God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
Hello everyone! I'm so excited to share what God has laid on my heart this evening.
Throughout my life I have heard my mom tell my brother, my dad, and me to choose our battles. At first it was just words to me until I really began to think about how to choose my battles and what that would entail. The more I've thought about it the more clear it has become and I learned that this process is sometimes difficult.
Maybe you have to deal with a lady who comes in every once in a while expecting her expired coupons to work, even though she got all clearance items. You are frustrated because you know that those coupons won't work and she knows it too. What you don't see is that she didn't have time to come in before the coupon expired because she's been pulling double shifts to make ends meet.
Maybe you have to help the elderly gentleman order every week even though he ends up getting the same thing. You may not see that he misses his wife who just passed away who always helped him pick new things to try and without her, it isn't the same.
Maybe you have to wait some mornings on a school bus who's running behind but what you don't think of is that he just got his grandbabies on the bus so his daughter could go to her new job on time.
There can be all kind of things you have to go through sometimes just to see how you're going to react.
What you have to do is take yourself out of the situation, it seems kind of selfish to think that every battle we are faced is even about us. In Romans chapter 12 verse 19, Jesus says vengeance is His, to not avenge ourselves because He will be the one to repay, you don't have to worry about getting revenge God has your back. So if what the person says or does hurts you, you can be angry but you cannot sin, you can be hurt but not seek revenge. And if you truly take yourself out of the picture, you'll see the action or the words weren't for you or at you, it was a test of character and a chance to be a witness to someone.
Maybe to that lady who's having trouble with expiration dates on her coupons, you can speak with your manager and see what they can do, if they cannot do something, apologize sincerely and pray for her (you don't have to even tell her you are). If you do what you can for her instead of getting aggravated, that may bless her even more than getting the coupon for the day because she sees that someone cares.
To that elderly gentleman, ask about his favorite memories of his wife and show that you truly care about what he's going through. Loss is never easy for anyone. If there's anything new on the menu, tell him about it, it could strike up joy in his heart knowing that someone else is looking out for him.
And to that bus driver, pray a blessing over his life and that his family would recognize the sacrifices he has made for them.
God knows our strengths and weaknesses and He works on us every day. The Bible says the strong should bear the infirmities of the weak so when faced with opposition next time, think about how strong God
In all, people just want to feel appreciated and loved. God is love and He tells us to love like He does, unconditionally and constantly.
Who can you bless today? Who can you make feel appreciated and loved? God wants to take you higher but He has to challenge you first. Are you up for it?
Some of the scriptures I used for this piece are listed below respectively.
Romans 12:19- Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Ephesians 4:26- Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Romans 15:1- We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
1 John 4:8- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
I hope this touched your heart and blessed your soul!! God bless you!
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