Contention or Contending

So far November has "delighted" me with a contentious election, warm weather, little rain, and post-election contention. People are still so bogged down in politics, whether their candidate won or lost, I've heard little talk about giving thanks about anything! I've seen the November gratitude posts on Facebook, and the poster's very next post is angry, hateful, and or filled with pride.

If Facebook is causing negative emotions, sinful thoughts, and outrageous posts, maybe you should take a break from it. If Facebook does nothing other than cause negative emotions - give it up for a while. The world will still spin while you are off of it. Go outside, take a walk, ride a bike, read the Bible, talk to a neighbor...anything just quit expending energy and raising your blood pressure over politics and trash talk.

Newsflash this election has come and gone, let us turn our eyes to the Lord, let us contend in prayer for our country, the elderly, the widowed, the poor, the youth, justice, the lost, the prisoner, the unjustly incarcerated, the injured, the mentally ill, the physically ill, the spiritually ill...the list is endless.

Run toward the finish line, don't get stuck in a rut. Let these words wash over you anew:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We need to walk in love, forgiveness, and dying to self. We must live out the Gospel without a drop of Pharisee of legalism. I jump off the soapbox now, get back to work, try to be Kingdom minded.