Nag Nag Nag...

I have been SO stinking critical lately..

I don't know what my problem is..

It started about 2 months ago. I have something to say about everyone and everything they do, and 9 times out of 10 it's something negative. Who am I to judge? Who am I to stick my nose up at them and act as if I know any better than they do? We had a lesson on Sunday morning about not judging, and it got all over me. I've been spending more time looking at others and what they are doing "wrong" and less time evaluating my own life... And I've spent more energy criticizing the way things are at church and school and home and hardly any energy encouraging and lifting others up. This is NOT the attitude of Christ. This is not who I am supposed to be.

I've been a really crummy representation of my Savior recently. I don't always act out and judge harshly. I do get things right and live in obedience to Christ sometimes. But these times are way less often than the times when I just seem to blow it.

Thankfully, the love God has for me is not based on my actions. There is nothing I could ever do to make Him love me any more or any less. He chose to love me, draw me to Himself, and rescue me based completely on His kindness; it had nothing to do with me. Thank you Lord!!!

...BUT this does not excuse my yucky attitude lately. So what do I do?

My prayer is that Jesus will correct me through His Holy Spirit when I start saying or thinking these negative things. That He will give me that sting of conviction, and that I will listen and obey in response. Maybe that's my issue. I know the Spirit has been convicting me as I get worse and worse, but my response is usually complete ignorance. So no more!! Of course there will always be slip up moments.. None of us are perfect.. But I will start consciously thinking about my thoughts, attitudes, and actions.. I will start comparing them to the person of Jesus and say (this is corny... get ready...) "What would Jesus do?" .. or "What would be my reaction if Jesus were sitting right next to me?" (Which HELLO, He is right next to me! He is everywhere!)

Jesus sees all that I say, all that I think, and all that I do. God knows these things before I even do them. So why not make an effort, through the strength of Christ, to start being better? To put forth the energy and time it takes to change a bad habit.. Not so God will love me more or see me as any better than He sees me today.. But so I can glorify Him and so I can be the woman He has called me to be. All for His purpose and His glory!

It's time to start obeying this verse in every single moment of life:

"Everything you say or do should be done in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

What are you doing in the name of Jesus today??