Insulting From the Heart

Do you ever experience days when you feel beat up from the world? Like you've given the day your best shot and it chose to destroy your day. I am very familiar with the feeling of "Can't I do anything right?" or "Is anything going to be in MY favor today?"

It's funny the things we think of excuses for. It's funny that we think we have the right to write people off. It is also funny to me that we think we have the right to sit and pout because things have not gone our way. That sound like a 4 year old's motives.

I don't know about you but there has definitely been times when I've said "I know I shouldn't have done that but if you knew what they did to me, you wouldn't think it was so bad." I wonder when we decided that selfish ambitions and living a completely self centered life makes us happier.

There have been many people in my life that I completely avoid because after being with them, you are left feeling unappreciated, uninportant and unworthy. And the last thing I want to do is spend more time with them. They're the ones you can only take little bits at a time of.

Those people, I included have something inside of us that lets anger have its way. And because we let anger have its way, it lashes out through insults. There are two ways to insult. Passive insults are confusing, and they put you into a vortex of doubt, concern and confusion. It is really an insult hidden by a compliment.

Then there's active insults. They are blatent, in your face kind of insults. I know I have lashed many active insults. Purposely or not, I have.

Do anybody else have passive-aggressive people like this? They'll say things that you think is trying to be an insult but if you confront them they'll be like "That's not what I said." or "Yo took that the wrong way, I don't even know why you're mad." And you're left feeling even more instulted and slightly ignorant.

Here's my trick to those tricky passive insults. I like to agree with their "compliment" overzealously. For example, anything that starts with "No offense, but.." That leaves you sure that they in fact meant it as an insut. And I could sit all day wondering what they meant or I could say "No offense taken, man! Thanks so much!" That has the opposite affect and leaves THEM confused.

If you can't insult enough, there's is a problem. Just because you lack the courage to say it to someon'e face doesn't mean you're heart is free. If you in backrooms love to run your mouth about people, then when you see them you're like, " Hey!" That's a problem. And that is something I think MOST of us are guilty of.

Insults and obstinance are the ways an angry heart reveals itself.

Mathew 5:23 "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Mathew 5:25 "Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the gaurd, and you be put in prison. Truly I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny."  Jesus isn't letting up on the pressure on us to quickly forgive those who have been offended by us and make things right.

Help us, Father. Heal our hearts so there is nothing inside of us that lashes out at offense. Amen.

Pray In Faith

 ^{Mathew 21:18} Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Have faith that he is good and he loves you.
Have faith that he will hear and answer prayer.
God gives you three answers "Yes" "No" and "Later".(might seem elementary but we should always be reminded of his diligence)
Stop trying to control God's answers.
Pray succinctly.
Pray without ceasing.(1 Thessalonians 1:5)


Praying in God's will.
Sometimes we ask God to bless things that are not in His will.
If you know it's in God's will, keep praying.

When you stop praying for someone it could mean that you've lost hope for them.
If you love them, keep praying.
Luke 18-1 says "We ought to always pray and  not lose heart."

Jesus gave us a model prayer:

Begins in #worship "Our Father who art in heaven, *Hallowed be you name."        
#submission-"YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
#needs-"Give us this day our daily bread."
#repentance-"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
#protection-"And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."
Ends in #worship-"For YOURS is the kingdom and the power, and the glory *forever, Amen."