Mind Your Own Sin & a Giveaway :-)

Tuesday Update: Hey all! Wanted to be sure to direct you over to our Proverbs 31 President’s blog. Lysa TerKeurst has redesigned her blog and is launching it by having a week of fun giveaways. So….I have three giveaways this week, she has even more.  All of this means more chances for you to win! So, once you are done entering on my site, then hop over to her site by clicking here. Summer fun!

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I’m thrilled you’ve joined us, whether you’ve made your way here via today’s Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today devotion or as a regular cyber sister. Today, we’ve got some thinkin’, searchin’ and chattin’ to do. However, if you haven’t read the devotion yet, you’ll need to so you can catch up with the rest of us. To do so, click here.

And please stop by often this week. We are having three, yes three, different giveaways, one especially for Father’s Day.

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I love the story of Laurel and her Bible. Not only  did her action that day enable her cancer to be caught early enough for treatment, but it also serves as an example to the rest of us of how we should conduct or spiritual and relational lives.

So often when we are embedded in a relationship challenge, (and let’s just be up front and honest gals, we ALL have them), we can only see our side of the story. We are quick to size up the situation, defending our position and justifying our actions.

And we spend oodles of time fretting over the actions of others; letting our hearts idle in “its not fair” mode and our emotions tumultuously churn as over and over again we replay the situation on our minds.

He did this.

She said that.

What they decided wasn’t fair or godly.

I am right. They are wrong.

You got it, God?

Has that ever been the case with you?

It has with me. Waaaaaay too many times.

As mentioned in the devotion, during those times I have tried to retrain my mind to meander down a different path. I’ve purposed to take the advice I often give to my own kids. It isn’t something handed down to me by my parents. I never read it in a book or heard it in a sermon. It is just a phrase I blurted out in the heat of frustration when dealing with yet another sibling squable in our home a few years back…..

“Mind your own sin”

Simple phrase.

Powerful results.

When will we realize that we cannot control others’ behavior? That we can’t change the outcome of a situation? That the only thing we can control is our tongue (and only with God’s assistance)? And the only things we can ever change are our attitudes, actions and reactions?

Romans 12: 17-19 says:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord.”

If it is possible…..

as far as it depends on you…….

live at peace with everyone.

It isn’t always possible, but we can make sure  that when we are stuck in a trying relationship, we weigh our motives; we check our actions; we temper our reactions; and we accept the outcome.

We can behave in a manner that makes Jesus proud.

If, we mind our own sin.

Committing verses, such as the ones mentioned above, to our memory can be much like Laurel’s Bible, pressed to our hearts. It will help us to feel for any festering lumps of sin and stop the spread of its awful disease.

I want to give a Bible to one of you this week to help you do just that.

It is an English Standard Version personal size reference Bible in Tru Tone Mahogany. (Not quite sure what that all means, but it is a pretty burgundy soft cover Bible) It isn’t over-sized. It is in single column format (which I love!). It retails for $29.99. (Don’t worry. I didn’t spend our grocery money on it. I got it on a fabulous sale!) Click here for the description.

To be entered in the random drawing, just leave a comment on today’s topic. Or share with us a Bible verse that helps you focus on right behavior or helps you in relationship challenges. Or, if time is tight, simply state “I’m in!”

You have until midnight Tuesday, Pacific Time. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning.

Have a wonderful, Bible-pressing, week!

174 Comments

  1. I love “Mind your own sin”. Thank you so much for sharing. I had a tough relationship situation happen about 6 months ago. I had a very hard time letting go of it until I did exactly what you said and decided to ask God to show me my heart and what I needed to change. I turned the situation over to the Lord and am trusting Him with the situation. I am focusing my time and attention on allowing Him to change me instead of wanting Him to deal with the other person.

  2. Lord, this was timely for me as well. We have a very bad gossip situation at work and when I am hurt, I have to remember to ask the Lord (as in Psalm 139-my favorite psalm!!) to look deep in my heart first and lead me in His way…. Thank you!!

  3. This is really deep and timely for me . Someone whom I have helped has hurt me badly in recent times and I’m not sure how to react. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me was David’s prayer and it is mine too. I resist the impulse not to do good to anyone else and i’m still praying that God will help me to be a Blessing to others
    Thelma

  4. I’m in.

    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

    Thank you for this devotion.

  5. I’m in! :)

    I really appreciated the story of your friend who caught her breast cancer early by keeping the bible close to her heart. <3

  6. What a wonderful devotion and one I very much needed to hear. “Mind your own sin” – now if so many of us would live our lives this way – wonder what this world would be like. Hard to imagine I know. Thank you. This has definitely reminded me to ‘check’ myself when times arise to vent about someone else or to seek revenge. These verses I will take press to my heart and imbed in my soul.

  7. I had written about my “Christian challenge” back in February. If you want to read the full story go to http://cindyinpa.blogspot.com/2010/02/old-saying.html

    God led me to Colossians 3:12-14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

    This Scripture helped me to make less of a fool of myself in attending meetings with my “Christian challenge.” Thank you God for continuing to teach me through Your Word!

  8. Good afternoon! This post was perfect for starting my day and my husband says thank you since I had to apologize after reading it. I definitely needed the reminder that I can not control everyone else and their decisions but I need to control mine. It is very aggravating to realize I can’t control their behavior yet I am letting them control mine. Hello? What is with that? I need to be more in tune with God and allow Him to control my entire life. Thank you for sharing and blessing me today!

  9. I’m in…not just for the Bible drawing, but to minding my own sin.

    This word is so timely for me…I just spent the past weekend visiting family out of state. I have been embedded in a relationship challenge with one family member for quite a few years. I needed this devotion to help me get God’s perspective on this situation.
    Thank you!

  10. It is with a heart of true forgiveness that we can allow God to plant His word deeply in our souls. We must be quick to forgive to avoid letting the negative take root in our spirits.

    In Christ’s service…

  11. My favorite passage is Psalm 121….”I life my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from…my help comes from the Lord” and “the Lord will keep you from all harm”…..I think that says alot. It has been my source of comfort thru the many trials I have had in my life. We all own our own sin, but it’s a great comfort to know that the Lord forgives our sins.
    I think it’s great you are giving away a Bible….such a comfort to have and I must admit…I have many times just held mine to my chest also. It is a huge source of strength.

  12. “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord.”

    HE can repay far better than I can anyway……. even though I’d prefer Him to repay right now. (With them, of course – not me…….uhmmmm – maybe I’ll take that part back, too!)

    (“Mind your own sin” – I love it – mind if I borrow it?)

  13. I just read this today since yesterday was busy running to Dr. appointments etc. Anyway, this is true for me. Often when things are not right in my eyes, I want to blame someone else instead of admitting that I am wrong. I also have a bad habit of letting my brain go down a lot of rabbit holes instead of just giving the situation to Jesus and resting in His love and care for me and the situation. Thanks for the opportunity to have a new Bibile. I think it’s good to read different versions to help better understand the Word.

    Rebecca Ann

    Rebecca Ann

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