God's Justice and Ours

Certainly evildoers deserve punishment but there is a great difference between God's justice and ours. The problem is that man thinks of justice in a different way than God. We believe that justice has been served when the perpetuators of crime or evil works are punished with a jail sentence or even sentenced to death. Humans tend to focus on the eye for an eye brand of justice for the evil that people do.

Thankfully, God does not view things in the same way and He practices to give us what we need rather than what we deserve and that is also what He requires us to do in our dealings with others.

A JOKE

A lady of a certain age visited a professional photographer to have her portrait made. When she returned to see the proofs she told the photographer that the pictures did not do her justice. The photographer commented, “Ma'am, when it comes to your portraits you don't need justice; you need mercy!”

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

And mercy is something that we all need! We need for God to be merciful toward us and we need him to love us, forgive us and accept us. We are well aware that even the most devout Christians do not always walk in faith as we should. We are often separated from our beliefs and the way that we live out our lives do not reflect our spirituality.
Please refer to this inspirational Bible verse about love and kindness, Micah 6:8 that tells us, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

When the Lord asks us to carry out justice he is requiring us to live and walk in our faith in our daily lives. Just going to church on Sunday is not enough. Our faith should lead us to work from justice and to witness to others in the way that we conduct our lives. To be truthful there's no danger in mistaking us for Christ our Savior but He should be seen in us in the way we live. It’s a goal worth having to bring God's Justice and ours closer together and to conduct acts of kindness that remind others of our Lord who is the kindest of all.

HOW GOD MADE US

When I read the following Bible verse, in those quiet moments when my mind is roaming free, I often wonder how God made us and why.

I Corinthians 12:12-20 tells us, "Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?"

While on vacation recently, we were lounging on the beach with all of our children playing around us, when our three-year-old daughter came running from behind my lounge chair to shout at the seagulls telling them, "Go away!" "You're not scaring me!" Her delivery was so convincing that the birds actually scattered for a few moments.

Amused, I turned back to reading my book until I heard my other daughter crying. Nowhere near as brave as her older sister she was afraid of the birds and was standing riveted in the hot sand in distress. Then here comes my three year-old began telling the birds to get away from her sister! Once again they took off and my toddler was able to relax for a moment.

This event reminded me of just how God has made us all so different. Even members of the same family so close in age have completely different personalities. What this tells me is just how each of our personalities fit together as part of God's plan for us.

My younger daughter was easy creating a work of art (toddler style) until she became afraid of the birds. But her big sister was ready, willing and able to help remove the fear so that she could move on with her artwork.

I believe that how God made us was to arrange each of us to play an integral part in the “body” of His family all working with one another in His perfect plan. The Lord puts people in our lives that are capable of assisting and helping us calm our fears and get through difficult times so that we can finish our assigned masterpieces. But it is our choice to accept their help.

The ultimate friend, protect her and helper is our God. He is all knowing and is aware of exactly what we need even before the moment is at hand. He is the ultimate defender that gives us the strength to stand against trouble and resist temptations.

He knows exactly what we need because we are His children and created in His image. As His children all we need to do is listen for His instruction and accept his help.

When we spend time at His feet and allow Him to be the greatest influence in our lives we will have an existence full of favor and benefits of salvation and there are so many inspirational Bible verses that attest to this as fact.

BRINGING SOULS TO CHRIST

I often wonder if there is a better way of bringing souls to Christ than to visit, leave pamphlets and invite people to join me at church. I know that many are hungry...no starved...for what our Savior has to give and are just waiting for an invitation.

Many times these lost souls stand silently in the background or worse yet, act in the most sinful ways imaginable in order to either be noticed or in a futile attempt to fill the emptiness in their lives with something even if it's the wrong thing.
However, as miserable and sad as these people can be they often take offense or are insulted and downright rebellious if a Christian shows up at their door bringing them an invitation to join your religious family.

We are told many times in the Bible that witnessing is important but we should be aware that the inspirational message can be delivered in many ways.

Here is one Bible verse about witnessing and bringing souls to Christ that I would like to share:

ACTS 1:8

"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect to the people in Jerusalem throughout Judea, and in Sumaria, and to the ends of the earth."

HOW TO WITNESS

Perhaps one of the most effective ways for us to witness would be how we live our own lives. Do we live the way Jesus would want us to live? Would He approve of our actions on any given day? Do we make it a practice to only go to places where He would go?

The way that we go about our day to day workaday lives can be a witness bringing souls to Christ. Our very lives can be a witness to the lost and then when we do have the opportunity to witness the lost person will be more receptive to our invitation.

The love of Jesus Christ is a beautiful gift that we can offer every lost person that is waiting for an invitation to receive the gift of salvation. We can be the motivation for the lost to seek salvation. We can show them the joy that comes from being a member of the family of God. Showing them rather than telling them that God's love can take away the pain is perhaps a better way.

Here is a poem that is an invitation to unsaved individuals.

To the tired and thirsty person
Plagued by sin and woe
Christ offers a place of comfort
Where the saved can go

He offers us cool water
And food enough to share
With those who would trade light for darkness
And tormented thoughts for prayer

His gift is wrapped in beauty
And eternal life too
A present of peace and joy so sweet
Waiting for you at Jesus' feet

Bringing lost souls to Christ's love can be a personal blessing, so let's dedicate ourselves to living the live the Jesus intended for us to receive it to the very fullest.

JOYS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

I recently had a moment to reflect on the joys of being a Christian and I would like to share my experience with you. On a recent lengthy car trip with my daughter, we had a chance for some mother-daughter conversations as well as moments of comfortable silence. During one of the quiet moments, I found myself having to manuever through a construction zone with uneven pavement that required some effort to keep the car on the road.


The jerking, weaving and pulling of the car was a bit scary and I started to get frustrated with trying to both keep us safe and find a smooth spot on the road. While I was feeling the stress and strain I happened to glance over at my little girl and saw that she was aware of the situation and the expression on her face was so horrified and yet funny that in spite of myself I got tickled!

At first she didn't appreciate the humor of the situation and seemed irritated that I was taking things so lightly. But the more I laughed the more she caught my mood, joined in and started to let go and laugh.

After making it through the rough patch just fine I started thinking of how the lighthearted moment made things better. There are so many moments every day that bring us to the brink of frustration, fear, worry and sometimes anger but what would the outcome be if we stopped, took a breath and reflected on the joys of being a Christian and to draw on those teachings?

Proverbs 17:22 tells us, "A merry heart does good like a medicine."

What if when sadness and heartache comes our way we respond to it with thinking of Luke 6:21 that states, "Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh."?

When financial problems arise, the Bible has an answer for that in Psalms 126:5 telling us, "But he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast."

And perhaps tensions on your job or in the office could be alleviated by referral to Proverbs 15:13 that says, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Perhaps if we put these uplifting Bible verses to work every day we will find that the joys of being a Christian are contagious and we would be hard pressed to find better motivational quotes than the ones we find in above scripture.

Recognizing the Need for Charity

Recognizing the need for charity is perhaps the springboard for giving. I know very few people who would knowingly be stingy if they knew that a person of their acquaintance was in need. However, many fail to stop and think about whether another is doing without because even in difficult times most are truly are blessed and have more than enough.

This is one of the quotes about charity that best illustrates my point:

Nothing is so hard for those who are surrounded by riches than to conceive how others can be in need.



The problem is that many proud families or individuals are not going to wave flags announcing their needs to the world. How do we identify who is in need? First of all, there are many charitable organizations run by fine people that make recognizing the need for charity their life's work. You can take your pick from a list of charities that would appreciate anything you have to offer including financial assistance in your area. Or if you would prefer a more personal approach to giving, you might take a moment and think of the friends or family members in your own neighborhood that have lost jobs and fallen on hard times that might appreciate a carefully offered helping hand.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more ways that we can offer comfort and kindness after recognizing the need for charity.

Mind Your Own Business Quotes and Sayings

Since I made my first post on this subject some of the mind your own business quotes and sayings that have been posted as comments have literally cracked me up! I'm relatively certain that the circumstances in which these statements were delivered were less than humorous but one or two of them were hilarious.

"If it's not your tail don't be wagging it."


This saying that I would like to focus on today has to do with breaking the bad habit of gossiping. So many people say the peace and productivity in their workplace was totally destroyed by office gossip. It only takes one worker with a loose tongue and a mean spirit to reduce a team into utter turmoil. It's the brave soul who is willing to nip malicious gossip around the water cooler in the bud by sharing a few mind your own business quotes and sayings before things get completely out of hand.

Bad news travels fast but juicy gossip knows no limits. Consider that your affairs may be the next topic of discussion the next time you are tempted to stir the pot or better yet, gently advise a co-worker that gossiping is never a good idea.

Minding Your Own Business

Minding your own business should be at the top of any list of health tips. In my humble opinion, breaking the habit of being nosy may be just as beneficial to your body as diet and exercise.

How many times have you been guilty of "sticking your nose in a hornet's nest" only to have it backfire on you? Meddling with the natural order of things can be harmful to you as well as those whose lives you are tampering with.

The temptation to fix things for other people can be very strong. Seeing our loved ones suffer the consequences of their unwise actions is never pleasant but it's best to turn them over to the care and wisdom of a loving God than to become involved in situations where we may not see the whole picture.

After trying to be a "fixer" you may find that minding your own business gives you freedom to work on your own problems that are truly within your power to fix. God expects us to focus on our own individual spiritual and physical health not to run around trying to do his job for him.

Here is a joke that proves that not minding your own business can be very painful.


A man was taking a stroll past a fenced yard the other day when he heard a group of people shouting, '13....13....13.'

Intrigued, he wanted to take a peek, but the fence was too high for him to look over. His curiosity was growing but there was no ladder to use to see over that fence and then he happened to see a small gap between the boards of the fence so he ran over and put his eye to the hole so that he could see what all the shouting was about....and then... somebody poked him right in the eye with a stick!

At that point the shouting became '14....14....14'...


Consider this a silly reminder to mind your own business!

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Keep Your Eye on Eternity

One of my favorite quotes about eternity is that it seems like a long time coming but once it arrives you hope that you don't want it to end quickly. Ponder this quotation and you will undoubted see the urgency to keep ourselves focused on eternity rather than the endless pursuit of things that are meant to get the message across to our neighbor that we are big wheels and a roaring success financially.

Our Lord knows that we have to be industrious in order to obtain the many needs of our families. But I have to believe that His plan for us was to be content with the basics. I'm sure that he didn't mean for us to spend so much of our lives fighting to have huge homes and endless amounts of stuff that we don't really need or SHOULDN'T need in order to feel truly bless and contented.

There is a scripture about this that states, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you," and there is another that tells us "Contentment is great gain."
I take these statements to mean that we should spend more time thinking about how we might honor His name, be helpful to those in need and eternity will be paradise.

I hope that on your next visit to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes about Eternity that you can share something that you did for your fellow man or tell us what you donated that you had no need for and that you are more contented.

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS QUOTES

If I threw out a few mind your own business quotes today would you think I was being a smart aleck and be insulted? Can such a harsh statement possibly be motivational? This depends on whether or not you are willing to realize the benefits of minding your own affairs. If you are you will see that there is indeed an inspirational message in these words even though they are often delivered in a somewhat less than motivational manner.

You might be wondering how somebody telling you to mind your own business could be anything OTHER than insulting. Certainly, the circumstances and delivery of the message is the key. For instance, I’m not about to try and convince you that when your teenage son or daughter catches you listening in on their private telephone conversations and gives you a piece of his or her mind that you should be inspired.
However, when a caring friend after seeing you in an emotional state because of something that someone did that was completely out of your control tosses out some “mind your own business” quotes, how could you fail to see the benefits?

Trying to control another person’s actions, no matter how well meaning your intentions may be, is an exercise in futility that is only going to leave you at best frustrated and defeated and at worst a candidate for depression. Minding your own business is the best way to lift the weight of taking personal responsibility for another’s actions off your shoulders. It takes practice, but once you experience the freedom that comes from being responsible for your own life alone I have doubts that you will want to return to a codependent existence.

One of my favorite mind your own business quotes is "Clean your own backyard" which basically reminds us that we are only meant to control our own lives. It is a good idea to listen to our loved ones when they have problems and offer advice carefully when asked. I’m sure that you will find that if you truly tend to your own business you will have very little time to meddle in the affairs and privacy of others and see just how liberating that will be.

QUOTES ABOUT CHANGE

Quotes about change are important and would you like to know my opinion on why this is so? If you are still logged in and reading beyond the question mark punctuating the opening line to this paragraph I must assume that you are indeed slightly curious. Perhaps you are even interested to the point of intrigue as to what my thoughts might be on the underlying importance of powerful quotes about social changes.

I won’t keep you hanging and in suspense any longer; the reason that quotes about change are so uplifting and significant is because they give us hope for the future. Was that a huge letdown or did you already guess what I was going to say? If so, you already have felt the lift in your mood when an important political leader or spiritual leader preached on the need for change in our less than perfect behavior and the ways of the world.

So, when will we see this dramatic turnaround that is going to benefit all of mankind? The answer to that question is right in front of our faces. It does not start with President Obama’s inspirational quotes about change and it didn’t start with your minister’s sermon last Sunday morning. Change begins within the heart of each individual. If you find the President’s speeches about change or your preacher’s more Biblical approach to the subject motivational the world as a whole will reap the rewards. Each and every individual who experiences an awakening of the spirit and makes the decision to approach his fellow man in a more positive and loving way brings us nearer to a better existence as a whole.

PATIENCE QUOTES - The Virtue of Patience

One of my favorite patience quotes from the Bible is taken from Psalm 27:14.


"Wait on the Lord and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen the heart."


Young people seem to always be in such a rush to meet deadlines, accomplish goals and get to where they want to be. In all that hurrying and scurrying they seem to lose sight of where they are are going or what they are going to do once they arrive.

A young married couple may be ready to start a family and is having difficulty getting pregnant. Maybe a college graduate is ready to kick off the career of a lifetime. There's nothing at all wrong with enthusiasm, but when it becomes a problem we need some inspiration and guidance on how to control ourselves and remain upbeat and focused rather than to give up out of frustration.

Waiting for anything to happen or taking their time drives people crazy. What is actually a few minutes they treat as if it were an eternity. People become so impatient and irritable mentally drumming their fingers and patting their feet in a fretful fashion. Their attitude is that things should be hopping all the time; that life is moving on without them and that they are wasting time when they need to be out there in the mix of things.

Older folks are more relaxed because they have "been there" and "done that" but even they are guilty of not remembering the patience quotes that their elders shared with them. Patience and tolerance is a virtue that is difficult to attain in today's world. All we can do is pay attention to what the Bible says about patience and trust in God's wisdom while we are devoping patience of our own.

There are a few funny quotes on patience. My favorite involves a pair of buzzards sitting in a tree pondering on killing something rather than to use prudence and wait for a carcass to be served up to them.

The best inspirational quote on patience that I have found is this one: Patience is wisdom in waiting.

An ancient proverb on patience that is worthy of mention is: A misty morning does not mean that it will be a cloudy day.

There are many patience quotations or sayings from the Bible, but here's a good one:
A man's wisdom gives patience. Proverbs 19-11


If you read carefully there is a common thread in patience quotes; wisdom. This tells us that it is a wise person who practices prudence and learns the virtue of patience. So, how do we start to build wisdom and start to practice patience rather than to live in a state of anxiety and frustration? The best advice that I can offer is when you find yourself in too much of a hurry take a few breaths and remember that God tells us to wait.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more sayings and words of wisdom from the Bible.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE ABOUT GOSSIP

"Another privilege of talking is to misquote"

Can there be an inspirational quote about gossip? To some of us who have managed to dodge the rumor mill such inspiration may be considered unnecessary. However, those who have been the subject of misquotes and misinformation may need some motivational words to help them develop thicker skins or maybe to apply a little emotional water proofing so that incorrect facts or downright dirty lies will roll over and off of them like water off a ducks back.

Conversation and the sharing of local news are entertaining. But often in the repeating of tidbits of news the stories start to take on a life of their own and the facts get embroidered and decorated so that they will attract a larger audience and be even more interesting than they were in the beginning.

Those who are the victims of this mode of misguided entertainment should take heart and know that even the most positive kind of fame rarely lasts more than 15 minutes or so I'm told. So, our quote about gossip tells us that talking is so common that even the juiciest of rumors won't stay on the tongues of nosy people long enough to worry with.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes about Gossip

INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES for CHRISTMAS

I had promised my visitors a series of inspirational messages for Christmas and I have to apologize that family illness has kept me from fulfilling my promise for a few days. However, every occurrence in our lives can have great meaning if you just take the time to look for it. My recent time spent worrying in the waiting room of the local hospital gave me some time for observation and introspection that I would otherwise probably not have had.


The Christmas season is one of the most recognized holidays in the world today. It has the power to transcend both language and cultural barriers and in some instances; religious beliefs. People love to take advantage of this time when even people at war with each other can lay down their weapons and come together in peace. It can also provide a time for personal reflection.


So many people are in search of inspirational messages for Christmas. I’m not sure if they are searching for themselves or if they simply want something to read aloud to their loved ones before sitting down to a celebratory meal. Either is a worthy cause in my book as anytime is a good time to initiate spiritual family rituals that maintain the connection to ideals that are both divine and sacred.


I’d like to share with you a funny Christmas quote about what it’s like not to be a child at Christmas. It’s one that I remember from Erma Bombeck’s writings from a while back:


There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.



That is certainly a negative about not being a kid, but here’s an
inspirational message
for Christmas that reminds us that even if we are old, that we should be childlike in our faith:

LET US KEEP CHRISTMAS


Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing;
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
It's poignant meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.



With those inspirational words of wisdom, Grace Noll Crowell reminds us that Christmas can be a time of rebirth. A time when we can regain our faith in ourselves and mankind.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Message for Christmas, Posters Poems and Quotes to find more words that bring meaning to the holidays.

INSPIRATIONAL CHARITY QUOTES

The following inspirational charity quotes remind us that the Christmas season is not a warm and cozy time of year to those who are having trouble making ends meet or don't have the most basic of necessities like warm clothing and food.


Real charity isn't about the tax deduction.


Quotes about charity give us the motivation to reach out and do something nice for a person without expecting anything in return other than the feeling of having been blessed by making a load lighter or a day brighter. Every little bit counts and by working together with each doing his part we can solve so much of what is wrong with our world.

There's nothing wrong with donating funds to charities in order to get a tax deduction, but as the inspirational charity quote says, the blessing is not in the personal gain that you get in tax savings. It's about knowing a child didn't go to bed hungry or that an older person got the medical help that they so desperately needed.

We hear far too much about mis-managed budgets and too little about the good that acts of kindness and the true spirit of giving do to improve the lives of so many people who have fallen on difficult times through no fault of their own. Why should innocent children suffer when a small amount from each of us could provide a meal and warm shoes and clothing? They have done nothing to deserve such fates.

Here is another favorite of many inspirational charity quotes that I would like to share with you. The early snowfall that we enjoyed today brought it to mind:


An act of kindness is just like an early snow - it beautifies everything it touches.


Return to Motivational Inspirational Charity Quotes Posters and Poems to see our latest entries.

SHORT INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ABOUT LIFE

There's nothing like getting straight to the point. Short inspirational quotes about life have a way of simplifying its many twists and turns with just a few words. Here is a quotation that seems in tune with what's going on in the world today

If you want to make life easy, make it hard.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Quotes


What Goethe had on his mind at the time he penned or spoke these prophetic words is anybody's guess. And as with most quotations, the meaning is subjective. After watching the international markets behave more like a roller coaster at an amusement park than what should be normal in business, I would say that these words of wisdom indicate that when times are hard simplification takes place.

During times of prosperity and plenty, we have so many choices. There is the option of spending a day doing whatever might bring you happiness or give you pleasure. When money is scarce and there are difficulties in providing the most basic of a family's necessities, the choices are often made for us.

Note that in the short inspirational quote that he indicated life would be made easy when life is hard. I take this to mean that the need to wrack our brains over what to do in any given set of circumstances may be taken out of our hands during times of trouble.

This saying has more to do with keeping our minds at peace than it does with pleasure. Having your decisions made for you is not always fun but we can find wisdom in this short inspirational quote nonetheless.

Inspirational Poems and Quotes

Whenever I feel low, I find that my books of inspirational poems and quotes help me to not only let go of the bad feelings of gloom and doom but to lift my spirits into a better place where I can think clearer and face the future with a clear head. There are times when I find just the right saying to fit the moment, I can pass the rewarding thoughts forward and help a friend who has trouble in his or life or recommend reading materials that can do the trick. We never know what impact a thoughtful gesture or word can have to a person who is hurting and lonely.

I have never considered myself to be a motivational speaker or teacher. Nor am a someone who is capable of writing poems that inspire listeners to reach their goals in life with a smile on their face. However, I have faced my share of hard times and tests of faith and know the value of the written word with an uplifting message during times of hardship and trouble.

My goal is for the funny motivational posters and inspirational poems and quotes in stories and books that I recommend to help visitors to this blog leave their worries behind for just a few minutes and start feel better about themselves so that they can reach a more positive place.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Quotes and Posters to see our visitors' favorite quotations and poetry.