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!