Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his [her] heart, so is he [she]…”
When someone treats you like a side piece let them know you’re the main course. You’re not broccoli and cheese. You’re gumbo! You’re no side act or backup singer. You’re Gladys Knight, not the Pips. You’re Diana Ross, not the Supremes. You’re Michael Jackson, not the Jackson 5. You’re Prince, not the Revolution. You’re the main act. The only act. Make sure they get the point. Even if it means you have to walk away. If you don’t you will always be treated like a backup.
People will use you if they can for whatever they can. The key phrase here is, “If they can,” if we let them. You don’t have to demand respect. Insist on it. If someone chooses to treat you bad and disrespectfully choose to leave them like a good choice. You don’t have to argue with them. Just leave. They’ll know why you left.
Micah 6:8 NCV “The Lord has told you, human, what is good; he has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, LOVE BEING KIND TO OTHERS, and live humbly, obeying your God.”
Kindness is a super weapon, not a weakness. Evil people will show you themselves quicker when you’re kind. They say to themselves, “I’ve got me a fool.” It never fails. Then they do and say things that reveal who they are. They underestimated the kindhearted. Sometimes you have to play the role of a fool in order to fool the fools who think they are fooling you. Kindness disarms your enemies. And it heals friends. Kindness is like a double-edged sword. It is so powerful.
God wants us to love being kind to others. People though are afraid to do this. They fear being taken advantage of. They think the kinder they are the more they will be hurt. Yet they still get hurt anyway while being mean. Being stone-faced and stone-hearted doesn’t stop anyone from experiencing heartache and pain. Actually, this brings more suffering. It takes courage to be kind. To not care about how others perceive you or how you will be treated. True kindness doesn’t expect things in return Jesus says. (Luke 6:35)
The world frowns on good-natured people. But God loves them. I guess it’s all about, who we want to please: God, or the unkind world.
Colossians 3:12 NCV “God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Ephesians 4:32 NCV “Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.”
Proverbs 16:24 NCV “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, making people happy and healthy.”
Romans 2:4 NCV “He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.”
Colossians 3:13 NCV “Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”
I’m so proud of Michael Vick. I don’t know the man personally but I know his spirit. Michael Vick worships God. To quote Michael Vick, “I don’t value a dollar. I value loyalty.” These are words from a man who recognizes money isn’t everything. How many famous people believe that? That relationships are far more important. I too value people above a dollar. I know the world at large thinks otherwise. They have their view and I have mine.
Isn’t it interesting how we focus on others’ past mistakes more than their good qualities? What if we had paparazzi following us everywhere we go? What would the world discover about us? Hmmmmmm, I wonder.🤔 Let’s not be quick to judge anyone so that we will not be judged. We are all human. We all have flaws. We all make many mistakes. And will all appear before the great judge one day. Mercy will be shown to those who have been merciful to others:
James 2:13 CSB “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Matthew 7:1-2 BSB “Do not judge, or you will be judged. 2 For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Deuteronomy 8:11 CSB “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today.”
Oh how easy it is to forget God! ESPECIALLY AFTER HE’S DONE SO MUCH FOR US! Let us not forget God. Repent. Tell Him how weak you are. He will forgive us. He is a gracious God.
Psalm 103:8-14 LEB “Yahweh is compassionate and gracious, ⌊slow to anger⌋ and abundant in loyal love. 9 He does not dispute continually, nor keep his anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so his loyal love prevails over those who fear him. 12 As far as east is from west, so he has removed far from us the guilt of our transgressions. 13 As a father pities his children, so Yahweh pities those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.”
Have you ever been so tempted to walk into a trap and felt you could not resist? I have. It’s not a fun place to be. It can even have dire consequences. So, why do we do it? Well, sometimes it’s simply rebellion. Other times it’s because the body is weak. Something called sin has its way with us at times. (Romans 5:12)
Galatians 5:17 LEB “For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these things.”
Sometimes we cannot do all the good we desire to do. (Romans 7:15-17) Sin wins battles and it hurts us. Doing what is good is the aim, right? But let’s be honest, there are times it goes undone:
Ecclesiastes 7:20 “There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.”
Thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice and His blood for the forgiveness of sins. (1 John 1:7-10)
I heard a sister in Christ say her grandmother used to say, “The shortcut is the short life.” That stuck with me. Partly because I was meditating on this before hearing her say it. I pondered how people take shortcuts in life only to find disappointment 99% of the time. Then we blame others for why things don’t work out. Not being able to wait costs. Not being willing to do introspection to see where we are to determine where we’re going costs. Throwing enough mud on the wall and hoping something sticks costs. There’s no aim, no purpose. This is like chasing after the wind.
I know some hurting folks who live the shortcut life. One I’m thinking of particularly is always in trouble. She has resorted to other bad habits to feed her addictions. These are all shortcuts. My heart breaks for her. Yet there’s not much more I can do but pray for her. This may seem small but it’s a lot. Prayer is powerful. I love her from a distance because I have to. She’s my ex-wife. It’s not until she realizes shortcuts equal a short life that she will ever change. I hope this happens before it’s too late. I hope we all realize most shortcuts aren’t worth it.
Didn’t mean to get too sappy on you guys. Just writing what’s on my heart. I hope this helps someone else.
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