Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
Psalm 119:36.
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And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hewbrews 13:16
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Choose to show kindness and love in these troubled times
The Kedge Anchor is back. Had to take a little break. Lent came up and decided to take a social media fast. Then Lent came and went and life happened. But we’re back and here’s this week’s post. I find it to be a challenge for me, how about you?
Navigating troubled times. What does navigating through these turbulent times look like for you? We read a post that we may find offensive or triggers some negative emotion. Someone says something you strongly disagree with and feel threatened. The uncertainty of when all these restrictions and mandates will be lifted and gone. What does God’s Word tell us to do? Trusting God is one, reading His word is another, but when we feel attacked by a social media post or by something someone says, what should we do? Do we lash out, name call? I know at times we want to. But that’s not solving any issues. Don’t we want to stop the hate and anger? We have choices. We can choose to say nothing. Because how many times have you heard, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything”? Psalm 141:3 – “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (NIV)
There are times that we need to speak up and we should but we need to make sure we are speaking out of truth and grace, that we are not cutting others down. That requires wisdom which comes by reading God’s Word and asking for wisdom. Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV)
Be kind to others, even if they disagree with you or make you angry. It’s ok to be angry, just don’t hurt anyone else in your anger. Being kind to our enemies! Whaaaaat?! Yah, how would you react if you angered someone but they turned around and were kind to you? Would you be repentitive? Sorry? You may be a little taken back. But we break the cycle of anger and hate by forgiving and showing kindness. Sounds too simple, huh? Well, try it; it works! I believe we will make a bigger statement by doing the opposite of what society expects we would do. What if we extended grace instead of trashing a place or someone? What if our response was, “Father, forgive them they no not what they do?” Luke 23:34
Many times someone is just looking to make others angry and get a reaction out of them. Don’t fall for it as tempting as it may be. Now sometimes a personal attack we need to proceed with caution and confront and set boundaries, but that’s another post.
Trust me there will be a battle within you. Your heart and your head will not agree. Your heart may be saying forgive and love and your head is ready to tear down and cause some destruction. But you can choose. You can choose how you will react, whether or not your head or heart will win. But once you choose to forgive and love, your head will catch up.
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Romans 12:20 (NIV)
And most of all, the most effective thing I believe we can do is pray. Let’s face it, you will at some point from here on out be angered by something, a post, a story on the news, a billboard, name it. Resolve now how you will respond. Imagine yourself, being angered and seeing that anger placed in a box and sent down a river and choosing to forgive. Forgiving, being gracious and showing kindness is just one way we can break the cycle of hate and anger and navigate these troubled times.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
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I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Philippians 3:10
“…becoming like him in his death, ” I used to wondered exactly what that meant, until I read in a foot note in a Bible. Death doesn’t sound very victorious. For the Christian, Christ’s death on the cross, is a victory!!! Jesus rose from the grave on the third day!!! When we die to self we are victorious in Christ. He gives us the power to overcome giving into sin and giving into our fleshly desires. He has won victory over the grave; Jesus Christ’s death represents victory!!!! So when we are becoming like Him in Hie death, we aren’t dead. Quiet the contrary, we become VICTORIOUS!
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Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved..
Romans 10:9
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Colossians 4:5 – “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”(NIV)
We are all given 24 hours in a day, 1,440 minutes and God is in each minute of every hour. Time is a gift. We can choose how we spend our time and God encourages us to spend it on things that will last through eternity. 1 John 2:17 – “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. While these words John wrote may convict, try and reflect on them and see how you are spending your time. What are you giving your time to? Things that fade or things that will last? Many of the activities and services we do can become holy and pleasing just by acknowledging God’s presence in them. Washing dishes, doing laundry, mowing the lawn with gratitude, send emails with grace and love …practice being aware of God’s presence throughout the day. By doing this we will be investing in a realtionhship that will last for eternity. We were made for eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart…” We can invite God into the mundane things we do everyday. Washing the dishes, for example, need to be done for a clean and healthy home so our family can have clean plates from which to eat. By changing our heart attitude and doing it unto the Lord we are bringing God into our everyday, every hour, every minute. Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, …”
Perhaps you have been giving into sinful cravings, spending time unwisely or being willfully blind to God’s presence. God invites you to confess your sin to Him. Whatever sins are troubling you, bring them to God with assurance that God is ready to forgive – 1 John 1:9. He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west – Psalm 103:12. He calls us His children – John 1:12
We can make the most of the time we have been given by living with discernment and wisdom, learning to distinguishing truth from falsehood and discerning the leaders that speak God’s truth from evil ones. We will know them by their fruit – Matthew 7:16. Are their lives producing fruits of the Holy Spirit? Ask for discernment as you choose the leaders to listen to.
“Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most of each opportunity [treating it as something precious].”
Colossians 4:5 (Amplified)
God is in every minute of our day. One way we can become more aware of God’s presence is to reflect at the end of the day and see where we saw God. What were you doing yesterday, this morning? Who or what was filling your mind? What were you busy doing? Who were you with? What were your thoughts in the afternoon? What did you eat for dinner? What type of media did you watch? Who did you speak to? How can you see God’s presence during those hours? Your hours sleeping were a waste of time. Rest is a gift of God. God ultimately establishes the work of our hands. God was there with you, watching over you while you were sleeping.
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
Colossians 4:5 (ASV)
God encourages us to make the most of our time. We don’t need to stress ourselves out increasing our productivity. We can please God as we do our work and recognize God’s presence in the work He has provided for us to do. God really is in every minute of every hour of every day. He did create day and night, He gave us time, let’s honor Him by using the gift of time wisely.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 24:27
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The Kedge Anchor 
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