I've watched one sentence build up a person for years. I've also watched one sentence tear down a person for years — same tongue, same twelve words or less. The difference wasn't the size of the sentence. It was the intention behind it and the moment it was released. That should slow all of us down before we speak, especially when we're tired, hurt, or certain we're right.

Here's what I want you to carry into today. Before you speak, ask which one you're reaching for — life or death, building up or tearing down. You get to choose every single time you open your mouth, and so does everyone around you. Choose life today, and watch what starts to grow in the people you speak to.

Just a thought,

PSS

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NLT

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So, I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

You cannot substitute intention for training. We have good intentions all the time. I want to pray more. I want to control my temper. I want my marriage to honor God. Those are good intentions, but good intentions don’t automatically produce a disciplined life. There are things that have to be trained into us, and preparation has a deadline. Eventually the temptation comes; eventually the pressure comes, and when that moment arrives, the question isn’t, “What did I intend to do?” The question is, “What have I trained myself to do?”

An undisciplined life is an undefended life. Scripture says a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. If your appetite tells you what to do, your appetite is your master. If your anger tells you what to do, your anger is your master. If your feelings determine your obedience, your feelings are your master. But self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, not a stronger version of yourself. It’s Jesus is Lord, His Spirit lives in me, and every part of my life increasingly comes under His authority. Every time you tell your flesh no and Jesus yes, you’re training. So, pick one wall. Pick the one you’ve been avoiding. You already know what it is.

Just a thought,

PSS

One of the secrets to success is giving, not taking. Research done by Wharton Professor Adam Grant suggests that some of the most successful people, not just in business, are in fact classic “givers.” They are people who genuinely try to help those around them. The help does not just come in the form of finances, but also in taking an interest in sharing information and being willing to assist others in their endeavors.

We need to understand that a gracious attitude is needed to be successful. If all you do is take, then you are self-absorbed. On the other hand, if you give, share, or help others get ahead, I believe you will be happier and life will look brighter to you. We should make an effort to comprehend the principle of being generous. You should not expect people to give to you because they have something, but because they are sincerely concerned for you. So many people today are takers and think only of themselves, without any care for others. Givers are more successful than takers, which will you choose to be?

Just a Thought,

PSS

Matthew 5:29-30 NLT

“So if your eye — even your good eye — causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand — even your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

Jesus was not asking anyone to maim themselves. He was making a point so strong it could not be softened or explained away. Whatever is pulling you into sin has to go. Not managed. Not negotiated with. Removed. He named the eye and the hand on purpose, because those are the parts of you that feel too valuable to lose. That is exactly why He picked them. If God had said cut off the thing you do not care about, it would not have meant anything.

Most people are not struggling with something small. They are struggling with something that feels essential. A relationship. A habit. A comfort. An income. Something that has earned a permanent place in their life simply because it has always been there. But familiar is not the same as harmless, and valuable is not the same as necessary. If it is leading you into sin, it has to come out, no matter what it costs you to remove it.

The trade Jesus lays out is not close. Losing something you love is painful. Losing your soul is eternal. He is not asking you to give up more than He already gave up for you. He is asking you to take sin as seriously as He took the cross.

Just a thought,

PSS

Romans 6:1-2 NLT

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

Grace always costs somebody something. It cost Jesus His life. That is what people forget when they talk about grace as if it is some free pass that ignores the truth. Real grace never ignores the truth. It just refuses to beat you over the head with it. Grace has responsibility attached to it, every single time. If I give you a car and you never drive it, that car is not doing you any good. It just sits there. Grace works the same way. God gives it to you, but grace has no power in your life until you actually use it.

Grace gives you the opportunity to change. That is the whole point. What good is having a car if you never get in it and go somewhere? Same with grace. It is not there so you can sit still and feel comfortable about staying stuck. It is there to move you. Grace is not permission to stay the same, it is power to become different. And do not misunderstand me, grace is still a gift. You cannot earn it and you cannot work for it. But a gift that never changes you is a gift you never actually opened.

That is why cheap grace is not grace at all. Cheap grace says everything is fine and never costs you a thing. It never demands anything. It just enables. That is not mercy, that is rescuing somebody from their own responsibility, and rescuing is not the same thing as grace. Real grace costs somebody something. It cost Jesus everything. So do not cheapen it by treating it like a hall pass. Let it change you, because that is exactly what it was meant to do.

Just a thought,

PSS