Morning Discipline – Speak Less and Listen More (Better Relationships)

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man in red polo shirt sitting near chalkboard

Good morning!

It is a new week and a new day and I’m so glad you could join me as we continue our journey toward renewing our minds and improving our self-discipline. If you’re just joining me, you can read my article, “Morning and Evening: A New Self Discipline Journey” to learn more about why I am doing this, and how this may benefit you as well.

This week we are going to focus each day on building better relationships. Each day this week I will provide affirmations, scriptures, and daily challenges regarding this topic. Next week will be a new one!

With that said, let’s start our morning together!

BREATHING EXERCISE

Before we begin let us take some deep breaths to calm our mind and prepare us for this mornings discipline.

MUSIC FOR A NEW DAY

I personally like to have some soft music in the background, so if that’s something you like as well below you will find a song you can play for the duration of our time together.

PRAYER For Healthy Relationships

Now that we’re calm, let us transition to a time of prayer. Over the next few minutes you can pray on your own or feel free to use the following prayer:

Righteous Savior,

I am praying for the precious gift of unity in my relationships. Your holy Scripture teaches me the value of harmony.

Lord, I do not practice this principle consistently in my life, and I need Your help to be a person of unity. Mold me into Your image. Help me to dwell together with my brothers and sisters in Christ in unity. Enable me to bring honor to Your name through my life.

Amen

Prayer for Unity | 10 Healing Prayers for a Healthy Relationship

AFFIRMATIONS for Healthy Relationships

Here are a few affirmations for this morning that you can put in your pocket and carry with you throughout your day.

As you read through them, repeat each one out loud at least three times before moving to the next. Take your time. Close your eyes and say them to yourself as well. Let these words sink into your heart and mind this morning:

  1. I will love others as I love myself.
  2. I will be a friend to others and speak the truth in love.
  3. I will let the Holy Spirit teach me how to love as Jesus loved (and loves) us.
  4. I will encourage others to love others well and to do good works.

SCRIPTURES For Healthy RElationships

As Christians, our affirmations should be rooted in the strength and power of God who empowers us and strengthens us to face every trial and every day (both good and bad).

Here are some scriptures that further support the affirmations we just spoke to ourselves. Again, repeat each one three times out loud before moving to the next one. Take your time. Maybe try to commit these to memory as well:

  1. Galatians 5:14, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”
  2. Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
  4. Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Our challenge today is this: speak less and listen more.

If you are like me and are extroverted, then you are going to find this challenge to be a bit more…well, challenging. Extroverts love to talk, and get somewhat uncomfortable with silence. As a result we tend to talk more to fill that void.

Other times we listen to people talk to us but all the while we are waiting for our moment to interject or to provide a solution to their problem.

But talking more isn’t necessarily what is needed. Many times (if not most times) listening is what is needed.

A couple scriptures come to my mind about speaking and listening:

  1. Proverbs 10:19 NLT, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”
  2. James 1:19 NLT, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

In other words, by being quick to speak we can actually cause more problems. It is better that we keep our mouths shut and listen and speak only when invited to or when it is necessary.

So today, lets try that. Let’s speak less and listen more.

Told you this challenge would be hard for us extroverts! But I believe we can do it!!

Quote of the Day

I also wanted to include a little quote of the day that maybe you’ll find some inspiration in as well.

Today’s quote comes from author M. Scott Peck, and he said:

Not only do self-love and love of others go hand in hand but ultimately they are indistinguishable.

M. Scott Peck

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