Jesus – Page 5 – Nicole L. Ross ~ letstalkaboutlife365

Are You A Good Communicator???

July 11, 2013 Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

Have you ever been talking to someone and after the conversation is over realized that they could have totally taken what you just said the wrong way? Or even had them respond to you in such a way that let you know they took what you said the wrong way? This has happened to me a few times and I do not like it one bit. I’ve come to learn that sometimes it’s not so much what you say to people, but how you say it. This is where personalities come into play. Some people have a very straightforward personality, others are more quiet and shy. Whichever personality fits you, it is imperative that you be mindful of how you communicate.

Communication with others consists of more than just talking, it also requires listening. Listening is important because it will show you the heart of the other person. The bible declares that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When you are a good listener, you are able to pin point areas you know are important, just based on their conversation. Sometimes it’s best to be quiet and listen. Not everyone who talks to you in looking for feedback. Some just want a person who will be kind enough to lend an ear and hear what is on their heart.

Our communication style should fit our personality, yet still do so in a way that is loving and kind to others. It is one thing to have a strong personality, but if you are too strong you will never be able to have a healthy relationship with others. Reason being is because of your inability to set your ways to the side for just a moment for the sake of someone else. We have to get to the point where we can express ourselves in a nonabrasive, yet affirming manner regardless of who we are talking to. Remembering that whatever we do or say should always be in love. Words can really hurt and tear someone down. Sometimes the enemy will try to take your words and use them that very way, when you never intended it to be that way. I’ve learned to pray prior to, after and sometimes during my conversations with others to cancel the assignment of the enemy to try mix up my words. I also pray that God will speak through me, so that when I do open my mouth, I am not saying anything to hurt someone or cause them to take my words out of context. I realize that miscommunication happens, but as with all things, we have to ask God to help us. Communication is a way of life. It is the key to any successful relationship, so we have to do our part to make sure we are communicating properly and effectively. The next time you are in the middle of a conversation and you don’t like how things are going, stop and think for a moment. Are you a good communicator? #iDeclare #AreYouAGoodCommunicator

Prayer:

Father God, Please help me to be a good communicator. My desire is that you will use me and I know that in order to do so, I have to work on my communication skills. I decree and declare that I will say what I mean and mean what I say. I will be lead by the Holy Spirit in my conversations, and I will not allow the enemy to contort my words to be taken the wrong way. Thank you Jesus, for teaching me how to be an effective communicator. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

Proverbs 15:1 NLT “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.”

Psalms 141:3 NLT “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 KJV “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

Be In Health!

July 10, 2013 Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

How well do you take care of your belongings? Most people will say they take pretty good care of their car, home and clothes, etc. When you compare these things, to those that are simply given to us there is a distinct difference. The items we feel as though we work hard for, we tend to value a little more, therefore prompting us to take better care of those things. On the other hand, things which are simply given to us or we don’t have to work as hard for we might not take care of them as well.

The bible declares that we are to be good stewards over the things we have, and a lot of times we only think about the tangible things such as what I have listed above. Another aspect of life we have to be a good steward over is our bodies. A person’s body, mind and spiritual nature are all mutually dependent upon one another. It is nearly impossible for one to function at full capacity if the others are not. I am not a big fan of exercise and I think that is mainly because for a good period of my life, a lot of my everyday regular activities involve exercise already. That was then and this is now, and my life has changed tremendously. I realize that taking care of two toddlers keeps me extremely busy, but there is no excuse. We have to start taking better care of our bodies. I am talking to myself on this one big time.

As an adult I quickly learned the importance of taking care of what belongs to me, and never once did I even think to include my health in that equation. Our bodies are just that, ours. We are responsible for them. We dictate how well they function. We are in charge of what goes in them. We cannot blame anyone else for what we do to our body. If you abuse your vehicle and do not take care of it by getting regular maintenance and keeping gas in it what will happen? It will shut down, well the same goes for our body. If we don’t watch what we eat or what we expose our bodies to they will shut down as well. Another area that corresponds with staying healthy is sleep. Bodies need sleep. Just as you find time in the day to do everything else, you need to make sure you are getting enough sleep. If you do not rest, your body will make you rest, one way or another.

Your body is a temple. Remember that when you think about taking care of the stuff that means the most to you. You should be on the top of that list. I’ve always said that if it’s important to you then you will find a way to do it. I challenge each of you to be in health. Get out there and find a way to take better care of yourself. If you already have a good exercise routine down, make sure you get enough rest at night. If you already do both, then make your eating habits healthier. We must never lose sight of the requirement to take care of this body that God has given us. #iDeclare #BeInHealth

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, please help me to take better care of this body that you have given me. Just as I aim to be a good steward over my tangible possessions, help me also be a good steward over my physical body as well. I decree and declare that I will take better care of my body. I will be more responsible and accountable for this body that you have blessed me with so that my mind, body and spirit can all function at full capacity. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

3 John 1:2 KJV “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

Keep Seeking, Keep Asking, Keep Knocking!

July 9, 2013 Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

It is amazing to see my two girls play together. I can remember when they were both just small tiny babies, and now they run around the house playing all the time. While watching them play, it is so funny to me how the youngest is the more persistent. She does not care who, what, when, where or why. When she wants something she is going to do whatever she needs to do to get it. I thought about that earlier today, and of course I began to think about us grown folk. What if we were as persistent as a child? What if we did not let anything stop us from living our life on purpose and fulfilling the call that God has for us? What if the body of Christ made up in our mind that no matter what the devil tries to do, we are going to keep seeking, keep asking, and keep knocking?

We have to get to the point where we are consistent and persistent in life. Of course, life brings change but what I mean about being consistent and persistent is more of a state of mind. To have the right state of mind, or should I say righteous state of mind, you have to read and study the word and be persistent about it. If you have a busy schedule, make time in your day to spend with God. If you have unexpected events take place during your day, still make time. Even if means you get a little less sleep, you do what you have to do because you are persistent. We have to understand that it is our consistency and persistence that builds our relationship with God. The same way you are persistent on your job, doing a task that should be completed by eight or nine people, yet you do it by yourself. Yeah it may cause you to work longer hours, miss a few breaks, and even work on your day off but nevertheless, you will get the job done. You have to have that same tenacity when it comes to your spiritual walk. Matter of fact, you cannot afford not to. I will say it again, we have to keep seeking God, keep asking, and keep knocking. The story of the persistent widow in Luke 18, is one that we should pay close attention to. The beautiful thing about the bible is that it is a guide for life. Everything that you could possibly think of having to go through is already written in the book. You just have to open it up and read it. #iDeclare #KeepSeekingKeepAskingKeepKnocking

Prayer:

Father God, in the name of Jesus I thank you for teaching me about consistency and persistence. I decree and declare that I will be persistent in my walk with you Lord. I will do everything I can to seek you Lord, just as You sought after me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Reading:

Luke 18:1-8 NIV “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Romans 2:7 NIV “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

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