Listen to the ocean not the raindrop.

How is it that in a room full of kind words and encouragement it is the one person who is negative that makes the profound impact, and their negative words are what resonate in your head all day long? One raindrop of unkind words amidst oceans of encouragement... You know the Bible tells us how powerful our words are. James 3:3-5 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. You know I can't shake the feeling that Satan has some serious brains. That demon is smart. He knows how powerful the tongue is and he knows how easily we are ensnared by the temptation to use it in a not so nice way. Right smack in the midst of angels, his presence is so consuming... he knows this too. Talk about an ego. You know those of us filled with the Holy Spirit can recognize him. He may be wearing a disguise as a good hearted saint, but the thing is there are gifts of discernment that the Holy Spirit graciously bestows on those who ask for it. With this we can tell the difference.

My friend and colleague wrote an article in this months newsletter for church about acting like a Christian as opposed to reacting like a Christian. You know the wolves can act like a sheep so long as the moon is not full. What I mean is that we can act like Christians, but when the conditions are just so (we are annoyed, embarrassed, angered, put in our place...) we react from the heart. What is in your heart is what spills forth. So, is Christ in your heart and does His love spill forth in even the worst of situations? The only person left if not Christ is Satan. God says that we are either for Him or not. There is no in between. Those who pretend to be and seem in between well as I have said before... these people disgust God to the point of Him spitting them out of His mouth.

Now back to what is in your heart... The Bible says in Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

I so desperately want good to be in my heart so that when I am challenged, angered, annoyed, facing drastic change, called out or held accountable, I will react like a little Christ-- a Christian. You know as we said in church this morning I have died and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. I am giving up as my choice to the right (which God gave us the right of free will) to react from my own emotions. I am giving up my right to become offended at someones words, actions, or discouragement. I will stand as both sides of my face are slapped.

I will focus on all the Holy Spirit says and not the one lie passed on by Satan through whomever he chooses to use to discourage me. Even though those words are effective in hurting as much as possible, I have a healer. He can heal all wounds even those in the heart.

I hope that you have never felt discouraged, but I imagine if your are a Christ follower you have been here at some point in your walk. I want you to know He can heal your wounds just like He heals mine. We have to learn to trust Him and not let Satan get the upper hand. If we allow those words to hurt so badly and affect our mission in Christ then Satan wins. He has interfered in God's story.

Wow hasn't he done enough messing with this story, let's not let him mess any more.