It is to a man's honour to avoid strife... Proverbs 20:3

When it comes to criticism: 1) Concentrate on your mission and change your mistakes! Most of us do the opposite; when criticism comes we change our mission and concentrate on our mistakes. If you run every time you make a mistake, you will never accomplish anything. Instead you'll live in constant frustration. The only real mistakes are the ones from which you learn nothing. So instead of dwelling on your mistakes, count on making some, growing wiser and moving on to finish the job. There's an old Arabian proverb that says, 'If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end.' Don't let your failures become roadblocks-turn them into building blocks. In Proverbs 27 verse 17, the Bible says, 'Iron sharpens iron...' (NIV). So pray and grow sharper through criticism. 2) Spend time with the right people. When you have optional time spend it with those who build you up, not tear you down. Quality time with the right people will strengthen your faith and fortify you against the effects of the worst criticism. It will also keep you from becoming critical yourself. When crows attack a hawk, the hawk doesn't counter-attack. Instead, it soars higher and higher in ever widening circles until the pests leave it alone. What a great strategy! Circle above your critics rather than stooping to their level: 'It is to a man's honour to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.' If your attitude is to have any effect on people it will be because of your example, not your defensiveness.

...The people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Judges 17:6

There's no better depiction of our ego-driven nature than this: 'The people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.' Their philosophy was: 'Don't tell me what to do.' But that philosophy leaves you without checks or balances, exposing you to the dominating power of your flesh. We're all capable of becoming addicted to something. Recognisng that is a necessary first step to overcoming it. '...The sin that so easily entangles...' (Hebrews 12:1 NIV) may be a weakness for food, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, popularity, toxic relationships, power, workaholism, etc. When it strikes, you're much more likely to capitulate if you're alone and can act covertly. '...If you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble' (Ecclesiastes 4:10 CEV). You need to 'turn on the light' immediately by connecting with your support system and sharing your situation. Don't allow the darkness of isolation to overpower you. 'If you fall, your friend can help you up...' (v. 10 CEV). The pride that drives you to hide your weakness will keep you permanently weak. The humility to acknowledge it and ask for help is the key to breaking the vicious cycle. God has blessed us with mature, caring people who recognise our common struggles and will help us deal with them. We are part of Christ's church, and 'if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it' (1Corinthians12:26 NAS). God instructed Moses, 'Select...some...honest men who fear God...They will help you carry the load' (Exodus 18:21-22 NLT). Accept the help God provides!

PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN! (1)

'...Joshua...summoned all the men of Israel and said...'Put your feet on the necks of these kings...' Joshua 10:24

When Israel entered the Promised Land there were five kings with armies determined to stop them. But God helped Joshua to defeat them and all five kings ran and hid in a cave. So Joshua told his soldiers to bring them out and put their foot on each of their necks. That day God's Word to His people was: '...Be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight' (v. 25 NKJV). What a promise! Are the forces of fear trying to take up residence in your mind today? Are they causing you to think the worst instead of believing God for the best? Are they telling you that you're unworthy to receive what He has promised, that you'll never fulfil the destiny God has in mind for you? With God, your victory is assured, but you have a part to play in it. You must go into that dark cave, bring each king out, place your foot on their neck and put them to death. These five kings represent your five natural senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching, and God doesn't want you to live according to their dictates. Your senses are susceptible to every negative thing going on around you, but your faith can lift you above it and give you victory. But you can't just sit down and do nothing. Your passivity gives them the right to rule you. They have no power over you, except the power you give them. So put your foot down!

YOUR BIBLE-READ IT EVERY DAY

'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.' Isaiah 40:8

Let's look once more at what some of the most notable people in history have had to say about the Bible. Matthew Arnold: 'To the Bible men will return because they cannot do without it. The true God is, and must be pre-eminently the God of the Bible, the eternal, who makes for righteousness from whom Jesus came forth, and whose spirit governs the course of humanity.' George Washington: 'It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.' Thomas Jefferson: 'The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty.' Horace Greeley: 'It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible reading people.' Patrick Henry: 'This is a book worth more than all other books which were ever printed.' William McKinley: 'The more profoundly we study this wonderful book and the more closely we observe its divine precepts, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be the destiny of our nation.' J. Edgar Hoover: 'Inspiration has been the keynote of America's phenomenal growth. Inspiration has been the backbone of America's greatness. Inspiration has been the difference between defeat and victory in America's wars. And this inspiration has come from faith in God, faith in the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, and faith in the belief that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God. Reading it within the family circle is more important today than ever before. It draws the family together into a more closely knit unit. It gives each member a faith to live by.' Your Bible-read it every day!