Careful What you Think About


This is one of my favorite scriptures.  It helps guide me over and over again.  It has taught and reminded me over and over again:

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, 
whatever things are noble, 
whatever things are just, 
whatever things are pure, 
whatever things are lovely, 
whatever things are of good report, 
if there is any virtue 
and if there is anything praiseworthy-
meditate on these things.

Luke 6:42
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.

Why are these scriptures so special to me?  Well, because I have struggled to live the truth that is written here.

But I want you to know I am trying.
Every day, I TRY.

The part I personally struggle with is (interestingly) from the Phillipians verse, the word "truth."  Why is that word hard for me to apply?

Because observant, intuitive, sensitive ME is very quick to begin to THINK that I have someone or something FIGURED OUT, and that is WRONG.  I am not God.  I do not have all the information for most scenarios of my assumptions.  If I am basing my judgement on an assumption or even my own logic....... CAREFUL Tammy !!  You do not know that for sure, so it is not a TRUTH, and therefore you are in unrighteous territory.   Better back off with those thoughts..... settle down, and focus back on what you do know to be true!!

What do I know to be true?  Well for starters and most importantly, what is in the BIBLE, I know to be true. (I know this  on fact and faith, and that is to be elaborated on another day, here).

So I better get my head out of the sometimes damaging questionable assumptions or  false conclusions and get my eyes and mind on God's truths!!  Time for scripture cards around the house, in my purse and in my car..............

And guess what!  When I am obedient to Phillipians 4:8, then obedience to Luke 6:42 naturally follows it seems.  

Please know, that I am trying to be good at following these scriptures.  I hope you are trying as well, and helping your children to get in the habit.
..............................................................................

Oh I have a Mommy story on this.
Once upon a time, when my son was a child, he was in a negative streak.  He kept making negative comments.  His speech was just reflecting a negative, pessimistic outlook. 

I don't think I am unreasonable.  I probably let him spout quite a bit before I acknowledged it was an issue that needed to be addressed.  One of my first techniques for addressing the negativity was to instruct that he was to give me, now two positives for every negative that he felt he needed to express.

I think he wasn't being compliant and I had had ENOUGH of his negativity, so I sent him to his room and told him not to come down until he had written me a whole page about what was good and right about his life.

Sometime later, a snickering little boy comes stealthly down the stairway and aims a paper airplane at me.  He sent it flying.  I fussed at him for not writing his essay.  He said, "I just hit you with it Mom."

I opened the paper airplane, and in BIG letters taking up the whole page, he had written, "What is good about my life:  God Family Friends." 

I think there was some giggling, and since he dropped the sour attitude I let him go.

I don't claim to have the corner on kid raising wisdom.  It is a super hard job, the most important there is.  I am grateful for where my children are today, and I encourage you to cling to the truths of scripture, and mindfully model what you desire to see in your children.

Proverbs 22:6  
Train up a child in the way that he shall go, and when he is old he will  not depart from it.
Keep tending your garden.  Blossoms will grow.
Grandma Mary Martha 💖




Comments

  1. This is wonderful, Tammy! I like every part of the post, and the story, priceless! Your son is smart, see how he got out of writing a long essay. Lol! Stay blessed, lady!

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad that you visited dear Edith! Thank you for kind compliment and encouragement. We Christian bloggers are blessed over and over. Thank you for the fellowship.

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