Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

to text or not to text

this is a post i made a while back of a subject that is a bit risky to touch on and that might cause controversy.  i really really feel the need to post this again after what i saw during this mornings sermon.

i’m not here to judge. i’m far from perfect myself and sure need lots of reminding from the Lord as to how my walk should be going. but thankfully His grace is new every morning 🙂 i just hope to maybe give a little honesty and hopefully open your heart to God’s direction.

with that said, on to the issue…

i have one question…if it’s rude to text when someone is talking to you, why isn’t it rude to text when God is talking to you?

it’s not an issue of pleasing God by your posture, clothing or attention span. its not even an issue of the context of your text. it’s an issue of reverence.

basically, it’s rude and so very disrespectful. not only to everyone around you, to the Pastor but it’s also rude to God. what are you communicating when you send a text message during church? really, you’re saying that there is something you need to tell someone and that it is more important that what God is trying to tell you.

can you imagine if abraham lincoln was standing in front of you, and he was telling you how he wrote the gettysburg address…would you say “hey abe, hold on just sec till i send this text”? no? they why would you ever do it to God?

here is the big issue i have with it. i have teenagers, two of them. at this point their lives basically revolve around social media, texting and staying constantly connecting to their friends. but one thing i’ve always stressed, cell phones do not go to church with you. and if you do happen to take it with you, it certainly never ever gets turned on during church. this is one rule in my household that i refuse to bend on. so what type of example are you setting to not only my children, but all of the other children around you while you are texting during the sermon? not to mention how distracting it is for others around you.

before i started writing this post, i did some research around the internet about it.  i found articles on how to hide your texting during church, tweeting during the sermon, the benefits of texting during church and that some churches even encourage it.  i was shocked and saddened that we can’t seem to tear ourselves away from social media and technology long enough to give God fully, and without interruption, an hour of our week. 

from the time  you enter the doors at church, God is present for you.  He is pointing you, guiding you, and getting you ready for Him and His word.  all i ask is when you walk through those doors, you turn your phone off and give God the opportunity to talk to your entire heart.  give Him that time fully and don’t make Him feel like He needs to compete for your attention.
out for now
~kisses
[jetpack-related-posts]

a proverbs 31 woman

She is clothed with strength and dignity; 
she can laugh at the days to come. 
She speaks with wisdom, 
and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
Proverbs 31:25-26
this beautiful, noble lady has confidence.  this confidence comes from her relationship with God.  she keeps her eyes on Jesus and knows there is always, always light at the end of the tunnel when problems arise.  this confidence comes from her faith in God and depending fully on Him.  this is also where she obtains the strength and dignity from.  she can laugh at the days to come because she knows, without a doubt, that her life is in God’s hands.  she knows and rejoices in the fact that God is a loving father and loves her not because of what she does but because of who she is, His daughter.  that confidence in her father is what helps her to weather any storm life throws at her.  she knows she has a bright future because of this. she knows good is coming.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
 
she speaks with wisdom and teachers others to be loving and kind, using her own words as an example. she is slow to speak and her words are like a honeycomb. she adds value to the conversations she is part of. when she talks, it’s definitely something worth hearing. and i can almost guarantee she never once referred to her husband as her “old man”.  her words were always respectful and when people refer to their spouses that way (which irritates me) it isn’t showing respect at all.    

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24

this girl right here likes to talk, a lot. and as we can see from proverbs 10:19,when there are a lot of words there is a lot of room for there to be slip-ups. i cannot count how many times i’ve put my foot in my mouth. the proverbs 31 woman didn’t neglect her mind, she filled it with wisdom from Gods word. wisdom that allowed her to pick and choose her words carefully. wisdom of when to speak, and when to not.

In the multitude of words there lacks not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise.
Proverbs 10:19

this noble woman would never participate in gossip or cut others down during conversations. as women, we simply love to discuss things, especially when we can enlighten someone else about an issue that they are uninformed about. why this brings such recreation to us, i wish i knew, but this is simply the nature of women as God created us. God does not seem to distinguish between whether the information is true or false or bad. the scriptures simply say that we are a gossiper if we reveal the secret. if we conceal the secret, we are of a faithful spirit. gossip is bad. period. we disappoint God when we listen to gossip or spread gossip ourselves. we need to show God our faithfulness by not participating in the spreading of other people’s secrets.

as i’ve said before, this girl likes to talk. and i totally admit at times my conversations would absolutely be considered gossip. over the past few years, God has really strengthened my walk. through that, i’ve noticed something new occuring. when a conversation is taking a turn towards gossip, i get a little pang inside me that warns me. danger will robinson, danger. this is the Holy Spirit revealing the truth, convicing me of my sin and appealing to my conscience. and i sure need to sit up and listen.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
James 1:19

your tongue can destroy everything you have by using careless words. we go to church on sunday, sing praises to God then leave and fight about what to have for lunch. not that i’m speaking from experience or anything. did you ever heart the saying you don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to? we all need to remember that.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

as Christian women, our speech should be completely different than what the worlds speech looks like. the way we speak to our husbands should look differently as well.

she had a filter and stopped herself from saying anything that wasn’t kind. her words were filled to the brim with grace, faithfulness, kindness and mercy. can you say that? i know i can’t. so many days the first thought that hits my mind comes straight out of my mouth. and this girl right here, sadly, she has a big mouth. but i am learning to control my tongue. there are times to speak up and speak truth, but seek Gods wisdom and discernment to know those times.

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
Proverbs 18:20

we need to live this life, so our children can watch us. so they will be the wives and husbands God intended them to be. so our daughters know how to act towards their husband and children. so our sons know what to look for in a wife.

out for now
~kisses
[jetpack-related-posts]