Taming Thoughts, Words, and Feelings for Peace

I don't know where we got off in Christianity making it seem like God wanted us to be miserable. I was kind of raised in that era of evangelicalism that that really taught you to to be happier, to enjoy life, meant you were in love with the world and that you truly weren't sacrificing. You weren't laying down your earthly desires because if you're happy, something must be wrong with you. Something must be wrong with your experience and your relationship with Jesus because Jesus makes us miserable. [00:02:46] (33 seconds)  #FaithAndJoy

Jesus said that adultery doesn't start in some seedy hotel room. Adultery doesn't start in a bed. Adultery starts with thoughts and emotions that you allow to go unregulated, that you don't control, that you don't stop. Listen. A lustful thought coming into your mind is outside of your control. The engagement that you have with that thought is well within your control. Jesus says the worst of us and the best of us happens here first before it ever happens here. [00:27:53] (38 seconds)  #GuardYourThoughts

It's not to say that there isn't cause for anger. It's to say that you should not respond in anger until you've had the time to put your emotions in check and bring some wisdom in there. And truthfully, if you had only reason and logic, you might disregard that there is an injustice that requires an anger response to this. So God has made us emotional for a reason. God has made us logical for a reason, but he calls us to balance those. Ambrose Bierce, a an editorialist, a famous editorialist at the turn of the century said this, speak when you're angry and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret. [00:24:26] (45 seconds)  #AngerWithWisdom

Instead, meaning we have control. Instead, offer only, I love this, fresh words that build others up, which means they're not wrote, they're not memorized, they're not it it it comes up from a wellspring of encouragement and generosity and grace and love and kindness. Build others up when they need it most. That way, your good works will communicate grace to those who hear them. Do you wanna know what good works are? Start using your words to build people up. [00:16:33] (36 seconds)  #WordsThatBuild

and your initial thoughts should not dictate whether you live the life that you're called, commanded, dictated, destined to live. God says there are things that you should be doing whether that aligns with your politics, whether that aligns with your beliefs, whether that aligns with your opinions. Did you know that God does not care about your opinion? The his commandments, his way of living, what's right and not right, those remain intact, solid, unmovable whether you feel good about that or not. [00:30:14] (34 seconds)  #ObeyOverOpinion

a feeling or a thought that moves you away from who God created you to be and what God created you to do. You have the power within yourself. No. Truthfully, you will lose the battle of thoughts and emotions every time, but God has given you something greater in the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life to be your wisdom, to be your counselor, to be your guide, to be your comforter. [00:31:28] (32 seconds)  #HolySpiritHelp

You will never go wrong by shutting it. Right? And and you think that's not nice for you to say. I I'll just read Proverbs twenty one twenty three. Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut. The bible says it. And you will stay out of trouble. And you will stay out of trouble. Shut it, and you'll stay out of trouble. Third and finally, I'll never find my happiness, keep my peace, and do good and be good if I don't start fighting back against my feelings. [00:18:54] (33 seconds)  #WatchYourTongue

Find honey. Enjoy the honey. But listen, you gorge the honey and you just keep stuffing honey. You're gonna throw it all up and you won't have any honey. It means this that good things are good in moderation, but when good things are experienced in excess, they become not good anymore. And here's why. Because when we lose control of our emotions, whether it's negative emotions or even feeling good and saying, I wanna keep doing this thing because it makes me feel good. And doesn't God want me to be happy after all? [00:26:26] (36 seconds)  #ModerationMatters