July | 2021 | Poiema by Lynn

Over the years I have kept many journals (I am currently on #28 😊) and I include quotes that are meaningful during the season I am experiencing. Here are some more of my favorites and why I like them…..

A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred. -Amy Carmichael

This is one of the earliest ideas I began to ponder. It is not about events or the circumstances but Christ in me. When I am not living for myself but allowing Jesus to live through me, He turns the bitter water into fresh springs. The fragrance of my life becomes the sweetness of Jesus.

In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. -John Bunyan

I used to worry when I was in a position where I needed to pray in front of others because I can’t form my words quickly, and sometimes I lack the ability to even complete a sentence. This reminds me who the most important listener is and that He is not bothered by my lack of eloquence.

To love to teach is one thing. To love those you teach is quite another. – Hudson Taylor

At times I can get really passionate about what I am teaching, but I can never lose sight of the reason I am teaching – so others will know the love of Jesus and grow closer to him.

God doesn’t hand out medals for performance; He hands out crowns for perseverance. – Holly Gerth

Unlike the accomplishments the world applauds, God treasures faithfulness. Lord, let me be found faithful in your eyes.

People will remember that things you accomplish, but the way you handle life’s challenges can affect them just as strongly. – Lori Deshane

The believers with the most visible and large-scale ministries may not have the greatest influence.

Our contentment becomes an act of worship – Linda Dillow

This is my most recent entry. It helps me redefine worship to include some much more than words or songs to include my everyday attitude about the things (or lack of other things) that God permits in my life.

After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. -Peter the Apostle

I never want to forget God’s redemption in the midst of this difficult and confusing life. His grace is enough and our eternal glory with Him is beyond comprehension.

Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not you own? You have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I wonder if this has happened to you too – you read God’s word and come away with an understanding until you are sharing thoughts with another believer and she has a completely different way of viewing it. Since the verses preceding the verse above warn against immorality, I recognized the warning that we are to guard ourselves (God’s temple) against immorality and impurity.

However, today the focus was from James – what does it mean to have a living faith? We discussed how our actions should be an overflow of what we believe. The conversation then evolved into how we use our tongues – James asks can salt water and fresh water come from the same source? Can blessing and cursing come from the same mouth? This led to the topic of how do we mentally converse with ourselves? One of the participants shared the above verse explaining she believes when she judges herself /speaks to herself more critically than she would another person that she is not honoring God’s temple.

Previously I have written about the power of other’s words on me, yet I am guilty of using critical words on myself. If having a living faith means that sweet words and bitter words do not both flow from the same mouth, that means to live consistently with my faith I must change my words about myself.

Is it really such a big deal if I am harder on myself than anyone else? Am I glorifying God with my body if I rehash most every conversation wondering if this phrase could have unintentionally hurt someone or been misinterpreted? Am I honoring my body as a temple of the Spirit if I allow my own thoughts to dissect everything I do or don’t do wondering how I could have done more or better? I try to attribute the best motives to others and give them the benefit of the doubt, but not so with myself.

No one knows what goes on in my thoughts except the Lord. But it is for Him I live, my audience of One. He challenged me to live by faith in every area of my life and since this is the place He cast the light of his truth, I ask him to transform my thinking so his living water becomes the source of my thoughts not the cesspool of fleshly thinking.