Hello, friends! Have you noticed the days getting shorter where you are? We’re up fairly early on weekday mornings and the sun is sleeping in later these days 🙂 At least that means my morning walks aren’t quite as hot as they have been!

As we get to today’s post, I want to give credit where credit is due. These verses stood out to me when my husband taught a Sunday School lesson from this passage a few weeks ago. I was very interested to see God’s response when the Israelites rejected the plan that He had for them.

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. ~Isaiah 30:15-16, 18-19

Basically, in verse 15, God told the Israelites how they could get victory as they battled the Assyrians. It doesn’t appear that there was any cause for them to be confused or unclear. God told them his plan.

But they would not. They said “no” to God and came up with their own plan.

Let’s face it. That didn’t go well. It says they’ll try to run away, to be fast, but their pursuers will also be fast.

It’s easy to judge them for their foolishness. But let’s take a look at our own lives. How often do we say “no” to what God tells us?

Now maybe we aren’t so bold as to actually say it out loud. But that’s what we say when we ignore a command we read in His Word. Or when a pastor preaches from the Bible and our hearts are convicted, but we refuse to deal with the issue. There could be a sin we know we need to give up but we hang on to it.

What would it be like to serve a God who wasn’t longsuffering and merciful? We’d all be in a really bad place.

Because even after the Israelites tell God “no” and do their own thing, the Bible says that the Lord will wait so that he can be gracious to them. It’s not immediate judgment and fire and brimstone destruction, though that’s probably how we as humans would handle the situation! No. It says that He will be gracious and have mercy and hear their cry.

Were there still consequences to their actions? 100 percent. Verse 20 of this chapter says that they will have “the bread of adversity and the water of affliction.” But God will continue to be gracious and merciful. And just like he did with the Israelites, he is ready to act on behalf of you and me if we turn to him and ask.

I hope we have hearts that quickly say yes to God and willingly follow his commands. But when our flesh wins and we make the wrong choice, remember that God is waiting. His grace and mercy are available as we come before him and seek his face.

Let’s thank God today for his patience and longsuffering, his grace and his mercy. How blessed we are that he waits to offer them to us even when we’ve strayed from his plan!

Related posts:

• 5 Valuable Lessons to Us from God’s Promise to Israel
• 3 Convicting Reasons Why We Don’t Trust God
• 10 Things to Pray for When You’re Seeking God’s Guidance

Are you ready for the unofficial start of fall? With Labor Day weekend just ahead of us, I’m starting to feel like fall is here. Which is fine, as long as I don’t expect the weather to cooperate! 🙂

Has there been a time in your life when you weren’t sure how to pray about a situation? Maybe it involved a spouse or a child, a financial decision, a job change, or a move to another state. Perhaps you just couldn’t get clear direction. And we’ve likely all had times when we were just so overwhelmed with life that we couldn’t even think clearly enough to know how or what to pray.

When we’re not sure how we should pray or what to ask for, here’s a list of five things we can do.

1. Believe that the Holy Spirit will help us.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” ~Romans 8:26

The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God. He intervenes for us and speaks to God on our behalf. The Spirit strengthens us when our faith is weak. He can take the deep, inexpressible cries of our hearts and bring them before God. When we’re perplexed about how to pray, He already knows what’s best for us.

2. Find Bible examples of how others prayed in difficult situations.

We know that David often cried out to God in the Psalms. In chapter 59, verse 1 as he deals with enemies, he writes “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.“

There’s Hannah’s prayer for a son when she was barren in 1 Samuel 1:11. “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life…”

And our ultimate example is Jesus in the garden before His crucifixion. In Matthew 26:39, we read, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.“

3. Pray to God directly from His Word.

Find a verse that pertains to what you’re facing or one that brings you comfort and just pray it to God. I often take Proverbs 3:5,6 to pray for myself or someone in my family.

“Lord, help me to trust you with all my heart and not rely on my own wisdom or understanding. May I acknowledge You in every area of my life so I can know that you will direct my path.“

4. Write out what you’re struggling with.

I realize that this is easy for me because writing is one of the best ways I have to process my thoughts. Even if that’s not true for you, try to at least write out a sentence or two that summarizes how you’re feeling. Sometimes just seeing it written down on paper can help you gain a better perspective. This practice might guide you in how to pray.

5. Remember that God knows our hearts and our minds even when we can’t fully express what we need or want.

We’re likely all familiar with Psalm 139. “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” [Verses 1-4]

What a comfort it is to know that God knows us so deeply and individually! He knows us better than we know ourselves and is so faithful to meet our every need. When we don’t know how we should pray or what we should ask for, He is still able to give us exactly what we need.

I remember a time a few years ago when I was confused and heartbroken over a particular situation. Honestly, I didn’t feel like praying. I didn’t have the words to tell God how I was feeling. Yet as always, He was faithful. He brought me through those days and I learned more about Him and about myself.

In the days ahead when we struggle to know how to pray, may we remember to rely on the Holy Spirit’s help, look to God’s Word, and rest in the fact that God knows our hearts and will continue to keep us in His care.

[I updated and republished this post from June 2021 because I find I need it again in August 2023.]

Related posts:

• 10 Things to Pray for When You’re Seeking God’s Guidance
• 6 Steps for How to Pray When We’re Anxious or Afraid
• 5 Bible Verses to Encourage You in Your Prayer Life

When one of our daughters was young, she had a hard time making decisions.

I remember my mom taking her to the store and telling her she could choose one thing for my mom to buy her. The whole process took a long time, but she’d finally narrow it down to two options.

She’d put one in each hand and put her hands behind her back. Then she’d ask someone to choose a hand. Supposedly, that would be the item to buy.

However, sometimes the outcome wasn’t what she wanted, and we’d have to repeat the exercise before she made her final choice!

As adults, we face a lot bigger decisions than what toy to buy. There are potential moves, job changes, relationship issues, family matters, church choices, and many more.

Sometimes it’s hard to get clear direction about a decision or to have peace regarding which alternative to choose. So what does it mean to have peace? What I’m talking about in this case is a settledness about moving forward or going in a certain direction. It’s the ability to set aside worry and fear and faithfully step into the future.

Here are five things we can do as we seek to have peace about a decision we need to make.

1. Pray about your decision.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

You can’t get much clearer instruction than this verse! Our initial response to decision-making is often worry. What should I do? What if I make the wrong choice? How will my decision affect my family or my future?

Release the anxiety by taking it to God in prayer. It’s probably not a one-and-done, but a daily, ongoing pursuit of his guidance. Thank him that he is sovereign, that he knows all things, and that he has the wisdom you need for this decision.

Ask him to give you clear direction, to open or close doors, and to give you that peace that is beyond understanding.

2. Look in the Bible for principles that apply to your decision.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. ~Psalm 119:66

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. ~Psalm 119:130

Ask God to lead you to Scripture passages that can teach you and encourage you in your specific situation. Use a good concordance to find verses that deal with trusting God. Read stories about how he directed people in the Bible.

Once you’ve found applicable Bible principles, meditate on those verses. Use them in your prayers to God.

3. Seek Godly advice from wise counselors.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. ~Proverbs 12:15

Set up a time to meet with your pastor or another Godly person(s) whose judgment you trust. Additionally, read books by wise Christian authors related to discerning God’s leading or following his will. You could also listen to sermons by other trusted pastors who’ve preached on topics related to this.

4. Be willing to wait for peace if the decision is not time-sensitive.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. ~Psalm 25:4-5

Most decisions have some kind of time frame on them, but as much as possible, don’t rush to a decision. Wait until you have peace. The Bible has many verses that talk about waiting on the Lord.

Waiting, however, doesn’t mean inactivity! Continue to pray, meditate, and be alert to however God may be working in your life.

However, if the time comes when you have to make a decision, move on to number five.

5. Make the best decision you can based on the information you have and trust the Lord to guide you from there.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Acknowledge God in your decision-making. Let your heart’s desire be to honor Him. Then make your decision and trust that God will direct you.

Whether through circumstances or certain people he places in your life, he has the ability to work it all out. If we’re seeking to follow God, we’re not going to derail his plan for us. He’s greater than any bad decisions we may make.

And a final note for married people. Do all that you can to come to an agreement on big decisions. Ask God to unite your hearts and give you a shared vision for what needs to be done.

Whatever decision lies ahead of you in the coming months, I trust that you’ll find God’s direction and feel His peace.

Related posts:

• 8 Tips on Making Decisions About Your Child’s Future
• 5 Things to Know About God’s Plan for Your Life
• 7 Helpful Tips for Navigating a Season of Change

I’m not sure what happened to July, but I know that it’s gone! It was a month full of time with family and friends, and now I’m looking forward to what August will bring.

A few days ago, my high school best friend had a birthday. We haven’t seen each other in years, but keep in touch occasionally.

I texted her happy birthday wishes. She replied to thank me and then she shared about a new project she’s working on.

Without thinking, I texted back words of encouragement, telling her how excited I was for her in this new ministry. I told her that I hoped God would use her greatly as she pursues this calling.

I’m genuinely excited for her. It was a natural response to affirm her in her work. It was exactly what I should have done.

But after I hit send on that message, I realized something. Do I ever do that for myself? Am I encouraging myself in the work or the ministry that God has given me? Honestly, no.

How about you? Do you take time to notice and be grateful for what you’re able to do for the Lord, no matter how small?

Now I don’t mean that we do it in a prideful way. But sometimes I think we discount our own gifts or talents as not being important or worthy of being noticed. And looking to build up others doesn’t mean we have to downplay our own gifts or talents.

If we’re doing what God has called us to do, let’s celebrate that. We can be humble yet grateful for what God is doing in our own lives. No credit goes to us but neither do we have to look at what we’re doing as “less than” the way someone else is living out their calling.

Others may have a bigger following or a larger platform or opportunities that we only dream of. And it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. But let’s don’t discount being faithful. Remember this verse? Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. [1 Corinthians 4:2]

Embrace your place in God’s kingdom. You may feel that your contribution is small and insignificant. But nothing that is done for our Lord is meaningless.

Are you familiar with the song “Little Is Much When God Is in It”?

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Little is much when God is in it,
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.

Today let’s encourage ourselves to do whatever God puts in front of us – be it big or small in the eyes of others. Realize that He sees our efforts and is pleased as we honor Him through them.

Related posts:

• That Time I Had a Pity Party
• What Does It Really Mean to Be Successful?
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At the Christian college I attended, we were required to attend chapel four days a week. At 10:05 am, the bell would ring. The beginning of chapel was marked by all of the students standing and singing the Doxology.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That song will forever be associated with that time in my life…and occasionally accompanied by a tinge of panic. There were a few times that the audience stood to sing while I rushed to my seat because I was tardy!

I’ve written here on the blog about praise several times. But recently I was convicted about spending more time praising God.

I feel like I do pretty well with giving thanks. I write in my gratitude journal almost daily. And while thanksgiving is closely associated with praise, I want to focus more on praising God for who He is, not just what He does.

Praise is you and I recognizing God’s glory and expressing adoration to Him.

Psalm 150:6 gives us this command. “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.“

What’s a good way to praise God? I like how Charles Spurgeon put it. “We simply say what He is! ‘You are this and You are that.’”

Today let’s look at five attributes of God that we can use to praise Him.

1. God is omnipotent.

Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. ~Job 42:1-2

What good is a God who has no power? We serve a God who is all-powerful and can do anything He determines to do. The Bible tells us on several occasions that nothing is too hard for God.

2. God is faithful.

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:21-23

I’ll ask the same question again. What good is a God that we can’t trust? God’s Word is full of promises, and we can count on every one being kept, because our God is faithful.

3. God is sovereign.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: ~Isaiah 46:9-10

What a relief that we don’t have to work it all out on our own! God knows all things and is always working for His glory and our good. We don’t always see it or understand it, but our God is infinitely wise and rules over all.

4. God is gracious.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. ~Ephesians 2:8-9

We didn’t deserve salvation. We don’t deserve any of the good gifts God so freely gives. It’s because of His grace – His unmerited favor – at work in our lives that we receive these things from Him.

5. God is good.

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ~Exodus 34:6

If we made a top-five list of our favorite attributes of God, this one definitely makes my list! He is always, only good. Our life circumstances don’t change that. Goodness is simply a part of who He is. 

Let’s take one of these attributes and write out a praise to God. We’ll choose His faithfulness.

Dear God, I praise you for your great faithfulness. You keep every promise that you’ve ever made. I can trust you to always keep your Word. And God, even when I’m not faithful to you, You are still a constant presence in my life. You’ve promised to never leave me or forsake me. I praise you for the rest and peace I can have in my heart because you are a faithful God.

There are so many attributes of God that we can praise Him for! He is holy, omniscient (knows all), loving, merciful, long-suffering, immutable (unchanging), and so much more!

I’ll close with another Charles Spurgeon quote for us to consider.

“Praise is the rehearsal for our eternal song.”

If you’d like to add an attribute of God that we can use as we praise Him, please comment below!

Related posts:

• How to Pray a Prayer of Praise to God
• What Mary Teaches Me About Praising God
• 10 Bible Passages of Praise for Worshipping God

Thanks for the title inspiration, Shakespeare! 🙂

While he may have inspired the title, the topic of today’s post actually stems from an impressively-large book I’m reading on 1 John. It’s titled Life in Christ (Amazon affiliate link) and was written by Martin Lloyd-Jones.

1 John chapter 2 begins with this verse.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Sin is not a particularly popular topic, though we know a lot about it. We know that sin is anything that goes against the truth God reveals to us in His Word. It’s disobeying God’s commands. We’re to watch out for sin and avoid it.

All of that is true. Yet I got a different take on sinning when I read this in Martin Lloyd-Jones’ commentary on 1 John. He wrote that “the best way of not sinning is to positively be living the godly life.“

He goes on to say, “The way to avoid sinning is to start out with this main objective, that I am here to live to the glory of God, that my supreme purpose should be to honor him, and to live in accordance with His holy will.“

Let’s think about that for a minute. Wouldn’t we be less likely to sin if we’re intent on living for God’s glory? If honoring Him is our focus, sin becomes a distraction, an irritation that we want to avoid because it leads us away from our purpose.

If we’re seeking to live in His will, there will be no room in our hearts for sin. God is holy and in seeking to please Him, we also want to grow in our personal holiness.

Please don’t get me wrong. As long as we’re here on this earth with our fleshly human nature, we will sin. We’re reminded earlier in 1 John that if we say that we don’t sin, we deceive ourselves. But what a beautiful thing if sin didn’t have an attraction for us because we were so bent on honoring God.

Let’s take this over into our parenting. Should we protect our kids from temptation and evil as much as possible? 100 percent yes! But what about teaching our children to see how blessed and peaceful and fulfilling it is to live a life that lines up with God’s standards.

There’ve certainly been times that I’ve parented from a place of fear. Again, we must be wary of the devil and his tactics. But how exciting to parent from a place of peace and confidence by showing our children Jesus and his love and helping them consider all that He has planned for them.

And beyond that, we can live as an example before them. As we ourselves seek to please God by our choices and decisions, they can see in real-time what it looks like to honor God. Teaching our children to recognize and love what is good will help them to see sin for what it is and be less likely to want to give in to it.

So, my friends, let’s continue to flee from sin. And let’s also ask the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us into living in a way that honors God.

Related posts:

• 5 Truths to Help You Get Victory Over Sin
• How to Overcome the Sins We’ve Learned to Tolerate
• 3 Important Characteristics of a Growing Christian

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. ~1 John 5:14-15

Please know that the title of this blog post isn’t meant to make us feel guilty! It’s to encourage us to notice, to really pay attention to, the answered prayers in our lives.

I’ve had a couple of specific answers to prayers in the last few weeks. These were situations related to our children over which I had no control. It was going to be up to God to take care of these requests (and clearly He’s much better at that than I am!)

Sometimes I’m guilty of two things related to answered prayer.

1) Not taking the time to stop and thank God for it.

2) Thinking, “Oh, that was such a small thing.” Or, “Well, that would’ve happened whether I prayed about it or not.”

Have you ever thought that way? In my own life, I want to make a bigger deal out of answered prayer.

Here are three reasons why.

1. Answered prayer gives us faith that other prayers we’re praying will be answered.

It’s important to stop and say, Look what God did! We know that he worked in answer to our prayer, and our faith grows.

Answered prayer encourages us to keep on praying about other things that He hasn’t answered yet. That’s certainly true in my current situation. I’m praying for something specific in my own life, and now I’m motivated to keep praying about it because of the prayers He just answered.

2. Answered prayer is a reminder that God allows us to partner with Him to accomplish things.

Obviously, God can work with or without our prayers, but isn’t it wonderful that He allows us to participate in fulfilling His plan?

We’re commanded in His Word to pray. God wants us to bring our requests to Him. What a privilege that when we do just that, we get the reward of seeing Him answer.

3. If we have unanswered prayers, we can trust that God knows what’s best and will answer in His time and in His way.

We’ve seen God answer prayer. We know that He has the power and the ability to accomplish anything.

So if it’s not happening now, it’s because He’s choosing not to answer what we’re praying for. We can get impatient. That’s where trust comes in. We know we’re praying to a good God who loves us like a Father. Trust His heart and continue to pray.

We may also need to ask God to change our prayer so that it lines up with His will. He alone is sovereign. Let’s ask Him to open our hearts to what He may be trying to do through our prayers.

Let me know if there’s a prayer you’ve had answered lately or if there’s something you’d like me to join you in prayer for!

Related posts:

• 5 Bible Verses to Encourage You in Your Prayer Life
• What Hannah Teaches Me About Prayer
• Why Should I Pray?

Hello! How close are you to being in summer mode? Schools around here finish up in the next week. We’re dropping our younger daughter off this weekend at the camp where she’ll be working for the summer. And of course, Memorial Day is almost here!

At various times on the blog, we’ve talked about being a wise woman. Topics have ranged from ten traits of a wise woman to how she parents her children to how she finds her identity in Christ.

Today we’re going to look into some ways that a wise woman talks. The things she says – and the things she doesn’t say – reveal the wisdom in her heart.

We’ll start with the negative side and see four things that a wise woman doesn’t do with her mouth.

1. She doesn’t gossip.

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. ~Proverbs 16:28

Sometimes we’re seized with the “need” to share something we hear or know about someone else with others. (And typically it’s a rumor that’s personal and/or sensational.) Could it be for the attention we get or that we feel a sense of “power” because we know something others don’t?

Even if the information we have is true, we don’t need to share a person’s private business with anyone else. We can pray for the person involved and be a help to them if the situation warrants it.

2. She doesn’t criticize.

 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. ~James 4:11

Isn’t it interesting that this verse is addressed to “the brethren?” These early church believers must have had a problem with criticizing other believers. And I daresay we can have the same issue today.

We won’t agree with everyone, even those we attend church with on a regular basis. There’s certainly a time for a one-on-one conversation if a matter needs to be addressed, but it’s never right to criticize that person to others.

3. She doesn’t inflict hurt with her words.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. ~Ephesians 4:31-32

If we’ve been hurt by someone else’s words, our initial reaction may be to use our words to hurt them back. However, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for help to respond in a way that is kind and forgiving.

4. She doesn’t brag about herself.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. ~Proverbs 27:2

This one’s fairly simple! A wise woman doesn’t boast about what she has or what she can do. Pride has no place in the life of a wise woman.

Now let’s look at four ways we should use our mouths if we want to be wise women.

1. She offers praise and worship to God.

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. ~Psalm 34:1

What will we be doing for all of eternity? Using our mouths to praise and worship God. Let’s get a good start on that now! We can read Psalms aloud, sing along to our favorite hymns, and praise God for His goodness during our prayer times.

2. She prays.

But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. ~Psalm 66:19-20

Prayer is a favorite topic of mine. It’s our way of communicating with God. In Hebrews 4:16, we’re told to approach the throne of grace boldly. Surely we’re wise when we use our words to pray to our Heavenly Father.

3. She encourages others.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. ~1 Thessalonians 5:11

From her husband to her children, from friends to strangers, she uses her words to lift up others. We can speak comfort in hard times and offer hope and support. Knowing God’s Word allows us to quote Scripture and share God’s promises with others.

4. She instructs her children.

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul…And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ~Deuteronomy 11:18-19

What a privilege to be able to use our mouths to teach our children about God! We can tell them about His love, about His care for them, and about how to be saved through the blood of Jesus.

And we get to do it any time and in any place through conversations we have with them. There’s a place for scheduled times of instruction, but let’s also look for those teachable moments that pop up as we go throughout our days.

As we seek to live as wise women walking with God, let’s use our words in ways that honor Him!

Related posts:

• 5 Ways a Wise Woman Walks with God
• How a Wise Woman Treats Her Husband
• 5 Characteristics of a Foolish Woman

Hello, friends! It’s May, which means a busy month if you’ve got a graduation or end-of-the-school-year festivities, plus there’s Mother’s Day and Memorial Day! I hope you find something good to celebrate this month.

Before we get into today’s post, let me remind you that, as is often the case, I write from a place of weakness. I usually share what I’ve been studying or something that I need to work on in my own life. So as we break down complaining today, please don’t think that I’ve mastered this. I’m a work in progress!

Here’s the passage I was studying last week that led to today’s post.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. ~Philippians 2:14-16

Verse 14 basically tells us that we’re to do everything without complaining or arguing. We can look at that in a couple of different ways.

It could apply to how we respond to God. Whatever instruction we find in His Word or whatever we believe His Holy Spirit is leading us to do, we should do cheerfully and without hesitation.

It could also apply to how we respond to our circumstances and to other people. Are we often complaining about what’s happening in our lives and/or quarreling with someone any time we don’t agree with them?

That verse pointedly says, “Do all things…” Yes, we know that “all” means “all,” as in every single thing.

But let’s get practical. Does that mean I’m supposed to stand in the checkout line at the store (which I chose because it looked like the shortest one, but now the other lines are moving much faster) and not complain about how long this is taking? I would say “Yes.”

The reason that I titled this post the way I did is because I think we just accept complaining as a natural part of life. Doesn’t everybody complain? Or maybe it’s just me!

Complaining usually boils down to discontentment. It’s an attitude of the heart. And isn’t all complaining ultimately against God?

So let’s answer these questions. Is complaining really that bad? Why is it important that we not complain, that we’re not argumentative? Verses 15 and 16 answer that question for us.

1. We’re to be blameless/innocent.

We want our thoughts to be pleasing to God. Our inner attitudes need to be right so that our outward actions will also be right.

2. We’re to be harmless/inoffensive.

We want to live a life before others that is pure and sincere. We don’t want to purposely annoy or insult someone.

There may be times when we speak the truth in love and that truth is offensive to an unbeliever. But that’s not our purpose or goal.

3. We’re to be a testimony by what we say and how we live.

Paul encourages us to “shine as lights in the world.” The example we show in daily living should be one that stands out in a good way. Our sweet spirit and grateful heart can reflect a peace and joy that others notice.

4. We’re to share the gospel.

We’re also to be “holding forth the word of life.“

Who wants to hear what you have to say about a Savior when you’re constantly complaining about work or your spouse or your kids? If the smallest thing sets you off and you immediately start to argue, is that unsaved observer going to want the faith that you say you have?

If we agree that complaining is wrong, then we need a solution to the problem.

Let’s change our complaining into gratitude. Do you remember another verse that has a similar phrase to “all things” in it?

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Just as we’re to do all things without complaining and arguing, we’re also to give thanks in everything.

So here’s a challenge to myself, and maybe you’ll take it as well. The next time we start to complain, let’s change that thought and those words into something we can be thankful for. Instead of complaining, make the effort to look for what’s good in that moment.

As E.M. Bounds said, “Gratitude and murmuring never abide in the same heart at the same time.“

With God’s help, we can complain less (or not at all!) and be grateful more.

Related posts:

• 3 Tips for a Better Attitude Today
• You Can’t Do Both at the Same Time
• 10 Key Lessons the Israelites Can Teach Us About the Christian Life

Welcome to this last blog post for April!!

Are you excited that it’s almost May? We’re on a countdown to our older daughter’s college graduation in a couple of weeks. I’m so looking forward to making the trip down to Florida to spend time celebrating with her!

Something I used to do at the start of a new year was to choose a word for that year. I’d try to meditate on my word as I went through the next twelve months, looking for all the ways I could apply it in my life.

One year, the word I chose was grace. I wanted to make sure I recognized God’s grace in my life every day. But I also wanted to focus on showing grace to others.

What exactly did that look like? I needed a plan to put that into action.  Here are five ideas that I came up with to help me show grace to other people in my life.

1. Have compassion.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering….”  (Colossians 3:12-13) 

I don’t know what a fellow mom or another sister in Christ is going through. I haven’t walked in her shoes, or dealt with her challenges or limitations.  Asking God to help us see the needs in the lives of those around us will allow us to reach out with compassion and support.

2. Don’t compare. 

“.…but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (II Corinthians 10:12b) 

I’ve written before about releasing ourselves from the comparison trap.  We can be tempted to compare ourselves to others in a way that makes us feel better about ourselves.  Grace keeps us from looking down on others while elevating ourselves.

3. Give without expectations. 

Whether it’s time, money, an act of service, or an actual gift, let’s give cheerfully, expecting nothing in return.

4. Extend to others the benefit of the doubt. 

If we don’t understand someone’s actions or attitude, let’s not jump to conclusions or speculate on their motives. In other words, “Put the very best construction on the actions of others.”

5. Willingly take second (or third or fourth) place. 

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another…” (Romans 12:10) 

Grace can be evidenced by genuine humility in putting others’ needs ahead of our own. Our human nature leads us to selfishness and a desire for personal recognition. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can set aside our pride and lift up other people.

Just as we want others to show grace to us, let’s extend that grace to those we’re around today.

Can you think of other ways that we can show grace to others?

Related posts:

• Parenting with a Spirit of Grace
• Trusting His Grace When I Can’t See His Face
• That Time I Had a Pity Party