Honest Reflections

Two-minute read.

“Joy. I wished you’d show more joy.”

Reading “The Next Conversation” by Jefferson Fisher, to have productive dialogue, he says you must first know how people perceive you. To understand how others perceive you, he suggests asking five questions to a trusted family member or friend for feedback. When I asked Ron what emotion he wishes I would show more, he said joy.

Surprised by my husband’s answer, I feel a deep joy and gratitude for God’s blessings every day. However, according to Ron, he doesn’t see the joy as much as I feel it. Joyful people overflow with happiness; their faces reflect their inner joy. Broken hearts crush the spirit and leave our outward faces downtrodden.

Thankfully, Ron didn’t think I had a crushed spirit; he just wanted to see more of my joy. To accomplish that goal, I must relinquish my anxieties to the Savior and trust Him with my fears. Joy comes from the Lord, and through it, He gives us strength. As we relax into Christ’s arms and receive the gifts of grace and mercy He offers, we can release our worries to Him and enjoy the benefits of a life submitted to Jesus.

As an author, I lug books around. Small, heavy boxes require physical exertion to carry. When I set the cardboard crates down, I feel immediate relief from the burden of carrying them. In the same way, when we lay our anxieties, fears, and worries at the foot of the cross, we immediately feel lighter. Unburdening our hearts, emptying them to the Lord, allows Him to fill them with His joy, which will become apparent on our faces.

Let go of anything that weighs you down. Give your cares to the Lord and let Him fill you with joy. Wear a happy face that starts from a joyful heart.

Journal Question:

What emotion do you wear on your face?

What burdens can you lay at the foot of the cross today?

How can you experience more joy in your life?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us a way to release our burdens and fill our hearts with joy. Please let us reflect the joy of the Lord on our faces as we strive to honor and serve You.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

Communication has two aspects: sending and receiving. How we send things to someone determines how they will receive it, and since we communicate more through our body language than words, replying with a gentle answer requires total self-control.

Some people enjoy fighting, but I don’t. Negative emotions require too much energy and don’t produce anything productive; they waste time. When under attack, only the strength of the Lord helps me restrain my natural response. My entire body tenses up, and I quickly go on the defensive.

Responding with a gentle answer doesn’t add fuel to the flame and helps diffuse the situation. In retail, we learned to lower our tone, which caused grumpy customers to have to stop and listen, breaking the rhythm of their rant. I struggle not to engage when someone attacks me, but I’ve made significant progress in not letting them get to me. Since I used harsh words as a protective measure for many years of my life, I’ve got a knack for annihilating someone with my words.

Thankfully, Christ has transformed me and helped me let go of that protective technique, trusting Him instead with my pain and allowing the Savior to make me whole again. Jesus always spoke with gentle words, even when beaten and bloody, during His persecution. Through Him, we can respond gently, controlling our emotions and avoiding escalation of the situation.

Give Jesus control of your communication and watch as He transforms your life.

Journal Question:

What does sending and receiving information mean to you?

In what ways can you strengthen your communication skills?

How can you respond with a gentle answer amid chaos?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for setting an example of gentleness for us. Please help us respond with love when we come under attack. Let us speak gentle words, as you did, and diffuse tense moments.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

Have you ever experienced a fool’s reckless, self-assured, and overconfident behavior? Not only have I had the pleasure of receiving a fool’s rant, but I must also confess, I have done the ranting. However, as I daily give my life to Christ, He has helped me become wiser and more cautious.

When we receive the grace given to us from the Cross, the Lord forgives our past sins but also teaches us from them. Ron and I went to dinner after a long day of working on his parents’ property, cleaning it out in preparation for selling. We drove a truck, pulling a trailer piled high with items for donation and trash. Because the restaurant’s parking lot didn’t have space for the double vehicle, we parked in a nearby lot.

“Where’s the truck?” One of us said when we left the restaurant. Without realizing it, we had parked in a tow zone, and during the hour we ate, they towed the vehicles. When we arrived at the facility to pick them up, we beat the tow truck to the garage. My anger flared, and I went off like a fool, a memory that still brings shame to my heart when I think of it.

But God has used that night to teach me wisdom and caution. Over the past decade, I have faced numerous other situations that have caused my temper to flare. However, knowing I never want to act like that again, I have learned to control my emotions, thoughts, and words more effectively. Although I haven’t reached perfection, I’ve come a long way since that starry night.

Following Jesus transforms our lives as we apply His teachings to our everyday situations. Responding with love takes help from the Lord to intentionally, and with self-control, not let our emotions and thoughts get the best of us.

Journal Question:

When have you responded foolishly?

How can you learn from those moments you let emotions rule you?

In what ways can you develop wisdom and caution today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us the wisdom to make the best decisions at any given moment. Please help us always love people with our words, thoughts, and actions. Let us become more like Jesus as we apply and live His teachings.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

No one can understand what lies in someone else’s heart, whether bitterness or joy; we have emotions personal to us. When I lost my nephew, my pain differed from everyone else’s who knew him; we all grieved differently. The day I married Ron, joy overflowed my heart, unique to me after the long wait for my mate.

People can have sympathy or celebrate with you, but they don’t entirely understand the workings of your heart. Only God truly knows the feelings you have in the recesses of your soul. Respecting other people’s emotions, whether you agree or disagree, goes a long way towards loving them.

Five of my family and friends have lost children in various ways. I can’t understand the pain they experience because I don’t have kids. Never once have I told any of them that “I know what you’re going through,” because I have no idea the intense hurt they feel from such a profound loss. By the same token, I can’t comprehend the joy they felt when their children entered the world.

Acting like you know someone else’s experience when you don’t does more harm than good. You can still comfort someone even if you don’t completely understand their pain. People in pain need space to process their emotions; we provide it by coming alongside them and walking with them on their journey. Sometimes talking, sometimes saying nothing, but showing up for them during their crisis helps them move forward from grief.

Give people space to feel their emotions and process them. Don’t presume you understand; instead, join them on the journey, walking with them through the good and the bad.

Journal Question:

How have you processed pain and bitterness before?

What does a joyful heart mean to you?

How have people misunderstood your feelings before?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for understanding and knowing the emotions of our hearts. Please give us sensitivity towards others, not presuming we know what they do or don’t feel. Help us love like Jesus always.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

As an athlete, people like to goad each other as a way of “getting in people’s heads,” causing them to play better or worse, depending on the situation and who says the words. For me, whenever I become prideful about my game, I usually fall hard.

Playing tennis a few years ago, we came to a pivotal point in the match. My turn to serve, I approached the line and began my typical routine. At that time, my partner made a prideful statement that threw me off kilter and increased the pressure more than I should have felt. Serving out the game, I fell apart and we lost not only it, but the match as well.

Afterward, I challenged my partner. “Why would you say something like that?”

“It’s just what guys do,” he responded.

“But I’m not a guy, and that hurt the situation, not help it.”

The conversation continued, and we eventually reached a mutual understanding of the event, both learning from and growing through the experience. Once pride entered the moment, I knew we would experience a fall.

Pride takes control quickly and blinds us to the truth. Once we start speaking prideful language, things can escalate fast, propelling us down a losing road. But when we use wisdom in our words, staying humble, and only speaking when necessary, we will discover the victory that comes from the Lord.

Journal Question:

How has prideful language gotten you into trouble?

How do you identify pride in your life?

In what ways can you become wiser with your words?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for teaching us humility and the ability to use our words wisely. Please help us identify pride in our lives and rid ourselves of it. Let us honor and serve You with our language.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

When hopes and dreams come true, it fills the heart with unspeakable joy, but hope deferred brings heartache. Living in a dark world where evil lurks, hoping for a better world, motivates me to share Christ’s love with others and help them to discover the joy of the Lord.

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Nehemiah 8:10

As a sinner, receiving Christ’s forgiveness put joy in my heart. Knowing that God still loves me, despite my many failings, gives me life like nothing else. And when someone rejects the Lord and the free gift He offers, it brings sadness to my heart.

Each day, I get to try again to do better than the day before. Lying my sins at the foot of the Cross, the Lord renews my soul and gives me strength to make different decisions and do better. So many things can derail my best intentions, but Jesus nudges me back onto the straight and narrow and says, “Keep going. You got this. You can do it.”

And so can you. No matter where life finds you today, no matter what sins lie in your past, Jesus loves you and He died for you. God knit you together in your mother’s womb, already knowing the purpose He had for you that no one else can fulfill. Let the love of the Savior fill your heart as you receive His gift of grace and mercy, then gain strength knowing nothing can separate you from Jesus.

God’s greatest commandment tells us to love Him and others. The Lord tasks us with sharing the good news of the gospel to all who will listen. Whether they accept Christ or not, God calls us to love them. When we spend our lives doing those things, we will discover the joy of the Lord, and hearts filled with love we can’t help but share.

Journal Question:

How has receiving Christ into your heart changed you?

In what ways can you share the good news of the gospel today?

Make a list of people who don’t know Jesus and begin praying that they will discover the joy of the Lord by placing their trust in Him.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us God-sized dreams that only You can make come true. Please help us love You and people better today than ever before. Let us introduce them to the Savior, giving them hearts to receive His gift of salvation.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

For months, the bulb at our back door needed changing. With a list a mile long of projects that need doing around our fifty-year-old home, it had low priority. Until we realized our elder dog couldn’t see. Bumped to the top of the list, the shining light dispelled the darkness, all the crevices now visible.

Light dispels darkness; the two can’t exist together. Placing faith in Jesus brings His light into us, dispelling some of the darkness we find in today’s world. Living counterculturally means responding with love, not hate; prioritizing others’ needs over our own; and making daily sacrifices to serve God. The deeper we become enmeshed with the Savior, the stronger His light shines in us, drawing people to it.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”.

John 8:12

Dispel the darkness with the light of Jesus. Follow the Savior’s example, love God and people to the best of your ability. Discover the joy of the Lord as you practice His teachings, embracing your God-given purpose of bringing light to a world desperate for it.

God gave us free will so we could choose Him. Love requires choice; not even the Lord can force you to love Him. But giving the Creator a chance will transform your life and bring you a peace that surpasses all understanding, along with divine joy that gives you the strength to persevere.

Journal Question:

How has God brought light into your life?

In what ways have you seen the light in other people?

How can you help others discover the light of Jesus?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for bringing light into my life and dispelling the darkness. Please help us share Your light well with others and draw them into Your loving arms.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

Finishing recording the audible book for 4:13 Doing Hard Things with Strength, I devote an entire chapter to controlling your words, which starts by controlling your tongue. James describes the power of the mouth well:

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:3-6

One of the smallest parts of our body gets us into trouble when we don’t control it. If we don’t stop and think before we speak, unwanted commitments get made, feelings get hurt, and relationships destroyed. With our mouth we confess our sins and belief in Christ. Others use their tongues to deny Jesus and live life separated from Him.

After placing our faith in the Savior, our language should change. Using our words to uplift and encourage other people makes good use of our tongues. Controlling what comes out of our mouths starts by taking time to think about our words and how they will impact the receiver.

Communication has two parts: the sender and the receiver. When we send information, we should always consider the recipient. Taking the time to think about the other person will help us control our tongues and avoid getting into trouble.

Journal Question:

How has your tongue gotten you in trouble?

What tactics do you use to control your tongue?

How can you uplift people with your words today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us the ability to speak. Please help us control our tongues and use our words wisely. Let us use uplifting and encouraging words always.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

“Words create worlds,” Pastor Mike Cooke often says. What we speak impacts the listener and can turn a frown upside down. Speaking hope and encouragement into someone’s life helps them persevere.

Erika Kirk, in the aftermath of her husband’s assassination, didn’t know how she would persevere through the devastation. Standing on the tarmac, watching her husband’s coffin loaded onto the plane, she confided in her friend, Usha Vance, who spoke words of life into Erika’s grieving heart.

“You will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that.”

When life knocks us to our knees and we have no place to look but up, we have a Savior who meets us in our darkest moments and helps us keep going. Worry may weigh us down, but fourteen words of encouragement, like those the Second Lady spoke, can keep us going. Jesus told us we would have trouble in this world, but take heart, He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Cling to the words of the Savior. Trust Him that whatever worries weigh you down today, He has the answer, and He will carry you through the storm. Practice speaking life into others by helping them through these fifteen minutes and the next fifteen minutes.

Create worlds filled with hope and anticipation for tomorrow, knowing that what lies ahead far exceeds our best day in the past. Jesus loves you, He died for you, and He wants you to have life in abundance. By speaking words of life to others, you will refresh your soul as well and remind you that this, too, shall pass.

When worry weighs you down, reach out to the Savior. Ask for divine intervention, and let His words bring cheer to your heart.

Journal Question:

How have words helped you defeat worry?

What worry do you need to give to Jesus today?

How can you use your words to create worlds filled with hope?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us Jesus to fill our souls with hope and giving us words of encouragement to speak to ourselves and others. Please help us use our language well, giving life to others with what we say.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve worked. Mom had me dusting the furniture as my first chore, and eventually doing the weekly cleaning. Each night, I said the prayer at mealtime and did the dishes afterwards. At eleven, I started cleaning a neighbor’s house and helping my family mow the church cemetery.

To this day, I love working. In fact, I’m struggling to take a Sunday Sabbath, because I have work I want to do. But the Lord rested, and He expects me to do the same, so I’m trying. God blesses our efforts and the work we do.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24

Hard work never hurts anyone and blesses the doer. Thieves serve only themselves and become jealous of other people’s loot. But work done for the Lord bears good fruit and blesses others.

Praying over meals and washing the dishes blessed my entire family. My brothers mowing the lawn and taking care of outside chores blessed me. Working together, we created a loving home that welcomed others and brought joy to anyone who walked through our door.

God gives us jobs to do. If we still have breath in our lungs, then the Lord still has tasks for us to do. We can’t control what the thieves do, but we can control our actions. Working unto the Creator will bring joy to your heart and satisfaction to your soul.

Nothing gives us a better night’s sleep than a day of hard work for the Lord. Serve God by doing your assigned tasks and reap the fruitful rewards.

Journal Question:

What do you enjoy most about your God given work?

How does your work bless others?

What kind of fruit does your work produce?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us purpose through our assigned task. Please help us work well for You, giving You the glory as we produce fruit for the kingdom.

IJNIP. Amen