It’s another new month! This year is just flying by! I just had a birthday on Saturday, so I’ve been mulling over all this age thing and how time passes so quickly.
I have a new devotion for you on the topic of making a difference because time is flying. Hope you will enjoy.
Making AUGUST Count
Julia Bettencourt
August 1, 2023
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1
I began mulling over the prospect of this new month of August, and so I began thinking about where in the world the first part of the year went. What happened to January, February, March, April, May, June, and July? Those months sailed past me.
I just had a birthday, and where is my younger self? Yep. She’s vanished, and all of the cold case detectives in the world will never be able to find her. They definitely won’t be able to find my younger body anywhere. The case has long gone cold. My younger self is gone. Vanished. Missing.
Those verses over in Ecclesiastes 3, has been at the top of my mind. You know the ones. To sum it up, there is a time for everything and then it is gone.
Life moves on and sometimes it sure moves on fast. When I think about that, it always reminds me that I need to do something now. I need to make a difference now.
There are just some things in life that I’d rather be better at so that when life passes me by, I can rely on the fact that I did what I could. I did all I should. I behaved as Jesus would.
Here are some things I think I can work on this August. We always want to do better. Right?
I’ve been pondering this, and I think I can work on being an AUGUST person.
A-ccepting
U-nderstanding
G-rateful
U-plifting
S-upportive
T-actful
Accepting
I think I would like to be a more accepting person. And by accepting I don’t mean accepting someone’s sin and saying it is okay, but to realize that people have issues and things in their life. I need to realize and accept that people are unique. People are not going to be where we are in our own lives, physically, spiritually, even emotionally. We have to learn to accept people with the love and hospitality that Jesus tells us to do. It is so important.
I think as Christians we sometimes want others to have our own beliefs, convictions, and ways of thinking, but we are all different. Even as Christians, we see the world differently. We interpret God’s Word differently. We are led by the Holy Spirit in different ways. Even as God’s children, we are not going to look alike, sound alike, or even see God’s Word in the exact same light.
Understanding
The next thing I would like to work on is being more understanding. I feel like in my life that if people were just a little more understanding I could cope better. What about you? Do you ever feel that way? I think we all do at times, so I think that if we feel that way, then we should take understanding others a little more seriously.
Understanding helps us in our perspective. It helps us tolerate more. It helps us sympathize more. It helps us forgive more. I’d like to be a more understanding person.
Grateful
Being grateful is another one of those qualities that helps put things into perspective. When we are grateful, we are better people to be around. Aren’t we? If you have ever been around ungrateful people much you will know the things of which I speak. Ungrateful people get a little whiney and complain a lot. I don’t want to be that way. I want to have that gratitude in my heart for the things that the Lord does for me and all He has given me. I want to be more grateful for friends and family. I want to be more grateful for life.
I know when I look around and really see. I mean really see. That’s when I remember that there but the grace of God I could be in another place and time and not nearly as blessed.
Uplifting
I want my days to count, and I want to be one of those encouraging people. I love being around encouraging and uplifting people. You know the kind. They are the ones that go about smiling for no reason. They do things for others. They say things that just bless people’s hearts. They say those words “in due season” (Proverbs 25:11). I want to be one of those people.
I think when we are an uplifting person, we not only lift up others, but it helps lift our own attitudes.
Supportive
The next thing I think I would like to be better at is being supportive of people in what they are going through at the moment. I think that’s important because people need people. We have to support each other, not only in moments of need but also in moments of blessing.
Also, I want to be more supportive of people’s dreams and plans. I think when we have something we want to do in life, it makes it much easier if someone’s on our side. I want to be one of those people that supports and is there for someone when they have a dream or plan for their life.
Tactful
I always worry about being tactful, especially online and in messages, texts, and emails. People can take things the wrong way so easily. I have to be so careful when I write a blog post or even a Facebook post. I don’t want to fall into the category of those people that aren’t tactful. I’m sure we all know some of those. Someone said something to me the other day and I was just floored. I was thinking in my head that they needed to go to tactfulness school. I mean it just could have been avoided. It was just a lack of tact.
I definitely don’t like being the target of people that have no tact, so I don’t want to be one of them. And I think sometimes we excuse people with no tact, but I think people who love Jesus have no excuse for it. People sometimes say the lack of tact is just a personality trait, but I don’t tend to believe that, especially for Christians. I think if we as Christians really love Jesus and really want to show the love of Jesus, we will be aware of our actions. We will be aware of what we say. We will be aware of other people’s feelings. We will have sympathy. We will have empathy.
I think tact involves a lot of those things I already mentioned and other things as well. Being considerate, thoughtful, and sensitive all comes into play. We will work on our tact if we just work on that love of Jesus. When we work on that love of Jesus, we just get nicer as people. So, I want to work on my tact.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope I can be a nicer person and I think having the goal of being one of these AUGUST people will help me. I hope it will help you too.
Remember, life goes fast. I’m another birthday down and next year will roll around before I know it.
To every thing there is a season…Ecclesiastes 3:1
The cycle of life will keep on going, so we all need to strive to make that difference now.
So, are you going to make AUGUST count?
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I trust you have felt welcome. If you would like to comment on this devotion, please do so over on my Julia Bettencourt Ramblings Facebook Page. Find more of my devotions to read online here.
Have a lovely day,
Julia
