Maturity Monday

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You're listening to the My Morning Devotional podcast, episode 1281. Today's Devo is called Maturity Monday. Hey there. We're the Alessi's a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida.

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And if you're like us, when days get busy and to do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional podcast.

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Hey guys, this is Stephanie Moyna and I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. We're getting into the start of the week with more of a practical lesson from me, something that I have been developing in my life recently and today is called Maturity Monday because it's a lesson that I feel has really helped me mature because I'm entering the last year of my twenties.

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I'm about to be 29 on June 14th. Wish me happy birthday. I'm very excited, but I feel like I've just really matured in this area and I'm. I'm being pushed to mature in this area. So I thought to be vulnerable with you guys and to share it. I am reading from Philippians 2, 14, 16, the NIV. And it says, do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God, without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Amen. Right now I'm reading a book and it's called how to Win Friends and Influence People. And recently it has just helped me so much. And in this season of my life, I would highly recommend it. It was written, I think, in the 50s or 60s. It's a very old book, but it has helped so many different business people and just everyday workers learn how to make friends and influence people. And, you know, the older that I've gotten, the larger variety of people that I've met and I have a larger variety of people that are now in my daily life. I have met so many different people at church, so many people at work. I make friends online, at the gym, in my neighborhood, at the grocery store, in the coffee shops. And here's the truth that I have come to discover. You will not be 100% compatible with every person you do life with, but every person you do life with can be an opportunity for growth.

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You know, I want to live a big life. I'm sure you want to live a big life. And if you want to live a big life, then we have to embrace that we're going to meet a lot of different people with different backgrounds and different opinions. And if we call ourselves Christian, then we have to practice making peace with everyone we do life with. Of course. Disclaimer I'm not talking about toxic people that live sinful lives. Those people we have to put boundaries between us and them and we pray for them. I'm talking about those good people you just sometimes respectfully disagree with. In the book that I am reading, there's a whole chapter about respectfully disagreeing. And here is what it says. Number one it says welcome the disagreement. Remember the slogan when two partners always agree, one of them is not necessary.

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If there is some point you haven't thought about, be thankful if it is brought to your attention. Perhaps this disagreement is your opportunity to be corrected before you make a serious mistake.

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And then, Number two Distress your first instinctive impression.

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Our first natural reaction in a disagreeable situation is to be defensive.

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Be careful, keep calm, and watch out for your first reaction.

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It may be you at your worst, not your best. Number two Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry. Number four Listen first. Give your opponents a chance to talk. Let them finish. Do not resist, defend or debate.

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5. Look for areas of agreement. When you have heard your opponents out, dwell first on the points and areas on which you agree.

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Number six Be honest. Number seven Promise to think over your opponent's ideas and study them carefully and mean it. Number eight, thank your opponent sincerely for their interest. And number nine Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem again. I understand that this is more of a practical lesson, but it is something that can help you and I create peace in our everyday lives. You know, the Bible says that blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Disagreements happen and they can frustrate the heck out of us. It can make you question the integrity of that person. It can make you question if you even like that person, if you even want to be friends with that person. But the truth is, if we handle disagreements wisely and with the Holy Spirit at the front of our mind at all times, then these disagreements don't have to trip us up or frustrate us for weeks on end. We can learn from them, we can grow from them, and we can even make stronger relationships from them. You know, my prayer today is how can I be a peacemaker while also speaking truth? How can I be like Jesus even in the tensions. I don't want any of us to avoid disagreements. Don't be somebody who rejects or resists conflict at all costs.

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That's not what makes relationships deeper. Another Bible verse says, brothers are made in adversity, so embrace it.

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But is there a way that we can be peacemakers in all of it?

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Let's pray. God, I thank you for every person here that is striving to be a peacemaker in their families, in their homes, in their workplace, in their everyday lives.

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We're going to see people that we don't necessarily agree with all the time.

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We can't see eye to eye. It could frustrate us.

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But God, they are our neighbors. You love them.

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So we have to go out of our way to be peacemakers with them. And God, we pray that you just fill us up with new patience, new joy and new peace to be like you in every situation of our life. And in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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So there you have it. Your 5 minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend. Leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow. We pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.