thoughtful
section 1
As we communicate from, through and to Truth and Love there are certain elements of Truth and Love that we can artificially separate to meditate on for our learning and growth. These elements of Truth and Love practiced in genuine effort flowing from faith romans 1:5, 14:23 are the spiral staircase of drawing closer to the Lord and each other ephesians 4:15 .
Through Him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name’s sake.
But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him Who is the head, that is, Christ.
my notes:
section 2
The first one we shall look at is communicating thoughtfully. Thoughtfulness is just that, thinking through what acts 20:20, 27 ii corinthians 6:11 i john 1:1, 3 , how colossians 4:5-6 ecclesiastes 8:6 , why ephesians 4:29 , where deuteronomy 18:6-7 john 12:26 ii corinthians 2:13-14 , and when ecclesiastes 3:1 proverbs 15:23 to communicate proverbs 15:28 .
I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.
...for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.
Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you.
my notes:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
my notes:
When a Levite leaves one of your towns in Israel where he was staying and wants to go to the place the LORD chooses, he may serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who minister there in the presence of the LORD.
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, Who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
my notes:
section 3
This mindfulness of thinking through these questions would be debilitating if in any and every situation you must go through and answer all these questions inwardly every time from scratch. Over thinking can be a problem like under thinking ecclesiastes 11:3-6 ezekiel 28:2-5 . We cannot rely on our own understanding to communicate in a godly manner proverbs 3:5-6 , we must learn to rely on God and His Word acts 20:32 ii corinthians 1:9, 12 so that our minds are prepared when called upon i peter 1:13 to know love as we ought to know i corinthians 8:1-3 without carrying the hindrance of worry matthew 12:35, proverbs 10:22 mark 13:11 .
When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, Who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
my notes:
"Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " ‘In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Now I commit you to God and to the Word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God Who raises the dead.
For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
my notes:
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
my notes:
section 4
This is why it is important to build up character through the training of practicing the Word hebrews 5:13-14 so that what comes out of you has been pre-screened, so to speak, by a heart that has been transformed from the sludge of selfishness to a bubbling brook of godly communication proverbs 18:4 . We fill up our hearts with Jesus through His Word colossians 3:16 philippians 4:8 so that His communication comes out of us as well matthew 12:34-35 . This is not an overnight training session. Hence, why a first step to thoughtful communication is thinking more by slowing down our speech james 1:19 proverbs 10:19 . The training takes place over repeated opportunities to practice as we listen to God isaiah 50:5 and go through His discipline isaiah 50:6 hebrews 12:7, 10-11 so that we have wise, understanding communication as part of our character isaiah 50:4 .
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
my notes:
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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.
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
my notes:
The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
my notes:
section 5
When our character is built up like Christ’s then our thoughtfulness is no longer hampered by our own way of thinking, but rather enhanced by Christ’s way of thinking romans 12:2 isaiah 55:7-8 so that we now communicate willfully, thoughtfully, according to His will i peter 4:1-2 ii peter 2:12 .
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
...let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
section 6
It is this type of thinking we aim for colossians 1:28-29 ii corinthians 13:11 and practice so as it develops in us more and more that thoughtfulness will have our communication characterized by listening to understand, not to be understood proverbs 18:2 philippians 2:20-21 , so that your communication is well-informed about the need of the other you are communicating with proverbs 18:13 james 1:19 . As one who is thoughtful like Christ puts the other’s need ahead of his own i corinthians 10:24 romans 15:1-3 . If you are thoughtful, you will not have thoughtless communication to be judged for matthew 12:36-37 . Rather you will be discovering the needs of those you are communicating with and thus be further enabled to be a benefit to their faith ephesians 4:29 i thessalonians 3:10 .
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.
Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me."
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
...we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.
my notes:
section 7
A thinking communicator asks thoughtful questions for more pertinent information and understanding, not to meddle i peter 4:15 i thessalonians 4:11 , but to know how to be more beneficial proverbs 20:5 . That way they think through what would be helpful i timothy 2:6 and what would not be proverbs 12:23 john 16:12 . A thoughtful communicator looks for just the right way to communicate, not to disguise any selfishness i thessalonians 2:5 or hide the heart ii corinthians 6:11-13 , but rather to communicate what is loving and true ecclesiastes 12:10 ephesians 4:15 ; even in regards to one’s self to communicate what is honest and beneficial for growth in our genuine relationships with each other and God our Father. We as God’s servants need to be thoughtful communicators.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
...seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you...
The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.
You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him Who is the head, that is, Christ.
my notes:
impress it on the heart at home
What fills my thoughts?
Who do I think about the most?
Do I think about how I can benefit others or how they can benefit or hurt me?
Do I think a lot before I communicate?
Do I overthink before I communicate?
What do I communicate?
What should I communicate?
How do I communicate?
How should I communicate?
Where do I communicate?
Where should I communicate?
When do I communicate?
When should I communicate?
Why do I communicate?
Why should I communicate?
What can I practice to be more thoughtful in the future?
What is at least one principle I took away from this study that I can discuss with my family and friends?
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NLT = The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.