Participants: Jill Morikone
Series Code: HLFT
Program Code: HLFT000017B
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00:01 Welcome back. We've been talking today about the critical heart,
00:03 the critical spirit. 00:05 And if you feel like, Wow, that's me! 00:07 Don't be discouraged. 00:09 Don't listen to the lies of the enemy, or any of his shame 00:12 or condemnation that he wants to give you. 00:14 God wants to set us free. 00:16 He wants to give us the mind of Christ, the mind that esteems 00:20 other people as better than ourselves; 00:22 The mind that focuses on the needs of others, 00:25 and gives of ourselves, even sacrifices, 00:29 if need be, for them. 00:31 We're talking today, with our application, we're going to look 00:34 at three different aspects, three things that you can 00:38 look at this week. 00:39 First is our thoughts, second is actions, and third is words. 00:45 The story is told of a young couple newly married. 00:48 They bought a new house. 00:50 And when they moved into that house, the first morning they're 00:53 eating breakfast across the table. 00:55 And the wife looked out the window. 00:58 And she saw the neighbor hanging laundry on the line. 01:02 And she said to her husband, What's wrong with that lady? 01:05 Doesn't she know how to clean clothes? 01:08 I need to teach her how to wash. 01:10 Those clothes are dirty. 01:12 Her husband sat back, kind of smiled, and said nothing. 01:16 The next morning they ate breakfast again. 01:20 And the wife said, What's wrong with that lady? 01:23 She doesn't know how to clean clothes. 01:26 I need to teach her. 01:28 Those clothes are dirty. 01:29 This went on for some time, maybe a week. 01:33 And then one morning the wife looked out the window. 01:36 The neighbor was doing wash again, and was hanging her 01:39 clothes on the line. 01:40 And the wife said, Somebody got to that woman and told her 01:44 how to clean clothes, because they're clean now. 01:47 And the husband said, I got up early this morning, honey. 01:51 I washed the window. 01:53 Isn't that amazing? what God can do in our 01:57 hearts, and in our lives? 01:58 You see what it was? 02:00 It was the thought. 02:01 It was what was over the window. 02:03 Those clothes weren't dirty at all. 02:05 It was her own perception. 02:07 So 1. Look at your thoughts; how you perceive other people. 02:14 2. Look at your actions. 02:17 Think about maybe an area of someone else's life, 02:20 someone maybe that you feel critical against. 02:23 Think about a need that they have, and ask God, 02:27 Could I go out and meet that need? 02:30 Maybe you have children, or you don't have children, 02:33 but the person you're feeling critical against, 02:35 they don't manage their kids very well. 02:37 And you think, I wish they would discipline. 02:39 You could offer to go and to babysit, without offering any 02:43 suggestions, without saying, You could do this different. 02:48 You could offer to just go and help that busy mom out. 02:51 Maybe they struggle to provide food for their family. 02:54 And instead of you saying, What's wrong with you? 02:57 Go out and get a job. 02:58 You could buy groceries and leave them off 03:01 at their doorstep. 03:02 Maybe they constantly complain about their ailments. 03:05 You could simply sit and listen to them instead of saying, 03:10 I'm tried of hearing you talk about your issues. 03:14 Maybe they always seem discouraged. 03:16 Drop them a card of encouragement. 03:18 And 3. Is words. Work to speak words of encouragement to 03:24 someone else instead of... 03:26 Ask God to put a check in your spirit. 03:28 So just before you're about ready to say something critical 03:31 or demeaning to someone else, instead ask God to help you 03:37 speak words of encouragement. 03:39 My father-in-law, Pastor Daniel, does a great job with that. 03:42 Dad is incredible at encouraging and supporting other people. 03:47 And I know that that might be an inherent gift, 03:51 but it can be learned as well. 03:52 So practice words of encouragement. 03:54 Next week we're going to discuss a jealous heart, 03:58 and I hope that you will be with us for that. 04:01 In conclusion our Scripture, as always, is Romans 15:13. 04:05 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace 04:09 in believing, that you may abound in hope, 04:11 by the power of the Holy Spirit. |
Revised 2016-06-02