SILENCE IS GOLDEN 

Proverbs 17:28 – “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

My grandfather often said: “if you can’t improve on silence then don’t speak.”

He lived by that adage.

He was a man of few but weighty words.

It’s only the Holy Spirit who can hold a believer’s tongue!
And often the believer’s tongue needs holding!



AUTO-CORRECT

The wonderful Holy Spirit of God is Spiritual Auto-Correct for each Christian.

He indwells each true born-again believer to assist in the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 16:12-14)

Typically, the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to control speech and conduct (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16-25) in such a way that there is auto-correction taking place all of the time.

It is the believer’s moment-to-moment responsibility to pay attention to the indwelling Holy Spirit’s auto-corrects.

As a preacher I was both challenged and encouraged
to hear a very well-known preacher begin to make a statement in a sermon and then to stop and then to pause  and then to say: “I best not go there. I won’t say anything more on that”.

Auto-Correction. Holy Spirit-Correction. Edification. Glorification of Christ Jesus.

That was a case where auto-correction didn’t leave a silly result but rather it most certainly left a Christ-honouring result.

Pay attention to your auto-correct Agent: The indwelling God the Holy Spirit.



Self-Control

Pizza DogThis is a cute picture. But really it’s a picture of tremendous self-control.Every dog I know loves pizza!

As followers of Jesus each of us is called to self control (Galatians 5:22-23); and each of us is equipped to have it.

God the Holy Spirit resides within us. (Romans 8:9)

The evil desires, which each of us has from time to time, due to our lingering sin natures, can & must be checked by the Holy Spirit.

Notice how happy the dog is in obedience to his master’s command not to eat!

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me’. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
(James 1:13-14)

Self-Control is not common these days. But it is possible; and it is an unexpected key to happiness and joy!

The alternative is being dragged away to an ugly place where we never imagined we’d be.



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