do the same to fellow people when we are no better than they are?

Let us not live like the "reject" eggs from my chickens. They are formless, floppy, and vulnerable to nearly every provocation. Instead, let us be conformed to the image of Christ who bore no bitterness despite the fact that he was the most wrongfully assaulted person ever. Let us not be weak and floppy, but strengthened and renewed by waiting upon the Lord and exercising ourselves spiritually so we are fit enough to do battle for others in the name of our Lord. As we bear the name and standard of Christ's righteousness, may we be found without chinks in our armor due to our own lack of self-government.
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Dearest friend, overlook offenses and rule your spirit. Our just Lord will surely settle all accounts and make all things right. We believe He is good and trustworthy, so let us act like it. (Psalm 17)

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving me the tools to escape the temptation of offence.  Please help me to guard my heart from a root of bitterness and resentment.  Those things do not honor you in any way.  Amen.

 

Challenge:

Search your heart for any offences you might have taken. Spend time in prayer asking the Lord to clear your mind and heart.  Seek godly, trustworthy counsel if you simply are not making headway in this area.  The Lord wants us to walk with pure hearts filled with His love and mercy.

 

Adrienne M. 2010 - Provision Farm

These Last Days...

Have you ever had the vague feeling of having had a conversation with someone, only to be unsure if it was in real life or in a dream? This week's devotional falls into that category. It was originally written in July 2009 and titled "The Sower". It was saved in my draft file under that title with the words "needs work" next to it. I have rewritten it (moving away from the original Matthew 13 focus), but feel as if I have shared it before. And yet... I am compelled to post it anyway. Suffice it to say, the message is burning in my heart and must be shared! With that in mind, please let this speak to you for the first time or remind you of what you have already read here on Fresh Starts.

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For the last 100 years Christians have been preaching the message of "we are in the Last Days!" We get excited, and rightfully so, looking for the return of Jesus and a visual of the victory that is already His. As exciting as the Last Days are, they are also spiritually dangerous. The Word says that in these days the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24) People will become caught up in teachings that sound good, yet have little or no Truth in them; they will begin to focus on riches and worldly concerns, which will cause them to become unfruitful. (Matthew 13) As if all that were not bad enough - people will also become easily offended and will betray one another. Where is the hope?!
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The answer can be found in Hebrews 10:19-25: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
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This passage tells us that we are to draw near with a true heart - a heart seeking and longing for God and God alone. We are to hold on tightly to our confession of faith, preaching to ourselves the Gospel each and every day, reminding ourselves of the great and marvelous gift we accepted and confessed. We are to think of others and purposefully encourage them to do what is good and right. We are to choose to gather together, fellowship, and exhort one another. There are a whole lot of action verbs in this passage! Keeping ourselves from being choked by cares of the world and false doctrines takes effort on our part.
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During these times, it is vital that we stay close to the Lord and to other believers. Second Timothy 4 tells us to be very careful what we listen to and to be ready in all circumstances to give the Truth of God's Word. Some will choose to turn away, even those who were our mentors or best examples. Our job is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith! Everything else can fail. He can not.
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Prayer:
Father, thank You that You are the One who can cause the seed of my faith to take root and grow. Please help me to guard my walk with You and nourish it with time in the Word and in fellowship with others. Keep my heart safe and focused on You in these dangerous Last Days. Amen
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Challenge:
Is your heart fully turned to the Lord? Examine yourself and see if you are still walking closely with Him. If you are not, pinpoint what is taking the place of a vibrant walk with the Lord. Is it worth it? Be aware that we are all human and susceptible to the lies of the enemy. Commit Hebrews 10:19-25 to memory to keep you on track!

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Jen 2010

More Than Words

Our words are powerful. With our words we speak blessing or cursing, life or death, joy or hurt. James talked about the tongue in depth in his letter to the Christian Jews.
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James 3:9-12 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

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Earlier in verse 1 James says, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” This passage makes it very clear that we ALL stumble in this area. No one is immune from using their mouth to hurt another, intentional or not. Someone who prides themselves on being the sole of gracious words is certain to cause great offence at some point. And yes, I write that from personal experience. My tongue has been the gateway to many an uncomfortable moment, day, and year.

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Along with hurtful words and anger, our tongues can lead us and others into bitterness and unforgiveness, which in turn leads to division in the body of Christ. Last year, I was offended and refused to forgive another. That unforgiveness led to anger and ignoring James’s admonition to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. (1:19) As a blogger, I turned to the written word to ‘vent’ my feelings.

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My slope was slippery and as I continued to give a full rein to my tongue, the hurtful words grew and my heart condition deteriorated. My own words were a snare, not only for myself, but for another. My choice to 1.) walk in unforgiveness, 2.) write unkindly, and 3.) bitterly jest about the situation brought about so much more than I ever bargained for. Adding to the whole sorry mess - I caused another child of God to stumble. Praise God that His mercy triumphs over justice (v 12) and a millstone was not tied about my neck!
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Had I simply taken the Lord at His Word and tamed my tongue, so much pain and division would have been avoided. My words brought hurt and division, caused uncomfortable moments for others, and worst of all – caused a dullness in my relationship with the Lord.

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Taming your tongue is so much more than just speaking kindly or not speaking at all. It is choosing to address issues in a godly way as they arise, seeking and extending forgiveness, stopping your mouth from sharing what does not need to be shared (gossip), cutting off course jesting that can hurt, and speaking the truth in love.

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Seek God’s wisdom with your tongue!

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18
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Prayer:
Father, thank You that my sinful tongue does not define me – Christ’s sacrifice defines me! Thank You for giving me Your Word that speaks wisdom and correction in the area of my words. Help me to use my words, written or spoken, to bring healing and life. Amen
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Challenge:
Keep account of your words this week. Watch for course jesting, sharing unnecessary information, snippiness, pridefulness, slyness, etc. One person might deal with bitter words, while another deals with flattering words which Proverbs warns about. Read the book of James and allow the Holy Spirit to rightly divide the Word of Truth in your heart today.
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Jen 2010

The Righteous Gavel

Psalm 37:7-9
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

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Shortly after my cousin was murdered this past November, I was asked a series of normal culture questions which began with the “how” and “why’s.” There was one question in particular that I recognized as a test from God. This question was posed by a complete stranger who struck up a conversation with me in a check-out line. She had noticed the amount of sympathy cards that I was purchasing. I shared briefly what had happened and that my cousin came from a large family and I was looking to comfort them all in some small way. She went on to ask; “Aren’t you really angry, I’m sure you all just want justice!” I remember my response quite vividly. I told her, “Well, of course I want justice; but I believe that the final word always comes from GOD Himself and I’m trusting in whatever He allows.” Now, I wish you could have seen her face. She looked at me like I was an alien from another planet. She responded “How can you have that kind of response, I would want to kill someone!”
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Please understand this, my response that day was not a human response at all, but rather it was a biblical one. I was kind of shocked by it myself. I explained to the woman in the store that “anger” is exactly what led to the death of my cousin and that I was trying to be careful not to go there. I further explained that “agitation” was allowed to turn into anger and then a choice was made to respond to the anger which resulted in the act of murder. We both finally concluded that there is a real lesson within these kinds of tragedies. Do I believe these men set out to kill my cousin? No, but I do believe they all underestimated the power of anger. Do I want fair justice, you bet I do, and I’m praying for it!
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The truth is it’s often very difficult to wait upon the Lord when things appear unfair, but we need to do just that. My cousin’s death was unfair, and at present it appears these young men are getting away with murder. However, it is important to understand that what appears to be a success or a blessing at times, is simply a temporal illusion. The real reward will be an eternal inheritance that awaits those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ and have repented from sin. When it appears that justice has not been served, rest assured GOD alone has the final word. He promises to right every wrong; His Holy Word says just that.
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King David tells us in the Psalms that “the Lord knows the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be forever.” It is quite possible that the men that killed my cousin may not get the sentence we believe they should get here on earth. Nevertheless, we are told not to envy people who appear to be receiving an award on earth. Our true reward comes in heaven for those who surrender their sin to GOD. May these young men do just that before it’s too late.
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Prayer:

Father thank You that You are the God of justice. Please help me to remember that what might seem unfair to my earthly eyes is all taken in by You. You see all and know all and will bring justice in Your perfect timing. Help me to rest in You and Your judicial hand. We also pray that the men involved in this crime would take responsibility for their actions. Lord You were there; You saw it all, and we ask that You reveal all the facts necessary to bring about rightful justice. If possible I also pray these families can avoid a long drawn out trial. In Your Son’s Name we pray. Amen.
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Challenge:

Keep your eyes on the eternal prize of Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the One who will bring vindication and truth in all circumstances. Guard your heart against vengeful feelings and resentful attitudes.
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Pam C. 2010

Are You a Lemon?

We had a car once that needed to have constant repair service. If it was not one thing, it was another. Parts were always breaking and needing to be replaced or treated in some way. It was expensive; it was high maintenance. It was expensive and frustrating to own such a car! Most of us call those kinds of cars lemons.

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I have found that people are very similar in a way. So the question is: are YOU a high or low maintenance kind of person? That is a pretty scary question isn’t it? None of us want to admit that we might be a high maintenance person. How do we know what a high maintenance person looks like? Here are some clues:

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• they are focused on their “feelings or emotions” (what others say to them, how they say it to them)
• they need constant verbal praise to carry on whatever task they are doing
• they are often “wounded” by others
• offended easily
• always need to “talk” about something that is bothering them
• pout to get attention and are angry if they do not get the attention

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In other words, high maintenance people are roller coaster personalities and emotionally exhausting to relate with because they require so much attention. I think you get the picture.

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Does this describe you? If it does, don’t despair! The word of God gives us some very practical solutions to help us change. In Colossians 3: 1–5 we are told to set our minds on things above and not on the things on the earth. We are told to consider the members of our earthly bodies as dead. Skip down to verses 8–17 and we see what we are to put off and what to put on. I think the key here is to practice the "put ons" starting in verse 12. These "put ons" are a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other…..just as the Lord forgave you. Verse 14 tells us to put on love.

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If we would apply these few verses our lives would begin to be transformed. Not only do they help those us who may be high maintenance ourselves to overcome, but it will help those of us who have to deal with high maintenance people treat them with love and kindness. God is amazing isn’t He?
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Prayer: Lord, the last thing I want is for others to feel like I am a high maintenance person. Please help me to overcome and to grow up into Christ in all things. Help me as I practice the put offs and put ons listed in Colossians. 3. Teach me to set my mind on things above and to make Jesus Christ Lord of my life in all ways. Thank you.

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Challenge: Begin to take notice of how you relate to others and ask the Lord to open your eyes to your status of maintenance requirements.
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Sherry 2010

Bits, Bullies, and Bleeding Backsides

I am pleased to introduce a new contributor. Adrienne is a personal friend of mine whose writings spur me to deeper thinking and reflection. Enjoy more of Adrienne’s thoughts at Provision Farm.

Don't let love be a mere outward show...love one another devotedly and with brotherly love; and set examples for each other in showing respect." Romans 12:9, 10.
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Recently, our family acquired a third horse. To recap, we purchased an unbroken mare with a miniature horse buddy about a month ago. The unbroken mare has been coming along so beautifully in her training, that we were eager to have another full sized horse so that my husband, Daniel, and I could ride together. As it has been, Daniel's been riding the 'unbroken' mare every day with no bit and bridle and has successfully gotten her to obey his commands.
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Our newest horse is another mare that is white and fully broken. She's very sweet, but timid. Herein lies the problem. Our mare that we had previously has lashed out at her with a vengeance. She is deeply preoccupied with being the 'head mare' of the barn and denies access to it for the white mare. Feeding time has become a nightmare. The very first day here, the poor darling sustained a terrible kick to her rear end resulting in a cut in a very delicate place. This cut is still healing.
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Today, God spoke to me about this issue and said it's a problem in the church. He said that there are many who have submitted to Him because He is holy and trustworthy and is the only one who can sort out the mess of their life. However, these same people can still retain bitterness and a biting venom toward other people. We, brothers and sisters, are deeply imperfect. We hurt each other; often when we don't mean to. We can either be preoccupied with 'staying on top' of others or we can submit to not only God, but each other. My mare accepted me as master because I'm good to her, but she will not yield to a fellow horse.
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Paul goes on to say in Romans,” Be sensitive to each other's needs--don't think yourselves better than others, but make humble people your friends. Don't be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but try to do what everyone regards as good. If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, live in peace with all people. Never seek revenge, my friends; instead, leave that to God's anger."
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My white mare is indeed 'turning the other cheek'. As many times as the other mare bites her and chases her, she simply moves along and minds her own business. How often are we the catty and immature one picking fights? And how often are we the submissive and docile one that keeps their nose clean?
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Today, I hit a breaking point; as one day the Lord will stop tolerating the evil that we endure at the hands of malicious or just immature people. I took the unbroken mare's buddy from the pen so she lost her sense of security. I put the miniature in with my sheep and goats and then stood back to watch. Her malice grew toward the white horse, so I had to step in further. I put her in a stall (which I never do) and I began to groom and pet and treat the white horse in front of her. She pawed the ground angrily and leapt at the dividing gate. I just calmly doted on the white horse and let her jealous foe watch. Then, I led the white one to the dividing wall so they could stand nose to nose. I held her there and forced them to 'hash it out' in an environment that no one could get hurt. Each of them sniffed and moved their muzzles up and down each other's necks. Often, one of them would open their mouths to bite, so the other would whinny and kick. They, therefore, set the proper boundaries with each other and are safe to be left alone with each other now. Beautiful success! God is indeed teaching me much about people through animals.
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I exhort you, dear friend, to prefer others above yourself. Instead of chasing someone out into the rain and mud, stand aside and give them your portion. Instead of taking offense at someone else's insult to you (whether intentional or not), be the grownup one and 'show the example of respect' by overlooking the offense. By the strength we receive by being sons and daughters of the Most High, we can do this. God will step in and level the playing field because He is just. If you suffer any persecution, you have an ally and His name is Christ. Stand with Christ and stand blameless in front of a Holy God. To honor God, we must honor each other. We receive power through praise to submit to the Lord's will toward each other. Oh, and without coincidence, the white horse's name is Praise.
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Prayer:
Father, You are good and worthy of praise! Please help me in this hard area. Preferring others does not come naturally to me. I want my own way and do not want to give others my portion. Help me to walk in the Spirit of Christ, honoring You in heart and actions. Amen.
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Challenge:
This week, search the Scriptures for verses dealing with being easily offended, becoming bitter, and holding grudges. When opportunities arise for you to take offence, take a step back and make the choice not to fall into the trap of the enemy.
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Adrienne Michelson 2010