The tongue. How hard it is to control and as it says a verse earlier in James "No man can tame the tongue". One of the hardest, there are many hard things for me to do and many that are hard for me not to do, but taming my tongue is right up there at number 1 or two. Controlling what I think is right next to it. As I read these verses I am thinking, crap, this is a big struggle. Sometimes it can come out in the form of gossip, other times it is just downright rude, and I am not even referring to my stirring the pot...although that can be part of it.... if I have ever stirred your pot and you have been hurt. If this has ever been the case, I need to know ,& you need to confront me on it or how will I know when I go too far. We have talked about accountability, well it would certainly include this.
The tongue: That verse: ...praise God and then the next minute say %#$@ you. Matthew 5:22 says anyone who calls his brother a fool is in danger of the fires of hell. I remember in Africa how I was with a group of other AYC "kids", and we were talking with the missionary, and one of them said to the missionary, oh you fool. One of the Africans ran for his Bible and brought it to his attention of what it said in Matthew. The missionary talked to the person at length that what the person had called him was not meant with the intent in which it was spoken. Makes me want to be more careful in what I say, and take my time before I say it. I remember being told that a diplomat thinks twice before saying nothing. Hmmm digressing??? maybe...All this to say. I need to watch what I say, and what I think. All these things to remember ... but on the bright side, friends to keep me accountable. That's your job friends.
4 comments:
I am so with you Mike. Unfortunately I am a reactionary person - especially when it comes to someone who may be hurting my family and friends.
I find that when I am the glass half full person, it's not so bad but when I change over to glass half empty person that my tongue can definitely be a two edged sword.
Some of it depends on the people I'm around - I get sucked in very easily - not that this is an excuse, because it is my choice to get sucked in.
SR made an interesting comment to me yesterday - sometimes its hard to know when something is gossip or when you are really trying to find a solution for a situation - especially in her case where she doesn't have the spouse to mule things over with. I was thinking that over and wondering if we just have to look at our heart and say am I trying to fix this or am I trying to make the person look bad.
Thanks for the reminder - I'll try to get through today without too many tongue regrets.
Yeah it comes down to our motive, and our heart attitude when we bring up remarks. Are we looking for a solution or using the stage to vent or gossip. Sometimes it is a fine line, but we can always try and error on the side of grace and caution.
good morning all.. thot i'd get on here quick before my day gets wild.
Ummm... i think our motives are a huge part of things. I also think that sometimes we need to exercise a bit of wisdom when it comes to warning/protecting those we care about. Just because I have a "sixth sense" about so and so, doesn't mean I have to tell Amanda, which by the way, did you know that I think Eosophilusis is a bit of a phony, surface kind of person?? However... there are times when our close friends will appreciate a bit of a heads up, and there are times when our own burdens in relationships will be too much for us to bear alone. What is my motive? why am i telling you this. I sat at home late last night, mulling over a situation, not sure at all how to deal with it. If it would just go away, no problem. Funny though, how relationships don't just go away.
Having said all that... how many people look at me and wish they could get me to understand this or that, or wish i wasn't so stubborn about this or that, or wish i'd just shut up... hmmm.... any takers?? hahaha...
well, gotta run, computer away, see ya all later,
sr
No taker here. You are stubborn, me too sometimes :)~
I guess too often we want people to be who we would like them to be rather than who they are or even how god wants them to be. Acceptance of a person is one key to loving them, though what they may be doing is another matter.
Do you want to enlighten us with the situation you have been mulling over, or just leave things as they are?
Glad you are happy about your wild days....Hmmmm does wild include Milky Way Mmmmmmm ;)
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