Jealousy

Helpful hints for a good spiritual spring cleaning

/ kstrick7 / 1 Comment

Well, it’s that time again. Time for a good spring cleaning! When I think about spring cleaning, I think about my house. My windows need washing, the rugs need cleaning, the ceiling fans need dusting, & the air conditioner filters need replacing. Y’all, I am just getting tired thinking about all of it!

Just think about it though.

Does our inner man need a spring cleaning, too?

What if we made a conscience effort to get the cob webs out of our hearts? What if we swept jealousy & comparing ourselves to others straight out the door? What would our God given houses be like if we just flat out wiped out hate and filled it back up with love? Like the love I have for chocolate gravy & biscuits.

James, the brother of Jesus,  talks about this in

James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (NKJV)

Peter mentions it, as well, in

I Peter 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

And I can’t go without including the fruit of the Spirit (notice this says “fruit” as in singular, as in one-which means all of these beautiful qualities go together. As in you need to have all of these, not just pick which one you want to do & leave the rest out.)

Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (NKJV)

Let’s take a look at ourselves (me included, because I need it more than anybody!). Let’s make sure we have the most important aspect in our lives first, LOVE. Then, I really believe the rest will fall into place.

Matthew teaches in Matthew 12, that if we get rid of something bad in our lives, we need to immediately fill it back up with something good. If we don’t we chance more bad coming back into our hearts.

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”(NKJV)

Whew! Spring cleaning is hard! Especially when you have to get rid of things like being unforgiving & having bitterness in your heart. Things like this is like old baggage you have tucked back in the corner of a closet & forgotten about. It’s been around so long, that you hardly notice it’s holding you up in your walk with God.

Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (NKJV)

How about we all get to work on spring cleaning? I know I sure need it. I’m so glad you stopped by today. I presented the good news to Miss Neenee last night that school would be out next month. As in NEXT MONTH. She was just pleased as punch to know she would have a break before long. Come on summer!! I hope you have a blessed week. As for me, I have got to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: quotesgram.com, whatchristianswanttoknow.com, newhealthom.com

 

Online envy & Football food

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

superbowl

Isn’t there some kind of game this weekend?  Oh yeah, the SUPER BOWL!  Football is probably my favorite sport to watch.  The Blind Side is one of my favorite all time movies.  The Manning boys are from the great state of Mississippi, so I kinda have a responsibility to like football.  Saying that, I have been thinking about things to cook for our “Couchgate” as Miss Neenee likes to call it.  You know where you sit on the couch, eat, watch the game, yell at the t.v. & eat.

But first I want to share with you an article I read in our Hope Health Letter, at work.  It’s an article called Keeping up with the e-Joneses.  I found it interesting, because, well, I guess I am little guilty of this.  The article is talking about how wonderful it is that social networks allow us to stay in touch with friends & family-however, constantly checking the status of others might have a negative consequence.  It’s called online envy.  Here is what to watch for:

When you log on to a social network & see what others have posted, do you:

Feel sorry for yourself?

Make a purchase or take similar action based on something you’ve seen someone share?

Wish there was a “dislike” button?

Say to yourself, “It must be nice to…(have that much money, time, etc.)?”

Wow!  Can you believe there are lots of people who are having the same negative thoughts because of other’s online statuses?  I know haters are gonna hate, but this has to do with our emotional health.

My Mawmaw used to say: “You better be glad for what you’ve got.  Because the Lord can take it away, just like He gave it.”

The apostle Paul had one fix for being envious

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
If you spend your time counting your blessings, you won’t have time to be too concerned with what is going on with others.
The Lord takes being envious pretty serious.  Here is another scripture that includes envy with some other extreme sins:
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Another way to put a stop to online envy is to quit checking social networks so much.  You will drive your self crazy!  Someone is always going to be getting a new car, winning 1st place, moving to a gorgeous house, getting a beautiful new haircut, having kids with perfect grades,  going on trips to terrificly entertaining places & all kinds of AWESOME things that may not ever happen to you.  That’s ok.  You have to take inventory of what wonderful things you have going on in your life.  You have all kinds of positive things in your life.
Be grateful for them.
Now, to my Super Bowl Football Food.  I got this recipe, a long time ago, from a co-worker.  It is always a crowd pleaser.  Any recipe that starts with, “You will need a pack of bacon”, is bound to be one I am most interested in.
2 packages hotdogs
1 pack of bacon
1 cup brown sugar
toothpicks
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cut each individual hotdog into 3 pieces.  Take a 1/2 piece of bacon & wrap around the hotdog.  Secure with a toothpick.  Place hotdogs on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle generously with brown sugar.   Cook for 40 minutes or until sugar is bubbly.  These can be put in a crock pot on the low setting to keep warm.
When they get cooked up, they will look like thishotdogsThis is not my picture.  It came from the Just Best Recipes website.  However, they will look just like this.
I have a few other things on my mind to make.  If I get time, I will post those, as well.  I’m so glad you came by to visit with me today.  I hope you have a great time watching the Super Bowl.  All I have to say is, “Go Seahawks!!”  Now, that I got that out, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Super Bowl photo credit: sitclose.com

Into the Word Wednesday

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

100x100UpwardNotInward

So glad it’s Wednesday! That means Falen & Laura will be hosting their usual link up “Into the Word Wednesday” over at Upward Not Inward. This is a link up where we tell what the Word is saying to us. With no further delay, I present to you, my findings, this week,  while into the Word:

I Samuel 20:17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him;for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Jonathan and David were terrific friends. They had a deep connection that meant the world to each of them. Jonathan’s dad Saul did not like David. He threw a spear at David, trying to kill him at one point. And do you know why? He was jealous of him, that’s why. Why is it we let jealousy have such a strong hold over us? Jonathan was so upset with his father, that

he arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month,

for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully. v. 34

Saul did not stop there with his jealousy.

I Samuel 23:14 says ….Saul sought him (David) every day but God did not deliver him into his hand.

Why did God not let Saul find David?  He was holding out for the greater good.  He wanted Saul to be truly sorry for how he was treating David.  God was trying to teach Saul a lesson that being jealous hearted is not Godly & it doesn’t lead to anything good.

I Samuel 24: 4  …And David arose & secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

David perhaps was trying to seek revenge on Saul by cutting a corner of his robe when he found him sleeping.  Just to let him know,

“Hey Jack, I could have turned you every which way but loose, but I didn’t.”

Later when David caught up with Saul, he had already realized,

“You know what?  I tried to be a scoundrel like Saul, but then it dawned on me, if I get in the pig pen with the wallerin’ pigs, I’m gonna get some mud on me and ain’t nobody got time for that.”

That’s when , David told Saul what he had done & why he had done it.  David responded with kindness when Saul was showing him hatred & jealousy.  Saul’s response was this:

v. 17 You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.

Do you think Saul knew he had been treating David wrong?  You better bet your bottom dollar he did.  David did the right thing.  He was kind, even when Saul was everything but kind to him.  This still holds true for today.  My prayer is that the Lord will help us to be kind, even when kindness is the farthest thing from what we are being treated.  Why?  Because just like it was for David, it’s the right thing to do.  You will never regret being kind.  You may regret being hateful, mean, or spiteful.  However, you will never regret being kind.

Thanks so much for stopping by & visiting with me today.  Go on by Upward Not Inward & link up with those girls.  It’s such a blessing to see what the Word is saying to others.  I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

into the word wed