0:00:04 - Eric
Well, hey, welcome to your encouraging five-minute podcast. I'm Eric. You know my friend Heather. Give us five minutes. We're going to give you some encouragement. And, by the way, after you've listened for the full five minutes, remember, for more encouragement, we'd invite you to listen to WPER, Virginia’s home, for encouragement.
0:00:23 - Heather
We're going to bring you some good news and encouragement for your day.
0:00:26 - Eric
We like to say it choose your words, but choose them carefully.
0:00:30 - Heather
Yes, there are some words that trip us up Namely but, but, yeah, but, yeah, but, and in my family we call them the yabbits. Can you do this? Well, yeah, but I don't want to unload the dishwasher. She did it last time. He Can you do this? Well, yeah, but I don't want to unload the dishwasher. She did it last time, he did it last time. So we can, yeah, but ourselves into infinity. There are ors and ands that can probably help, honestly help us to be better people, not just to those around us, but to ourselves.
0:00:58 - Eric
Much better choice when you really truly break it down.
0:01:01 - Heather
Oh, my goodness. You know, like when you're stressed out and someone calls you out like oh man, you cranky today, you need another cup of coffee. Look, I'm doing my best, but just give me another chance. Yeah, we qualify it.
Oh, absolutely, jesus never qualified anything. Read John 3, 16, 17, and 18,. Right, he never made a qualifier and so you don't need to do that for yourself. Instead of saying but just say look, I'm doing the best I can and and I can do better. And is a great replacement word for but, because but disqualifies everything you say before it. You know, I really liked that outfit, but right, you know it's like let's comment it.
0:01:39 - Eric
just it feels negative all of a sudden.
0:01:41 - Heather
And this is the thing. I don't know if these tapes play in your head, but it's like the best of regrets of the past, especially when you're trying to sleep or when you are overwhelmed, it's like those tapes play really loudly and you can say to yourself well, I'm a good person, but this happened. I'm a good person, but that happened. No again. Replace the but with an and I'm a good person. And you know what? I have made mistakes. There is not a person on this planet right now, as we sit here, that hasn't made mistakes. But in the way that we talk to others we're not the only ones that have made and especially the way we talk to ourselves. When we yabba a situation, it's like we create more tension. But if we put an and where that yabba usually is, it can help us realize. You know what? We are all fallible, we are all human and this side of heaven ain't nobody going to get it right.
0:02:41 - Eric
Whatever stage you are in life maybe you're married, maybe you're a parent, maybe you work at a place with other people Sometimes it can all feel like you're working in a failure factory. My friend, my friend John, came up with this and he said you know days when you just don't know what to do next. You know, you just feel like giving up, like throwing in the towel, like start to finish, nothing's going right. Right, what are you doing that way? John suggests this If you feel like you're working in the failure factory, dealing with parenting or marriage or coworkers, head into the uncomfortable, really Open the door, kick in the doors of the factory, right there, be honest about not knowing what to do next. Wow, and then look for perspective, help and wisdom. He says Do the next right thing or, you know, be still. Be silent for a moment, don't just quit. Don't let that be your default mode.
0:03:36 - Heather
Yeah, because I mean when something's hurting or painful, it's like what do we want to do? I'm just going to go away and pretend this never happened. But, as grownups, we can't do that, especially when other people are involved, right? So, gosh, that is hard to go into the uncomfortable, but you don't have to do that alone, right?
0:03:53 - Eric
God is always with you. Well, I like his approach because you know there are going to be days. We're going to face trials, we're going to face tribulation, we're going to face those uncomfortable moments, but to face it, and we don't have to face it alone, that's the beauty of it. God made us for more. We can lean on that. His word says in Ephesians God has revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Jesus Christ, which is to fulfill his own good plan. It's a good plan, and knowing that going in gives you that feeling like I can do this. I can face this.
0:04:28 - Heather
And you know what? Somebody said something to me the other day because I said you know, I really feel like I got in God's way when I chose to do that, and she's like I'm gonna let you in on a secret. You cannot derail God's plan for your life. I absolutely love.
0:04:43 - Eric
That it's the truth too, and that will give you a whole different perspective. Thanks to our friend John for bringing that to our realization. You know, the verse in Ephesians that we were sharing goes on to say a couple of verses down we're united with Christ. We've received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance. Here's the best part of this. Well, in my opinion, he makes everything work out according to his plan, just what you were saying there. You can't derail God's plan. Listen, we hope you are encouraged today. Remember, for more encouragement, make sure you listen to your encouraging WPER, and thanks for listening today.