28 Days: Day 10

SCRIPTURE

• Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) ²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
• Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) ¹⁸ Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

OBSERVATION

Sapros (unwholesome) refers to that which is corrupt or foul and was used of rotten fruit, vegetables, and other spoiled food.  Paul also wrote in Colossians 3:8, "put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth"In addition to renouncing corrupt and harmful language we are to develop speech that is pure, helpful, and pleasing to God. Paul here mentions three specific characteristics of wholesome speaking: it is edifying, appropriate, and gracious.MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Ephesians.

UNDERSTANDING

The schoolyard saying that “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a lie. The incredible power of the spoken word is evident in the Genesis account of creation where God chose to speak the world into creation - “And God said…” In the same way, we have the power to speak into existence such things as life and death, blessing and curses, identity and destiny. There is not one of us who cannot identify a time when words either lifted us up to the heights of encouragement and possibility or cast us down to the depths of condemnation and despair.As Christians, we represent Christ in every aspect of our lives, including the words that we use. Our God is a God of truth, blessing, and encouragement. Are those attributes of the Savior evident in the words we use? Men and women who have been made in God’s image have had that image corrupted by society, sin, disobedience and the lies of the enemy. We can be used by God to help lost souls reclaim their rightful identity in Christ as we speak words of value, purpose and redemption into their lives.

LIFE APPLICATION

Replay some of your recent conversations in your mind. How would you have been impacted by the words spoken if you were the listener instead of the speaker? Do your words build up or tear down? Does a change need to take place?In a world today where the common rhetoric is hate what an amazing witness of God’s love we will be if we speak words that are gracious, edifying and healing.  Let’s go win the lost with our words.

28 Days: Day 9

SCRIPTURE

• Philippians 4:4-8, 12-13
• Philippians 4:5 (NIV) ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

OBSERVATION

 Epieikēs (gentle spirit) has a richer meaning than any single English word can convey. Hence, commentators and Bible versions vary widely in how they render it. Sweet reasonableness, generosity, goodwill, friendliness, magnanimity, charity toward the faults of others, mercy toward the failures of others, indulgence of the failures of others, leniency, bigheartedness, moderation, forbearance, and gentleness are some of the attempts to capture the rich meaning of epieikēs. Perhaps the best corresponding English word is graciousness—the graciousness of humility; the humble graciousness that produces the patience to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance. It is contentment.Gracious humility runs counter to the cult of self-love that was rampant in ancient society, and is rampant in modern society as well. But focusing on self-love, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment leads only to greater and greater instability and anxiety. On the other hand, those whose focus is not on themselves cannot be knocked off balance by inequity, injustice, unfair treatment, lies, or humiliation. They can say with Paul, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (4:11). Spiritual stability belongs to the graciously humble.MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Philippians.

UNDERSTANDING

Attitudes are contagious. Spend a minute or two with a grouch and pretty soon you will find yourself complaining and fault finding. We have the amazing ability to influence the emotional state of those around us. So, with what kind of attitudes are we “infecting” the people around us? After spending a few minutes with us, do people come away from that time uplifted and encouraged or bitter and angry? How are we reacting to the everyday stresses of life? Are we confident of victory or resigned to defeat? If we are constantly grumbling, what does that say about our hope in Christ?In today’s reading, Paul describes how he was able to maintain attitudes of peace and confidence in the Lord through Christ who gave him strength, regardless of the circumstances. How about us? Are the people around us seeing the same thing in our lives? God does not promise us that life will be free from trials and tribulation, on the contrary, Jesus promised us that we would face those very things. What God did promise us was that He would be with us through all of them, that He would give us the power to face them as overcoming conquerors and that He would use our attitudes to draw unbelievers to Him.

LIFE APPLICATION

I want to preach the message of God’s hope and victory as we maintain an attitude of joy and peace in all circumstances. How do your attitudes reflect on Christ and affect those around you?

28 Days: Day 8

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• 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (MSG) ¹ Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. ²  You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. ³  Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.

I think The Message translation of this verse says it best -“Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you”. And looking at you they are. The people in your sphere of influence know that you are a Christian and they are watching you as you work through all of life’s ups and downs to see if your actions match up with what you are saying; and we all know that actions speak louder than words.

There is nothing more compelling and attractive than a life of character and integrity. The most effective sermons are not delivered on Sunday mornings; they are preached daily as we act out our faith by living a life filled with the love, peace, joy and power that Christ has given us – and wants to give to others through us.

Take a moment to reflect on who is “reading” your life and whether the sermon that you are preaching by your actions is validating or contradicting the claims of Christ.