watch your word

1 September 2011 

Is your heart coming out of your mouth?

             Sometimes we are not able to control what comes out of our mouth and what we are speaking  and to whom we are speaking and at what circumstances. It is because, the origin of the word is from the heart and we are blind -folded.  “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of  judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(Mathew 12:36-37)

    So we do not realize the power of the mouth (words),and its impact  on our lives and the lives of others around us.“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruits of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”(Proverbs 18:20-21)

          The heart generally  brings out and pours, ugly words in its various outward appearances.“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander”   

( Mathew15:18). It becomes a circular process that what is in the heart comes out as a word and then shapes into  action.

        The natural sinning tendency instigates us to sin, as we read in the Bible “You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.”(Psalm 50:19). “Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, …your own lips testify against you.”( Job 15:5-6)

           If your heart is over flowing with  pleasant things it will bring forth something good out of the mouth. “…..how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of……. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew  12:34- 37.) We should be very careful   even speaking causally, because every word we speak , we are accountable ( more in the case of evil and bad words that defile a person.) Negative and corruptive words form as a barriers around a person, making it more difficult for them to reach others and others to reach them.

          People with a heart filled by their own negative words may be going backwards and logically become selfish! Check yourself out.  What you speak?  Do you speak encouraging kind words or evil words ? How you speak? It includes, of course, the tone of your voice and its modulations.  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

            Monitor your positive and negative comments. Learn to be self- confident and be aware of and listen to what you say to others.“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (Proverbs 10:11).

            Life seems to be filled with problems, and we need to deal with them directly. But if we are not alert and watchful, we will see only the problems. So be on the lookout.“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”(Romans12:21)“ "Finally, ….. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if any-thing is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

 

            Whoever is monitoring their thought and words will be pleasing in the sight of God. So it is up to you to muzzle your tongue and its words. “Set a guard over my mouth, …..keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil .“(Psalm 141:3).” “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin”( Psalm 39:1).

• Each day, ask God to help you assist and focus on the positive thoughts. “…..I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(Numbers 22:38).  
• Pray for this attitude and mind-set, to continue throughout the day.  “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary”. (Isaiah 50:4)
• Choose to   think and meditate on the positive thoughts and praise God in everything you do.“My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long. “(Psalm 35:28) Bring sunshine into the world.
• When you have  a well-instructed tongue, then you can stand before God for His Grace and blessings. 
• Let your prayers and requests be made known to God.

Read this :

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear”.(Isaiah 65:24).    HE has promised a special privilege to you.

“I am the LORD your God, ………. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it”. (Psalm 81:10).

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign LORD.’ (Ezekiel 12:28) 

• Cleanse your mouth. LORD will fill with the apt word.  “For the grace of God that brings salvation …..teaching us …..looking for the blessed hope,…..^.Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you”. (Titus 2:15)

 “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, 

sweetness to the soul and health to the body”.(Proverbs 16:24)

Dam View @ Munnar -Kerala

Watch your thoughts

31 August 2011 

              A thought is only an idea  that takes root in our heart ,if it is stays for a long time it becomes an action. Our thoughts determine our heart, which determines our words and actions.  To bring our thoughts in confined state ,we have to hold them within Godly bounds.“..whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received ……put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9).“The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. “(Genesis 6:5 ) .

           All thoughts are getting its origin from  the heart.“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”(Matthew 15:19).

         Wandering thoughts has to be controlled and managed then it  is beneficial and important.  Apostle Paul wrote “…casting down arguments …. bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

           You may have a question in your mind -How can I control my thoughts? How can to manage my thoughts? Thoughts are largely hidden beneath our conscious. Our ‘thought life’ contains a huge collection of information’s such as beliefs, values, attitudes, opinions,  ideas , remorse feelings,  ethics , principles etc,  they have accumulated for years and stored in our minds.

           We use these thoughts to give meaning to our external social, physical, emotional and spiritual life. Voluminous amount of stored information may be accurate, blind or vague. Hence Paul wrote, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (1 Corinthians 4:4).

            Thoughts are wingless idea or opinion, which can go to any extend to do anything. So the importance of managing our thoughts can be stressed as “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2).

              You can control those distorted thoughts that race through your mind causing destructions and damages. It has a long routine course of action such as:

• identify your  internal thoughts, that wait or live below your sub- conscious level.
• try to analyze your thoughts that comes to mind – the good or bad,
• Do not censor  or evaluate, monitor, or change  the pattern of thoughts.
• Write all your thoughts on a piece of paper-Analyse- how can we be manage your thoughts .
• Identify the illogical and defeating thoughts. It is very disturbing to do away with those thoughts.
• You can memorize a Bible verse to knock -out the distorted thinking. Every time a thought of self analysis and criticism comes up, you  can counteract by clinging on to the promises of God like, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).” “If God is for us, who is against us…Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies” (Romans 8:31, 33).
• Substitute evil thoughts with a New Thoughts- may be biblical, positive , negative or a accurate thought, whatever seems to be a right thought.
• Develop a new attitude or environment in and around you,  no matter where you are  and what you are.
• Try to manage and control  your thoughts with prayer. Prayer causes new thinking in the form of faith. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
• Ask God for strength, wisdom, guidance, and better understanding .Always ingrain in your mind that,  "I(you ) can do all things through Christ  who strengthens me”.( Philippians 4:13).Paul stresses the  principle of positive thoughts as:“…. brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
• Finally try to apply all your new thoughts into Practice, and  there by it will be accustomed as your  new behavior. Read this instruction, “The things you have learned and received and heard’ …..practice these things” (Philippians 4:9).
• Learn to pass it  on to others, what you have found supportive in your own life. Let God be glorified.

 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so are my ways higher than your ways 
and my thoughts than your thoughts”. ( Isaiah 55:8)

 

     BEAT NEGATIVE BY POSITIVE!

Green lawn-Bryant Park @ Kodaikanal-Tamil Nadu

Heart needs Guidance

30 August 2011

            The heart needs guidance because naturally it undertakes selfish pursuits. The heart of man is not a safe place, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” Bible says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” ……For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”(Isaiah 55:8-11)  It is obvious that the word sown in the heart will not go as a waste, it will perform wonders.

There are some valid reasons why the heart needs guidance:

• We are ignorant and desperately need the wisdom and direction of the Lord to understand the world and its activities because our own heart is all filled wickedness. “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.” (Proverbs 19:3) warns us that our foolishness threatens or changes or over turns  our way.
• We are selfish by nature as we read “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;”( Isaiah 53:6). We want to live independently in order to control and direct our own dealings . and inherently disobedient by nature .
• The heart is more deceitful and wicked, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  (Jeremiah 17:9)  We can not trust our own heart because of it is, self-centered, and self-protective in  behavior and in its strategies,  hence we need to learn, to lean on the Lord, ignoring the circumstances. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”( Proverbs 3:5).” "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:”( Psalm 37:5)  But our heart, misleads us through its futile information . Beware.
• The heart is desperately sick, and  incurably wicked and “beyond cure”(Jeremiah 17:9) We cannot eradicate or  improve, or modify the feelings of the heart, it consist of the mind, its emotions, the will power and the whole features of the  inner man.
• The heart cannot be understood by our own wisdom. God  alone can reveal “ I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10) God knows our heart “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.” (Proverbs . 17:3)
• It is in your hands to enable the heart to move in the right directon.“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”(Psalm 139:23).  Obviously, We are talented and able to deceive ourselves.

• The heart is the wellspring of life; the fountain of attitudes, values, beliefs, aspirations, and pursuits, “…..guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs. 4:23) If you loose the chance of protecting your  heart ,it may lead us astray
•  The heart is the fountain, and it has streams flowing from it—the eyes, the mouth, the feet, the ears (i.e.), it implies on the words and  the actions and reactions. In this world , to balance our character, and to improve the traits, we have to guard our hearts. No other chance you have. “…be wise, and set your heart on the right path”( Proverbs 23:19)

           On the reverse side you have to give your heart genuinely what it needs- sacrifice, risk, accountability and involvement etc. It is our source of strength, joy, and the real  meaning of  life. We should not withhold the heart - it exposes our inability and our reluctance to give our hearts to God. “…These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29:13)

Henceforth the Heart needs a methodological preparation. The rebellious  nature has to be tamed, with wise words ,wise speech, pure thoughts, clean habits and ideas, of course with proper understanding.“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, (Psalm 112:7-8). Person with well prepared heart will be able to respond to God in any different and difficult situations of life.

       A well guarded heart is to be purified, Cheered, Encouraged, Comforted and   to be strengthened.

 A joyful heart makes you as a cheerful person. Let not your heart be troubled. “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”(Psalm 37:4)

“Teach me your way, LORD, 

that I may rely on your faithfulness; 
give me an undivided heart,  

that I may fear your name. 

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; 

I will glorify your name forever.” ( Psalm 86:11)

A cheerful heart is good medicine.  Proverbs 17:22

Botanical Garden @Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu

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