From: Words That Heal
By: Michael Ross & Brian Doyle
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
The key trait of a healthy church is love, yet all too often we encounter Christians who act as if they've been baptized in lemon juice. Who can forget the face of someone who just bit into a lemon? The grimacing, the puckering, the sour expression. Now compare that to someone who just tasted the sweetest, smoothest slice of chocolate mousse cake!
Scripture tells us in Proverbs 16:24 that "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." How do sweet words sound? How do they bring sweetness to our soul? We all know certain people who always seem to have a pleasant word to share. This may be a family member or a close friend. You enjoy their presence and look forward to being around them. The words they speak may not be classified as "sweet," but the conversations with them always seem to bring a sweetness to your soul.
Questions:
Take a moment to evaluate your church. What are its strengths and weaknesses? What can you do to help make life better within your church family? Do you share healing words with others?
Define how your church should look. For some clues, read Acts 6:1-8. Based on this passage, your church leaders--not to mention everyone in your congregation--should be filled with God's Spirit, God's wisdom, God's faith, God's grace, and God's power. Do these verses describe your life?
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