Watch Your Body

Posted on August 28, 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I think of my job as a keeper at home. This job is big enough for two or three women in one household. Of course I’m not advocating polygamy (though a hired housekeeper would be nice), but when I think about why this job is necessary, I recollect myself, call on God and know that He gives me nothing more than I can handle. I remember that being a keeper at home, or a homemaker, is a wonderful role and is required of all women, not just married ones who don’t work outside the home. Titus 2:5 says this job is for women to serve as the home’s gatekeeper to let in the good and keep out the bad so the family can meet its spiritual goals. If women do just this job, we would see a world of difference:

• Guard your ears. Women must guard what the family hears: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Tim. 2:16). This hearing includes any talk, whether one-on-one, from the television, radio, Internet and even from the pulpit. When family members hear not just godless talk, but talk that is vain (words that have no value to the hearer), they will desire to hear more ungodly and vain talk, which will impact what they say and what they want to see.
• Watch your mouths. Women must guard what the family says: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). What you speak is often learned from what is heard and gets into your heart. Once the talk is in the heart, it eventually comes out. Mark 7:21-23 says, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
• Guard your eyes. Women must guard what the family sees. Matthew 6:22-23 tells us that when we look at healthy things, our entire bodies will be healthy. This makes me think about reading the Bible, Christian literature and other inspirational materials. These things positively impact my mind, empower my limbs and infuse my talk do duplicate good.

Without a doubt, what you hear, say and see impact the person you become and dictate your actions. Guarding these key areas will help shape your family and (one family at a time) the world to be who God has called us to be. I would love to hear from you some ways that you have guarded your family’s ears, mouths and eyes. I know your sharing that and even how you wish you had been more vigilant will be beneficial for all of us. I look forward to hearing from you.

Get the Junk Out

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Time heals all wounds, the old saying goes. But this is not true. Instead what you do with the time given to you is what allows the healing to take place. Many people don’t want to take the time necessary to make things change. Maybe they don’t have the capacity, because the hurt is so fresh or no one ever taught them the necessary steps. Well, this post will give you some necessary steps so when you are in the midst of pain, you will already have the tools to be implemented. This will also help you to guide those coming behind you so they too will be equipped. We need to take the time outside of crisis moments to figure out how to cope in the crisis moments so we don’t set ourselves up for a complete fall.

Remember, the two areas that Christians are warned to combat are vanity of the mind and lasciviousness (See No Christian Pimps Allowed). Vanity of the mind deals with what’s going on inside of us and lasciviousness expresses what’s going on in the mind. For example, if you have deep hatred for someone (vanity of the mind) that has been brewing for years you may decide to just punch them one day or curse them out (lasciviousness). See, if you don’t deal with the internal junk, the junk will manifest externally. And only God, through Jesus Christ, can clean you up permanently, where you walk unbound on this earth and eventually experience eternal freedom from all consuming junk.

Steps to Being Level-Headed

1. Get to know Jesus Christ in salvation. Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to ensure we have a place in heaven.
2. Get to know God in sanctification. Once you have a place in heaven, you have to improve your walk on earth. Philippians 2:12 says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This tells us that now that we have a place in heaven, we better live to express that God now resides in us. We can do this with God’s power (Philippians 2:13). Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You must then study the attributes of God so you 1) know what behavior to seek after and 2) understand that He is a god that you can trust to help you succeed.
3. Get rid of what will cause sin internally and externally. You may have to throw away some treasured items that will cause your mind and body to sin. You may have to stop hanging with some folks that you know are toxic. You may have to stop watching certain movies and hanging certain places to get your mind right so your body will follow.
4. Remember God’s promise. If you purse God’s presence by seeking to be level-headed, great things will happen: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5).

Being level-headed may not be easy, but it is possible when we let God be the Helper that He tells us He is.

Practice Sexual Purity

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

I know being sexually pure is tough. After reading my two posts this week, many people have commented about their struggles in this area. And some people don’t think sexual purity is realistic. The argument is that God made us sexual beings, and we don’t have the capacity to abstain. Added to that, we live in a country with freedom of choice, and many of us want to exercise that choice with little or no restraint. We are even encouraged to do so. But even though sexual purity may be a struggle and we are sexual beings who have the freedom to choose, God wants us to choose to follow is will: to only have sex within the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6). But how can this be done with seemingly so much against us?

Following are four do’s and don’ts to help you walk in sexual purity:

Do keep your mind on God’s Word (Psalm 119:11).

1) Listen to it (Sermons, music, read it aloud).
2) Study it.
3) Post it.
4) Meditate on it.
5) Memorize it.

Don’t expose yourself to sensual materials (Books, television shows, advertisements, music, magazines, websites, conversations or movies). None of these has to be labeled pornography. If they have sexual triggers for you, don’t consume them (2 Timothy 2:16).

Do hang with spiritually-minded Christian people. This is not to say that you shouldn’t be around people with other values. The Apostle Paul says you would have to leave this world to do that (1 Corinthians 5:10). Just make sure your closest friends—those who you seek counsel from—are capable of giving you Godly wisdom, not just good old “common sense” (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 19:21).

Don’t hang with unscrupulous people. You will eventually do what they do (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Do go to inspirational places like church and houses of accountable friends. Even at church and other places you go, like a concert, you have to make sure that the people or activities aren’t ones that will draw you in sexually. Church? I’m just sayin’ (Psalm 73:14-17).

Don’t go to shady places. If it’s underground, back alley or afterhours, chances are you might get into some trouble (Genesis 34).

Do keep busy. When you fill your life up with productive activities, you won’t have time to plan or commit sin.

Don’t have idle time. If you do, you will have plenty of time to plan and commit sin (1 Timothy 5:13).

Practice Teaching Good

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Teach good things—standards from the Bible—so there will be peace with God and peace with men. That’s too simplistic, was what I suspected the naysayers would say about the premise of what I wrote on Wednesday. I can understand how they would say that, looking at the complexity of issues the world faces today, understanding and recognizing man’s sinful nature and acts, understanding and recognizing their own sinful nature and acts, and seeing that the mess of a world we live in was not created in one day. This type of reasoning is easy to understand when we only focus on the mess we see and not focus on the God who can redeem the mess. He is where our focus must be. Otherwise, we are defeated before we even begin to teach anything good.

God is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing. His power resides in believers of Jesus Christ, and being obedient to His Word effectuates His power through us. His power is what created the universe, parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, keeps me from abusing my children and cussing out my husband and restrains me from other sinful desires. We must recognize His power in us. Otherwise, we are defeated before we even begin to teach anything good.

So go forth in confidence to model what you want mimicked. We know that if we are around anyone long enough we pick up on each other’s characteristics. There was a season where my friends and I laughed alike, not because we were cultish, but we subconsciously influenced each other, constantly being together. And there are times when I wonder where my children get the phrases they say; then I find my husband and me saying them and realize they have picked them up from us. So do and say what you want repeated:

1) Exhibit the 10 Commandments.
2) Display the Fruit of the Spirit.
3) Develop practical lessons based on the 10 Commandments and Fruit of the Spirit and teach them. Have bible study with your children. Share your findings with your friends. Offer to host a Bible Study with neighbors or coworkers. Get an accountability partner to encourage your walk. This is doable.

These provide a good starting point because they are the basics and the basis for expected Christian behavior. You will be copied whether you want to or not, and even those who are skeptical about the power of God’s Word will pause to see how your life is different and think twice about their doubts. They may even decide to want Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and join you in the fight to bring about peace with God and peace with men.

Practice Sobriety

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Wine has the power to make you talk rough and alcohol makes you walk tough, causing you to argue and fight people (Proverbs 20:1). Remember, I told you that in an earlier post. And this is the case whether you’re a Christian or not. Alcohol doesn’t discriminate. To curb illicit behavior, the world says to drink responsibly by not drinking and driving and limiting the number of drinks you have. But with Christianity, being responsible with alcohol means don’t get drunk or don’t drink at all because in either case you promote spiritual development. Practicing sobriety for some may not be easy, but it is necessary. Here are some points to help you:

1. Remember how consuming alcohol

Affects you

b. Affects others—If non-Christians and Christians who aren’t as mature in the faith see you drink, they may get the wrong impression about your walk with Christ and Christianity. One, non-Christians may think that Christians aren’t any different from non-Christians. Two, if you get drunk, non-Christians may think that drunkenness is an acceptable part of Christianity. Three, non- and immature Christians are likely to dismiss anything you try to teach them about Christianity; you’re no longer credible in their eyes. Four, immature Christians may think your drinking gives them license to drink and they are unaware of the parameters, like not getting drunk and not drinking at all so they won’t cause a person younger in the faith to stumble.

c. Affects God—God showed great wrath to the Israelites for getting drunk (Isaiah 5:11-16, 22-25, 28:7). Scripture doesn’t detail for us consequences of our alcohol abuse, but we are told the general consequences from God—that He will destroy our bodies (2 Corinthians 3:16-17).

2. Pray

b. For strength to abstain.

c. To want what God wants for your life more than what you want for your life (Matthew 26:42).

If you keep in mind the consequences of consuming alcohol and pray that God’s will be done in your life, expect a great outcome. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

Musings of a (Recovering) Strong Black Woman

Tag Archives: Faith

Watch Your Body

Get the Junk Out

Practice Sexual Purity

Practice Teaching Good

Practice Sobriety