“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”
1Thessalonians 5:21-22 NASB
I have always loved cinnamon toast. You know, butter smeared on a slice of bread and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Toasted until hot and bubbly. Savor the goodness! Yum, yum!
Four years ago my husband and I made a drastic change in our eating habits due to some health issues. Eliminating refined sugar as often as possible from our diet became a top priority. So, I bid a sad farewell to my beloved cinnamon toast. However, over time I began experimenting with substituting raw honey for the refined sugar. Once again, I am enjoying my cinnamon toast and benefitting from the goodness of the healthier ingredients.
Ok, enough of the health lesson . . . BUT THERE IS A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION HERE. You see, we are faced with decisions and choices every day. Harmful habits pop up and temptations come our way. It is up to us to observe and change the actions and words that aren’t pleasing to God or good for us.
Do you have a habit of saying unkind things about others because of petty reasons? Try replacing the damaging words with something positive about the person. If you can think of nothing good to say, then hold your tongue and whisper a prayer for them instead.
Do you find it hard to spend time with God on a regular basis? Maybe some of your time texting, face-booking, twittering, enjoying a hobby, etc. could be used instead for alone time with Him.
Do you struggle with road rage? (ouch!) Next time the urge comes to rant and rave over someone’s careless driving, why not bless them in the name of the Lord? I said bless them, not bless them out J You really have no clue what they are going through or what’s on their minds. They may desperately need the Lord, so take the opportunity to pray for them.
Whether it’s cinnamon toast or _______________ (you fill in the blank), we can either ignore the warnings and suffer the consequences, or pursue better options that yield fruitful rewards. It’s up to each one of us. It’s our choice. Let’s choose to look for what is really good, cling to it, and steer clear of the evil.
[Digging deeper – Romans 12:9, 21; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; James 4:17; 1 Peter 3:8-9]
Signature: Enjoying good choices,
Beverly <><
Anticipation. It’s one of the spices of life. You plan and wait. The days seem to drag on forever. Then suddenly, the expectation you’ve longed for becomes a reality. There’s just nothing quite like it.