Happy Friday!
Today's guest writer is a wonderful woman by the name of Melissa. She is lovely, graceful, and radiates the glory of God. From observing Melissa's life, anyone can see that she is madly in love with Jesus <--- that is her best quality. Without further ado, read on, be blessed, be encouraged and be that lily among thorns.
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Sticks and Stones – a Lesson in Meekness
One of my all-time favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail. There’s one specific scene that is engrained in my memory because I identify with it so well. Meg Ryan, who is justified in her dislike for Tom Hanks, insults him in a most poetic way. With a stunned look on her face she tells him, “I just had a breakthrough, and I have you to thank for it. For the first time in my life, when confronted with a horrible, insensitive person, I knew exactly what I wanted to say and I said it.” I think everyone can identify with that feeling of satisfaction in having the last word, or getting your point across even if it was a little harsh. We go through that battle within our conscience of trying to defend ourselves by claiming we were simply speaking the truth. I’ll be honest, that game has gotten me in trouble more than once.
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Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. That’s a pretty bold statement, and rightfully so. Words can make or break a person; they can aid in determining whether he or she will become another statistic or a transformed life. As children we learn that ridiculous adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Anyone who survived the 5th grade has probably realized that the old “sticks and stones” bit is nothing more than a vain repetition with which we try to conceal the pain caused by someone else’s words.
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Matthew 5 is one of the most famous passages in all of scripture – Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes have been drilled in my head from an early age – “Blessed are the… for they shall…”. I’m embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t until the past few years that I actually decided to look up what the word “meek” meant. I had heard it hundreds of times and never given it much thought. My study bible clarified that the word does not denote weakness, but rather controlled strength – as in holding back when you could do something. Meekness also requires wisdom and humility. “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” Proverbs 17:27
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James 1:26 alludes to meekness; it reads, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” So when we’re faced with the choice to hold back or open the floodgates of brutal honesty and emotional blabber , unless we learn to control ourselves, our religion is useless. Next time you’re in the heat of an argument, or you just can’t wait to give someone a piece of your mind, turn your eyes upon Jesus, the ultimate example of meekness and humility. Remember we must try to see them through His eyes and allow that to filter our words.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6
2 comments:
re-reading this post, 2 hours later and i failed to keep my mouth shut and my anger under control. God's grace is sufficient for us.
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