I had never considered protecting my heart through faith and love. This morning, when I read the scriptures from Thessalonians, the verses said to put on a breastplate of faith and love. A breastplate protects your heart. The next line says to put on a helmet as a hope of salvation. A helmet protects our head. The hope of being saved from our sins protects our minds. If I have faith in Jesus and act with my love, my heart will be protected.
Paul goes on to say that God did not appoint us to wrath. God does not want us to be angry. God wants us to believe in Jesus and live our lives for him.
Does anyone else think that sounds difficult? I sure do.
Finally, Paul writes that we need to comfort each other and edify one another. We cannot do this alone. We need to help each other. We need to build each up. We need to uplift one another. We should inspire each other. We should nurture each other.
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
–1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 (NKJV)
These are powerful words on how we should treat others. We should not be angry. Instead, we should inspire and uplight others.
I am thinking, what about that person that makes me so mad? She constantly tries to provoke me and insults me. She tries to tear me down in her anger. I need to build her up?
Yes, I do.
I need to put on the breastplate of faith and love in Jesus, because I hope that my own sins will be forgiven. I cannot respond in anger. I have to try to uplift her.
We need to build each other up.
Prayer
Dear God,
I pray that you will fill me with the Holy Spirit and protect my heart through faith and love. I pray that I do not respond to others in anger. Instead, I pray that I encourage, inspire and uplift others for your glory.Â
Amen
Embrace This Beautiful Life 