It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words...Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. (12:35, 36)
It's been a rough start to 2012. I don't fully understand everything that's going on in my heart and mind, but God is revealing some pretty ugly stuff in me. I'm getting angry at the most ridiculous things. While my anger may not always come out of my mouth, I'm often fuming and cussing in my mind or under my breath, over the smallest things. I have not been a joy to live with.
These words of Jesus pierce my heart. My careless words - even from this weekend - are haunting me. I am baffled by my unexplainable temper. I don't want to be this way. I want to be someone whose words impart life to others, not drain it away in anger. But sadly, I have uttered far too many careless, angry words in my lifetime, and I know I will eventually give an account to my Lord.
I want to blame my foul mouth and sarcastic responses on adoption-induced anxiety or other circumstances, but my mouth is only exposing what's going on in my heart. I need to take these careless words seriously - no more blaming or excusing in the moment - and bring all of me to Jesus and ask Him to change me. I know Jesus will gently reveal the deep roots of my sin, transform my heart, and give me the desire and ability to obey His commands in this area.
These words of Jesus pierce my heart. My careless words - even from this weekend - are haunting me. I am baffled by my unexplainable temper. I don't want to be this way. I want to be someone whose words impart life to others, not drain it away in anger. But sadly, I have uttered far too many careless, angry words in my lifetime, and I know I will eventually give an account to my Lord.
I want to blame my foul mouth and sarcastic responses on adoption-induced anxiety or other circumstances, but my mouth is only exposing what's going on in my heart. I need to take these careless words seriously - no more blaming or excusing in the moment - and bring all of me to Jesus and ask Him to change me. I know Jesus will gently reveal the deep roots of my sin, transform my heart, and give me the desire and ability to obey His commands in this area.
Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. (Ephesians 4:29)
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-31)Even as I repent of the sins of my mouth, wondering what's really going on in my heart, once again I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of the gospel, by His amazing grace to me, a sinner. Jesus' death on the cross - out of His great love for me - has paid the penalty for these careless sins of mine. I am forgiven! And Jesus' resurrection is the source of all the power I need to live a transformed life.
I'm trusting Him today to cleanse me from all unrighteousness and transform my heart and mouth. No more careless words, I pray. Lord, speak through me so that every word from my mouth is a gift from You.
4 comments:
"I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual" (12:7) or in the NKJV, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Jesus was quoting Hosea 6:6, which clarifies a little more by giving additional meaning to mercy as faithfulness.
God desires my flexible faithfulness to Him in contrast to rigidity in my relationship with Him. If I think of it in those terms, I realize that I want loved ones to relate to me out of love, faithfulness, and desire not out of obligation or a set appointment on the calendar. It's more not less. It's not removing the Sabbath as the day to set aside for Christ, it's meeting with Him, walking with Him, setting aside my life for Him every day, every moment.
What a gift that we are part of Jesus' true family. The one thing our hearts' yearn for is a need to belong and Jesus comes through big time! (12:46-50) Today I am thankful for my physical family, and also for my spiritual family. Some day we will all fall at the Lord's feet and experience the deepest sense of belonging and fulfillment God has created. Thank goodness we are not bound to mere physical ties, rather we are brothers and sisters of the King.
I'm a bargainer. I want to make exceptions all the time. Rules often scare me...because that means it's possible to fail or cross the line. This passage hit me in this area for me today. When it comes to my unbelieving family (the majority of my family) I don't like to think that they are rejecting God. I picture that they just haven't "seen the light", they'll come around. And that thought process allows me to be more passive in my sharing with them. But Jesus makes it pretty clear here that I'm not helping. I'm not really being loving by taking lightly my family's faith (or lack of it). This convicts me to not just want to pray for them...I NEED to pray for them. This isn't something I can take lightly.
"This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse. There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God's Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives." (12: 30-32)
Lord, forgive my flippant dealing with your truth. Forgive my passivity for those whom I love. I know I don't have the power to change them. You do. Lord, I know you love them infinitely more than I do, so bring them to my mind, remind me to pray for them. Please, Lord, I beg you to open their eyes to you, soften their hearts, change their lives. In Jesus Name, Amen
I'm a day late posting this and not even sure if anyone will read it...but that's okay...oh, Cici, I am right there with you. ANGER is my first reaction and oh boy, can it be ugly.
My two year old has been testing me to MY LIMITS. My most repeated phrase of the day (besides cuss words) is "Lord, I can't do this!" I can't handle my emotions. I can't control my anger. In the moment, when the house is a disaster, when my 2 year old is kicking and hitting me and screaming "No mommy!" at the top of his lungs, It is hard not to want to unleash on him (I don't, but there have been many times when I've cussed in the other room, kicked something or thrown something). But that is still not okay. "anger does not produce the righteousness of God."
Lord, I am weak. I am weary. I can't do this life of faith and denial of self and following You without Your help. Please! Change my heart, change me inside and out. Have mercy on me, oh Lord.
Post a Comment