Mom Heart Moments #156

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

GRUMPY AND COMPLAINING, carrying around an Eeyore-type attitude, a woman in my extended family never failed to sigh deeply after almost everything she said. Though she was supposedly a mature believer who had been a Christian since childhood, her attitude always left me feeling discouraged when I would visit her home. I realized that this precious woman had high ideals, but her ideals did not include having a grateful heart! And so the spirit she cast on all who were in her wake was one of complaining and whining.

What we practice we will become. If we practice fear —being afraid of what life might bring our way or what could happen to our children at this point in history, worrying about our income stopping or slowing down, wondering what we would do if our child has an accident of some sort —then we will become progressively more fearful and frozen in our ability to trust God.

If we practice criticism of others, complaining and seeing them with a judgmental attitude, we will become even more harsh and critical, unloving and self-centered.

If we practice living in guilt and inadequacy, we will become small in our own minds and not enjoy God’s grace and unconditional love.

Whatever we water in the souls of our hearts will certainly grow. And if we water these “weeds” in the garden of our souls, they will certainly take over and devastate the crop of faith, love, thankfulness, grace, and joy.

Our children will certainly follow our lead and become immature in the same areas of their own lives. What we sow, we will indeed reap.

What do you cherish in your heart and feel the right to rehearse over and over? Is it healthy? Is it producing life and peace?