• Did you know that flattery and praise are pretty much the exact same thing?

Yet, praise leaves you feeling accomplished while flattery gives off a weird vibe.

The difference?

The spirit behind the words.

Praise gives. It is truly excited about another’s accomplishments. It is selfless.

Flattery takes. The motive behind it might vary but the ultimate goal is to meet an unmet need within the one who is speaking. It is selfish.

• Have you ever noticed how one person can quote scripture and it brings peace, correction or whatever it was meant to convey, but a different person can quote the same exact scripture and it feels condemning?

Again the spirit behind the words is the difference.

When God quotes scripture it corrects, guides and leads us. It keeps us on the right path.

When the devil quotes scripture it’s for the gain of the speaker and is rarely beneficial for the person on the receiving end.

• Facebook is a fiery place right now. It’s been awhile since people have pushed their opinions and agendas like they are right now.

A lot of the things that I read, I actually agree with, but for some reason some of it just gives off that weird vibe.

It looks and sounds right but for some reason it feels wrong.

You know?

Then it gets really confusing when you see or hear the same thing from a different person but It feels peaceful and right.

What is the difference?

I think it’s the spirit behind the words.

Right now there is a lot of angry people chanting about the misdeeds of the governors. People are intentionally ‘breaking the rules’ then filming the cops while they argue with them about ‘our rights.’

It doesn’t feel right guys.

The big protest in Harrisburg I supported. It felt right to me for people to step up and take a stand for our freedom.

It was organized. There were PA state reps and senators speaking at one point. The guys that organized it seemed to be thinking rationally and calmly while taking a stand for what they believe in,

The spirit behind the protest seemed to be one of a genuine desire to see PA reopen.

The protest that took place in front of Tom Wolf’s house on the other hand felt messy, it left that weird vibe. (I wasn’t at either of these protests BTW.) It wasn’t organized or well planned and it felt like it was being driven by the spirit of fear or retaliation.

It seemed like a group of people that were more interested in making Wolf pay for overstepping. They seemed to make it personal.

I have found that every once in awhile you run into a person who is cool, calm and collected right in the middle of this pandemic.

These people are extremely few and far in between but if you meet one you will know what I’m talking about because they have a deep inner peace to flows out to the people around them.

They have the ability to take a stand for their rights (AKA breaking Tom Wolf’s rules.) without being rude or demeaning to authority figures.

They rarely spew their opinions all over FB but with a post or two you might know where they stand but no matter what actions they take or words they speak, you can still feel that underlying peace. It feels right. These people can even get fiery in their opinions but that feeling of peace is ever present.

I believe that these are the people who are truly in tune with Holy Spirit and he is the one who is leading their words and actions.

It isn’t up to me to determine who’s right and who’s wrong, but it is up to me to stay away from what feels wrong.

God has given each of us the gift of intuition.

The problem is…

The opinions of others and all the information at our finger tips speaks a lot louder and much more insistently then that small voice of intuition that’s been planted in each of us.

Are we willing to tune out the world and follow the Holy Spirit?

Because that is where true peace and freedom lies.

If we can find and maintain that inner peace then we will have a voice that the world will hear because they are desperate for that genuine peace and stability that is only found in Jesus.

If we are broadcasting our opinions and taking steps to stand up against the government without having this deep inner peace then we are not making a difference.

We are simply adding to the noise.

We are part of the problem that is driving the world insane right now, because they don’t need more information and they certainly don’t need more opinions.

They need the peace of Jesus. They need that firm foundation that is only found in Christ.

Each person is called to different things and what you are called to will play a huge part in how you personally are called to respond to this situation.

I believe in standing up for our rights so I’m definitely not saying we need to stay home, stay safe and stay calm.😜

What I am saying is that we should evaluate the spirit behind our words before we speak.

Are we speaking from a place of fear? Frustration? Anger? Retaliation?

Unless our words are prompted by the Holy Spirit it’s better to stay silent.

Because, now more then ever we should be checking our own hearts and motives because the world does not need more noise, but they are desperate for the peace of Jesus.

This is our season to be ambassadors for Heaven but the devil would love for us to focus on our own wants, needs and rights instead.