A study just came out about how rudeness is contagious. In the workplace, if someone is rude it can negatively affect everyone, and in future incidences people will perceive rudeness where there may be none. Some workplaces have viral rudeness, but God can help us to clear the air with positive words that build one another up. Let me share how.
In a court of law, anyone about to give testimony must be sworn in, and I think it’s interesting that part of the oath is to ask for God’s help to tell the truth. The Bible tells us that God can help us with what comes out of our mouth. God is truth. He cannot lie. When God is in control of our lives, his character naturally is revealed in our lives. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” Jesus is recorded as saying in Matthew and Luke. One of his disciples, James, compared our speech to a river when he wrote, “Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh and bitter water?” We need God’s help to cleanse our inner being—our speech will reflect whether he has done that or not. Let me encourage you to ask God to “set a watch over your lips and guard over your mouth” (Psalm 141:3). He will help us to not only tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, He will also help us to speak works of healing, encouragement, and love. Just as one person can influence a conversation negatively, one person can also influence a conversation positively. The Bible encourages us to think of things that are pure and lovely and of a good report. These thoughts will come out in the words you choose. Let us be the people with words of truth and love, so help us God! Knowing the Limits by Larry Refsland
Salespeople, entrepreneurs, and pilots are all familiar with the term “stretching the envelope”. Pushing yourself to the limit of your abilities can be a good way to enhance your skill and increase your income. There is a difference, however, between stretching the envelope and straying outside the envelope altogether. Most everyone has tried to see how far he or she could go before something negative happened. A child will test the limits of his or her parents’ rules. An athlete may try performance enhancement drugs. Anyone with a car has tested the extent of the speed limit at some time. The problem is, it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re stretching your ability or testing your luck. We all know someone who has suffered an unhappy ending when luck ran out. A study several years ago demonstrated the value of clearly defined boundaries. Two elementary school playgrounds were used to test children’s behavior with or without known boundaries. One playground had no fence, while the other playground was entirely fenced. Researchers observed the children in the fenced playground actually used more of the area and enjoyed themselves within the safe boundaries established for them more than the children in the unfenced playground. Boundaries are designed to keep bad things away from us, as well as to prevent us from straying too far from safety. God has established boundaries so that we can enjoy life more fully. He wants us to experience all the good in life without the harmful consequences that inevitably happen outside of those limits. He loves you enough to offer you his protection so you can be all he wants you to be. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2016
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