Proverbs 12:17-19 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but a moment.
James 3:5,6,8, 9 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of natures; and it is set on fire by hell. . . But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God
There is much written in His word regarding the tongue and words. And for very good reason, since they can be used to hurt, blame, lie, gossip about, or edify, praise, encourage, correct, and allow one to hear love. Such a tiny muscle, yet it, through our minds, can cause hurt…or it can lead someone on a fine and progressive path.
However, so often it causes damage. One allows the tongue to busily escape with judgmental thoughts, negative words toward another, lies, or sometimes just “innocent” embellishments. We all know examples of this. For some reason, we all want to be in on the “know,” whether we truly “know” or not. So we pass on a story, at times maybe add an enlargement, make it bigger, grander, but all in all, something that is beyond the truth. This is GOSSIP, and the Lord does NOT like it. It may be maligning, it may be building someone greater than the truth, but it is still an attempt for you to appear more in the know and spread information and “lies.”
As people, we have a general desire to appear more important, more in the know, closer to the ‘hero’, or disgustingly, more scathing of one ‘someone’ has deemed unworthy. (JUDGMENT is for another blog!)
Shame on us. Gossip is a form of lying and creates the spread of a fire of more information, not necessarily true, but the story spreads….and can destroy.
One of the most recent for me involved a young man who was drowning across the street from my home. He was rescued by another couple of men, was gray and non-responsive initially. EMS arrived, the men had started CPR, and the young man had some response, but even by the time he was loaded into one of the ambulances, he was not coherent, so it was unclear if this was the result of trauma from near-drowning, or if in fact he had suffered permanent brain damage resulting from being without oxygen for too long.
Yet, one of the onlookers, just an observer, said he heard the young man had been drinking and maybe using heroin. That’s definitely a negative embellishment. And a totally unfair pronouncement. And who knows if it is true? Even if it is, perhaps this was the manner God was finally grabbing hold of this young man and showing him the danger of his ways. But it could be this young man lives a hard-working, conscientious way of life, and just got caught up in a riptide, and almost lost his life. Yet, onlookers who knew nothing of him, only watching the drama unfold were eager to fill voids in a POSSIBLE scenario. I urge them to pick up a writing utensil and start putting words down to create a story and let it unfold. Do not let those theories, guesses and possible hurtful remarks escape your lips. Squelch them. They are hurtful, unnecessary and no one in the crowd of strangers knows if any of the comments are true, other than he was pulled from the water, nearly drowned.
How many scenarios can you think of that you have heard, maybe friends who have been lied about, stories embellished about you or a significant other, relative, and so on. We all know the damage untruths can cause. We are all hearing about bullies and bullying and see a LOT of young people commit suicide to escape the nasty words others spew about them; all stemming from the muscle in our mouths.
The tongue, that little muscle that can do so much—enjoy the tastes of foods, bother a sore spot in your mouth, alert a dentist to a tender area to prevent bigger problems from occurring, and speak all sorts of words. Make your words kind and truthful, or omit speaking at all if you cannot give a fully honest report of what you SAW or EXPERIENCED.
I want to keep my tongue under tight control for my life and “mybellaviews.”
Isaiah 43:18,19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:18, 19 speaks to my heart. It reminds me of where I was decades ago when I first said yes to following Jesus. And now, I look ahead, and see a long, high climb still to go. But as I pause on the path and look ahead, I turn and look behind. OH my, yes, look at all that I have shed –bitterness, anger, impatience, intolerance, and so forth. Yeah, I’ve climbed above a lot, have a lot to climb still, but I enjoy this path. PLEASE don’t believe I never have issues with impatience, anger, or intolerance. But the feelings are rare, and I am able to shed them with a harsh word to Satan to take off with those negative messages he’s trying to infuse me with. I recognize them easier now. I’ve learned loving others is easier than holding grudges and anger in our hearts. It’s even gotten easier to do over time. Is it because I’ve realized we are each entitled to different views, or we are occasionally hurt when someone has their own issues to deal with, and we have not taken that into consideration? I don’t know. But I believe it is my growth in the walk I’ve had with God.
These are the things I am striving towards
God wants us to forgive those who have caused harm to us. I think if one is able to do that he/she has truly reached a level of love for others which brings us closer and closer to how our creator wants us to interact with others. Certainly, Jesus walked in love while here. He showed no disdain for the poor, the dirty, the ill, the hurt, and so forth. But he did show grave disapproval to pompous and rich, and church leaders who spouted rules but lived with no love, only condemnation and judgment toward others. That angered our savior. He came to serve, to show us how to love, how to be patient, and give entirely of oneself.
He taught and led others by example, with patience and love. I will never attain that level of patience, but certainly I have grown in love, in patience, in the certainty that I am almost always successful in doing my best. So life is better for me since I accepted the invitation to have him live in my heart. The longer the relationship develops, the better I want to strive to be. It’s been a journey, and I sometimes can see my footsteps climbing the path. I have gotten close to where patience is written on the mountain, but still have a trek ahead of me. But I continue to put one foot in front of the other. Heave ho! Whoops, that was a steep patch.
Lord, I pray I receive more of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
But it’s been a wonderful walk, such a satisfying journey, with many blessings for “mybellaviews.”
Psalm 27:8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, not sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
I love to walk, and find when I walk alone, I pray and chit-chat with God. Sometimes, I notice some of the blessings—birds, flowers, or some other blessings He’s put in my path. Other times, I am honed in on a particular worry or concern, or am praying for a need for a family member or friend. Some needs are long term and require keeping the needs in my prayers for a long while; others seem to be answered quickly. Sometimes, His help may require an alteration in the prayer since circumstances may have changed– now there is a loss and the person needs comfort dealing with the sadness associated with it, or something else alters the circumstance.
But I find I walk more as I commune with my Father and I believe God answers prayers. I tend to listen better when I am away from distractions, and enjoying Him and the blessings around me.
There are times it takes longer for some prayers to be answered than others. Sometimes, I wonder if God is ignoring a plea or His timing is just not my timing; or perhaps my prayer is not to be answered according to my will, but as He wills it. When He deems it is right, the prayer will be answered….as He wills it.
It seems I have a bit more patience when I am waiting for a personal answer than when I am waiting for an answer for someone else. I guess because I have realized how selfish I can be, (STILL), I have also learned God does not work on my time frame. (I also pray—ALWAYS— for an increase in my patience…and it seems He has given me a modicum more!)
Regardless, I appreciate my time spent with Him, whether walking or studying the word. I feel better having regular prayer time, reading His word and peeling back the layers and how they apply to me. It is amazing to see how a verse I’ve read repeatedly, sometimes seems as though it was just added to His word. Suddenly, it is so clear to my mind as it is specifically applying to my life and faults at THAT time. It brings me peace and comfort, and reminds me to slow…go with the flow…and wait for His perfect timing. Patience leads to peace, and I find great comfort in that peace.
God, thank you for reminding me it is best to wait on your perfect time for all ‘mybellaviews.”
Luke 8-5:8 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and he bird of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.”
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil
Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing.
For those of you who’ve read my postings in the past, you know gardening is one of my frequent topics. I love gardening—the trimming, the weeding, the planting, and the satisfaction at the end of the task of seeing the benefits of the area looking better, and the plants perking up. I enjoy the labor, getting my hands dirty, pulling up some of those insidious weeds trying to take over the space, and showing off the beauty of the plants themselves.
This morning our pastor was showing us how we are all God’s garden, and we need to be cultivated, fertilized and then can bloom. I had not thought about that, but I really liked his depictions of the garden…each of us a different plant, and needing to have bad or dead areas cut away, we need to fertilize our minds and souls with the Word, by surrounding ourselves with other Christ-like mentors, and strive to be loving and kind as we learn more and more about the forgiveness and love, the AGAPE love, of God.
We are His temple, His garden, and with the proper weeding, our struggling buds can become full blown blossoms. Maybe even the kind that sucks the breath from another in thankful amazement. Blossoms from most plants are lovely and fill me with admiration at God’s lovely creativity and blessings.
Part of the enjoyment and produce from the garden comes from being tilled, cultivating the soil, and culling out the weeds, cutting back some of the blossoms so more can be produced, and have the room to flourish more. That is what we do in our gardens. And it is what God does in the gardens of our lives so we can produce good works for others to benefit by. He works in us, with us, so that we can be blossoms for others.
As much as I enjoy being a person who gardens, I love being a blossom for God. Cull away my weeds, fertilize my mind and heart, trim my dead and nonproductive branches, and support the limbs that get too lengthy and leggy until they are strong enough to support themselves. My creative Gardener, Lord, I want to be a beautiful blossom in Your garden. I love the idea that I am a plant in God’s garden.
Thank You for the blessings of eyesight to see your many and varied blossoms and plants, to hear the bees and hummingbirds that seek Your nectar, and for the health to work in the garden of “mybellaviews.”
Acts 24:16 Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself (mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desire, endeavoring in all respects) to have a clear conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. It’s critical to keep your conscience clear because nothing will keep you from enjoying life as much as guilt.
This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. (Acts 24:16 NKJV edition) Same verses, just different renditions, and this one seems easier to understand for me.
Joshua 24:14 Put away gods, idols, and fear the Lord.
In Acts, Paul said that he pursued discipline and avoided worldly desires so that he could walk blameless and guilt-free before God and others. The same applies to us. Wordly desires can easily be turned into idols, things we crave, desire, seek, and lead into all sorts of danger. Food…obesity, diabetes, gluttony; money…hoarding, over-spending, not saving, wastefulness; immorality…sexual diseases, sin, not treating your body as a temple belonging to God, shame. Well, you get the idea…
Anytime, we are choosing something that is not the best for us—whether it be bakery items or some other sweets for me (my biggest downfall), or spending money on frivolous things we don’t NEED, whether it be clothing, house décor, or whatever, if we don’t need it, it may be something the Holy Spirit is quietly warning us not to do. And we need to pay attention to those quiet promptings.
Discernment is spiritual understanding, and it’s the key to living with a clear conscience. It takes practice, but it simply involves paying attention to your heart. God will let you know when you shouldn’t do something that will bring guilt later on.
Don’t do things you know you shouldn’t, and rely on God’s discernment when you’re facing an issue you’re not sure about. He will never lead you wrong. I can certainly relate many times I chose to ignore the urging to not do something, and the regretted it, and too bad, so sad, I’d made the mistaken commitment and was now stuck with those consequences of that decision. At times, it’s been costly; maybe not financially, maybe just in my regard of myself and what I sacrificed personally making a wrong decision. Regret is not a comfort to cuddle with at all. And I’ve only experienced the wretchedness of guilt and awful loss when I’ve ignored, followed my own will, and then had no way to reverse my decision. Yeah, regret is not comfortable.
So examine your heart before you make a financial commitment, a personal commitment, another kind of decision that will cost you (such as bakery products while dieting and you buy 4!). The Holy Spirit is with you and will try to guide you. But you MUST listen and obey in order to have no regret after. We don’t grow in our walk with Him if we ignore the Holy Spirit prodding and guidance, and chose to follow the temptations of the “evil one.”
Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit has helped me make more worthwhile decisions instead of regrets for “mybellaviews.”
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!