As we finish off this year of life, and God willing step into 2024 next week, I wonder if we can do a little character and habit inventory on how we are living, and who we have become this year. What if we were to decide that as we approach 2024, we are going to closely examine things about us that we want to take into the next year, and things that we want to box up and toss out because they are no longer serving us.
The scripture verse(s) we talk about today include: Proverbs 6: 16-19
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Sarah Elizabeth
Our Faith Your Day Declaration!
Jesus, thank you so much for loving me in the way that you do! You designed me on purpose for a purpose. I want to live to my full potential today, with a mindset that honors you and a soul that seeks to know you better. Jesus I know that you are the way, the truth and the life, and I ask you to guide me and reveal to me what it is that you want to show me here, have me experience here, and learn from this season. Help mold me and shape me into the best version of me. I will live today as your vessel ready to receive your word, respond to your promptings, and pour out your overflowing love to those all around me. Please allow your thoughts to become my thoughts, your ways to become my ways and your will to become what I truly desire. Jesus if you are in it I want it and if you are not I don’t! I choose to faith this day of life! I am so grateful to be your girl! In Jesus name Amen!
I hope that you had the most amazing Christmas! If you are listening on schedule, welcome to Boxing Day 2023. This episode is actually our last episode in 2023, which means that next week is the first episode of 2024 and the first episode of SEASON 4!!!! How is that possible? I began this podcast in the spring of 2021, and finished 2021 as season 1, and then I’ve been changing our season each year since…time is flying, and I’m hoping that you are getting as much joy out of listening to these episodes as I do writing, and producing them for you! Let’s finish up 2023 with a bang! I’ve titled this week’s episode of the Faith Your Day devotional podcast: Pack It Up.
We’ll start with our Faith Your Day declaration: Jesus, thank you so much for loving me in the way that you do! You designed me on purpose for a purpose. I want to live to my full potential today, with a mindset that honors you and a soul that seeks to know you better. Jesus I know that you are the way, the truth and the life, and I ask you to guide me and reveal to me what it is that you want to show me here, have me experience here, and learn from this season. Help mold me and shape me into the best version of me. I will live today as your vessel ready to receive your word, respond to your promptings, and pour out your overflowing love to those all around me. Please allow your thoughts to become my thoughts, your ways to become my ways and your will to become what I truly desire. Jesus if you are in it I want it and if you are not I don’t! I choose to faith this day of life! I am so grateful to be your girl! In Jesus name Amen!
Alright so here we are on boxing day, and although I don’t pack up all of my xmas decor on actual boxing day, I think that every year the period of time after Christmas and until about mid January, gets me revived to clear out, take inventory of, and streamline my belongings. I get all in the mood to declutter when the New year approaches and from there it always seems to trickle into other areas of my home as well. A closet clear out, a kitchen purge and a general tidy up of any cluttered or over crowded spaces. Anyone else out there with me. When I actually do put away my Christmas décor, which traditionally is the Sunday before I go back to school in January, is when I take the time to sort through what I have before putting it back into my storage totes for next season. It got me thinking about how as we finish off this year of life, and God willing step into 2024 next week, if we can do a little character and habit inventory on how we are living, and who we have become this year. What if we were to decide that as we approach 2024, we are going to closely examine things about us that we want to take into the next year, and things that we want to box up and toss out because they are no longer serving us.
I found a wonderful verse for us today, that gets me thinking about a clean slate, a fresh start and is very convicting to help us discern as to what it is God is wanting us to be rid of in our lives. Proverbs 6:16-19 says: There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Oh hot dang girl! How many of those qualities have you displayed in the last year? How many are still in your repertoire? Wouldn’t you love to pack those up and toss them out of your life for good! It actually states that all 7 of these are detestable to God…things that he hates…ouch…in other words things that we don’t want anywhere near our hearts…remember at the beginning of each episode we say in our declaration…God if you are in it I want it…and if you are not…I don’t…so out with any and all of these right! These are the opposites of fruits of the spirit aren’t they? Let’s go though them all and break them down a little bit, to see if we can make them super relevant to life in the 21st century.
First was haughty eyes. Quite simply proud and arrogant eyes. Eyes that look upon others with an I’m better than you glance, or eyes that light up whenever someone is admiring something about you. I wonder in our day it could be those social media likes that everyone is after. Posting something for no other reason than to have a “look at me” moment. When you're haughty, you have a big attitude and act like you're better than other people. A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others. In which case the opposite of haughty is humble, and we know how much God loves humility! God loves when we recognize that he is the giver of ev-er-ry-thing…arrogance doesn’t make sense for us when we recognize we’d be naked, broke, and starving if it wasn’t for our heavenly father who provides the opportunities that result in the resources we have. Pride has to go…pack it up!
Second is lying tongue. Girl our mouths are made to testify to God’s truth. To proclaim his Good News and to exalt him with praise! Lying simply doesn’t fit anywhere in our lives. Satan is a liar my friend and that’s not the same company you want to keep. Lying destroys trust, it ruins reputations, and kills integrity, but darn sometimes isn’t it all too easy? Is it really lying if you just aren’t telling the whole truth? Is it lying if you are just avoiding the conversation? Is it lying if you really aren’t fully over the boundary…you’re just coming awful close! Girl…if you are questioning if it’s actually lying…trying to justify it…then chances are it probably is. Pray for discernment to know the truth, to tell the truth and to seek the truth. God will help to ensure he guides you in your way to living honestly in all aspects of your life. Lying does not need to come with you into 2024…pack it up!
Thirdly we move into hands that shed innocent blood…ok I know what you are thinking…umm Sarah I didn’t kill anyone this year…and rest assured I didn’t either…but I can’t help but wonder if I killed someone's spirit…crushed a dream someone had, hurt someone deeply or robbed them of their joy. Would this be worth reflecting about today? How might you be shedding innocent blood in a more metaphorical way? Have you been quick to judge, or scar someone emotionally, wounded them in a way that may never heal? Broken their trust, stolen their innocence or misused a position of authority. The blood may not be literal, but the pain, hurt and brokenness that we can cause others is very very real. This is not how we are called to live…pack it up!
Next up, we are told that God despises a heart that devises wicked schemes. So what does that look like here and now. Well have you ever seeked revenge in a situation that wasn’t fair, ever planned a way for someone to get what you felt they deserve? Took it upon yourself to decide how someone should be paying for what they did. Plotted a way to get yourself further ahead than you might have honestly earned. Decided that you were going to get back at him because of the ways that he treated you. You are going to take what isn’t yours to pay for the hurt you’ve endured. In today’s fend for yourself and push your way to the top world the claws can often come out when we feel threatened by a potential outcome. A promotion comes between you and someone else, or a relationship is treading on thin ice, or when the outcome just hasn’t gone in the way you’d hoped it would. We are called to trust that God is the ultimate judge in all situations. We aren’t down with wicked schemes…pack it up!
Fifth in our list are feet that are quick to rush into evil. Is this you? Are you the girl who deep down knows something you do is wrong but yet you do it anyways? Ever try to talk yourself into believing that something really isn’t a big deal even when you know it’s not what Jesus would desire for you. Are you the girl who simply can’t seem to get herself on the right path. You might want to, you might say you’d like to change, but yet your actions just aren’t in line with the choices you need to make and the habits you need to break. Are you hanging out with the wrong crowd, getting involved in the wrong things, and trying to hide your guilt and the shame from the one who knows all? What if you were to ask God to show you where you are off track, to convict you of the decisions that aren’t serving you and are not aligning with his will for you. We know the only one who cheers on those whose feet are rushing into evil is Satan himself, and you my sister are so much better than that! You are a daughter of the king, his precious masterpieces…rushing into evil…nah not for you! Pack it up!
Second to last we are told that God despises a false witness who pours out lies. Once we realize that God and truth are inseparable…we get a sense of how crucial truth is as a Christian. Similar to the second point we discussed…a lying tongue, a false witness is similar but on a different level. A false witness is someone who knowingly stating facts that are untrue or perpetuating a rumour by spreading information that is not known to be true about a person or persons. In other words it’s just a really crappy thing to do. Your reputation is on the line each and every day, and if you are someone who flippantly speaks about others or promises someone else that you are giving them true info when you really aren’t, well then kiss that good reputation goodbye. God designed us to be truthful and honest and prudent about what we say about other people, bearing false witness and falsifying information or perpetuating false information is not what you want to bring into your next year of life…pack it up
And finally a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Where are all my hell raiser girls at! Now you might have a heart that has all the right intentions, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe the approach is what we need to tweak. The community you live in is your home, and just like in your home, chaos, conflict, crisis…all of it causes unnecessary stress and anxiety that no one wants to be part of. Are there going to be people in your family, neighbourhood, community, country and beyond that you don’t agree with? Of course! Differing opinions, views, beliefs, and more are all part of what it means to be part of humanity. But if you are fired up, firing off, and stirring up crap, left right and center, then maybe it’s time to consider heading into 2024 with the goal of not letting the details work you up. This also applies to our online communities. Where are all my keyboard warriors at? You know who you are…my girls who can’t bypass a post they don’t agree with without leading some “critical feedback” in the comments…what if…and this is going to sound a little crazy, but what if you actually just kept on scrolling and didn’t comment…what would happen then? I’ll tell you…some inner peace, additional calm and some tranquility you didn’t feel when you were all caps screaming at the person in cyberspace. Or what would happen if you did your commute without any cursing at other drivers, or came into a situation you are upset about with the goal of resolving an issue calmly and respectfully. Stirring up chaos, being the loud mouth, and being hard to get along with are qualities that really aren’t bringing you into your full potential…they aren’t serving you so lady, it’s time to pack them up!