What Does It Profit Us

What does it profit us to be angry, jealous, envious, or irritated by our neighbors? It profits us nothing. Did you get that? NOTHING. A BIG FAT NOTHING! So all the energy wasted on those feelings toward your neighbor is just that, WASTED TIME. Now I do not know about you but, I for one do not like to waste time.

That is not to say that I have not wasted alot of time throughout my life on these feelings. I am sure we all have. But if we would stop and ask ourselves each time we start to get into the spirit of anger, jealousy, irritation, etc, what good is this going to do for me? Then we can break ourselves away from those feelings of the flesh. And if we stay in the word, we can replace them with the fruits of the Spirit.

Gal. 5 v 22......But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.....

It is lack of that last one listed there that usually gets us, and then we fall into the feelings of our flesh.

Gal. 5 v 19-21a.....Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.......

Not only do those feelings toward someone waste our time, they also cause us to be sick. When we are feeling like that we are stressing our bodies and minds. If we continue to stay in those feelings, we will eventually die. First we will die in our spirit, because we are filling up our hearts and minds with the feelings of the flesh that we leave no room for the fruits of the Spirit.

I know, I am not ready to die either. So what do we do? We get into His Word daily, we spend quality time with Him each day. We learn from the Lord Jesus how we are to live. Not only to live, but to live with peace, harmony, joy, an abundant life. A life filled with good health, a sound mind, a life of freedom.

Yes, we will still experience difficulties from neighbors and family members now and again, but it is how we deal with those situations when they arise, that will keep us healthy.

One, we do not sit around and brood about something. We do not rehash things over and over in our minds until we work ourselves up into a frenzy. No, we go to the word of God and see what does He have to say about it? How does He tell us to handle the situation?

When a situation arises, there are two choices that will come your way. One the enemy will try to convince you to get even, and will try to recall over and over why you are right and they are wrong. Second, we can decide to not listen to the enemy, to recognize him for who he is, a troublemaker. And instead seek God, and let the Holy Spirit who dwells within us lead us through the word to the right attitude.

Remember we can not control other peoples actions, but we can control our reactions.

John 10 v 10....the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.....

Matthew 18 v 21-22....Then Peter came to Him and said "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.".....

Just like people say all the time you can not out give God. The same is true with forgiveness. We will never be able to forgive more than what He forgave us.

Prov 17 v 22...A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.....

Prov. 16 v 24....Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones....

Prov 15 v 1....A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger....

Prov 15 v 4....A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit....

Do you see the pattern here? How our words can affect our lives and our health through our spirit?

Let's make an effort to take time to think before we speak or answer someone. Let's make an effort to always have a forgiving heart toward our neighbors. Let's make an effort to be more like Jesus and be true followers of Christ.

Let's make an effort to

STAY IN THE WORD!