Taming the Tongue of a Sass-Master

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 

James 3:11 KJV

In the book Tuck Everlasting, a family discovers a spring that bestows immortality when its waters are consumed. At first, they find the advantages of eternal youth to be awesome: they never aged, remaining as they were when they first drank from the spring. But over decades, with the passage of time, they yearned for a normal, mortal life. The water of the fountain of youth was both sweet and bitter.

The fountain spoken of by the Apostle James, however, is not one of youth, but of the everlasting impact of our words. This fountain, our tongue, according to James, should not be producing words of both love and hatred.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9-10, NIV.

As newlyweds, my husband and I wanted our marriage to be centered on our faith in God. We both worked full-time, but carved out time to develop as believers in prayer groups and Bible studies (not all at the same time!) with others, many of whom became lifelong friends. 

One afternoon, I exchanged some sharp words with Tim. Actually, it was less of an exchange and more like direct fire aimed at my husband. A few minutes later, I sat alone at our kitchen table and flipped open my Bible randomly. These words from the epistle of James seemed to be in neon lights: “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

I knew immediately that the Lord was addressing my sharp tongue. Here I was, sitting down to study the word and bless the Lord with my praises directly after spewing venom at my life-partner. Gulp.

Anyone who knows me will wonder if that spectacular moment of sweet conviction truly sparked change in me. I have a way with words: a teenager recently told my daughter that “your mom is a sass-master.” Gulp again.

But I never forgot the gentle admonition from God that day. I apologized to Tim and began to see the truths of the Word of God to be very real and applicable to my life.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:7-8, NIV.

Our words can carry such weight: the cold boulders of ill-will, anger or envy, or the warm, thick honey of love, encouragement, mercy and laughter.  We have the power to choose which words we hurl at those around us, even those who appear to deserve the best a sass-master can deliver. Lord, tame my tongue!

Gifts for the Common Good

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit...Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church (1 Corinthians 14:1, 12).

Every believer is the recipient of at least one spiritual gift freely given by God. A gift can’t be conjured up, or willed or merited: it is by His wonderful grace that we receive these good gifts to serve Him and the Church.

I have taken more than one spiritual gift inventory, but, as Nora Ephron famously wrote, “I remember nothing.” I honestly don’t remember what these inventories revealed, probably because after reading the results, I was busy chasing after toddlers. What became a more effective method of determining how God gifted me to participate in His kingdom was trial and error over time.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Our spiritual gifts may be deeply entwined with our natural strengths, but when we are empowered to follow God, our natural gifts take on a whole new dimension and meaning. I have found that to be the case for me.  I have been singing and writing since I was a small child--I was no prodigy and didn’t have much guidance or know-how for expanding those gifts beyond the usual, but they were definite areas of interest and strength.

As I grew as a believer, my natural gifts took on a new dimension. For instance, I discovered I could not only enjoy worship (which I did not early on, because I was reserved and too embarrassed to show my joy) but I could also lead worship effectively. Through being mentored and encouraged by more experienced worship leaders who saw in me what I could not, I was able to step out in faith and discover how God could use me to help the Church to worship. Taking risks is an important part of growing in the gifts God gives.

My ability to write is intertwined with gifts of teaching and guidance.  I want to encourage and help others to grow in the Word, in their faith and in individual growth and empowerment.  The trial and error method continues, as I seek God’s guidance for specifics on how I am to use these gifts.

Last year I created a weekly summer Bible study that combines my love to write, to teach and to serve/be hospitable: I host “Stories on the Porch” at my home, complete with a front porch, an original Bible study, scones and tea.  Those attending asked me all year if we could do it again, and now it is an annual event.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).

For those who struggle in identifying the spiritual gifts God has given them, I suggest seeking the insight of a trusted, mature believer. Inventories are also a good tool, but so is listing one's passions and interests, and the gifts/talents inherent in those areas. No one is left out from participating and expanding God's kingdom--and as long as we grow our gifts in love and service to others, we bring glory to our generous Creator.

Encouragment by Amanda Elder Silvers

An online search of the word "encourage" yielded these results-

en·cour·age/enˈkərij/

Verb:	Give support, confidence, or hope to (someone): "encouraging results"; "I feel encouraged". Give support and advice to (someone) to do or continue something: "pupils are encouraged to be creative".
Synonyms:	embolden - hearten - support - promote - stimulate

My spiritual gift from day one has been the gift of encouragment.  For as far back as I can recall I am usually the person in my circle whom the others come to for guidance and advice.  I've always been hardwired that way.  I believe I'm a good listener and truly want to hear what is happening in the lives of others.  It's a very social responsibility, however it's not a responsibility I take lightly.  Frankly it is one which comes with a great deal of pressure.  It's necessary that we hold that mirror up to ourselves when we are offering advice and support to others. 

Scripture instructs us throughout to be encouragers.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

It is our responsibility as believers in Christ to love, encourage, listen, and to hold one another's feet to the fire when necessary.  It's not always an easy task, but it is the one to which I was called.  Life can be challenging at times and sometimes we all just need to hear a kind word from another human who can show us a glimpse into the pure love of Christ.  I try to be that person for my family, my friends, and even strangers.  If I'm being honest there are times I fail miserably, but it's comforting to know that when I, "the encourager", need support I can always to to a Holy God Who will never keep His love from me. 

My prayer for each person reading this is that God has blessed you with a person (or several people) who are encouragers to you on a daily basis.  I have my support.  They are often times what keeps me sane!  In a world which can be so cruel at times I personally find it of foremost importance to know that there are people who will listen and help steer when I feel I'm drifting off road.  I'm honored to be able to return the favor.

Have a blessed weekend!

Katniss I am not

God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. Romans 12:6.

One of my guilty pleasures is a good old apocalyptic tale, like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, or the films, “I am Legend,” “28 Days later” and  “The Hunger Games” (this may surprise some friends who know I love all things Austen and Masterpiece Theatre). But, I am no Katniss. If I was cast into the wilderness after a world disaster, I would be more like Peeta. I would eat the wrong berries, mistake nettles for aloe and be eaten by a wild animal right quick. But I tend not to panic in tense situations, so like Peeta, if I survived the first few days, I could give a comforting hug and encouragement to those with whom I travel, and provide a modicum of entertainment.

So, my list of five things I would bring with me are not the most practical, but necessary for my psychological and physical survival: a Bible, pack of pens, thick notebook, prescription sunglasses and a water purifier.

God’s Word is essential as a reminder of His promises, care and provision in all circumstances. Pen and paper provides an instant stress reducer as I unload fears, deep thoughts (if I have any) and plans (being future-oriented in this instance would help prevent giving up in dire times). I was going to choose pencils instead of pens, since they last longer, but then I would have to take a sharpener. The parts of a used pen may prove useful in some way, like the spigot thing Katniss drives into a tree trunk laden with water in Catching Fire.

The water purifier is an obvious choice (I don’t know much about camping, but I know safe water is critical), but the sunglasses are not. I am terribly near-sighted, so my glasses are always on, except when I read. My Raybans would be an extra thing to carry, but if I have to move about unshowered, no makeup and my hair a mess, at least allow me one cool factor. And cornea protection.

I don’t know if I would survive very long in the wilderness (unless I had my sister Lois with me, who used to talk a lot about “foraging”), but I would hope that to my last breath, I would help others, especially my family, to do so in the ways that God has enabled me. It seems like pen and paper would be fairly useless, unless the words on a page can encourage, exhort, bring direction and joy, and inspire hope. I am certain they can.

How do I follow

The truth that my life only works when I remain connected to God and let Him do the work thought me, is one that I have to come back to periodically. That's what makes this post of mine as relevant today as it was when I posted it back in May 2008:

How do I follow?

This morning my heart was pierced anew as I read God's word. These specific words of Jesus that are recorded in the gospel always get to me:

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?"

Mark 8:34B-37 (The Message)

These words get to me because I so miserably fail. I have this push inside of me to be in charge, I tend to follow my culture and want to get into all kinds of self-help ventures and think I can control my world. But the truth is that I have no real control; it's God who is in control of the universe. If I take the time and examine my life and my motives I spend entirely too much time pursuing things and lifestyles that bring me comfort and ease; that easier and softer way. I most definitely run from suffering or at least go out of my way to avoid it. I fill up my time with activities to help me avoid that natural anguish of the human condition.

But God shows me a different way. To be candid, when I read these words a part of me feel so lost - how can I do this? I guess the point is that I can't do it. I'm encouraged as I re read the passage and see that Jesus is coaxing me to follow Him and He'll show me how. So how do I follow Him? This is the question I bring to God in prayer this morning.

I'm so grateful that it's not my ability that I have to depend on, but it's God and His character. So I can have faith that He will show me how to follow Him and live my life His way.

What are some ways that God's shown you to follow Him?

Hey, did I miss it?

Have you ever shared an experience, or participated in an event with someone, and when you both talked about it later found out that her perception of it was some what different than yours? I think we all have. I've found that sometimes I fail to notice things.

Sometimes I fail to notice God.

I can remember more than 10 years ago participating in a Bible study where the phrase "God sightings" was used. The idea was to be more aware of, to notice, God working. I don't know about you, but sometimes, for me, it's just easy to get caught up in the business of life. To be really candid, sometimes it's easy for me to perseverate on some problem that's really bugging me, and to fail to see the good things happening around me.

Every since that Bible study, that phrase, that concept of God sightings, has been somewhere lurking in my thoughts. I've frequently prayed that God would help me not to miss Him in each and every day.

I can remember a super tough job I had from 2000 - 2003 where I was an assistant administrator for a large adolescent inpatient and outpatient program. My boss was an incredible leader AND incredibly demanding; the hours were long, the tasks frequently seemed beyond my ability. But every day I looked for ways God was at hand. I could see Him sometimes give me ways to do things when I asked him for wisdom because I didn't have a clue how to proceed, but there was something that had to be accomplished. I can remember watching God change the hard hearts of some of my employees that had ghetto backgrounds and had initially acted disrespectful and even threatening toward me, to where they would come to me to pray for them (hey, even if they weren't sure about God, maybe he was real and perhaps I had an "in" with Him). I could enjoy those little blessings; like a rose someone placed on my desk, the rare occasions when someone said thank you, when the sun was shining in the sky and I could see it and feel it's warmth when I took a break outside or when I drove over to the outpatient program, when I watched a teen from a horrendous background begin to realize that he was a person of value.

I can remember my then-husband leaving me the year I turned 40, to go off with a beautiful young woman who was turning 30. I can remember almost falling into that think-about-nothing-but-this-painful-awful-life-changing-scary-thing-going-on mentality. Instead of falling into that mentality, the Holy Spirit gave me the idea and power, to choose every morning right when I woke up to think through all the God sightings from the previous day that I could recall and to spend time thanking Him for His goodness in my life. You know what? Those daily lists were rather long. God had my job, out of the blue, offer me $24,000 more per year to move to work for them at a site about an hour from the town where myself & sons and estranged husband & girlfriend were living. The town we moved to was closer to the ocean and God blessed both my sons and myself incredibly during the years we lived there. That town we moved to was a somewhat difficult place to find housing, and I didn't know anyone living there, so I just prayed and opened up a phone book for that area and turned to rental listings in the yellow pages. God blessed us with being able to rent a clean, tidy, affordable, house in a neighborhood that I later found was one of the best in the area (even though myself plus 5 other couples all tried to rent that house and I was in the middle of becoming single and finding out about all kinds of weird debts that the boys' dad had acquired). God brought me other single mom friends who were just so much fun. God brought a couple of older, godly, men into my sons' lives to be positive male role models for them and invest into their lives. I could just go on and on listing all the ways God worked in my life and blessed me during that time. Perhaps the most precious was His own sweet presence, His peace and calm that He caused to permeate my heart and life.

I can remember as recently as yesterday, being tempted to give into discouragement when driving my 15 yr old son to school and listening to him give a teen age rant about how terrible I am (recently I imposed some consequences on his older brother). But looking out the window and seeing those gorgeous clouds God had placed right there, hovering over the mountain tops, delighting my eyes. Thinking about how my husband John and I had just prayed over a situation the night before and then watched God almost immediately bring about the answer to our prayers. Finding that I much preferred looking for God, His blessings and His power working in my life, than to give in to feelings of being hurt, sad, and overwhelmed.

What about you, do you look for God every day? Has taking the time to see how He's blessing and working in your life changed things for you? How?

The Kingdom of God is here and now...

The Kingdom of God is here and now... I've said that to myself now about 5 times... Every time I say it the more excited I become...

My name is Michelle, my blog style is probably very different from the others written on this page... It is a bit intimidating being among such awesome inspiration and revelation... However, I'm up for the challenge... After all,The Kingdom of God is here and now!!!

What an awesome time in history this is for the sons and daughters of God. The spiritual realm and physical realm is under such distress and we as the body of believers have a front row seat... I come to you today with a word of encouragement !!! Remain faithful and do not become weary in well doing... Saints of God, this is the season for the harvest...This is the time for the body of believers to put into practice what Jesus spoke in Luke 4:18-19(nkjv)...

"The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

All I can say is WOW!! We are placed strategically in our cities , towns, jobs, etc..for this very reason. Jesus has prepared the way and sent us to the people that need to hear the good news. At the time of our salvation saints, we received the awesome gift of eternal life and a life time partner and guide... "The Holy Spirit!". Because The Spirit of the Lord is upon every believer you are anointed!!! You/we were recruited into the service of the Lord. The Kingdom of God is here and now. So, my question is this: Saints what are we waiting for? There are people dying with out Christ, there are needs all around us. It's our responsibility to disarm the spirit of infliction, poverty and wickedness. Jesus never said it was going to be easy. You're going to be considered odd, different... So what!!Leave your reputation behind!!!Saints we need to call things as if they were!! People may ask you, "Who do you think you are??" Your response will be a son/ daughter of The Living God!!

With the kingdom ever present all that's done in the name of the Lord is for the building up of His kingdom. Our purposes are becoming greater in these days, I sense in my spirit the urgency of the Fathers cries for sincerity in His servants, for a fresh passion ignited by the realization of His cross and his inevitable return.There is much to accomplish in our short visit here on earth with not much time to waste. All this laboring we are doing over the Saints, and all of our own personal struggles are for God's purposes, and the purpose of the building up of His Kingdom.

So rise up!! All this "stuff" we are dealing with is for something!! Hooray!!