The Proverbs 31 Woman

I was reading through Proverbs 31 the other day, and although I have read it many times, I realized that I had not taken the time to fully meditate on everything that it says. As I was reading it, I underlined in my Bible all of the characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman. I then transferred them to a notebook so that I could look back at them and easily see all of them. I was overwhelmed at all of them, but I was also motivated to ask God to help me be like this woman. Here is the list of all the characteristics:

The Proverbs 31 woman...
~has a noble character
~is worth more than rubies
~is fully trusted by her husband
~lacks nothing of value
~brings her husband good ALL the days of her life (emphasis mine)
~works with eager hands and strong arms
~gets up while it is still dark
~sets about her work vigorously
~opens her arms to the poor
~is clothed with strength and dignity
~speaks with wisdom
~has faithful instruction on her tongue
~does not eat the bread of idleness
~know that charm is deceptive and beauty is vain
~fears the LORD

Wow! That is definitely a long list of characteristics. Some of these are abstract. They aren't something that we can physically do, but we can do things to give us this kind of spirit. But, we can't do any of them without God's help. So, I hope that you will be praying along with me and asking God to help you have these characteristics (I don't know if there are any guys out there, but, if there are, y'all obviously aren't going to have all these characteristics. But, some of them can apply to you too!). I hope this post is encouraging and helpful!!

God's Will Part 2

A little while ago, I did a post on God's will. I said that I had been convicted lately that I need to be seeking God's will in my life. But what is God's will? I mean, some things we won't know until later, but what is God's will for right now? A couple weeks ago in youth group, my pastor did a message on just that. He told us some practical things that are God's will for us today and for the rest of our lives.

1) Salvation ~ God desires for each and every one of us to accept His free gift of salvation.
~2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4

2) Submission ~ God wants us to be submissive to those that He has put over us here on earth, and ultimately to Him.
~1 Peter 2:13-25

3) Sanctification ~ God wills for us to be sanctified and made more like Him.
~1 Thessalonians 4:3a

4) Soul-winning ~ God wants us to win souls for Him while we are here on earth. We must know how to answer those who question us about our faith.
~1 Peter 3:15

5) Surrender ~ We must be surrendered to God.
~Romans 12:1-2

6) Speech ~ God wants our speech to build others up and glorify Him.
~Ephesians 4:29

7) Spirit-filled ~ God wants us to be filled with His Spirit so that we can accomplish His will for our lives.
~Ephesians 5

8) Saying Thank-You ~ God wills for us to be thankful for everything that He has blessed us with.
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Proverbs 25:11 ~ Apples of Gold

Proverbs 25:11~A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

I came across this verse as I was reading my Bible the other day. It really made me think. Do my words usually hurt others or build them up? Sadly, lots of times, the answer is the former. While I don't usually say unkind things about others to their face, I am very bad at gossiping. I found this quote in a devotional in one of my Bibles: "If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary's love." (Amy Carmichael) That quote really hit me. Not only should I not talk unkindly about others, I shouldn't think any unkind thoughts about them either!

I really liked this verse because it told me something helpful about kind words. They are like apples of gold. But, these words must be fitly spoken. They must help others and build them up. This really made me want to have the words that I say called "apples of gold." I will be praying that God will help me to speak "apples of gold." I hope that this post encourages you to do the same!

Our Speech: A Challenge

Hi Everyone!! Breanna and I would like to put a challenge out there for all of y'all (and us). We have heard a lot about gossip lately and know just how hurtful it can be. We were thinking that we should have a challenge not to gossip for a week (we really should work up to not gossiping at all, but nobody's perfect and I'm not even sure if I can go a whole week). This is something that we need to ask God to help us with; we can't do anything on our own. I will be praying this week that God will help me to not gossip. If you slip up, that's OK! As I said before, nobody's perfect. Just keep asking God to help you not to, and eventually, it will become a habit.
A lot of the time, the reason we gossip is because of peer pressure. Even if we were resolved not to in the beginning, our friends will start and then we get pulled into it. They say something about someone, and we can't resist sharing that juicy tidbit of information we know about that person. A good way to test whether you're gossiping or not is to ask yourself if you'd say what you're saying about that person, to them. If you would, you're fine! If you wouldn't, you need to not say it. A verse that has really impacted my life is Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. This verse was a great revelation for me, because even though I knew not to gossip, this kind of explained why. What we say should edify, or build up the people we are talking to and about.
I found that this post was very easy for me to write, because this is something that I have really struggled with, and therefore heard a lot about. I feel like this is a very important issue, because we could be spending our time doing and saying much better things than gossiping. I hope this post really encourages you and helps you! Breanna and I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject and how you did with the challenge!! We'll post in a week to share our experiences with you!!

The Power of the Tongue

Did you know that the tongue is one of the most powerful weapons we have? Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." Wow!! The tongue has the power to destroy a relationship, cause hurt feelings, and even decide between life and death. It is our job to follow Ephesians 4:29 and "only say things that are good for necessary edification." We are only to speak when it is necessary and edifying. Our words must build others up. not tear them down. But how can we do this? Matthew 12:33-34 tells us that we can't speak good things because we are all sinners and therefore naturally evil. But God's Word also tells us in Proverbs 16:1 that God can help us control our tongues. So, we need to pray that God will "Set a guard over our mouths and keep watch over the door of our lips"(Psalm 141:3). Our speech is something that we need to be constantly aware of. Next time you are tempted to say something hurtful, remember that Proverbs 15:1 tells us "a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." A few words can make a BIG difference. Let's all try to speak kindly this week!!