Ever built a house out of a deck of cards? I'm sure at one point or another as kids we all tried. I saw an amazing thing on TV, didn't see the whole segment, just the preview part, but this guy was building the skyline of New York City out of cards. It was awesome and quite impressive. Even showed him blowing on it to show it wouldn't fall down.
I'm not gifted in that area so my efforts wouldn't be worthy of anything, much less TV coverage; but in the tiny bit I saw, it occurred to me that there was a striking analogy in what this guy was doing and what a lot of us do in our faith walk.
This guy, didn't catch his name but let's call him Bob, spent an extraordinary amount of time developing his skill, he had to. You don't just wake up one day and viola', you can build cities from cards. Bob had to develop that skill and it's a safe bet that many a card fell before he mastered the process.
Building our faith and trust in God isn't an overnight event either. Bob believed he could do this and worked at it, getting better and better. It took seeing successes and not just the failures to keep him inspired and motivated.
As Christians, we can often believe in God without believing God. Our actions and wavering faith are the telltale signs of that. If we get blown over like a house of cards every time something comes against us, you can bet our 'believer' isn't working. Our faith cards may be too crumbly or cracked. Only in studying the Word of God, spending time with Him, can we build a stronger house. It isn't Jesus, the Rock on which we build, that has the problem; it's that we are using shortcuts and shoddy faith practices to build a showy house of faith.
I mentioned that in the preview Bob was blowing on his creations to show they wouldn't fall down, think they would hold up against an attack from the enemy, Lucifer? Nope! Twin Towers didn't. We can not and do not have faith in or trust someone we do not know. That's not even wise. It's the One in our lives that has proven faithful over the course of time, the One we know we can count on and turn to in times of need. We are to build our faith house with God.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
COFFEE: The Life Lesson
One of life’s great pleasures is a cup of good coffee, especially that first one in the morning. Foggy headed you shuffle into the kitchen to brew what I like to refer to as the ‘nectar of the gods’; waiting for your cup of hot nectar with a slight bit of impatience and not wanting any intrusions from the world in general and most especially from the people you love and live with. Ok, so maybe that’s just me. This is the perspective I am most familiar with so it is from this point of view I write. No attempts at objectivity today!
People can be picky about coffee. Were this not so, Starbucks and others would not be able to charge an outrageous amount for their coffee. My personal theory about why people will pay big bucks at Starbucks is that it feels like an obtainable indulgence to pamper oneself in a hectic world. The coffee IS good, no doubt, but I believe it is the whole act of treating oneself that has folks lined up. A little luxury in a paper cup is far better than no luxury at all.
For most of us, it is the coffee we make at home that we indulge in most often. My attitudes about and tastes in coffee have evolved over the years. But nothing has evolved more than the coffeemaker itself; from the lowly pot where both ground beans and water were thrown in to the most sophisticated automatic machines that do everything but drink the coffee for you. Coffee makers have come a long way.
The irony of this is that not matter how space-age looking you machine may be it will still be taken down by the tiny miniscule deposits of minerals in the water. They work like an invisible army to coat and clog the inner workings of the machine. Over time, this will cause the quality of taste of your coffee to suffer because the required water temperature to brew optimum flavored coffee will not be reached. I have to replace our machine every few years because of this painfully familiar problem. At first, the efforts to de-mineralize the machine bring some relief but it is only a matter of time. Nothing is more disappointing than waiting in anticipation for that first sip only to discover upon arrival that the flavor never made it to the cup; it is weak and lacking in every area: color, flavor and temperature! Makes you want to stomp your foot and throw the cup…ok, that may just be me again.
As I sit here with my post breakfast cup of coffee, I am struck by the notion that the demise of the humble coffee maker by invisible mineral forces is very much like the forces just waiting to take us and our faith walk down. If we are not constantly diligent and aware, seemingly unrelated and unimpressive actions and/or habits can eat away at the foundation we stand on like spiritual termites. A snarky comment here and there may not seem threatening but it cracks opens the door for the termite-like tormentor to tiptoe ever so silently in. A bit of pride here, a little harmless lie there and before you know it; the cumulative build-up has desensitized us to the very things causing the damage, just like with the coffee maker. Once on fire for the Lord, our walk becomes weak and lukewarm.
Revelation 3:15-16 I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!
I saw a study once about these verses. In a nutshell it said that cold water is refreshing and hot water is healing, both good things but in Biblical times, lukewarm water was used to purge the belly. It made people sick in a hugging the toilet kind of way. So, from that perspective lukewarm was neither refreshing nor healing and of no good use. Not what we aspire to as Christians is it? Yet, is a very real possibility when the build-up of corrosion takes place in our lives.
The next time you burn your mouth with a cup of coffee, rather than complaining, maybe we can choose to see the benefit of not being lukewarm! Piping hot for me, please!
People can be picky about coffee. Were this not so, Starbucks and others would not be able to charge an outrageous amount for their coffee. My personal theory about why people will pay big bucks at Starbucks is that it feels like an obtainable indulgence to pamper oneself in a hectic world. The coffee IS good, no doubt, but I believe it is the whole act of treating oneself that has folks lined up. A little luxury in a paper cup is far better than no luxury at all.
For most of us, it is the coffee we make at home that we indulge in most often. My attitudes about and tastes in coffee have evolved over the years. But nothing has evolved more than the coffeemaker itself; from the lowly pot where both ground beans and water were thrown in to the most sophisticated automatic machines that do everything but drink the coffee for you. Coffee makers have come a long way.
The irony of this is that not matter how space-age looking you machine may be it will still be taken down by the tiny miniscule deposits of minerals in the water. They work like an invisible army to coat and clog the inner workings of the machine. Over time, this will cause the quality of taste of your coffee to suffer because the required water temperature to brew optimum flavored coffee will not be reached. I have to replace our machine every few years because of this painfully familiar problem. At first, the efforts to de-mineralize the machine bring some relief but it is only a matter of time. Nothing is more disappointing than waiting in anticipation for that first sip only to discover upon arrival that the flavor never made it to the cup; it is weak and lacking in every area: color, flavor and temperature! Makes you want to stomp your foot and throw the cup…ok, that may just be me again.
As I sit here with my post breakfast cup of coffee, I am struck by the notion that the demise of the humble coffee maker by invisible mineral forces is very much like the forces just waiting to take us and our faith walk down. If we are not constantly diligent and aware, seemingly unrelated and unimpressive actions and/or habits can eat away at the foundation we stand on like spiritual termites. A snarky comment here and there may not seem threatening but it cracks opens the door for the termite-like tormentor to tiptoe ever so silently in. A bit of pride here, a little harmless lie there and before you know it; the cumulative build-up has desensitized us to the very things causing the damage, just like with the coffee maker. Once on fire for the Lord, our walk becomes weak and lukewarm.
Revelation 3:15-16 I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!
I saw a study once about these verses. In a nutshell it said that cold water is refreshing and hot water is healing, both good things but in Biblical times, lukewarm water was used to purge the belly. It made people sick in a hugging the toilet kind of way. So, from that perspective lukewarm was neither refreshing nor healing and of no good use. Not what we aspire to as Christians is it? Yet, is a very real possibility when the build-up of corrosion takes place in our lives.
The next time you burn your mouth with a cup of coffee, rather than complaining, maybe we can choose to see the benefit of not being lukewarm! Piping hot for me, please!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Love/Hate Procrastination?
I have a Love /Hate relationship with procrastination. This seems to be a common malady. You can get all kinds of books and articles on how to stop being a procrastinator. It seems no one applauds the upside of procrastination. Just for the sake of this article, we are looking at the bright side and acknowledging the positive aspects of Procrastination.
Procrastination is always looking out for your future. As a procrastinator you will always something to look forward to because the things you are putting off today will be waiting for you tomorrow….or the next day….or next month even. You don’t have to worry about what you will be doing because you can rest comfortably in the knowledge that it will be familiar stuff you’ve been looking at and saving for that proverbial rainy day.
Procrastination opens the door for variety in your life. Some procrastination is not chosen but dictated to us, rather like the prolonged kitchen remodel we’ve had going on. Circumstances have required that this be a slow…er, thoughtful process. Decisions made have plenty of time for change when you’re not getting around to implementing them quickly. Since we’re looking at the up side of procrastination we will focus on the…oh, let’s call it ‘opportunity’ to reconsider options. A fine example would be the wall color choice(s) I’ve made for the kitchen area. The initial plan did not call for a change in wall color. Then, necessity required us to change the countertop we had selected to something a bit more economically attainable. This dictated changing the color on the painted cabinets, which now no longer went with the wall color. So, many…many wall colors samples later….see variety!
Procrastination teaches you to be flexible. I am not an impulsive person. In fact, I probably think about things too long. Add to that my tendency to plan things to the point of being ridiculous and you’ve got one non-impulsive person. Procrastination would seem to be a fine companion for the impulse challenged such as myself. I do not enjoy shopping unless it is for my house (or grandkids). I have put things in my shopping cart, wheeling them around the store, only to put things back on the shelf and walk out having not purchased one single thing. I prefer to think of this as a good thing. I had a friend tell me once that I would shop myself right out of everything I ever wanted. She may have been on to something because I can not tell you how many times I have returned to said store to finally purchase the items I wanted only to discover they no longer were available. So, I’d have to start the whole process all over again and find something else. See…teaches you to be flexible.
Procrastination encourages patience. With the aid of procrastination, you develop fine tuned waiting skills. Always putting off getting started on what ever; lack of action builds tolerance for status quo and patience by not having things change quickly. In what may seem like conflicting traits, I love change yet have a high tolerance (in some areas) and patience in waiting for things I want. I believe procrastination plays a big part of that. Not starting something makes it easier to wait for it to be finished.
This tongue in cheek look at procrastination shows that, although it gets a bad rap most of the time, there are positive aspects if you look hard enough and tilt your head a bit to the right.
You can’t hate the wait when you procrastinate!
Procrastination is always looking out for your future. As a procrastinator you will always something to look forward to because the things you are putting off today will be waiting for you tomorrow….or the next day….or next month even. You don’t have to worry about what you will be doing because you can rest comfortably in the knowledge that it will be familiar stuff you’ve been looking at and saving for that proverbial rainy day.
Procrastination opens the door for variety in your life. Some procrastination is not chosen but dictated to us, rather like the prolonged kitchen remodel we’ve had going on. Circumstances have required that this be a slow…er, thoughtful process. Decisions made have plenty of time for change when you’re not getting around to implementing them quickly. Since we’re looking at the up side of procrastination we will focus on the…oh, let’s call it ‘opportunity’ to reconsider options. A fine example would be the wall color choice(s) I’ve made for the kitchen area. The initial plan did not call for a change in wall color. Then, necessity required us to change the countertop we had selected to something a bit more economically attainable. This dictated changing the color on the painted cabinets, which now no longer went with the wall color. So, many…many wall colors samples later….see variety!
Procrastination teaches you to be flexible. I am not an impulsive person. In fact, I probably think about things too long. Add to that my tendency to plan things to the point of being ridiculous and you’ve got one non-impulsive person. Procrastination would seem to be a fine companion for the impulse challenged such as myself. I do not enjoy shopping unless it is for my house (or grandkids). I have put things in my shopping cart, wheeling them around the store, only to put things back on the shelf and walk out having not purchased one single thing. I prefer to think of this as a good thing. I had a friend tell me once that I would shop myself right out of everything I ever wanted. She may have been on to something because I can not tell you how many times I have returned to said store to finally purchase the items I wanted only to discover they no longer were available. So, I’d have to start the whole process all over again and find something else. See…teaches you to be flexible.
Procrastination encourages patience. With the aid of procrastination, you develop fine tuned waiting skills. Always putting off getting started on what ever; lack of action builds tolerance for status quo and patience by not having things change quickly. In what may seem like conflicting traits, I love change yet have a high tolerance (in some areas) and patience in waiting for things I want. I believe procrastination plays a big part of that. Not starting something makes it easier to wait for it to be finished.
This tongue in cheek look at procrastination shows that, although it gets a bad rap most of the time, there are positive aspects if you look hard enough and tilt your head a bit to the right.
You can’t hate the wait when you procrastinate!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
To Catch a Thief
As I sit writing this, I am wearing one shoe. No, I’m not trying to start a new fashion statement; I’m just trying to hang on to my shoe! We have a new puppy, Pan Dulce. (Long story on his name, that’s for another day.) He’s a precocious little thing that entertains us regularly with his antics. The hardest day can be washed away by simply sitting on the couch and watching the puppy power show!
It seems he has a scandalous scavenger streak…largely for my things. The missing shoe in question is not a big deal as far as a loss would go. It’s one of those rubber Croc shoes. They were the first things he started making off with the day we brought him home. They are light weight, easily towed by the mini-pirate. We thought it was so sweet, he’d make off with one and take it to his bed and snuggle up with it as he napped. Who could be irritated by that?! The baby loves me!
His scavenging ways have gained momentum as he has settled in more, feeling his Wheaties! Today, as I worked on the computer, I could hear a theft in progress. I couldn’t see him but I could hear him! Plop, plop, thud…plop, plop, thud…plop, plop,thud… sounds of Pan Dulce in action. When he finally appeared in the room, he was struggling to drag my Honey’s flip flop. It was bigger than he is and far heavier. They are that hard rubber kind, not the light Croc stuff like mine. The plop, plop part was him attempting to lift the flip flop in a forward motion. The thud part was him hitting his head as he flipped over the shoe head first. Amazing!
Tonight at dinner, I slipped off my shoes (leather strappy sandals) as I normally do to sit cross legged in my chair. I’m short, my feet do not go all the way to floor…what can I say? Anyway, no sooner had I slipped off the last one and had not even gotten the second leg crossed in my lap when our petite pirate came dashing out from under the table with the first shoe. A mad dash back and he made the return trip with shoe #2. Hey, I LIKE those shoes…come back here! ‘No way, Mamacita,’ his guilt-free glance told me. I guess he felt safe under the protection of his chuckling daddy!
Uh oh, that didn’t sound good……
OK, NOW I’VE HAD ENOUGH! As I sit here wearing one shoe to write about our precious little puppy burglar, I see the all too familiar flash of fur dashing across the livingroom. Then I hear a clunk. No plop, plop thud…but a hard clunk. This needed investigating! To my horror the little scoundrel had procured one of my awesome new sexy red heels!! These are the sexiest shoes, not to mention most expensive shoes, I’ve ever owned and the puppy is taking one
to who-knows-where!! This ceases to be a funny game now! It’s not so cute when it’s a delicate red heel instead of a clunky Croc!!
Retrieving my ravishing red beauty, I quickly made my way to my bedroom to assess the state of its mate. It was with great relief to see the other red beauty under the bed where I foolishly thought they were safe. I reached down to pick up my prized heel and low and behold, my missing Croc was abandoned next to it…probably left behind in exchange for the more tempting red one.
Note to self….limit Pan Dulce’s access to bedroom. Ah, yet another baby gate to step over… the things we do all for the love of a puppy!
It seems he has a scandalous scavenger streak…largely for my things. The missing shoe in question is not a big deal as far as a loss would go. It’s one of those rubber Croc shoes. They were the first things he started making off with the day we brought him home. They are light weight, easily towed by the mini-pirate. We thought it was so sweet, he’d make off with one and take it to his bed and snuggle up with it as he napped. Who could be irritated by that?! The baby loves me!
His scavenging ways have gained momentum as he has settled in more, feeling his Wheaties! Today, as I worked on the computer, I could hear a theft in progress. I couldn’t see him but I could hear him! Plop, plop, thud…plop, plop, thud…plop, plop,thud… sounds of Pan Dulce in action. When he finally appeared in the room, he was struggling to drag my Honey’s flip flop. It was bigger than he is and far heavier. They are that hard rubber kind, not the light Croc stuff like mine. The plop, plop part was him attempting to lift the flip flop in a forward motion. The thud part was him hitting his head as he flipped over the shoe head first. Amazing!
Tonight at dinner, I slipped off my shoes (leather strappy sandals) as I normally do to sit cross legged in my chair. I’m short, my feet do not go all the way to floor…what can I say? Anyway, no sooner had I slipped off the last one and had not even gotten the second leg crossed in my lap when our petite pirate came dashing out from under the table with the first shoe. A mad dash back and he made the return trip with shoe #2. Hey, I LIKE those shoes…come back here! ‘No way, Mamacita,’ his guilt-free glance told me. I guess he felt safe under the protection of his chuckling daddy!
Uh oh, that didn’t sound good……
OK, NOW I’VE HAD ENOUGH! As I sit here wearing one shoe to write about our precious little puppy burglar, I see the all too familiar flash of fur dashing across the livingroom. Then I hear a clunk. No plop, plop thud…but a hard clunk. This needed investigating! To my horror the little scoundrel had procured one of my awesome new sexy red heels!! These are the sexiest shoes, not to mention most expensive shoes, I’ve ever owned and the puppy is taking one
to who-knows-where!! This ceases to be a funny game now! It’s not so cute when it’s a delicate red heel instead of a clunky Croc!!Retrieving my ravishing red beauty, I quickly made my way to my bedroom to assess the state of its mate. It was with great relief to see the other red beauty under the bed where I foolishly thought they were safe. I reached down to pick up my prized heel and low and behold, my missing Croc was abandoned next to it…probably left behind in exchange for the more tempting red one.
Note to self….limit Pan Dulce’s access to bedroom. Ah, yet another baby gate to step over… the things we do all for the love of a puppy!
Pan Dulce, shoe thief
Monday, October 5, 2009
And the Answer Is...
As children we hated hearing ‘Not now’ or ‘Maybe later’ to a request for something we really wanted or for permission to be granted. The worst was to hear ‘I’ll think about it’ because we all figured out early on that an ‘I’ll think about it’ usually meant ‘No’. When my kids (and now grandkids) were young and would push for an answer I was not prepared to give or complaining about the “I’ll think about it’ answer, I gave them a choice. I would tell them if they insisted on an immediate answer it would be ‘No’ but if they waited I would give their request serious consideration. They always would choose to wait.
As adults taking request, petitions and needs to our Holy Father, we are often no more easily satisfied that those impatient kids. We want an answer and we want it now. After all, we are busy adults with jobs and families to take care of; we need direction or finances or a health issue addressed. We are just too self-important and busy to wait….so thinketh a prideful and spiritually immature man or woman.
Through prayer, the Lord will give us a solution to the problem. The question is, will we see and accept it as THE answer if it is not what we wanted to hear? Hmmm…
His answer could be just what we asked (a Yes) or something entirely different (a No); He might tell us to wait in our current situation instead of taking action, (a Not Now).
God’s direction and guidance will be according to His perfect will in His timing. His answer may require us to take a step of faith. God uses every opportunity to strengthen our trust and grow us in righteousness. Our prayer life must grow from one of childish impatience demanding immediate gratification to one of faith-filled expectation confident that whatever the answer, God is following His will and has our best interest at heart.
1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
As adults taking request, petitions and needs to our Holy Father, we are often no more easily satisfied that those impatient kids. We want an answer and we want it now. After all, we are busy adults with jobs and families to take care of; we need direction or finances or a health issue addressed. We are just too self-important and busy to wait….so thinketh a prideful and spiritually immature man or woman.
Through prayer, the Lord will give us a solution to the problem. The question is, will we see and accept it as THE answer if it is not what we wanted to hear? Hmmm…
His answer could be just what we asked (a Yes) or something entirely different (a No); He might tell us to wait in our current situation instead of taking action, (a Not Now).
God’s direction and guidance will be according to His perfect will in His timing. His answer may require us to take a step of faith. God uses every opportunity to strengthen our trust and grow us in righteousness. Our prayer life must grow from one of childish impatience demanding immediate gratification to one of faith-filled expectation confident that whatever the answer, God is following His will and has our best interest at heart.
1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Just a Thought
Often as I travel down the highways, especially in town with all the flyovers, I think how difficult it would be for the early Native Americans to envision such a thing. Imagine how blown away George Washington would be with the city of Washington, D.C.!
In my great grandmother's lifetime she saw many life altering changes. She told us stories about traveling by covered wagon, seeing a train for the first time, cars invented, and light bulbs in homes, air planes and air conditioning. I can picture her as a young girl with a mind full of curiosity and I knew her as an elderly woman with more stories to tell than you can imagine. Were she alive today, computers would be the norm. Do you think she could have ever comprehended the notion of that? Probably not.
So, all that being true and real in our natural world, doesn't it make sense that we with our puny finite minds can not begin to comprehend the vastness and complexities of God? I get frustrated with people normally considered intelligent when they argue that Godly supernatural abilities and characteristics can't possibly be real because they don't understand them. That seems a bit arrogant to me. I don't really understand how television comes into my home but I'm sure glad it does! If I had to perform brain surgery to save another's life or even to save my own, I could not! I wouldn't know where to even begin...other than to start praying for God's supernatural help!
One look into the star-filled night sky is enough to put perspective on how small we are compared to the vastness of God’s creation. So then, doesn’t it stand to reason that his supernatural abilities used in creating that vastness are greater still? Yes, Believers, the vastness of God is far more than we can comprehend, but aren't you glad it's there to tune into?!
In my great grandmother's lifetime she saw many life altering changes. She told us stories about traveling by covered wagon, seeing a train for the first time, cars invented, and light bulbs in homes, air planes and air conditioning. I can picture her as a young girl with a mind full of curiosity and I knew her as an elderly woman with more stories to tell than you can imagine. Were she alive today, computers would be the norm. Do you think she could have ever comprehended the notion of that? Probably not.
So, all that being true and real in our natural world, doesn't it make sense that we with our puny finite minds can not begin to comprehend the vastness and complexities of God? I get frustrated with people normally considered intelligent when they argue that Godly supernatural abilities and characteristics can't possibly be real because they don't understand them. That seems a bit arrogant to me. I don't really understand how television comes into my home but I'm sure glad it does! If I had to perform brain surgery to save another's life or even to save my own, I could not! I wouldn't know where to even begin...other than to start praying for God's supernatural help!
One look into the star-filled night sky is enough to put perspective on how small we are compared to the vastness of God’s creation. So then, doesn’t it stand to reason that his supernatural abilities used in creating that vastness are greater still? Yes, Believers, the vastness of God is far more than we can comprehend, but aren't you glad it's there to tune into?!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
React or Respond?
Proverbs 17:28 "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue".
There was a time in my life when I did not know the difference between reacting and responding. Probably didn’t give it a thought at all, one way or the other. Adding that lack of contemplation to the fact that I was a ‘quick draw’ of the tongue with deadly speed and self-perceived accuracy, pile on youthful immaturity and stir in a healthy dose of unChrist-like behavior and you’ve got a remarkable copy of the Me-that-use-to-be.
I was aware of my ability to chew people up and spit them out before they even knew what hit them; sadly, I was even proud of it. I, the young spit-fire, believed it served me well. Growing up in an emotional, mental and sexually abusive home, one hones their defense mechanisms at an early age. I’m not making excuses for it, just explaining my understanding of it at the time. Had I read the Proverb scripture quoted above at that time, I would have laughed out loud.
God has done a lot of work on me since then and I am so very thankful. Of all the changes, and there have been many, I am most often aware of the change He has made in me regarding reacting and/or responding. Because of the stripping away of my old self as I grew in Him, I have a choice now.
It is very human to strike out when we feel criticized, attacked or confronted. If someone makes us angry, we leap to our own defense drawing our mighty weapon, the tongue. To this day, my grown children expect me to react quickly and severely leaving my opponents writhing on the ground from the tongue lashing. This makes me incredibly sad because that is not how I want them to think of me. I want them to know and understand we do not have to react to criticism with anger and self-protectiveness, as the world does. They do not understand that my silence when under verbal attack is not a weakness but strength. I simply choose to respond as God has called us to represent Him in every situation; the same way Christ did- through dependence on the heavenly Father.
I can not tell you how often I have given thanks for the tamed tongue. Yes, people and situations still make me angry but God has tempered my reactions and quieted the tongue. I can, through His strength, walk away from the situation knowing I have chosen to use wisdom and discernment. Any response required will be prayerfully considered before rendered. Admittedly, it is not always easy and sometime the hair on the back of my neck rises as a jerk-knee reminder I am still a work in progress.
The Lord told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities (Luke 12:11-12). He will do the same for you and me. If tempted to speak hastily, ask the Spirit to put a seal on your lips until God gives you the words to say and tells you it’s time to respond (Ps. 141:3).
Put your weapon away!
There was a time in my life when I did not know the difference between reacting and responding. Probably didn’t give it a thought at all, one way or the other. Adding that lack of contemplation to the fact that I was a ‘quick draw’ of the tongue with deadly speed and self-perceived accuracy, pile on youthful immaturity and stir in a healthy dose of unChrist-like behavior and you’ve got a remarkable copy of the Me-that-use-to-be.
I was aware of my ability to chew people up and spit them out before they even knew what hit them; sadly, I was even proud of it. I, the young spit-fire, believed it served me well. Growing up in an emotional, mental and sexually abusive home, one hones their defense mechanisms at an early age. I’m not making excuses for it, just explaining my understanding of it at the time. Had I read the Proverb scripture quoted above at that time, I would have laughed out loud.
God has done a lot of work on me since then and I am so very thankful. Of all the changes, and there have been many, I am most often aware of the change He has made in me regarding reacting and/or responding. Because of the stripping away of my old self as I grew in Him, I have a choice now.
It is very human to strike out when we feel criticized, attacked or confronted. If someone makes us angry, we leap to our own defense drawing our mighty weapon, the tongue. To this day, my grown children expect me to react quickly and severely leaving my opponents writhing on the ground from the tongue lashing. This makes me incredibly sad because that is not how I want them to think of me. I want them to know and understand we do not have to react to criticism with anger and self-protectiveness, as the world does. They do not understand that my silence when under verbal attack is not a weakness but strength. I simply choose to respond as God has called us to represent Him in every situation; the same way Christ did- through dependence on the heavenly Father.
I can not tell you how often I have given thanks for the tamed tongue. Yes, people and situations still make me angry but God has tempered my reactions and quieted the tongue. I can, through His strength, walk away from the situation knowing I have chosen to use wisdom and discernment. Any response required will be prayerfully considered before rendered. Admittedly, it is not always easy and sometime the hair on the back of my neck rises as a jerk-knee reminder I am still a work in progress.
The Lord told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities (Luke 12:11-12). He will do the same for you and me. If tempted to speak hastily, ask the Spirit to put a seal on your lips until God gives you the words to say and tells you it’s time to respond (Ps. 141:3).
Put your weapon away!
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