Human Cans of Glade

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place..2 Corinthians 2:14

These days there is a stench of evil abounding in society.  The world is sick, and its cultural wounds are emitting an unpleasant aroma.

People are filled with fear, confusion, judgement, criticism, and hate.

For those of us who know Jesus as Lord, these responses are not normal.  They are not who we are in Him.

Every believer has the privilege of being a human can of "Jesus-freshener".  This dispenser is inside the believer's heart.  When its love contents are sprayed into the atmosphere, a dose of medicine is ministered that will counter any illness symptom imposed by today's society.

Whenever sickness is sensed, press on that love dispenser to soothe with a spray of healing. 

Simply follow what our Lord Jesus would do in the same situation: He would spray joy for gloom, peace for disharmony, faith for fear, blessing for cursing, encouragement for criticism/judgement, humility for pride, etc.

The next time you are confronted with an unpleasant aroma from the world, give off the scent of the living Lord Jesus.

Words that Speak Life

                                  Death and life are in the power of the tongue..Proverbs 18:21

We live in a world with many voices.  Many of the voices being heard today are spewing out the toxic language of death.

It is very important that Christian voices sound out with life.  The voice of Jesus should be proclaimed loudly in our own lives, and in the lives of those around us. 

Why?

 A Christian belonging to Jesus is to be an ambassador for Him.  He came to earth to give life.

Christians have the opportunity to promote life today on planet earth.  Amidst the darkness of the world around us, children of God can affect the very atmosphere in a life-giving way. 

How? 

By speaking the love language of the Father God. 

When Jesus was on earth, God in the flesh,  He spoke words in perfect alignment with the Father's will.  Jesus loved, Jesus healed, Jesus blessed.

Words are powerful.  Words spoken to people around us will nurture life or death in that person's life. 

A life-word is one that is motivated by love, is positive, and full of grace....these words heal and bless.  Words of hate, negativity, criticism, and judgement, are death-words (gossip fits this category)....these words wound and curse.

Jesus was the first Son of God.  He is our example.  Let us mimic His lovely voice.

Full Reflection of the Son

...Jesus spoke, saying "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  John 8:12.

When a person is looking at the moon, what they are actually seeing is a reflection of the sun.  A full moon is experienced when the earth does not block any part of the sun's reflection.  Whenever the moon is viewed in any stage of partial fullness, it means the earth is blocking at least a part of the sun's reflection.

A Christ follower's reflection of Jesus should be bright like a full moon.  As the world takes notice of a believer's actions and words, it should see only Light.  Any interference caused by extreme focus to the earth's latest catastrophe will cast a shadow over the witness of the believer, and diminish its brightness. 

A believer in Jesus has the honor of displaying the Light that lives within them, so that the entire world around them can be drawn into it.

To keep this Light in full illumination requires that we play a part; this means keeping in direct alignment with Jesus.  There should not be any earthly issues allowed to interfere with who He is inside a believer.  He is total Blessing.  

There are plenty of things on this earth to pay attention to these days that would cast a huge shadow over the reflection of the Son.  Believers should demonstrate being different from the world around us, because...we believe in Jesus Christ as LORD. 

The world is full of darkness.  It is steeped in fear.  The focus is on hate, bitterness, and anxiety.

A Christ follower has the honor of reflecting faith of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Giving out the fruit of love, peace, and joy, through behavior and words, should give continuous demonstration of belonging to our Creator.

 The world needs to partake of the believer's demonstration of this fruit because the world is starving from a deficiency of it.  Manifestation of this delicacy should make the world inquire where it can be purchased. 

Believers naturally want others' lives to be healthy and full of Life, so we gladly point to the Source.

The awesome fact is that this Life-giving fruit is free, through relationship with Jesus Christ....the Son of God.

His Way is Love

        This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you...John 15:12

The above words in John were said by Jesus.  That is a difficult order to fill sometimes, but He said this to His intimate group of followers; I consider myself one.  Life on earth presents challenges to this command every single day.

Something happened recently that made my pride rear its ugly self.  Fortunately, I kept it quietly contained in my head, until....the truth of love inside my heart could dominate.

It really doesn't matter what the details were; I think it is sufficient it to say it was a personal issue with someone close to me.  Relationships are often where pride tries to step in and take over.  In this instance, it seemed to me that the other person did not respond to something in the way I desired.

They probably were not even aware they did anything to offend me!

Pride wanted me to lash back at them with a defensive retort, or better yet, to "pay them back" with an indefinite period of silence. I mulled these options over in my head: silent treatment, or sarcastic comeback, but neither really felt right. Both seemed a very negative way that would only catapult the situation into a heightened degree of discomfort.

Time with Jesus has shown me how very important it is not to act out of emotion, but to hold my words, until....they can be spoken in gentleness. 

As time went by I fumed as I rehearsed the scene.   I thought, "I did nothing to prompt those actions that hurt me.  Why did that person respond like they did?  Shouldn't I confront them in some way?"

I prayed, I listened for God's divine direction....I waited.

One day I heard clearly that I was to reach out in love to this person, even if they had "failed me".  I was to contact them and say only nice, loving words, and I was to keep them in a smooth, soft tone. I was not to put the other person on the defensive; I was not to bring up the prior event...."What?"

Did it really matter that this person had committed a "perceived wrong" in my eyes?  It was, in actuality, a most insignificant thing.  I love this person, and I truly did not want to create any potential conflict with words of offense from my own mouth. I also know that quite often, cold unspoken words of prolonged silence can contribute major confusion to a relationship, heightening its dynamics into a situation that is miserably uncomfortable.

I ended up phoning this person and not mentioning that anything was wrong.  I was just checking on a person that I love, to see how they were doing. 

By the time I called, the perceived issue in which I had been hurt had been totally replaced by the love Jesus has put into my heart as a reborn creation. 

Everything went well; I felt good.  Humbling myself, to reach out in selfless love, was the right thing to do, because....it is His way.

Designer Outfit

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.....  2 Corinthians 5:21

A friend was telling me that she was depressed by a posting, on Facebook, of an old boyfriend and his new girl.  This woman apparently had the "Barbie doll" looks (slender and curvy), and was dressed to impress with designer clothes.

I told my friend that she too, wore designer clothes.  She looked at me sort of funny, not understanding what I meant. 

Our culture places a huge emphasis on the outer appearance these days; in fact, physical looks have always played a large part in humanity's focus.  People are fascinated with how others (both men and women) appear from the outside..what they wear, how much they weigh, their hairstyle, etc. 

There is something very wrong with this scenario; emphasis being given so much importance to something as fickle as appearance.

What I  meant, when I told my friend that she wore designer clothes, is that she is clothed by 'The Designer' in an outfit of righteousness, because...Jesus Christ is her LORD. 

Jesus modeled the "original" for us when He walked on this earth.  This beautiful outfit is different from other designer clothes because it is worn on the inside of the body, in the heart. 

Righteousness is simply being right with God, and to be right with Him, the heart has to exhibit love, through humility.

Jesus did not want it to be an exclusive garment, worn only by Him; He wanted everyone to have one.  Even though these outfits were very, very expensive, Jesus paid the price Himself (with His own blood).  He made one available for every human on the entire earth, and each is custom-made by the Designer.

There is an outfit of righteousness with each person's name on it.  All one has to do is ask God for the outfit that Jesus purchased for them, out of His love.  It is a free gift.

...the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe..Romans 3:22

Entertain the Thought

..each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed; then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.  James 1:14-15

Someone I know recently went through a long, tiring, and very hurtful divorce.  I know from my own experience that this process had a beginning.

I wouldn't imagine the average person is even aware that they are "courting" their thoughts.  The date begins with one thought, luring with some sort of appeal to gain entrance into the mind. It can be a pleasant thought, or it can even be a destructive thought. 

I played my part in the destruction of two marriages by "cheating" on my husbands.  These affairs did not just happen; they came about when rapt attention was paid to a wrong thought. Both times, the initial stage of adultery began with simple remembrance of something flirtatious somebody said to me: "You sure are pretty; I certainly would like to spend some time with you. Maybe we could have a drink sometime". 

"What?  This cannot happen, I am married to someone I love!". I did not focus on this fact, however; instead, drawn in by attraction to my pride, I began to rehearse the alluring thought of this man's suggestion. I began to repeat the words of seduction over and over in my head....I began to entertain the idea suggested.

This romantic banter would ultimately be followed by a decision: "Do I?", or "Don't I?"  [W W J D?..What would Jesus do?  I had not met Him yet, so I never even contemplated that question.  Jesus' high standard of morality would never have considered a thought against the fidelity of marriage]

Even though I knew it was not appropriate, the initial compliment to my looks enticed.  The majority of humanity is driven toward approval of their outward looks, and positive acknowledgment of such by someone else, is often reveled in. 

So I focused on the flattery, and let it dominate my morality, "What would it really hurt to just go out for a drink, or two?".

If "no" had been chosen immediately, the courtship with my thoughts would have ended, and the affair with the men would have never begun. Instead, my thoughts played until a crescendo was reached....the invitation was accepted, and the demise of a relationship began.

For me, these dates opened up a scenario I had not intended.  The consequence of a night on the town with another man (prompted by wrong thinking)  eventually became death of a union, in the form of divorce.

Don't Limit Growth

Enlarge the place of your tent.…Isaiah 54:2

A friend was talking to me about how uncomfortable change is.  Yes, I think the majority of us like for our lives to be structured, all laid out in a nice little routine.

However, this does not fit the plan of our Creator God, who likes us to be flexible and ready for change.  He wants us to be dynamically moving, full of life.

A good visual image is that of a plant in a pot too small for it.  Its roots are bound; you can see them straining against the bottom opening of the container. The plant will remain alive, but it will be stagnate.

 The plant will not continue to grow all bound up in this pot; it will need to be transplanted into a different container of new soil.  To reach its potential, the plant will need a proper balance of water and food.  There might be a short time of shock while the plant adjusts, but in time (with proper care) the plant will begin to flourish, putting forth shoots of new life.

The average human is like the bound up plant--alive, but not growing to their potential.  We can become so accustomed to the tight fit of our “self-made” scheduled life that fear sets in at the thought of change.  This will halt any growth potential that might be waiting for us.

In order to cultivate new life, we have to get out of the boxed routine and allow our roots to branch out in a new environment.  The preliminary step is the decision to yield to something different; making up our mind that change will benefit our existence. 

Initial preparation will profit the success of the situation.  Prayer to our Creator and meditation in His Word will assure that proper choices are made. 

After the change is made, continued consultation with the Master Gardner of life, and daily reading in His Growth Manual (Bible) will enhance the new growth.

Look For Blessings

The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.  Proverbs 10:22

Each day in our lives presents opportunity to give and receive blessing. The power of blessing can be overlooked if little value is given to its worth.

There are plenty of negatives in the world in which to put focus. All one has to do is turn on the daily news to witness the latest atrocities. Hate and greed are promoting growth of rampant fear and pain in our society. 

The low-keyed, gentle voice of blessing is often overlooked amidst the screaming sound of desperate conditions on this fast-paced earth, but…blessings still exist

 Daily blessings of God’s divine kind are regularly over-looked and unappreciated.  These blessings are manifested through gestures of loving hearts: genuine smiles, generous acts of kindness, and gentle, healing words.

The results (good or bad) obtained in life depend largely on how one perceives and reacts to surrounding circumstances. Giving intent focus to any problem gives enormity and strength to it that will distress the soul.  However, acknowledgement and sharing of blessings puts out a positive impression that reacts in an exponential way to soothe hurting souls.

It is a Biblical, spiritual principle that a person literally draws back to themselves what they put out in the atmosphere…whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:5).

As we acknowledge, and give intentional practice to our Creator’s planned “love way” of living, we will witness the divine blessing flow through lives.

The victory of healing.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15

I am very grateful for my life; I wasn't always appreciative like this.  For decades I harbored unforgiveness, usually putting the blame of my defeat as others’ responsibility. Over time, this manifested into a bitterness that literally poisoned my body, soul, and spirit.

It is easy to point the finger of blame toward someone else.  We don’t have to look far in our life to find a human being who has let us down, who has wronged us in ways “we don’t deserve”.

The victory of healing begins when we take responsibility for our own responses to those “wrongs”.  The choices we have made in the past (led by incorrect thinking) virtually placed us into our present position, but…we can now choose to forgive, to let go of destructive hurts that have festered into open wounds of ugliness.

Toxin is eliminated from our very being when the root of resentment toward others is pulled up from our heart (Jesus will help you).  When forgiveness replaces this pent-up bitterness, a spring of love will begin to flow, and life will begin to proceed into an indescribable peacefulness, the way our Creator intended.