Put in a Good Word

Sunday, June 30, 2013

No matter how much talk about the power of words we hear in the media, I focus my attention in one source: the Bible. Here is some of what Jesus has to say about the subject: 
I should never be surprised about the content of the mouth because it comes from the heart. I find important to listen to what my own mouth speaks before I turn my attention to anyone else's. I heard someone say that the most influential person in our lives is ourselves because we are always listening to our own thoughts. 
Every so often I make an experiment with myself. If I have a bad attitude about something (from chores to commitments, etc), I trace the source of my thoughts. The root of my actions is my heart. When I have a heart that is submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, my attitude automatically follows it. I call this an "experiment" because I am working on making this a permanent part of my life. This is a good habit I need to adopt. 
Words are powerful, whether we hear them or speak them to someone else. I see Proverbs 12:25 as a reminder to be encouraging to others constantly. It is true that we never know what people are going through but we are reminded to put in a good word. One of the rewards for putting in a good word is found in Proverbs 11:25: you will be refreshed! Remember that you reap the encouragement you sow.
Yesterday's run: hot but thank God we finished it!
Last but not least, this is a photo of me sweating after my first 7-mile run ever. With the Houston Marathon ahead of me, I have 19 more miles to cover in order to reach my goal. I learned this week that dreading long runs do not help me at all. I am working on being very positive about the long runs as well as the conditioning part of this process. I hear that I reap whatever I sow into my training. I am looking forward to reaping a strong finish filled with joy, glory and honor to Jesus. Keep me in your prayers and have a day filled with encouragement!

Action Items:
• Take time today to trace the thought patterns that led to a bad attitude. Repent and ask God to help you have His heart towards the issue you face;
• Look at the garden of your life and count how many seeds of encouragement you have planted this year. If your count is low, get to planting more!