Make thoughtful choices

September 27, 2019 | 20 comments

“Don’t do something permanently stupid because you’re temporarily upset.”

~ Seen on a reader board at a gas station in South Africa

20 thoughts on “Make thoughtful choices”

  1. James 3:8 – “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
    I Pet 3:10 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”
    II Tim 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
    ” … the human mind never produced a real tone nor sent forth a positive sound.” S&H 126:12

  2. We need to be very vigilant, we need to watch and pray, stand porter at the door of thought Why? Because when anger catches us ungaurded, it can make us do stupid things which may make us regret forever. In that moment of temporary madness we may say some bitter words which causes a permanent rift in our relationship, which took years to build. It may cause us to lose a good friend whose friendship we treasured or it may mar our reputation and character
    in the eyes of many who respected us a lot.

    To keep our calm under all situations is the most needed prayer. We must set aside some time for prayer and meditation daily for protection from anger, aggression, hatred, and seek God’s guidance and pray for that mind d to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus. Prayer keeps us on the right track and governs every situation in our life harmoniously, calmly and serenely.
    Thanks Evan for keeping us on the spiritual track.

  3. Yes, please, count to ten before …
    “Be sure the brain is engaged before engaging the mouth”

    thank you, Even, for this reminder. We are all guilty of popping off, but experience and thoughtfulness will heal these errors.

  4. I used to have a Post-It Note on my phone at home that said “REFLECT DON’T REACT” when I was going through a difficult time with irritating phone calls during and after a divorce.
    So easy to react emotionally but it NEVER EVER HELPS! However quietly asking God to “give me the words as you did with Moses” before picking up, does help immensely.

  5. Love this! Reminds me of other wise advice I’ve cherished over the years to not make long term decisions for short term reasons.

  6. Thank you Evan and everyone. I have this good guide hanging on the wall:
    ” before you speak T H I N K
    T Is it true?
    h is it helpful?
    i is it inspiring?
    n is it necessary?
    k is it kind?”

  7. Good morning Evan and students. I once heard the following phrase that interested me and also leads us to reflect: “think before you act and pray before you think”. It tells us that Mind first guides our thoughts to act accordingly, the result of which will always be correct. Thank you Evan and disciples of Christ. Love for everyone.

  8. Anger is caused by an unmet need. Rather than trying to suppress that unmet need and condemning oneself for having a need and getting angry, one can practice self compassion and get to know thyself. What is the need? Is it really a need? Divine Love meets those needs. But, it takes courage to search oneself and learn of what that need is. You can’t let world thought dictate what it should be. And, once that need is met, there will no longer be a need for anger or self-condemnation.

  9. I often contemplated this hymn before heading off to teach middle school. It really helps in all situations of life for it really reminds us to love one another!
    Hymn 315 from the Christian Science hymnal:[words by David Bates]

    Speak gently, it is better far
    To rule by love than fear;
    Speak gently, let no harsh word mar
    The good we may do here.

    Speak gently to the erring ones,
    They must have toiled in vain;
    Perchance unkindness made them so;
    O win them back again.

    Speak gently, ’tis a little thing,
    Dropped in the heart’s deep well;
    The good, the joy that it may bring,
    Eternity shall tell.

  10. I used to try to tell my kids what I was learning about dealing with people.
    One was: there is always more time than you think, slow it down, pull back like movie camera, and watch it like a bad Italian (ha ha) movie. Ask- What is the most intelligent thing to do?
    I was asking God what is the most intelligent thing to do but for the kids this was fine.
    We always talked about the difference between reacting and responding. Responding is always much better.

  11. Thank you Evan for your SpiritView of today.
    If I am upset or exited for the moment about someone or something I am learning to apply the expression in the Bible: “be still and know that I am God”. That helps me to calm down. It’s a silent prayer for me.
    Am grateful to learn ever more in Christian Science!
    Thanks to all for your great comments. 🙂

  12. I have just reacted instead of reflected. Then apologized to my family for that outburst.
    Then pulled up SpiritView with all the correct thoughts from all. Shall post this message to “speak gently”. Thanks very much every one.

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