Tag: spiritual growth

Vintage Discovery: “Ruth’s Loving Decision” October 9, 2026

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I have been blogging for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before; some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Come with me today as we revisit What Would It Have Been Like? – “To Be Ruth of the Bible,” as we learn the importance of our decisions.

Blessings.

“What now?” clawed at her throat, but the words refused to be uttered from her mouth.  Disbelief that her husband was dead locked those words in her troubled mind.  Numbness at the reality of it all would have made her swoon if it were not for the look on her mother-in-law’s face.

“This can’t be happening… Not now…” Ruth thought, grasping her new reality while trying with all her might to keep her composure despite the sadness gripping her own heart.  “Naomi needs me to be strong,” she silently willed herself, swallowing her sorrow.  “First, Elimelech, and now this.  How much more can we… No, how much more can she bear?”

After some time…

“Daughters,” Naomi spoke up, “it is time,” feeling greatly resolved at the decision that had to be made.

“What?” both Ruth and Orpah spoke in unison.

“It is time for me to return home.  Oh, girls, we moved to Moab these past years because famine ravished our homeland.  But Moab is not my home.”  Looking at their pleading eyes, Naomi continued, “It has recently come to my attention that the conditions we fled from are now over.  God has blessed my people once again with His favor.  There is now bread in Bethlehem.”

Sighing heavily, she said, “I have no reason to stay here.  It is time for me to go back.”

“But what of your life here?” asked one of the women.

“I no longer have a life here, dear,” Naomi cried as heartbreaking sobs broke through her words.  “In this land, I have had to say goodbye to the people I treasure most in this world.  This land has taken my heart; it has taken my family.  I have watched my husband die, and now I am forced to let go of my sons.  What is there left for me here?”

“Naomi, you have us,” Ruth spoke with pleading confidence.

“No, my daughter.  It is best if you two return to your homes, as I must return to mine.  I am old.  I have nothing left to offer you.”

“Mother,” that word caught in Ruth’s throat as she lovingly and gently tried to persuade her mother-in-law.  “We can do this together.  You don’t have to return to Bethlehem, and we don’t have to leave your side.  Somehow, someway we can make this work.”

Sighing once again, this time with the prayerful hope for understanding, Naomi turned to the face that bore the sadness of her own:  “Child, I love you both, and I would that for all the world to have things as they once were.  But it is not so.  Things will never be the same for me again.  Not here anyway.”

Holding the hand of this loving heart, she continued, unyielding in her resolve,  “Now, I must return to my own people where I belong to seek solace for this old, broken heart.”

“Then, permit us to go with you,” Ruth rushed to answer, Orpah nodding in agreement.

“Mahlon and Chilion were my only sons.  I have no more.  I am now too old to remarry.  It is as I have told you, I have nothing left to offer.  It would be selfish of me to ask you to give up the possibility of a better future in your parents’ homes to follow me.  Go, return now to your own people.  Perhaps God will be gracious to you, and you can remarry there and start over again someday.”

“You don’t mean that, do you?” Ruth’s broken heart questioned as she looked into the eyes of the woman whom she had come to love.  Sobbing at her side, Orpah could not speak.  Their world had indeed been shaken, but she believed Naomi was right.

A decision must be made that day.  Both Ruth and Orpah would choose the path of life they would follow.

What would it have been like to stand there that day and to make that decision?  Those times were not favorable toward women who were all alone.  Should they stay or should they go?

Walking into the unknown toward Bethlehem with Naomi, Ruth chose to go.  Orpah chose to return home to her people.  There she hoped to find some normalcy and stability.  Ruth, as the Bible says, clung to Naomi and refused to be parted from this woman who has meant so much to her.

That day, Ruth walked away from everything familiar with no promise of better.  Ruth turned her back on her own family to love and support this woman who is not even of her own flesh and blood.  Ruth chose a path most would not want to travel.  Hers was a path of self-sacrifice.  Lest one take her story too lightly, they should consider her life in comparison with ours today.

Before I go anywhere, I plan in great detail to be sure I lack nothing when I arrive.  Ruth had no such pleasure.  Not only was she not guaranteed any provisions for life, but would they even accept her in Bethlehem?  Surely by now, they knew that Naomi’s sons married Moabite women.  How would she be treated?  People would rejoice at Naomi’s return, but what about her?  In that place, are there those who would take advantage of her?  If any of those questions ever arose, they were not spoken for fear of thwarting the opportunity to follow Naomi.  Her only concern was for that very woman, not herself.

In every part of her journey, Ruth stepped into the unknown.  In her travels with Naomi, her arrival in Bethlehem, her work gleaning the fields to support Naomi, and her eventual marriage to Boaz.  Everything was new to her, and everything was strange.  But in everything she did, she did with love and care in mind.

What would it have been like to give up so much; to show so much love in making such a decision?  If we knew all the particulars of a woman in her situation during those days, we would see that hers was a decision of pure love.

She knew everything she was leaving behind.  She didn’t know anything about where she was headed.  But declaring God as her own, her mind was made up, and her heart followed.  Onward she walked the journey where life would lead her because of the decision she made that day.

In the end, God greatly blessed her life and the sacrifices she made on behalf of another.  So much so that she ended up giving birth to Obed, who is the grandfather of King David, the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It started with a decision.  Not knowing what we were stepping into, would we have been able to make that decision?  What would it have been like to be Ruth of the Bible?

Ruth teaches us our decisions matter!

*Creative license taken to explain the story of Ruth. I have tried to keep the integrity of the Scripture’s explanation of her story while filling in the blank of how their conversations may have transpired. For the full story, please compare with the Book of Ruth in the Bible.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Vintage Discovery: “Just Know That You Are Held” September 23, 2026

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I have been blogging now for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before, some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Friends, if it looks like the world is spinning out of control, just know that you are held by God’s unmovable and unshakeable hands.

Come with me today as we revisit You Have Been Upheld Since Birth, and may your heart be encouraged no matter what you are facing today.

Blessings~

“By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” Psalm 71:6

As you look back over your life, is there ever a time when you know you should not have made it?  Is there a time when you recognize that it was only by the grace of God that you are still here today?

Yeah, me too.

Life has a way of throwing us many curve balls.  Sometimes we hit it, and sometimes we miss.  Sometimes we are even keen enough to get a home run, but other times we are just be grateful to still be in the game.  The fact that we are is a testimony to the love of the Father over us.  It is evident that He still has you and me in His hands and in His plan.

There are times that come that make it extremely hard for us to recognize this great truth.  Crushing times that weigh on us, making us believe that we are forgotten or that we are walking this path alone.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  God has always been with us.  God has always taken care of us.  God has always been the one holding on to us when our lives seem to be spinning out of control.

I find it utterly amazing that we have been upheld since birth.  Truth be told, Psalm 139:16 shows us that He was paying attention to us even before the time of our birth.  It says, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” 

Even before day 1 of our lives, God had His eye on us.

How awesome is that?

I find great comfort in verses like these because I realize that yes, I have gone through some very difficult and troubling times.  Yes, as I look back through the different stages of life, I wish some things could have been better, or I wish wrong choices could be undone.  But, despite all the “I wish I had…” or the “could have and should have,” these verses remind me that I never walked alone.

There was never a time in my life when God didn’t see me and didn’t see what I was going through.  There was never a time when He was absent.  He was there the whole time, reaching out for me and calling me with His love, beckoning me to stay in the safety of His arms and rest there.

God’s hands have always been us!

I don’t know what you may be facing today, but the Word of God is sure in all it promises. And His Word promises that you are not alone.

Yet, sometimes it does seem that way.  It seems like you cry and cry and cry some more, but I assure you, your tears do not fall on deaf ears.  As you cry, the one who has had His hands on you since birth feels the flow of your tears running over His hands as He holds you.  Stay right there in His loving embrace.

If you have to, turn back to Him and trust Him who has you in His hands today and wants to hold you forever.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

The Change Will Come

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The leaves are changing.
Have you noticed?
The colors are quietly moving
Toward a new season.
Don’t lose focus.
The change will come.

Some things we don’t want to
Let go of, and hold a little stronger.
Some things we look forward to,
Anticipating a little longer.
But the change will come.

Eventually, the faint colors will
Become bright, signaling the shift.
Temperatures will fluctuate,
The season cannot resist,
Because the change will come.

Therefore, I will wait.
It won’t always be the same,
Because the leaves are changing,
Revealing His promises’ reign.
And the change will come.

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:14

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Past Seasonings

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So many times, we run from our past. We hide from the stories it holds. Some pasts are painful and hold hurts we would rather not revisit. Some pasts we wish we could turn the clock back and relive again and again.

The past seasons us. As much as a good cast iron pan is used and put into the fire to be seasoned time and again, it comes out to be one of the most useful tools in the kitchen.

So, too, does the past. Although it took us through many ups and downs, it prepares us to be fit for the Master’s use. Our testimony becomes like Job’s when he said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

The past will always be a part of us, but it doesn’t have to be a source of stress. God knows every part of our past, and He brought us through it. As one cherishes a historic relic and what was learned during that period, so too can we walk away from the past with lessons learned.

One of the greatest lessons learned was the revelation that the same God who was with you then is with you today.

If the past is a burden, cast that heavy load to the Lord and let His holy strength take it and sustain you simultaneously (Psalm 55:2). Then, may you press past it and go forth into all that He has called you to be in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

The past had its day. But today is today. And while yesterday’s lessons may be useful and refine us, we don’t pitch a tent and camp there. We take those experiences and move forward into what is before us now.

Today came with new grace and mercy (Lamentations 3:22-23). One day we shall be completely changed from all our pasts, and the story it will tell on that day will be one of total victory (read 1 Corinthians 15:52-58).

Your past has nothing on your future. And when you view your past through the lens of what God has in store for you, it has the sweetest and most magnificent ending.

Cast iron is seasoned for endurance and durability, but a seasoned saint is even more powerful.

The strength of the past is your story that no one can take away from you, but one that God can build something beautiful upon for all eternity.

Blessings ~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Adding to the Lives of Others

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Strive, dear friend, to be a great addition to the lives of those you meet.

With many things and circumstances trying to speak about who we are at our core, we know personally, at times, what it feels like when life makes you feel depleted, as if something has been stripped from us.

But when we work to add to the lives of others, to be a blessing, to be one whom others can turn to, knowing you will be there for them, you become a wonderful complement to their lives.

I want to add to the lives of those in my life. I want to add joy, and comfort, and all those good and beautiful things that make relationships of all kinds happy, healthy, and whole.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 gives us a beautiful math equation of addition that benefits us all. It says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” 

Let’s step away from the numerical equation and focus on the word “better.”

When we work to add to each other’s lives, we make them better. Not because of anything special about us, but when we link up with one another in supporting love, and pour ourselves into the lives of those around us, we help one another flourish and grow.

The Spirit of the Lord within us is beautiful. When we work in the fruit of the Spirit that is in us, and that fruit plants seed into the lives of others, prayerfully, they become a source of strength, support, and all those good things that come from that fruit.

Then, upon this rich soil where these beautiful seeds have been added and planted, they may grow and plant their own seeds of good to those around them, becoming a wonderful chain of blessing others and seeing growth in their lives over and over again.

Today, when you become a great addition to those around you, you are not only pouring into their lives, but you are also reaping benefits, too: “Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Blessings~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

 

Conversion, Change, and Commitment | Why Discipleship Matters part 2

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Picking up on the previous post, the ultimate goal of every conversion story is to eventually be “conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:29). When we think of the word “conformed,” it gives the impression that there is a mold or a model.

I have been blessed to acquire many handmade pieces from my grandmother. There was a time in her life when she learned how to work with molds. After the pouring and curing process, she would hand-paint these items that have become family treasures. One of my favorite works of hers is in our nativity scene that I put out every Christmas. Although many pieces are broken and some are missing, the work she did on those molds will always be a treasure to me.

Friends, we are being pressed into a mold so that the end result of our lives is to be like the original, to be like Jesus. What a great treasure that is!

Perhaps that’s why the Apostle Paul taught, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). But change from an old nature to a new nature doesn’t just happen with a snap of the fingers. It comes from walking with one throughout their conversion story, guiding them, and helping them to see the way.

This is the example Scripture repeatedly gives us (as already noted in the previous post). Even the Apostle Paul was aided in conforming and learning about this new life, first and foremost by our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself (see Galatians 1:12; read Vs. 11- 24 for Paul’s testimony of this time).

People left to their own devices, unaided, are susceptible to lies, discouragement, doubt, and being uprooted from the very conviction that caused them to seek conversion in the first place.

Therefore, those who are already members of the body of Christ want to make sure this new member has the tools and support not only to hang on, but to grow and see their lives through the eyes of the Lord.

For when they see their value according to Him, they will fight all the more (and yes, sometimes it is a fight) to daily shed off the old nature from where they came and put on the new nature of who they are now, and where they are going.

Most infants and toddlers don’t begin to take their first steps in learning to walk without holding on to something. Often, what they are holding on to is the loving hands of a parent who is guiding them, caring for them, and supporting them so they do not fall.

How much more support does a new believer need who is trying to walk in a whole new life than the one they came from?

I’m not negating the need for personal holiness or the work that needs to be done for this mindset change (see Ephesians 4:22-24; Matthew 18:3; 1 John 1:6; Colossians 3:9, 10). But people do not know how to do new things without being taught, without examples. One of the reasons YouTube is so popular is that if you are trying to do something new, fix something, or the like, you can almost always find a video on their platform that will walk you through how to do what you are seeking, step-by-step.

Discipleship is God’s answer to the lives that want to change but don’t know how. It is the place where they get one-on-one help, the place where they can see examples of what it means to be in a thriving, loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

People cannot go from conversion to change to commitment without knowing how to get from point A to C (see chart below).

There is a lot of space in between, open to all kinds of stuff. What that space is filled with will be determined by what is being poured into the person. Again, this does not negate personal holiness or responsibility, but how much better would the turnout be with proper guidance and exposure to the right things to fill that space?

Every believer has this commission on their lives: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20; emphasis added).

Discipleship is not just witnessing; it is teaching people how to live the Christian life, how to recognize and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He leads them.

Jesus felt we were worth it and had people who invested in us. Now, may we see the worth in others and invest as well.

The Bible calls us the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), and it’s time to share the flavor.

Blessings~

Text-Free Image by Anja from Pixabay

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Conversion, Change, and Commitment | Why Discipleship Matters part 1

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Conversion without change is not really conversion, is it? Yet, this is something we see play out time and again.

People may come and hear a message that stirs their hearts, prompting them to want a new life. They are tired and fed up, and they know that there must be a change. So, upon hearing a message, they make the decision for Christ. Maybe even going so far as to be baptized, but when they rise out of the water and put their clothes back on, they also put back on everything they needed to change from.

Walking into a new life will not happen by accident. A dip in the water could very well just be a dip in the water without the determination within to seek and learn about those things that will foster and grow this new life; to “do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20).

For a real conversion to take place, there must be a real change (Matthew 18:3). Ephesians tells us, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (4:22-24; emphasis added; see also Colossians 3:9, 10). There is a measure of personal responsibility in those verses.

A hunger and thirst for righteousness should begin to grow within the spiritual appetite, wanting something more than what one has always done.

Yet, true growth takes time. As a baby moves through the process of learning to take on food and behaviors that will support its growth, so too does the new Christian who has a true desire for a new life.

Unfortunately, we have seen instances where some just dip and are done. They believe that is all there is. Sadly, this causes one to return to life as usual, with no further commitment or intention to search for or long for more. They believe that they have covered the basic requirements of salvation, and now they are free to live life as they desire, do what they want, even if it contradicts the Word, and will still be fit for heaven.

But here’s what 1 John 1:6 says: “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”

My friends, true conversion should produce a real and notable change. Even if it’s not fully mature (and we don’t expect that immediately), people should be able to see that there is something different there now.

There is an old expression: “Come as you are, but don’t stay as you came.” And how true is that?

But, without truly explaining this to people, they are left floundering like a fish out of water. They wonder why B, C, and D aren’t falling into place when A hasn’t been taken care of properly.

This is where discipleship comes in. It is ushering people’s hearts closer to God through guidance and walking with them through those initial steps.

Our greatest example of this comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, who invested His time and care heavily into others who not only had a true change in their lives but were also able to do the same for others.

We must not be content with saying we brought people in. But when they come in, we want to invest in and nurture them as the Lord did with His disciples.

Discipleship is a key ingredient missing in most churches today. We must go back to doing things the way Jesus did to get the results He and the disciples did.

Yes, it will require time. Yes, it will mean sacrifice. Yes, it will often ask you to step out of your comfort zone. But if you truly have a heart to see people walking in a vibrant Christian life, I will say it would all be well worth it.

After all, a heart that is turned to God is a heart that has truly been changed.

Due to the length of this article, I invite you to come back and join me on Friday, July 17, 2026, for part 2.

Blessings~

For more inspiration, check out:

“Ornamental Christianity” 

Top Text-Free Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Enjoy the Moments of Today

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As hard as it is at times, we must strive to be attentive to the moments of today. What is currently before you? Who is around you? What do they need from you?

Moments say, you are important to me, and I choose to share my life and my time with you right now.

Carefully watching moments will tell you what or who is a priority in your life. Through its quiet invitation, they speak, “I love you,” without ever saying a word. In those moments, the heart reveals that the people before you truly matter. They are really something special.

Sometimes, the chaos of schedules and the demands of daily life cause us to miss out on some of the sweetest moments the Lord affords us. Perhaps it is not only the stormy waves that need to be spoken against, “Peace, be still“ (Mark 4:39). Rather, anything that crashes on the space of our days, eating away at this priceless time that will pass in the blink of an eye when compared to the timeline of eternity.

Perhaps even more importantly, we must choose for ourselves to be still and take in the precious moments before us. We can dash about as Marth did, allowing the cares of this life to consume her (Luke 10:38-42). Or, we can be still and experience the power of quieting our hearts at His feet in restfulness of spirit, and just enjoy the moment of this occasion.

Many moments will come. The ones we choose to rest in and allow ourselves to experience fully will show who or what really matters.

With the Lord, we will have moments. Enjoy them. Rest in them. Cherish them.

In meaningful relationships with others, we will have moments. Enjoy them. Rest in them. Cherish them.

Through many days and seasons, we will have moments. Enjoy them. Rest in them. Cherish them.

One day, these moments will cease. Be still, and enjoy the moments of today: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

 

The Review

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Reviews. We see them everywhere and on anything. They help make decisions about products or services. They have become very valuable, especially in the world of online shopping, when we can’t touch, handle, or see the product or place firsthand.

These star reviews or individual critiques tell us what someone liked or didn’t like. I, personally, read reviews, but I have only left very few: some for likes and one for a dislike. The one negative review I left was simply to let a company know about an off product.

One thing about reviews that people forget is that, outside of visible or physical damage of a product or from a service, the review is based solely on one’s opinion. What they write is their personal commentary. Where one may give five stars, another may only give one because it was not to their taste or a good product, in their opinion.

But I find in life we “review” people in the same way. We have our opinions of a person based on what we perceive to be right or wrong, favorable or not. And often, when we share our review with others, it tends to be geared more toward the negative than the positive.

Paul teaches in Titus 3:2, “To speak evil of no man…”

How well do we practice that? Or do we have select preferences of persons we believe are deserving to receive a less-than-favorable review from us?

We do not need to fan the flames of negativity over another’s life, regardless of how we view them. The Bible tells us, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6). Our “review” of a person should not become the constant topic of conversation, especially if it is promoting negativity.

James agrees, saying, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…” (James 3:5, 6a). 

As Christians, we have experienced the gift of grace in our lives beyond the measure of our understanding. God is the one who changed us, cleaned us, saved us, and gave us a new life. Something none of us deserved, and nothing we can boast of (Ephesians 2:8,9). How we view others should be nothing short of that same grace received.

Our minds and our mouths can be trained in how we view or respond to people. As water drops that flow from your roof, wherever they land, that’s where they will pool and cut a path through your yard. The same is true for both negative and positive views. The one you lean toward the most is cutting a pathway in your thinking and speech.

Our negative reviews are not helpful to us or needed by others. May the story of our redemption (Titus 3:3-5) help us to extend grace to others right where they are.

While reviews can range from agreeable to disagreeable, may our speech always be agreeably grace-filled.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

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The Truth About Comparison

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Recently, I attended a large shredding event in our area. This particular event is held every year. It allows us to declutter and safely get rid of old documents and sensitive papers.

This shredding event is quite large. To put it into perspective, I was in line for an hour and forty-two minutes before I was relieved of my boxes of clutter.

Coming in, there were approximately 8-12 lanes (or more, I couldn’t count) of vehicles lined up side-by-side. These lanes funneled into a single lane that would shortly open again into two alternating lanes. Those lanes would then take us to the trucks on either side that would shred our personal belongings for us.

The car in front of me turned to the right, and I went to the left.

I was happy with how my lane was moving, and after about another twenty to thirty minutes, I tried to assess my progress. I did this by looking for the car that was previously in front of me. I remembered passing it some time ago and wondered how far back it was now.

Looking in my side mirrors and the rearview mirror, I could no longer see it. I thought to myself that there was no way I could be that far ahead of them.

And I wasn’t. I finally spotted the car I was searching for. While I was paying attention to other things, that car had actually advanced several spaces in front of me.

Interesting, is what I thought. I wasn’t upset or put out over this, but took it as the lesson that it was.

But I cannot say that I have been untouched by the act of comparison. More times than I care to count, I have paid attention to what others were doing or their lives instead of focusing on my own.

And you know what that does? It steals your joy. You and I can be completely happy where we are in life until we look in the next lane to see where another person may be.

When that happens, we start comparing our lives against theirs, as if we are all on some giant scale to be measured by one another and weighed in the balances.

But that is a divine seat none of us are qualified to sit in. Perhaps that is why the Bible speaks against those who “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,” calling them “not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Mentors and godly examples to pattern our lives after are good (1 Corinthians 11:1). But when we use other people as our yardstick to be measured by, we sell ourselves short.

Why?

Because the truth is, each of us is a unique person with our own unique plans for our lives designed by the Father. But when we fixate on others in life, or on shows, books, videos, and social media, who try to convince us that this is what our lives should look like, that comparison can sometimes cause discontent because of the feeling of not measuring up to their standards.

Individuals, families, lives, marriages, careers, cares, wants, and needs are as different as our DNA. The complexities of our human nature are as diverse as the complexity of molecules that make us, us. It is as diverse as the many cultures, peoples, and nations that inhabit this land we call Earth.

With such a wide range of beautiful diversity, why try to squeeze yourself into another’s box?

God knows the plans He has for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). His design is perfectly beautiful for you. He knows where you are best needed, and He knows what you are truly called to be and do, and it is not to mimic them.

1 Corinthians 4:5 challenges us to look at things differently, saying, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

We are not God, but we can trust God as the Potter who is molding us into this beautiful creation He needs us to be.

We cannot rely on what we see on the outside of any given situation. To properly assess another’s circumstance, we must know their whole behind-the-scenes story, their heart, reasons, motives, and hopes they have for their outcome.

Only an everlasting God can know all of that. Since we are unqualified to make assumptions about others, our focus should remain in our lane and where God has us driving.

We have our own course. Our Heavenly Father has a plan that fits us perfectly. If we continue to focus on others, we will miss our assignment.

But when we live as He wants us to, and fulfill our God-given destinies, we please our Father, and it’s His praises we can look forward to in the end.

Today, in what area can we learn to stop comparing and enjoy the beautiful life God has designed for each of us? 

Father God, help us keep our eyes and our hearts focused on You and the plans that You have for our lives. This world can be distracting at times, causing us to shift our gaze toward what is not profitable for us. We are praying for steadfast hearts and minds to go forward in faith in the lanes You have lovingly designed for us. We want to live for Your glory and for Your praise. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, AMEN!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.