He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser….
—Proverbs 9:7-9 AMPC
It has been statistically proven that 10 percent of people will never like you, so stop trying to have a perfect record with everyone and start celebrating who you are. A person who knows how to live independently does not allow the moods of other people to alter hers.
A story is told of a Quaker man who knew how to live independently as the valued person God had created Him to be. One night as he was walking down the street with a friend, he stopped at a newsstand to purchase an evening paper. The storekeeper was very sour, rude, and unfriendly. The Quaker man treated him with respect and was quite kind in his dealing with him. He paid for his paper, and he and his friend continued to walk down the street. The friend said to the Quaker, “How could you be so cordial to him with the terrible way he was treating you?” The Quaker man replied, “Oh, he is always that way. Why should I let him determine how I am going to act?”
Lord, help me to not allow others to steal my joy and peace by the things they say and do. I want to be kind and cordial, but I won’t let my mood to be controlled. Amen.
Fruitful Vines
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:3–5
One of the most common things people say about their lives is that they want them to matter. Most people do not set out to drift aimlessly from one thing to the next, and never accomplish anything of lasting value. Yet many people are not able to look back on serious accomplishments in their lives. This is especially sad when it happens to a Christian, because we are not limited to what we can do on our own. We have the full power of God available to us to do His purpose and will—the things that truly matter, not just for this life but for the next.
The problem is that too often we are working in our own strength, rather than in the true power that comes from abiding in Christ. God does not provide power to those who insist on going it alone. In Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your consciousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full except in the Lord.”
Our pride tempts us to self-reliance rather than God-dependence. We want to do it on our own so that we can get the credit. But for all of His abundant grace and His free gifts to us, God has no interest in lifting us up. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).
John 15:3–5
One of the most common things people say about their lives is that they want them to matter. Most people do not set out to drift aimlessly from one thing to the next, and never accomplish anything of lasting value. Yet many people are not able to look back on serious accomplishments in their lives. This is especially sad when it happens to a Christian, because we are not limited to what we can do on our own. We have the full power of God available to us to do His purpose and will—the things that truly matter, not just for this life but for the next.
The problem is that too often we are working in our own strength, rather than in the true power that comes from abiding in Christ. God does not provide power to those who insist on going it alone. In Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your consciousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full except in the Lord.”
Our pride tempts us to self-reliance rather than God-dependence. We want to do it on our own so that we can get the credit. But for all of His abundant grace and His free gifts to us, God has no interest in lifting us up. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Tapping into the Divine power that comes from abiding in Christ makes our lives fruitful and productive.
Guard Your Reactions
by Joyce Meyer - posted June 10, 2017He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser….
—Proverbs 9:7-9 AMPC
It has been statistically proven that 10 percent of people will never like you, so stop trying to have a perfect record with everyone and start celebrating who you are. A person who knows how to live independently does not allow the moods of other people to alter hers.
A story is told of a Quaker man who knew how to live independently as the valued person God had created Him to be. One night as he was walking down the street with a friend, he stopped at a newsstand to purchase an evening paper. The storekeeper was very sour, rude, and unfriendly. The Quaker man treated him with respect and was quite kind in his dealing with him. He paid for his paper, and he and his friend continued to walk down the street. The friend said to the Quaker, “How could you be so cordial to him with the terrible way he was treating you?” The Quaker man replied, “Oh, he is always that way. Why should I let him determine how I am going to act?”
Lord, help me to not allow others to steal my joy and peace by the things they say and do. I want to be kind and cordial, but I won’t let my mood to be controlled. Amen.
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