Tough as Nails

Tough as Nails

(Before you start this one, I want you do do what the speaker asked us to do: ask God to search your heart and reveal your spirit.)

Tough as nails; How to eliminate drama from your life, was taught by April Goestch. And since that title is self-explanatory, let's jump right into the notes! (Grab your Bible's for this one!)

JAMES 3:13-4:3

Fact: 90% of the time drama comes from/is started by girls... But Rebekah and I know that's not always true! *wink*

Regardless of gender, where does drama come from? ....More then likely the answer is YOU. 

1) PRIDE is always the first step, and pride starts in the heart. 

 -Pride comes in many forms, for guys it's probably more of a vain pride, and for girls it's usually insecurity...insecurity is also pride, why? Because whether you're vain or insecure you're focusing on yourself. That's pride.

THE SOLUTION: Be sober minded. Basically, be realistic. 

Do you know how to think realistically?

Think about it this way: There are pictures that make you look 

terrible, and there are pictures that make you look fantastic. 

BOTH ARE LIES. 

Being realistic is realizing that God made you perfectly to

be you and no one else can be you. 

So stop trying to change who you are!

 

-Develop humility, humility leads to peace. And you need to be at rest with what is thought about you (whether good or bad), because there will always be opinions surrounding you, the only one that matters is Christ's! 

-Always remember that this world doesn't need perfect people that have it all together, it needs REAL people.

-Proverbs 8:13

-Proverbs 16:5

-Philippians 2:3

-Romans 12:3-8

2) JEALOUSY is the second step, and jealousy builds in the mind.

-Proverbs 6:34

-Proverbs 14:30

-We, (especially females), kill people all day long with our envious glares. 

THE SOLUTION: stop comparing! 

-No one has it all together. No one. 

-2 Corinthians 10:12-13, 17-18

3) BITTERNESS is the third step, and bitterness infects the soul.

-Hebrews 12:14-15

-Facts of life: *Life is unfair *People will hurt you *You won't understand why.

-You HAVE to eliminate bitterness, it only hurts YOU.

-You can't choose who hurts you or the type of hurts you receive, but you CAN choose how to react to it. 

-Bitterness is a POISON; the drug of the emotions. It's addictive and it destroys the vessel it's stored in. Bitterness is also a choice; don't be a record player needle that's stuck in the same groove that just oozes the same sob story over and over and over...

-Bitterness is the deliberate nursing of an offense.

THE SOLUTION: choose to forgive! 

-Make the choice to delete your "mind-script" 

-Make the choice to give mercy. 

-Forgiveness is un-conditional, even if they never apologize and even if the offense is repeated.

-You were shown mercy (by Christ) when you didn't deserve it, so how can we withhold it from others?

-Complete revenge on the person who wronged you will NEVER set you free! Showing mercy is what sets you free.

4) NEGATIVITY is the fourth and final step, and negativity comes out of the mouth.

-Ephesians 4:29-32

-Luke 6:27-36

-You would never throw up on someone, or let someone throw up on you, so why do we allow that or do it to others with our words?? (Word vomit)

THE SOLUTION: be nice!

-True kindness: *is not a respecter of persons (it's not choose-y), *always requires action (you have to BE kind), *always leave people encouraged after being with you, *doesn't have an on/off switch.

-Don't let jealousy, insecurity, and envy corrupt your life. 

-If you do all the good you can, to whomever you can, whenever you can, you will eliminate drama!