Sense


            In my previous post I mentioned my weakness for chocolate. I tried to do better this past week but, yet again I failed. You see, I have a tongue that likes to be the boss of my body; it frequently argues with my brain, my stomach and my joints. Today, the argument is between my knee and my tongue. My tongue has been winning in its temper tantrums for Diet Coke and chocolate and today my knee decided it was time to speak up to let me know it is time for water and complex carbs. (My knee is very wise.)

            There are times my tongue prefers to be independent, it desires counsel from nothing. This can be a problem when it cuts loose without the consideration of the brain first. My brain always wants to throw common sense into the mix while the tongue takes great pride in a quick (usually sarcastic) comeback. Regret often follows. If I can control my tongue, hold it in check, the bible says I can; turn away wrath, produce wisdom, and be a tree of life among other things. However it can also produce death with lies, conceit, slander and gossip. Just like a sharp knife in the kitchen it can be a useful tool or a dangerous weapon.

            This tiny portion of my body can cause so much trouble! The tongue is considered one of the strongest muscles of the body due to its flexibility. But even strong muscles need rest now and then. I believe it is time to ask the tongue to step down from its position as the bossy one. It will be a new battle every day but the victory will be sweet. (Maybe even sweeter than chocolate!)

            James 3:4-6 “Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

            James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Posted by

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How are you?

Image
            When I wake, one of the first things I do is say, “Good morning God!” Some days are more enthusiastic than others. When I greet another human being, I usually follow that greeting with, “how are you?” This morning it occurred to me that I don’t ask God how he is. I have been contemplating this idea, how are you God? Obviously, given his attributes of omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience it is easy to follow the train of thought that he has everything in check. Despite that; I think of him in human terms and I can’t help but feel he is; not mad but disappointed (cringe). When he looks at creation, like a parent gazing on the wreckage of a kid’s toy room, wouldn’t there be disappointment?             As I contemplated that, my meandering mind led me to consider guilt. The guilt that leads to the disappointment of others. Every culture I have known lays claim t...
Read more

I Don't Understand

Image
              I was walking with my good friend Patti this morning as we do most Saturdays, and we were discussing dependance on God versus a bank account when from out of my coat pocket my phone speaks and says, “I don’t understand.” In the moment it made us chuckle, but it is so appropriate because the phone (a worldly item) can’t understand that kind of faith. The world doesn’t understand that kind of faith. I have often heard stories of men and women of faith totally dependent on God, prayers being answered in supernatural ways at the very last minute. (Read up on George Mueller who ran an orphanage depending entirely on God). I desire that type of faith because try as I might, at times I still lean on my bank accounts and fear can creep in when my funds are low.             There is no way to completely understand the love of God, His ways are incomprehensible to the...
Read more

Masterpiece

Image
              As a young person, I was fond of painting, not great at it but reasonable. I set it aside when I fell in love and got married. In these days of isolation I needed to find some other ways to occupy myself other than baking and decided to get back to my paint brushes.   To get used to handling the brushes again I got myself a paint by number,             If you have never tried one of these let me give you a little insight. You receive a canvas with an image divided up into numbered areas and little pots of paint with corresponding numbers. Then you begin a sort of scavenger hunt trying to fill in all the spots of a particular number. Sounds simple enough, however some of these areas are so tiny they are easily overlooked. The tiny spots are important though, they give that little flourish that can draw the eye or round out an object.    ...
Read more