Value Each Other

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. – (Philippians 2:3, NIV)

In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. – (Philippians 2:3, ERV)

Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. – (Philippians 2:3, TPT)

In theory, this is easy to do. However, in practical everyday practices, it is not always as easy as it seems. Our words may express humility and the building up of those around us, but do our actions match? Do we consider others first, or do we do what we want, and then check in on those around us? I know there is a delicate balance in this, yet the most important space is our heart condition. If we are seeking the Lord for guidance, it is He who will lead us in the ways we should go. When we simply go with what feels good to us, often our own selfishness or pride is what guides us. For me, it all boils down to love. Is my intent in what I am doing to love those around me, or am I simply doing what I want to do? As my intentions and actions align with God’s love, selfishness fades and the intentional decision to honor those around me increases. We all are a work in progress. Each day is a new start, and a new opportunity to love as God intended. May we ever seek the Lord and His abundant love, so that we may love one another selflessly and with humility, lifting others up and doing that which demonstrates the very love that God has for all of us.

Let not selfishness,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography. ❤

Control what we do;

For as we choose love,

God’s goodness shines through.

Consider others,

With each word and deed;

Is love our motive?

Will our choice meet needs?

The Lord has called us,

To love selflessly;

Encourage others,

Let the Lord’s love lead.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to love those around us in the same way that You love us. Thank You that You want us to consider others in all that we say and do, rather than only thinking of ourselves and what we want. Forgive us for every word and deed that was not motivated by love for You and one another. Teach us to lean into You to lead us in love that is true. Show us how to prefer one another with our every word and action. Lead us in Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to show us how to love best, and to set aside our own selfishness and pride. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. – Romans 12:10

Forgive One Another

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. – (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV)

Yes, if you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, then your Father in heaven will also forgive your wrongs. But if you don’t forgive others, then your Father in heaven will not forgive the wrongs you do. – (Matthew 6:14-15, ERV)

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part. – (Matthew 6:14-15, MSG)

 

As an educator, a willingness to forgive is a necessity for longevity in this field. Kids, particularly in middle school, are attempting to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. Part of the process often includes foolishness that creates a disruption or distraction in the classroom. By the end of the day, I often shake my head and take a deep breath, grateful that every day provides the opportunity for a new start. I have to intentionally choose to let go of my frustrations and irritations, and reset to begin anew for each new class, every day. No, it does not always come easy, and often I have to forgive more than once for the same offense in my own heart, but as I do, it makes room for improvement in areas of struggle. Just as kids mess up and disrupt, I too, fall short. In the same way that grace and forgiveness are extended to them, I am grateful to be given likewise by God. May we ever choose to receive and extend forgiveness and grace freely; for God so loved that He gave, so that we would know and understand forgiveness for all.

 

Forgiveness is free,

Yet comes at a cost;

Rights to bitterness,

With grace, are all lost.

For as we forgive,

The same’s done for us;

God’s grace upon grace,

He answers requests.

So, let us go forth,

And love as we’re loved;

Promote perfect peace,

Like God up above.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You forgive us so that we might forgive one another. Thank You that You give us strength and grace to forgive others when our hearts want to hold onto offenses. Forgive us for the times that we have circled back around to an offense that has already been forgiven. Teach us to trust You more, so that we can forgive and move forward with wisdom and grace. Show us how to love as You do, extending forgiveness and grace in spaces where it is the most difficult to give. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they recognize the greatness of Your goodness and grace. Be glorified O God, as we forgive others in the same way that we have been forgiven by You. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. – Romans 4:7

Choose Love

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. – (Proverbs 3:3-4, NLT)

Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else. – (Proverbs 3:3-4, ERV)

 

We are called to love God and love people. It is no wonder that God reminds us that when we do the very thing that He asks us to do, we will find favor with Him and those around us. Love is faithful and kind, and it is a choice to respond accordingly, regardless of what we are given. Though I do not have a reminder tied around my neck, I do have one that I wear around my wrist. Each day I encounter kids that are difficult to love. Because they are hurting, broken, or simply going through the terrible teens, I must choose to respond in kindness, despite what comes out of them. To choose love, for me, means that I make the choice to give grace when it is unwarranted, reply gently when harsh words are spoken, and attempt to correct in kindness rather than anger, when behaviors disrupt. I don’t always get it right, and there are moments where I do not respond as lovingly as I would have liked to have done, yet each morning is a new start, and God’s grace for me is just as great as that which He is willing to give to those around me. May we each choose love, and let loyalty and kindness be the response that we offer, as the favor of God and those around us shall follow.

 

Never let kindness,

Or true loyalty;

Leave our hearts and minds,

It’s how we need be.

Find a reminder,

For both mind and heart;

Seek the Lord for strength,

To do well, our part.

As we opt choose love,

God is pleased with us;

So too, are people,

Such love shows Jesus.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we seek You and ask You for help, You grant us Your love and kindness to extend to those around us. Thank You that You extend Your favor to us when we love according to Your will. Forgive us for not choosing to love others as we are loved by You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would depend on You for the strength that we need to extend grace and kindness, even when we don’t want to. Show us how to choose love in all situations and circumstances according to Your will, so that those we encounter would see Your heart for them through our words and deeds. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we keep loyalty and kindness close to our hearts, and choose to love as we are loved by You. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. – Genesis 21:6

Pleasing Words and Thoughts

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. – (Psalm 19:14, NLT)

May my words and thoughts please You. Lord, You are my Rock – the One who rescues me. – (Psalm 19:14, ERV)

 

Left to our own devices, our words and thoughts wander far from where we represent our Redeemer well. It takes mere moments in tough traffic, or the span of several seconds in strenuous social settings, for our thoughts, if not our words too, to become curt, callous, or downright cruel. We need Jesus and His grace to keep our thoughts and words aligned with His. If the meditation of our heart is first and foremost fixed on Him, then that which comes out of us, is more likely to be pleasing before the Lord. Thankfully, He is merciful and full of grace, and everyday is a new start. The Lord does not look at where we were yesterday and remind us of how we should have been, but rather He loves us and leads us forward, so that we may be better today. May our words and thoughts be pleasing to the Lord today, as He is our help and our hope.

 

May each word I speak,

Be pleasing to You;

Let my thoughts as well,

To You, Lord, be true.

For You are my Rock,

My rescuing One;

Unto You, Father,

May Thy will be done.

Let not surroundings,

Steer my heart off course;

In all things, always,

Be my Strength and Source.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, we find You. Thank You that as we ask for Your help, You answer us. Forgive us for not fixing our hearts on You, and allowing our thoughts and words to drift in directions that do not honor You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would set our hearts and minds on You in all things and at all times, and be obedient to all that You ask; always. Show us how to love those around us, as we speak words that are pleasing unto You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to please You with the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21

 

Speak Truth from the Heart

As part of being called to love, we must speak life to those around us. To speak life is to speak the truth from the heart, and to love and honor God in the process. When we neglect to speak encouraging words, and instead speak death or demise, we tear down rather than build up those whom Christ has created in His very own image.

Only those who live pure lives, do what is right and speak the truth from their hearts. Such people don’t say bad things about others. They don’t do things to hurt their neighbors. They don’t tell shameful things about those close to them. – (Psalm 15:2-3, ERV)

Let us choose to speak,

encouraging words;

so all who are near,

may embrace what’s heard.

Invest in the Lord,

so we may live pure;

do right and speak truth,

offer truth to hear.

Speak not of the bad,

that dwells in others;

do nothing to harm,

sisters or brothers.

Speak not of the shame,

their actions impart;

for the Lord forgives,

and grants a new start.

Rather choose build up,

and point to the Lord;

His love is enough,

it’s freely outpoured.

Our words have power, and can have an impact for far longer than we know. For the child who hears nothing but negativity at home, and then hears encouraging words at school from a teacher or a staff member, their life course could be forever altered, simply because someone took the time to speak the truth in love into their life. Sadly, the opposite holds true as well. If our words are spoken carelessly and without love, the damage can be far deeper and longer lasting than we could ever imagine. In Christ, we have the power to choose to invest our lives in Him, so that we might live lives that are pure, and do what is right; speaking the truth from our hearts. As we do, people are encouraged and changed, and we cannot help but no longer stay the same either.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we have the power to speak truth in love, and encourage and build up those who are around us.  Thank You that You equip and empower us to do so, when we invest our hearts and lives in You.  Forgive us for the missed opportunities that we have had, because we were too wrapped up in our own “stuff” to see the need around us.  Teach us to trust You more, so that we would have an outward focus, fixing our eyes on You, and those whom You place on our path to love as You love us.  Lead us to love like You.  May many come into a lasting relationship with You.  Be glorified O God, as we speak Your truth from the hearts that You have made new within us.  Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8

Forgiven to Love

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. – (Luke 7:47)

 

Jesus spoke these words in response to Simon, the Pharisee, as he questioned Jesus about allowing a sinful woman to remain at His feet as she washed them with her tears and dried them with her hair. In His presence, she had come to repent, and her faith was both seen and acknowledged before all who were present.

 

When we come to recognize just how much we have been forgiven, how can we help but love? The very same grace that has been given to us, begins to flow freely from us, as we embrace the height and depth and breadth of His forgiveness and grace granted to all who believe. May we go forth in love, as we have been forgiven much.

 

The sins of our past,

exposed, in full view;

how will He respond,

what will the Lord do?

As we come in faith,

with repentant hearts;

He forgives and loves,

grants each a new start.

The greater the gift,

of mercy and grace;

the stronger the drive,

to give love away.

His love is mighty,

granted without bounds;

restores the broken,

and lost become found.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we are forgiven, we are filled with Your love to overflowing. Thank You that as we recognize the fullness of Your mercy and grace, we cannot help but be compelled to love others. Forgive us for placing limits on love, and help us to love in Your strength as You lead us. Teach us to trust You more, and help us to hear You clearly, and to allow You to direct our every step. May many come to know the magnitude of Your mercy and grace, as they are shown Your love through us today. Be glorified, Lord God, as we love as You love us. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

And the Lord said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you.” – Exodus 33:19

Inspect My Inmost Being

image by A-GC Wallpaper

Search me, O God,

for You know my heart.

Test me and show,

where I need new start.

My fearful thoughts,

remove them from me.

Point out each place,

offensive to Thee.

Lead me, Jesus,

Everlasting Way.

My heart, Your home,

I need You to stay.

Know me, Father,

for in You I’m known.

You lead and guide;

make Your thoughts my own.

Show me, Spirit,

the very best way,

to follow You,

and do what You say.

My hope is held,

in eternity.

On my last day,

Your glory I’ll see.

(Responding to Psalm 139:23-24)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You know all there is to know about us, and You choose to love us anyway.  Thank You that because of Your great love, You made the way for us to be in relationship with You, through the atoning sacrifice of Your Son, for our sins.  Forgive us for not allowing You access to all of ourselves, and help us to be willing to make David’s prayer our own:

“Search me, O 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 139:23-24)

Help us to readily receive correction and direction so that we might become a clearer reflection of You.  May many come to know You as we mirror Your great love.  Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present