Walking wisely

Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. Proverbs 2:20

 

Walking wisely means you keep company with those who love and obey Christ. They are your influencers because their values reflect the route you want to take in life. There is an alignment of purpose with people who pray together on behalf of the greater good of God’s kingdom and its advancement. So in college, walk with the crowd who is all about character building, service to others, studies, love for the Lord, and obedience to His commands.

 

At work, prayerfully partner with those who are principled in their business philosophy and practices. Others may have less skill and experience, but you can trust their heart to do what they say they will do. Moreover, do not negotiate with mediocre living as it is distasteful in the mouth of our Lord. Instead, walk with those who raise you to righteous living that is par with God's standards.

 

Of course, you are to reach out and care for sinners with the purpose of loving them to the Lord. God has placed you in the life of unbelievers to influence them toward heaven. Perhaps one day they will thank you for your patience and prayers. Walking wisely means you learn well by being with those who aspire for intimacy with the Lord. You walk with the ones who obey the One.

 

Furthermore, your family may need you to slow down because you have run so far ahead they are unable to keep up and benefit from your presence. Walk with your sons and daughters while you can. Your leadership at work will advance in significance when your team walks with you in focus. Above all else, walk with the Lord, and He will give you wisdom and insight into whom to walk with and where.

--

 

Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
1740 Kirby Rd.  Mclean Va. 22101

Vision:" Disciples Making a Kingdom Impact"

Mission: Exalting, Evangelizing, Equipping, and Encouraging every soul in Christ

Listen to "Life Notes" & "Kingdom Impact with Pastor Brown

Mon-Fri at noon and Sundays at 9am and Wednesdays at 9pm on WBGRonline.com
www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

How is the heart?

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

 

Just as water reflects the face, so the heart reflects our life. We can see our exact representation in the mirror or in a photo. It can be quite humbling, especially when we’ve added a few pounds! So, in what ways does our life reflect what’s in our heart? A driven life reflects a self-reliant heart, never satisfied, always on the move to reach the next goal. It rarely rests and it eventually wears out. A fearful life is a heart emptied of hope. Its lost initiative languishes in the inertia of self-pity. But a life of love has a heart full of faith. Its face radiates joy and peace.

 

How can we keep our heart healthy? We can guard it from unseemly influences. For example, a manipulative person may jab at our heart with words of guilt. “You always help others, but you are never concerned about me.” “You claim to be a Christian, but you lived an immoral life in the past.” First of all, consider the source of the criticism. Wounded people wound people. Instead of acting defensively, pray for them and love them, in spite of their insensitive, inaccurate and unfair remarks. We keep our heart healthy by not internalizing half truths from hurtful hearts.

 

Furthermore, we develop emotional wholeness by growing our heart in God’s grace. A heart full of grace has no room for unrighteous outrage or obsessive worry. Grace allows us to feel our feelings, so we are self aware regarding our emotional condition. Grace governs our responses so they are redemptive not regretful. Humility opens our hearts to receive God’s grace, so we can extend grace. Grace says we can when circumstances say we can’t. Grace forgives when a grudge gets back. Grace gets to the heart of the matter. It reveals who we are and who we need to become.

Make today a day of Impact for the Kingdom.
--

 

Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
1740 Kirby Rd.  Mclean Va. 22101

Give to the ministry by donating at www.fbcc-va.org

Vision:" Disciples Making a Kingdom Impact"

Mission: Exalting, Evangelizing, Equipping, and Encouraging every soul in Christ

Listen to "Life Notes" & "Kingdom Impact with Pastor Brown

Mon-Fri at noon and Sundays at 9am and Wednesdays at 9pm on WBGRonline.com
www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com