“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29
Joyce Meyer is a no-nonsense, honest and outspoken minister and New York Times best-selling author. At times, her “tell-it-like-it-is” personality can be difficult to swallow, however, her ability to communicate important and tough-love wisdom are what we appreciate most about her. In her book Battlefield of the Mind, she teaches how to deal with thousands of thoughts that we all think every day as well as how to focus the mind in the way God thinks. Comfortingly she shares the trials, tragedies, and ultimate victories from her own marriage, family, and ministry that led her to wondrous, life-transforming truth and freedom from negative thoughts. Here are her tips:
1. Think Before You Speak – Every word you speak has impact and according to Proverbs 18:21, “our words have the power of life or death in them.” It’s easy to complain but when we complain, we open the door to more negativity rather than gratitude. Because we get what we put out, when we complain, we get complaints and negativity back, and when we speak kindly and with gratitude and thanks, we get love, gratitude and thanks back. Complaining may feel good, but it doesn’t solve anything.
2. Look for Treasure in Every Trial – Complaining comes from an ungrateful and prideful attitude of the heart. It causes us to feel that we shouldn’t be inconvenienced or have bad things happen to us. Let’s face it, we’re used to instant gratification, getting what we want and we don’t want to experience discomfort or for anything to be hard. This causes us to have a selfish and immature perspective of difficult situations and say things we shouldn’t. I’ve learned there is a better approach, which is to look for the treasure in every trial, which in the midst of trial is where we have the opportunity to press into God, grow and change for the better.
3. No Pain, No Gain – Gaining spiritual, emotional and mental maturity hurts, because it always proceeds a trial. Make it your goal to resist the temptation to complain and instead be grateful and give thanks.