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Showing posts with the label God Does It

We don't - God does

Well-spoken words bring satisfaction; well-done work has its own reward. (Proverbs 12:14) Words and work - both can be done well, or both can be done without thinking. Think your words before you speak them and you are likely to reap a harvest closer to what you desired, not a reactionary and hostile response in return. Think through your work, planning carefully each step you must take, and you will likely end up with the results you desire. Be lazy with either your words or your work and the outcome will be less than desirable. John F. Kennedy reminded us that gratitude is good, but "we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." We are to live by our words - so we must be very, very careful what words we utter! John C. Maxwell tells us that people "hear our words but feel our attitude". What are your words revealing about your inner attitude right now? Remember, you can attempt to conceal with 'just the right words...

Do and get...or get and do

Does God do the "stuff" in our lives he does out of obligation to us because we have somehow "earned" it - done enough, been good enough, or said enough of the right stuff? Do we obtain the blessings of God, including his attention and his directing influence, simply because we hit some point of "enough" to warrant it? The truth is that we are a church with a mixed up set of ideas at times. We believe in the work of Christ - salvation through his shed blood (an act of faith). Yet we cannot fully detach from the influence of the common beliefs of our day that you get good stuff when you do good deeds (works and right behavior). Is 'behaving good' all that it takes to get God's blessings? Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do...