Word Filter

“When it comes to my kids it’s a knee jerk reaction (a temptation if you will) for my emotions to take over, 'take off my earrings', & go in!”

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

I was in the car transporting a kid home from a sport (my daily life). He was upset about words others said to him. Things like “You’re not good at basketball” and “You’re terrible at lay-ups” etc. As he’s telling me these things and expressing his emotions about them, I prayed. Because when my kids tell me that someone used their words to hurt them, I want to retaliate. When it comes to my kids it’s a knee jerk reaction (a temptation if you will) for my emotions to take over, “take off my earrings”, & go in! These words from others that make my kids feel badly, feel like a direct hit to my own heart. 

I know you moms relate to this because you are also fiercely protective of your sweet babes. That's our “common to mamakind” thread. 

But God wants me to rely on Him. So I listened and prayed. And if I’m being honest I argued a little in my head about whether I should give someone a piece of my mind. Because that’s my mama flesh wanting to defend my boy. But this is where it gets good, where the pavement meets the road (see what I did there? 😀), right in that moment God gave me this verse: 

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV 

So I said to my boy that God just put this verse in my head for him. And that God wants him to take those criticisms from others, filter out what can be useful to him (such as but not limited to: working on layups) and throw the rest away because the other stuff is just junk. The other stuff is not from God, it’s not what God says about him. 

Don’t you just love how God meets us in our temptations, reassures us that’s its common to feel that way (we’re not alone), gives what we need to overcome that temptation, and leaves us better than we were before the temptation? Wowwee, that’s good stuff!! 

Action Step:

• Practice Pause: What is your knee jerk reaction(s)? Maybe you have more than one, but identify one and pray about it. Ask God to show you how to handle that reaction (aka temptation) with Him.

• What is it that another person is speaking over you that needs God-filtered? Take the stuff that really might need some work (ie gossip, different lipstick color), examine it, & throw away the rest. Ask God to help you do this. 

Written by Abbey, just a common mama