How do we respond??

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

This proverb is so true, but how hard is it to live by?  When I was growing up I was always told “Attitude is everything”.  Sometimes if it seems like I’m frustrated with everyone around me I stop and ask myself, could it be me?  Could I be the one who is talking with harsh words and am I stirring up anger?  It’s always good to stop pray that your words are gentle.

The biggest area our society has this problem in is electronic dialogues.  Emails and texts do not convey your attitude.  Sometimes the way we write an email can invoke anger because the person reading it has to place the emotions into the email themselves.  When I’m in a hurry and need information from someone I know, I remind myself that typing a personal comment is important so the other person doesn’t think all I care about is my needs.  Smiley icons can be abused, but sometimes I think it’s necessary.

So the next time I am in a frustrating situation I need to remember that “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

It's not the end of the world.......

The Day and Hour Unknown  Matthew 24:36 - 51

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f] but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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A lot of people are joking about how one person has declared today the end of the world.  I don't want to joke about it because the sad thing is man does not know when the hour will come, only God the Father.  Jesus doesn't even know.  So I pray that because of this people will dig deeper to see what it’s all about.   So remember, do not fear because man says the world is coming to an end.  Live your life for Christ.  Be a light in the dark world; be a servant doing their duty for the Lord.  To read further about the end times, go to Matthew Chapter 24 and Revelation Chapter 21 – 22. 

Praise God in the storm....and rain......and wind.......

God lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back.
No one can mistake that voice—
His word thundering so wondrously,
his mighty acts staggering our understanding.
He orders the snow, 'Blanket the earth!'
and the rain, 'Soak the whole countryside!'
No one can escape the weather—it's there.   Job 37: 5 – 7 The Message Bible

Currently I am reading the Bible in Chronological order.  Right now I am reading in Job. In the verse above, a young man is rebuking Job’s whining.  These verses hit me today because I have been whining about all the rain we are getting. 

Then further on I read God’s comments to Job which begin:

"Why do you confuse the issue?
Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth?
Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that!
Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean
when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
a strong playpen so it couldn't run loose,
And said, 'Stay here, this is your place.
Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.'  Job 38: 2 – 11

So, today when I am tempted to whine about the rain, I will remember who is in charge.  Who it is that brings the rain, and while I don’t know His reasoning, I don’t have to know, because He is the one in charge.  He knows why we need this rain, even if it’s to remind us that He is in charge of our life and our schedule and our environment, not us.  We need to praise Him in the storm, and boy is it storming around here!