Proverbs 10:19 says, A person who talks too much gets into trouble. A wise person learns to be quiet. I have a confession to make - I'm a talker! Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth aren't entirely helpful or kind - and they've gotten me into trouble quite a few times! When we gossip, criticise, argue or angrily answer people, we are not acting in love. I love the saying, 'God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you speak.' I wish I had heard it and applied it to my life when I was a teenager. Proverbs 10:19 tells us that this is something we learn to do - we're not born knowing how to do it. This week, ask God to help you to be wise - try to listen more and talk less.
You may not think that you have the means to help people in need much, but there are a lot of ways to do this, even if you don't have much money. Here are some ideas:
The Bible says that even if you give someone a cup of water, you will be rewarded (Mark 9:41). Proverbs 10:12 says, Hatred stirs up trouble. But love forgives all wrongs. The world is full of so much hatred, it's like a pandemic. If you stopped to count up the number of times you used the word hate in a day, you would be shocked. We hate people from different cultural backgrounds, who dress differently to us, who listen to different music, who have different values and beliefs than us. But hate is a very strong word. It's okay to hate sin or salt and vinegar chips, but we shouldn't hate people. The world says to you love your friends and hate your enemies but Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for them.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemies.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you - Matthew 5:43-44. We can't claim to love God and hate people who are made in his image. This week, pay attention to how often you use the word hate, especially if you're talking about other people. Pray for your enemies. |
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