Tifphanie Tucker's Blog, page 2
April 4, 2012
Rebuilding Your Reputation
Dishonesty may be common but it is not desirable. Even those who are guilty of it recognize that dishonesty is not the best policy. When asked, they would tell you that they would prefer to be known as a person of honesty and integrity.
In a study conducted for the book The Day America Told the Truth, it was revealed that 91 percent of us lie on a regular basis and 20 percent cannot make it through a single day without lying. As Sissela Bok explains in the book, "Lying is a way of gaining power over other people through manipulating them in various ways. This is something that children learn… If we are mature, we have to unlearn any enjoyment of that power."
If your reputation has been damaged by dishonesty, you can recover. You can become known as a person of honesty and integrity. Here are five principles that can help you rebuild your reputation:
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You can no longer compromise with the truth. Avoid not only telling outright lies, but also avoid embellishing the truth or exaggerating the facts. Your words reveal your character, so people must learn that they can believe your words. As the Psalmist implored, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue" (Psalm 120:2, KJV).
2. If you promise to do something, do what you can to fulfill that promise. At the same time, avoid making promises you cannot keep. Even when you mean well, be careful not to over-commit yourself as this may result in broken promises. You must demonstrate that you can be trusted.
3. When you do lie, cheat or steal, confess it and apologize for it. When possible, make reparation. Do this on your own initiative instead of waiting to be "found out." If you can acknowledge your lapses with integrity and honesty, the damage to your reputation will be minimized. In fact, it could actually help.
4. Maintain honesty even in seemingly small and insignificant ways. Beware of little white lies, and refuse to steal even a paperclip from your employer. If you want to become known as a person of integrity, you will be responsible in the little things of life. As author and speaker John Maxwell has said, "Integrity is about the small things. Little things make or break you. If you cross the line of your values—whether by an inch or by a mile—you're still out of bounds. Honesty is a habit you ingrain by doing the right thing all the time, day after day, week after week, year after year."
5. Remember that you are being watched. People are observing how you go about your life, and they are forming opinions about you. They are deciding whether you can be trusted or not. They are judging if you are a person of integrity. Your reputation depends on what they observe.
More importantly, God is watching what you do and why you are doing it. "the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV). So at all times, even when you think no one is watching, act with honesty and integrity.
Depending on how badly your reputation has been damaged in the past, it can take a while before it can be overcome. But by consistently applying these principles and others that I discuss in Women Under Construction, you can do it. You can rebuild your reputation, constructing a strong and stable life house in the process.
In a study conducted for the book The Day America Told the Truth, it was revealed that 91 percent of us lie on a regular basis and 20 percent cannot make it through a single day without lying. As Sissela Bok explains in the book, "Lying is a way of gaining power over other people through manipulating them in various ways. This is something that children learn… If we are mature, we have to unlearn any enjoyment of that power."
If your reputation has been damaged by dishonesty, you can recover. You can become known as a person of honesty and integrity. Here are five principles that can help you rebuild your reputation:
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You can no longer compromise with the truth. Avoid not only telling outright lies, but also avoid embellishing the truth or exaggerating the facts. Your words reveal your character, so people must learn that they can believe your words. As the Psalmist implored, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue" (Psalm 120:2, KJV).
2. If you promise to do something, do what you can to fulfill that promise. At the same time, avoid making promises you cannot keep. Even when you mean well, be careful not to over-commit yourself as this may result in broken promises. You must demonstrate that you can be trusted.
3. When you do lie, cheat or steal, confess it and apologize for it. When possible, make reparation. Do this on your own initiative instead of waiting to be "found out." If you can acknowledge your lapses with integrity and honesty, the damage to your reputation will be minimized. In fact, it could actually help.
4. Maintain honesty even in seemingly small and insignificant ways. Beware of little white lies, and refuse to steal even a paperclip from your employer. If you want to become known as a person of integrity, you will be responsible in the little things of life. As author and speaker John Maxwell has said, "Integrity is about the small things. Little things make or break you. If you cross the line of your values—whether by an inch or by a mile—you're still out of bounds. Honesty is a habit you ingrain by doing the right thing all the time, day after day, week after week, year after year."
5. Remember that you are being watched. People are observing how you go about your life, and they are forming opinions about you. They are deciding whether you can be trusted or not. They are judging if you are a person of integrity. Your reputation depends on what they observe.
More importantly, God is watching what you do and why you are doing it. "the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV). So at all times, even when you think no one is watching, act with honesty and integrity.
Depending on how badly your reputation has been damaged in the past, it can take a while before it can be overcome. But by consistently applying these principles and others that I discuss in Women Under Construction, you can do it. You can rebuild your reputation, constructing a strong and stable life house in the process.
Rebuilding Your Reputation
Dishonesty may be common but it is not desirable. Even those who are guilty of it recognize that dishonesty is not the best policy. When asked, they would tell you that they would prefer to be known as a person of honesty and integrity.
In a study conducted for the book The Day America Told the Truth, it was revealed that 91 percent of us lie on a regular basis and 20 percent cannot make it through a single day without lying. As Sissela Bok explains in the book, “Lying is a way of gaining power over other people through manipulating them in various ways. This is something that children learn… If we are mature, we have to unlearn any enjoyment of that power.”
If your reputation has been damaged by dishonesty, you can recover. You can become known as a person of honesty and integrity. Here are five principles that can help you rebuild your reputation:
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You can no longer compromise with the truth. Avoid not only telling outright lies, but also avoid embellishing the truth or exaggerating the facts. Your words reveal your character, so people must learn that they can believe your words. As the Psalmist implored, “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:2, KJV).
2. If you promise to do something, do what you can to fulfill that promise. At the same time, avoid making promises you cannot keep. Even when you mean well, be careful not to over-commit yourself as this may result in broken promises. You must demonstrate that you can be trusted.
3. When you do lie, cheat or steal, confess it and apologize for it. When possible, make reparation. Do this on your own initiative instead of waiting to be “found out.” If you can acknowledge your lapses with integrity and honesty, the damage to your reputation will be minimized. In fact, it could actually help.
4. Maintain honesty even in seemingly small and insignificant ways. Beware of little white lies, and refuse to steal even a paperclip from your employer. If you want to become known as a person of integrity, you will be responsible in the little things of life. As author and speaker John Maxwell has said, “Integrity is about the small things. Little things make or break you. If you cross the line of your values—whether by an inch or by a mile—you’re still out of bounds. Honesty is a habit you ingrain by doing the right thing all the time, day after day, week after week, year after year.”
5. Remember that you are being watched. People are observing how you go about your life, and they are forming opinions about you. They are deciding whether you can be trusted or not. They are judging if you are a person of integrity. Your reputation depends on what they observe.
More importantly, God is watching what you do and why you are doing it. “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV). So at all times, even when you think no one is watching, act with honesty and integrity.
Depending on how badly your reputation has been damaged in the past, it can take a while before it can be overcome. But by consistently applying these principles and others that I discuss in Women Under Construction, you can do it. You can rebuild your reputation, constructing a strong and stable life house in the process.
In a study conducted for the book The Day America Told the Truth, it was revealed that 91 percent of us lie on a regular basis and 20 percent cannot make it through a single day without lying. As Sissela Bok explains in the book, “Lying is a way of gaining power over other people through manipulating them in various ways. This is something that children learn… If we are mature, we have to unlearn any enjoyment of that power.”
If your reputation has been damaged by dishonesty, you can recover. You can become known as a person of honesty and integrity. Here are five principles that can help you rebuild your reputation:
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You can no longer compromise with the truth. Avoid not only telling outright lies, but also avoid embellishing the truth or exaggerating the facts. Your words reveal your character, so people must learn that they can believe your words. As the Psalmist implored, “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:2, KJV).
2. If you promise to do something, do what you can to fulfill that promise. At the same time, avoid making promises you cannot keep. Even when you mean well, be careful not to over-commit yourself as this may result in broken promises. You must demonstrate that you can be trusted.
3. When you do lie, cheat or steal, confess it and apologize for it. When possible, make reparation. Do this on your own initiative instead of waiting to be “found out.” If you can acknowledge your lapses with integrity and honesty, the damage to your reputation will be minimized. In fact, it could actually help.
4. Maintain honesty even in seemingly small and insignificant ways. Beware of little white lies, and refuse to steal even a paperclip from your employer. If you want to become known as a person of integrity, you will be responsible in the little things of life. As author and speaker John Maxwell has said, “Integrity is about the small things. Little things make or break you. If you cross the line of your values—whether by an inch or by a mile—you’re still out of bounds. Honesty is a habit you ingrain by doing the right thing all the time, day after day, week after week, year after year.”
5. Remember that you are being watched. People are observing how you go about your life, and they are forming opinions about you. They are deciding whether you can be trusted or not. They are judging if you are a person of integrity. Your reputation depends on what they observe.
More importantly, God is watching what you do and why you are doing it. “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV). So at all times, even when you think no one is watching, act with honesty and integrity.
Depending on how badly your reputation has been damaged in the past, it can take a while before it can be overcome. But by consistently applying these principles and others that I discuss in Women Under Construction, you can do it. You can rebuild your reputation, constructing a strong and stable life house in the process.
March 26, 2012
Turn Down the Volume – Seven Suggestions for Adding Silence to Your Day
In Women Under Construction, I discuss the dangers and realities of the storms of life. Storms can fill your life with stress, distractions, disappointments, temptations, and heartache. In order to survive these storms, consider practicing the discipline of silence.
Turn Down the Volume – Seven Suggestions for Adding Silence to Your Day
In Women Under Construction, I discuss the dangers and realities of the storms of life. Storms can fill your life with stress, distractions, disappointments, temptations, and heartache. In order to survive these storms, consider practicing the discipline of silence.
Turn Down the Volume ��� Seven Suggestions for Adding Silence to Your Day
In Women Under Construction, I discuss the dangers and realities of the storms of life. Storms can fill your life with stress, distractions, disappointments, temptations, and heartache. In order to survive these storms, consider practicing the discipline of silence.
March 20, 2012
Why You Should Seek Forgiveness
Most of us are willing to extend forgiveness to a person who has offended us, especially if that person has come to us personally and accepted responsibility. It is not always as easy, though, when we are the ones in the wrong. Extending forgiveness can gracious; seeking forgiveness can be humbling.
No one likes to admit to committing an offense, but it is a necessary part of life. When you have wronged someone else, it is up to you to take responsibility for your actions, offer a sincere apology, and do your best to make up for it. The integrity of your life house, which I discuss in Women Under Construction, depends on it.
Why is it important to proactively seek forgiveness when you have hurt someone else? Here are four reasons:
1. Your words or actions have caused harm.
You are responsible for whatever you say or do. That responsibility cannot be passed off to anyone else. Therefore, when you have committed an offense, it is up to you to admit it and apologize for it. While you cannot control how the victim responds to your attempt at reconciliation, your sincere apology will create the best opportunity for the relationship to be restored.
2. The victim may be struggling to get beyond the offense.
Someone who is wounded can become tied to that moment in time. As a result, it may become impossible for that person to move forward in life until the offense is properly addressed. By going to the person you have offended and seeking forgiveness, you can enable him or her to extend forgiveness, experience freedom from the offense, and leave it in the past.
3. Broken relationships have a negative effect on you.
As it is with many people, committing an offense may result in you experiencing sleepless nights and increased levels of stress. You could become consumed with your feelings of guilt and your concerns about the relationship. You might even change your daily rituals in order to avoid uncomfortable encounters with the person you offended. In addition, you may become worried about what others are saying and thinking about you, forcing you to second-guess yourself and withdraw socially. Seeking forgiveness is the only way for you to truly put the offense behind you.
4. Your reputation can be damaged by the fallout.
After an offense is committed, it typically does not take long before gossip begins to spread. When this happens to you, it can cause irreparable harm to your reputation. To minimize the potential damage, seek forgiveness as soon as possible. It is worth it to swallow your pride in order to protect your reputation.
Have you committed an offense for which you have not yet sought forgiveness? Today is the day. Seek forgiveness for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the victim. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Colossians 3:13, KJV)
No one likes to admit to committing an offense, but it is a necessary part of life. When you have wronged someone else, it is up to you to take responsibility for your actions, offer a sincere apology, and do your best to make up for it. The integrity of your life house, which I discuss in Women Under Construction, depends on it.
Why is it important to proactively seek forgiveness when you have hurt someone else? Here are four reasons:
1. Your words or actions have caused harm.
You are responsible for whatever you say or do. That responsibility cannot be passed off to anyone else. Therefore, when you have committed an offense, it is up to you to admit it and apologize for it. While you cannot control how the victim responds to your attempt at reconciliation, your sincere apology will create the best opportunity for the relationship to be restored.
2. The victim may be struggling to get beyond the offense.
Someone who is wounded can become tied to that moment in time. As a result, it may become impossible for that person to move forward in life until the offense is properly addressed. By going to the person you have offended and seeking forgiveness, you can enable him or her to extend forgiveness, experience freedom from the offense, and leave it in the past.
3. Broken relationships have a negative effect on you.
As it is with many people, committing an offense may result in you experiencing sleepless nights and increased levels of stress. You could become consumed with your feelings of guilt and your concerns about the relationship. You might even change your daily rituals in order to avoid uncomfortable encounters with the person you offended. In addition, you may become worried about what others are saying and thinking about you, forcing you to second-guess yourself and withdraw socially. Seeking forgiveness is the only way for you to truly put the offense behind you.
4. Your reputation can be damaged by the fallout.
After an offense is committed, it typically does not take long before gossip begins to spread. When this happens to you, it can cause irreparable harm to your reputation. To minimize the potential damage, seek forgiveness as soon as possible. It is worth it to swallow your pride in order to protect your reputation.
Have you committed an offense for which you have not yet sought forgiveness? Today is the day. Seek forgiveness for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the victim. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Colossians 3:13, KJV)
Why You Should Seek Forgiveness
Most of us are willing to extend forgiveness to a person who has offended us, especially if that person has come to us personally and accepted responsibility. It is not always as easy, though, when we are the ones in the wrong. Extending forgiveness can gracious; seeking forgiveness can be humbling.
No one likes to admit to committing an offense, but it is a necessary part of life. When you have wronged someone else, it is up to you to take responsibility for your actions, offer a sincere apology, and do your best to make up for it. The integrity of your life house, which I discuss in Women Under Construction, depends on it.
Why is it important to proactively seek forgiveness when you have hurt someone else? Here are four reasons:
1. Your words or actions have caused harm.
You are responsible for whatever you say or do. That responsibility cannot be passed off to anyone else. Therefore, when you have committed an offense, it is up to you to admit it and apologize for it. While you cannot control how the victim responds to your attempt at reconciliation, your sincere apology will create the best opportunity for the relationship to be restored.
2. The victim may be struggling to get beyond the offense.
Someone who is wounded can become tied to that moment in time. As a result, it may become impossible for that person to move forward in life until the offense is properly addressed. By going to the person you have offended and seeking forgiveness, you can enable him or her to extend forgiveness, experience freedom from the offense, and leave it in the past.
3. Broken relationships have a negative effect on you.
As it is with many people, committing an offense may result in you experiencing sleepless nights and increased levels of stress. You could become consumed with your feelings of guilt and your concerns about the relationship. You might even change your daily rituals in order to avoid uncomfortable encounters with the person you offended. In addition, you may become worried about what others are saying and thinking about you, forcing you to second-guess yourself and withdraw socially. Seeking forgiveness is the only way for you to truly put the offense behind you.
4. Your reputation can be damaged by the fallout.
After an offense is committed, it typically does not take long before gossip begins to spread. When this happens to you, it can cause irreparable harm to your reputation. To minimize the potential damage, seek forgiveness as soon as possible. It is worth it to swallow your pride in order to protect your reputation.
Have you committed an offense for which you have not yet sought forgiveness? Today is the day. Seek forgiveness for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the victim. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:13, KJV)
No one likes to admit to committing an offense, but it is a necessary part of life. When you have wronged someone else, it is up to you to take responsibility for your actions, offer a sincere apology, and do your best to make up for it. The integrity of your life house, which I discuss in Women Under Construction, depends on it.
Why is it important to proactively seek forgiveness when you have hurt someone else? Here are four reasons:
1. Your words or actions have caused harm.
You are responsible for whatever you say or do. That responsibility cannot be passed off to anyone else. Therefore, when you have committed an offense, it is up to you to admit it and apologize for it. While you cannot control how the victim responds to your attempt at reconciliation, your sincere apology will create the best opportunity for the relationship to be restored.
2. The victim may be struggling to get beyond the offense.
Someone who is wounded can become tied to that moment in time. As a result, it may become impossible for that person to move forward in life until the offense is properly addressed. By going to the person you have offended and seeking forgiveness, you can enable him or her to extend forgiveness, experience freedom from the offense, and leave it in the past.
3. Broken relationships have a negative effect on you.
As it is with many people, committing an offense may result in you experiencing sleepless nights and increased levels of stress. You could become consumed with your feelings of guilt and your concerns about the relationship. You might even change your daily rituals in order to avoid uncomfortable encounters with the person you offended. In addition, you may become worried about what others are saying and thinking about you, forcing you to second-guess yourself and withdraw socially. Seeking forgiveness is the only way for you to truly put the offense behind you.
4. Your reputation can be damaged by the fallout.
After an offense is committed, it typically does not take long before gossip begins to spread. When this happens to you, it can cause irreparable harm to your reputation. To minimize the potential damage, seek forgiveness as soon as possible. It is worth it to swallow your pride in order to protect your reputation.
Have you committed an offense for which you have not yet sought forgiveness? Today is the day. Seek forgiveness for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the victim. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:13, KJV)
March 13, 2012
Overcoming Bitterness Within the Family
Perhaps the greatest enemy of any relationship is bitterness. Within a family, the problem of bitterness becomes even more magnified. If it is not addressed appropriately and quickly, it can lead to the utter destruction of the family relationships.
In Women Under Construction, I describe how many storms can threaten us in life. A storm of bitterness may present the greatest danger. The destructive potential of bitterness has been shown to be severe. There are accounts of brothers who have not spoken to each other for years because of an offense that neither one can remember. There are daughters who have been estranged from their fathers because of bitterness over something that was said or done decades ago, and it has affected every relationship they have had since.
Bitterness can destroy family relationships while negatively affecting other relationships, too. Your experiences at home influence how you relate to every other person you encounter. The family should be the training ground for developing good, healthy relationships, but failure in that environment can follow you throughout life.
This problem is not insurmountable, though. Nor is it irreversible.
Ideally, you will avoid allowing bitterness to set in at all. However, even if bitterness has already had a devastating effect on one or more of your family relationships, you can still make amends. It may not be easy, but it is possible. No matter how much damage has been done, with the proper attention—and perhaps some necessary counseling—a broken relationship can still be salvaged.
Instead of holding on to bitterness, learn to release it. Bitterness offers no benefits for anyone (including yourself), so let it go and seek reconciliation instead. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32, KJV). Replace that bitterness with tenderheartedness, kindness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. If you refuse, it has the power to destroy your family and to rob you of the happy and joy-filled home you could be experiencing.
In Women Under Construction, I describe how many storms can threaten us in life. A storm of bitterness may present the greatest danger. The destructive potential of bitterness has been shown to be severe. There are accounts of brothers who have not spoken to each other for years because of an offense that neither one can remember. There are daughters who have been estranged from their fathers because of bitterness over something that was said or done decades ago, and it has affected every relationship they have had since.
Bitterness can destroy family relationships while negatively affecting other relationships, too. Your experiences at home influence how you relate to every other person you encounter. The family should be the training ground for developing good, healthy relationships, but failure in that environment can follow you throughout life.
This problem is not insurmountable, though. Nor is it irreversible.
Ideally, you will avoid allowing bitterness to set in at all. However, even if bitterness has already had a devastating effect on one or more of your family relationships, you can still make amends. It may not be easy, but it is possible. No matter how much damage has been done, with the proper attention—and perhaps some necessary counseling—a broken relationship can still be salvaged.
Instead of holding on to bitterness, learn to release it. Bitterness offers no benefits for anyone (including yourself), so let it go and seek reconciliation instead. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32, KJV). Replace that bitterness with tenderheartedness, kindness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. If you refuse, it has the power to destroy your family and to rob you of the happy and joy-filled home you could be experiencing.
Overcoming Bitterness Within the Family
Perhaps the greatest enemy of any relationship is bitterness. Within a family, the problem of bitterness becomes even more magnified. If it is not addressed appropriately and quickly, it can lead to the utter destruction of the family relationships.
In Women Under Construction, I describe how many storms can threaten us in life. A storm of bitterness may present the greatest danger. The destructive potential of bitterness has been shown to be severe. There are accounts of brothers who have not spoken to each other for years because of an offense that neither one can remember. There are daughters who have been estranged from their fathers because of bitterness over something that was said or done decades ago, and it has affected every relationship they have had since.
Bitterness can destroy family relationships while negatively affecting other relationships, too. Your experiences at home influence how you relate to every other person you encounter. The family should be the training ground for developing good, healthy relationships, but failure in that environment can follow you throughout life.
This problem is not insurmountable, though. Nor is it irreversible.
Ideally, you will avoid allowing bitterness to set in at all. However, even if bitterness has already had a devastating effect on one or more of your family relationships, you can still make amends. It may not be easy, but it is possible. No matter how much damage has been done, with the proper attention—and perhaps some necessary counseling—a broken relationship can still be salvaged.
Instead of holding on to bitterness, learn to release it. Bitterness offers no benefits for anyone (including yourself), so let it go and seek reconciliation instead. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32, KJV). Replace that bitterness with tenderheartedness, kindness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. If you refuse, it has the power to destroy your family and to rob you of the happy and joy-filled home you could be experiencing.
In Women Under Construction, I describe how many storms can threaten us in life. A storm of bitterness may present the greatest danger. The destructive potential of bitterness has been shown to be severe. There are accounts of brothers who have not spoken to each other for years because of an offense that neither one can remember. There are daughters who have been estranged from their fathers because of bitterness over something that was said or done decades ago, and it has affected every relationship they have had since.
Bitterness can destroy family relationships while negatively affecting other relationships, too. Your experiences at home influence how you relate to every other person you encounter. The family should be the training ground for developing good, healthy relationships, but failure in that environment can follow you throughout life.
This problem is not insurmountable, though. Nor is it irreversible.
Ideally, you will avoid allowing bitterness to set in at all. However, even if bitterness has already had a devastating effect on one or more of your family relationships, you can still make amends. It may not be easy, but it is possible. No matter how much damage has been done, with the proper attention—and perhaps some necessary counseling—a broken relationship can still be salvaged.
Instead of holding on to bitterness, learn to release it. Bitterness offers no benefits for anyone (including yourself), so let it go and seek reconciliation instead. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32, KJV). Replace that bitterness with tenderheartedness, kindness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. If you refuse, it has the power to destroy your family and to rob you of the happy and joy-filled home you could be experiencing.
March 7, 2012
What Do You Accept as Truth?
How discerning are you when it comes to truth? Are you careful about what you allow to influence you and your thinking? Or do you embrace anything and everything, regardless of its worth?
Everyday, you are bombarded by more and more information, opinions, and values. How do you respond? Which ones do you permit to shape your worldview and which ones do you discard? Do you have a standard by which you measure the validity of what others try to tell you?
Living in the Information Age offers many benefits. Unfortunately, it presents plenty of drawbacks, too, as much of the information you encounter is false. For instance, how many scam emails have you received in your inbox? How many urban myths have you believed to be true, only later to discover they were distortions of reality if not complete hoaxes?
Many of these problems can be addressed with some simple fact-checking. Those are the easy ones to solve. When you encounter conflicting opinions, values, and faiths, though, it becomes much more difficult. How do you determine which ones are true and which ones you should reject?
Having a method for evaluating truth is necessary. Otherwise, you will have no foundation upon which to build your life house. Instead, you will remain immature and unstable in all your ways.
Either intentionally or unintentionally, there are those who seek to deceive you. Often, deceptive worldviews can be so eloquently stated that they become enticing. If you are not careful, you may find yourself being unwittingly led astray. Your best defense against such deception? The Word of God.
In Women Under Construction, I discuss the essential role of Scripture in weighing your beliefs. "While there is a place for good sound advice, don't count on the opinions of friends and observers. Get into The Book for yourself... Pull out the plumb line and measure the popular influences of the culture by what you already know to be true from your life manual" (pp. 62, 113). The Bible can provide you with a reliable lens for discerning what is true and what is not.
The Apostle Paul emphasized to Timothy the value of using Scripture as a plumb line. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, KJV).
Compare the values, opinions, and worldviews you encounter with the Word of God. Consider whether the Bible validates them or opposes them. Rather than having no frame of reference for distinguishing the truth from lies, use Scripture as a reliable point of reference. It can correct you when you are wrong and guide you along a path that is true.
Everyday, you are bombarded by more and more information, opinions, and values. How do you respond? Which ones do you permit to shape your worldview and which ones do you discard? Do you have a standard by which you measure the validity of what others try to tell you?
Living in the Information Age offers many benefits. Unfortunately, it presents plenty of drawbacks, too, as much of the information you encounter is false. For instance, how many scam emails have you received in your inbox? How many urban myths have you believed to be true, only later to discover they were distortions of reality if not complete hoaxes?
Many of these problems can be addressed with some simple fact-checking. Those are the easy ones to solve. When you encounter conflicting opinions, values, and faiths, though, it becomes much more difficult. How do you determine which ones are true and which ones you should reject?
Having a method for evaluating truth is necessary. Otherwise, you will have no foundation upon which to build your life house. Instead, you will remain immature and unstable in all your ways.
Either intentionally or unintentionally, there are those who seek to deceive you. Often, deceptive worldviews can be so eloquently stated that they become enticing. If you are not careful, you may find yourself being unwittingly led astray. Your best defense against such deception? The Word of God.
In Women Under Construction, I discuss the essential role of Scripture in weighing your beliefs. "While there is a place for good sound advice, don't count on the opinions of friends and observers. Get into The Book for yourself... Pull out the plumb line and measure the popular influences of the culture by what you already know to be true from your life manual" (pp. 62, 113). The Bible can provide you with a reliable lens for discerning what is true and what is not.
The Apostle Paul emphasized to Timothy the value of using Scripture as a plumb line. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, KJV).
Compare the values, opinions, and worldviews you encounter with the Word of God. Consider whether the Bible validates them or opposes them. Rather than having no frame of reference for distinguishing the truth from lies, use Scripture as a reliable point of reference. It can correct you when you are wrong and guide you along a path that is true.
