By looking directly into the mouth of a horse, you can get an idea of the age and health of the horse…thus came the phrase “get it straight from the horse’s mouth,” meaning, go right to the source for reliable information. The same is true regarding the will of God. When you were a kid, did you ever play the game “Operator” in school? I’m sure most of us have played some variation, but I’ll give you the gist, just in case.

When we played Operator, our whole class sat on the floor in a big circle. The teacher would whisper a few sentences into the ear of the child to her left. That child, in turn, would relay the information to the classmate to their left, and so on, until the child to the teacher’s right would state the information they had ultimately received aloud to the whole class. That information invariably failed to resemble what the teacher had spoken to the first child. The point of the game was to illustrate how quickly and easily information can become distorted when we are getting it second or third hand, as opposed to getting it straight from the horse’s mouth.

This is especially true when related to the word of God. Our minds are filled with an estimated seventy thousand thoughts each day, and each of those thoughts are an opportunity for the adversary to distort the information, intention, or will of God in our lives. One thing we must understand is that God doesn’t use negative emotions to guide our lives. The negativity is what Satan uses to push us from this direction to that one, causing us to feel fear, anxiety, jealousy, anger, and a whole host of emotions that are intended to keep us distant from the love and peace of the Lord. These emotions cause us to behave in ways that are contrary to the word of God.

The best way to know if our behaviors are in line with the will of God is to go straight to His word: the Bible. If we are harboring anger or jealousy towards someone we love, especially when they have expressed sincere remorse for whatever they have done that caused us to feel the way we do, we know by reading God’s word, our behavior isn’t following His direction. We need to examine the motives behind how we’re acting, and not focus on the actions themselves.

Colossians 3:12-13 gives us this guidance: “So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.”

Have you ever stopped to consider what it is that gives the holidays a much more enjoyable atmosphere than the rest of the year? At Christmas the world is decorated in beautiful colors and lights, filled with songs we love, abundant with good food, and bursting with good will. During the holidays, the world is a little more beautiful to behold all the way around. The same can be true for our behaviors. When we truly strive to live a Christ-centered life, our thoughts, words, and actions, are made more beautiful for those around us.

“The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough on this mountain.'” (Deuteronomy 1:6)  What mountain are you stuck on in your life? What is it that God wants to help you put down so you can move forward unburdened? Whatever it is, you must ask yourself why you are refusing to put it down…and you must also ask how carrying that weight on your heart is affecting your actions. What blessings are there for the taking, if you just allow yourself to line your thoughts and behaviors up with God’s word? Who out there needs the love and support God wants to offer through you, but aren’t able to receive it because you are trapped by the negativity Satan is breathing into your heart and mind?

There is no better time than right now to start choosing fellowship with God over fellowship with your own suffering…