Deep Waters Devotional
- with Shelia Renee -
"Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."-Ephesians 4:32
February 24, 2021
Good Morning Friends,
Wow what a week we had here in Missouri. Last week we were dealing with -11 degrees with ice and snow & yesterday it was 73 with sunshine and warmth. A prime example of just how drastically things can change in your life in such a very short time....Always have HOPE. Things will change and definitely will get better.
Something that has really been on my heart lately, that I wanted to share with you today is from the verse I posted earlier. To be kind..............something that would seem so needless to say but is so lacking in our country at the moment. I watch (at) television & social media and it breaks my heart to see how people treat each other. It's plain to see that these people were not raised being told, "If you can't say something nice, do not say anything at all." ...Oh I'm sure many were... but they have chosen to forget that. The society we live in today has made it so acceptable (and almost encouraged) to be opinionated and negative. We as a society have gotten so acceptable of things that are so negative and harmful for our soul. The trashier and more foul a reality show can be the better ratings it gets...so they pour them on. The media only focuses on the negative and twisted opinions of people (nothing new there). It's so hard to even find a descent movie to watch anymore that doesn't have HORRIBLE language and attitudes...so I guess it shouldn't be surprising that everything you see is so negative. People can not even post a simple request about something on Facebook (like; "Does anyone know if Bass Pro is open in this ice storm?") without half the people using that as an opportunity to degrade this person for not calling to find out for themselves!...I actually saw this...what has happened to peoples kindness? The poor girl was so belittled and finally wrote back that she thought this was a place where friends could ask friends a simple question....like you would if you were in a group...since we can't gather that way anymore...without being ridiculed and condemned for everything you should have done differently....It hurt my heart so much....and it's EVERYWHERE. Almost every post has someone leaving a negative comment...just to try and start a debate or argument........
...but people learn this behavior from what they see on talk shows, the media, reality shows, (unfortunately)their own homes...
Some how we, as Christians, have to start trying to make more of a difference. This behavior only became the norm because, as minor as it seemed, things were allowed and acceptable...and it grew from there. Satan has always had a way of slyly slipping in and destroying people. He never comes as a Huge Monster screaming and yelling. He slowly slips in one acceptable moment at a time and steals the Joy out of our World.
However, as easy as the negative has taken over our world, we can do our part to be the positive. The absolute wonderful thing about positivity, or any of the characteristics we should have as Christians, is how powerful they are! Anything that is an extension of God is huge and illuminating.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”-John 8:12
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."-Matthew 5:14
Isn't it amazing when you are in pitch darkness and you light a tiny little candle, it can fill the whole room with light. The light we carry with us is like that....several times in our career people have come up to me and my husband after we got through performing and told us that we gave off a light around us that they couldn't explain.
Wow! what a beautiful compliment. We each have that power...to be a light in darkness....oh and there is so much darkness...
So my challenge for each of you this week is to practice being the light in the darkness....everywhere you go....and with that comes Joy...and Peace that passes all understanding... Be the Sunshine in your world...this dark world we are living in really needs it.
One person can make a difference...and that person can be you.
Always remember that you are loved.
from my heart to yours,
Shelia Renee