Disclaimer: This post will probably not be popular at all. But, I dare you to, at the very least, watch the clip below, as it is quite possibly some of the best two minutes and fifty-two seconds of a secular film that you will ever watch. I recently watched the movie, Doubt, again. Theres one part in it that stung me both times that I saw it. But, like most stings, its burn only lasted a little while... We have all been guilty of gossiping. (Well, I admit that I have.) Even the hint of putting a negative thought of someone in anothers ear, albeit small or large, is gossip. Its like a slimy trap that you cant get out of easily. The ability to whisper, or even shout, your disdain for another so readily. So eagerly... Several months ago, I found myself critical and offended at almost everything around me. There were most definitely things that explained the whys of it all, but I alone was guilty of letting it consume me. It was like a crazy virus that just kept spreading. As I became more aware of the infection that was taking over my thoughts, I found that the overflow of this cesspool was coming out of my mouth as well. (It wore my hubby out!) So, I sought counsel and read the bible for help. I read it as if it was the chemo to the malignancy that was growing within me. And, God spoke. If youve read my blog, you know that Ive been honest about my struggle with the stronghold of offense. In looking back, it has reared its ugly head many times throughout my life. And, in analyzing the effects of this weakness, I have found that offense is like an octopus with tentacles that are named gossip, fear, pride, envy, bitterness, criticalness, anger,... amongst several others. And, these arms can be harmful in so very many ways. In my lifetime, I know that I have hurt people with my words. And, through the years Ive also been hurt many times by other peoples words. I have had times where I was quick to judge and quick to speak. And, if we are honest, I know that most of us could say the same on all accounts. I have wanted to share this post for a long time. In fact, I wrote a lot of this over eight months ago. But, I was too afraid of failing publicly by putting this out here and knowing full well that I will fail at times with what I am sharing. Yet, after reading so much about grace and sanctification in recent months, I have been convicted to go ahead and share this with you all. In seeking Gods word on these issues, I have found that I can easily become a, Negative Nelly, if I do not keep my heart in constant check. But, by the grace of God alone, I move forward. And, I am so very grateful every single day that- ~My heart is constantly yearning to be completely Gods. ~I have the conviction of The Holy Spirit. ~I repent. ~And, praise The Lord, there is always that grace. I want to show kindness and love consistently to those that I know, their good and their bad, in the same way that I show kindness and love to strangers. Those strangers that I love to share my faith story with and that I treat with genuine respect. To be the same with all. I want to completely grasp and live out always, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.. And, to turn the other cheek every single time, no matter how many times it takes. I try to esteem others as better than myself. (Oh boy! Is that ever a tough one?!) And, in all of this, to zip my lippies! After all, its what God tells us to do. And, honestly, no matter your beliefs, its just the good humankind thing to do. I do want to add that I personally dont think that its wrong if you have that trustworthy person that you may vent too or share with at times... But, always pray about it first. Pray with them over the issue that has upset you. And, ask them to keep you in theIr prayers and for their accountability in this area. This is definitely a tough subject. But, I am totally giving way to more brokenness in my life. An absolute must. I pray that I am not alone here. You see, broken is not a bad word. Yes. It implies pain. And, it can and will probably hurt. But, the healing that comes from a truly broken heart is beautiful. If more of us were striving to be broken of the things that are contrary to God, even out loud and in the open... I believe we will then see a renewal, a revival, in our churches, homes, schools, workplaces... (I hope to write more about brokenness in the near future.) My prayer, in sharing this, is that it helps at least one of you that may be struggling in this area. It has certainly helped me to prayerfully assess this area of my life and to write it out. I am made up of sinful, yet forgiven, flesh. Forgiven by a great and merciful God. I will fail at times. In that, there is no doubt. But, I will not stop being teachable, aware, open, learning, and growing. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, 1 Thessalonians 5:11a (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesian 4:29 The easiest way to save face is to keep the lower half shut. ~Unknown (By the way- nothing precipitated this post, other than my realization of how ticky I had been this year, especially this Summer, and the things that can manifest off of and from the unchecked areas in my heart. Well, and my ongoing fear of what others think (especially of late). And, hoping to nip potential gossip in the bud (A not-so-subtle meek wink, wink!). I just knew that it was time for me to share this as I have felt the burden of its message. Ive also turned off the expectation of any likes with this post, as I seriously doubt that anyone really wants to hear this. Yes. Pun intended.) Now watch this clip!
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 20:14:15 +0000