Words Have Power

So, last night the pastor was talking about the words we speak and how they can effect us good or bad. This is so true. Our words can hinder our own spiritual growth. James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." Two things that the pastor gave us to help us to put this into practice was to think before you speak; Proverbs 15:28, "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil." Speak less; Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." It was a great message. I would add, to not allow yourself to get into a debate when you are physically tired, because I have noticed it is easier to let your guard down about what you say or how you say it if you are tired. Sometimes it is better to not speak at all if the words you're about to say does not bring honor to God.
Taking it to the street: Try listening more than you speak.
                                 Ask God to help you to think before you speak.
                                 Ask God to help you to hear what words you are saying to yourself.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Everything

So I was sitting in church tonight and we started singing a song that talks about God being everything. How we give everything for him and that nothing else matters but Him. I wondered if we, who were singing, really believed this. What if we really did believe this? What would our life look like if we really did believe this? I would like to think that nothing gets between myself and God. I must be A.D.D. because for myself it seems that there are lot of things that come between me and God. Even though I may not want them to. I get distracted by the little things and seem to lose my focus often. It's a good song, but I found it hard to sing because I know that it isn't true for me all of the time. I know that I'm far better than I used to be but it challenged me. Thank God for his grace while we wander. Over time though, I do realize that God is much more real and closer than He used to be to me. The more I surrender everything to Him the more I see Him at work.

Action step: Try giving every little thing to God and see what happens.

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

The Gifts Of The Spirit

I had been a Christian for a good 16 years before I really accepted Christ's forgiveness, When I finally did, I grew more spiritually in the next four years than I did in the sixteen years prior. I found myself asking why or how that happened. I think it is because of the influx of the Holy Spirit and with it the fruits of the spirit. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I could not produce these on my own, I tried and tried and failed. It also seemed that the harder I tried, the more I failed. I knew what I needed to do but I couldn't do it on my own. The spirit produces these in me as I turn my will over to him. When this does happen, things change rapidly. You actually give a rip about others, you care. You let others go in front of you. You know instinctively when to shut up. You are quick to forgive and fast to straighten out situations when you were wrong. You are able to say no to yourself. These are how the fruits of the spirit showed up in my life. How about you? Do you have the gifts of the Spirit? Is life different for you? Do you want it to be?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Captive Thoughts

Sorry I didn't get a blog out last week. I went on a little family vacation and I also went to a 2-day seminar on Coaching and how to build a coaching business.

This got me to thinking about what I am really good at or what would I be able to coach others on. What is the one thing that I know really well? If you have been following my blogs, it is all about changing the way you think. I've heard it said in AA that I didn't have a drinking problem, I had a thinking problem. This is true.

I've written blogs about fear and worry and such, but I believe it all comes back to my thought life. I have spent a lot of time
worrying about stupid things that never happened. That was wasted time that I will never get back, but over the last 19 years I have learned some good lessons. Probably one of the biggest is how to control what I think about. It's a stewardship thing. I've heard it said that you are what you eat. I don't believe that. I eat salad, but I'm not a rabbit! I believe that you are what you think. That is maybe the only thing that God gives us complete control of. I did not have control over my thought life for a long time. I was washed here and there by feelings and circumstances. The Bible talks about a double-minded man being tossed to and fro like a sailor. Also it talks about taking counsel from the wicked. The way that I talked to myself, I was taking counsel from the wicked.

I have learned how to talk to myself differently and have learned to think differently and it has revolutionized my life. So I think that I will focus on helping others to change their thinking and to have good stewardship practice on what you allow into your head. Paul talks about taking every thought captive to Christ and Proverbs says "as a man thinks so he is." I believe that this should be the foundation that I have been working on for so long.

It's time to launch.

Pushing towards Excellence,

Keith