Mouth, Mind, Motives

April 4

Standing on my husband's elliptical machine I began to pass the time by praying (I prayed first that I could survive 20 minutes on this machine). After I went through praying for all of our children, I looked up to the ceiling where there were three canister lights and said, "God, I am here to listen. What do You want to work on?" He was quick to respond, "Your mouth, your mind and your motives." Whew, He put the spotlight right on me and three areas that always seem to be up for a make-over.

The Bible is chocked full of godly advice to keep all three of these areas of our lives fine tuned.

Ephesians 4:29 advises: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Philippians 2:1-3 speaks well to how like-mindedness and godly motives equate to joy.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

When we allow God into the examination room of our lives, He becomes a gentle physician with a light shining into the dark spaces revealing areas which are detrimental to our spiritual health.

PT

Father, You are holy and we are oh, so lowly. Today we face another week of unknowns, but because of Your faithfulness to generation after generation we can step into this week confident that You are near. Trials may come and fear and trepidation may set us into a spiraling action. Please Holy Spirit be our prompter and keep our mouths, minds and motives Christ centered, allowing the aroma they emit to bring a watching world closer to a relationship with the Father.