“Holding Your Peace”

 

DISCUSSION                            

                Someone told me years ago that you can’t please everyone and if you do, then you must be doing something wrong.  The older I get the more I understand their point.  It doesn’t matter how much you try to be the best person you can be, there will always be those that want to criticize, ridicule or demean who you are or what you do.  What makes it difficult is that those are usually the only comments you might hear. These criticisms come in many forms; whether it’s you’re not good enough, you’re not enough, or you’re just not that important; they all hurt!  So how do we learn to handle them?  How do we not allow them to corrupt our own self-worth and self-image? Believe it or not, King Saul leaves us with a great example.   As the newly appointed King of Israel, Saul had his share of critics.  In fact, the Bible refers to them in the New American Standard Version as “worthless fellows”.  In I Samuel 10: 27, we read that there were those that doubted Saul’s ability to lead.  They despised him and did not offer him any gift to show their support.  Now the Bible doesn’t come right out and say that these people were very vocal about it, but that seems to be the implication when we see Saul’s response.  The Bible says that Saul “held his peace”; other versions say that he “Kept silent”.  How can we follow that example?  First, Saul knew that there were those who did offer him support and encouragement and those that did believe in him.  Secondly, Saul knew that God had selected him to be King.  That meant that even if everyone else did not believe in him, God did.  When it comes down to it, God’s approval is all that we should be concerned about.  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to show ourselves approved of God...”.  Ephesians 2.10 reminds us that we are “His workmanship”, “His creation”.  It is God who has created us, and we need to be reminded that “God don’t make junk”.  So, the next time someone says something to you that is hurtful, unflattering and not supportive of you, just remember to hold your peace; because God made you and He loves you just the way you are!  

https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gifPrayer Requests:_______________________________________________________________

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

Resolutions: Draw closer to God through study of His word

BIBLE READING: John 14.7 Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.   “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Tim.4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God is with me. God knows my problems. God cares. Romans 8:31(b) tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Make a resolution to slo...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more