I realize it has been a long time since I posted on here, but thankfully that doesn't mean a pause in life, because I've been living it and I know you have, too, because I've been living it with YOU! We sure have had a busy summer and while busy sometimes isn't a good thing, I am so thankful that is not the case for what has been going on at LifeSong. I am so thankful that God has been right here with us, guiding us and building us.
I've thought and prayed long and hard about what I would post today. Would it be something witty? Something inspirational? Something deep? Something informational? I just couldn't decide, and well...I didn't have to. God always leads me in a variety of ways and most of what I write...EVER...is from living life with Him. Sometimes life is hard and confusing, and that is pretty much where I find myself these days. With all that is within me, I desire to be what God wants me to be and let me say, on the flip side of that is a desire to NOT be what people think I should be. The two worlds often collide for me...do they for you? Sometimes God has us do, say or be the hard thing, all for a purpose in the end - His Glory! How does this play out in your life?
I often find that just because I'm a woman that I must try to fix it all because that is how God wired me. I want to nurture, protect, take care of... It gets hard doing it all by ourselves, doesn't it? I don't want to do it anymore, though. I want Him to do it for me, don't you? One thing I have felt a great burden about lately is "unwholesome talk." How almost funny it is for a women's ministry blog to "talk" about unwholesome talk. I mean, come on, we're women for Pete's sake! Women, whether you want to hear it or not, talk...and I do mean talk! We can, in name of "I'll take care of it", fixer mode open our mouths to fix it, take care of it, make it all better, etc., just because we think we are supposed to. Pause button! We're NOT supposed to let "any unwholesome talk proceed from our mouth." I have a real hard time with this. I am a "if you think it, you say it" kind of person and sometimes that means I just need a Holy Shut up and let God handle it, right?
Let's not confuse the notion of unwholesome talk with the other side of things...saying that which builds another up, and edifies. That sometimes is really not pretty to hear either, is it? Have you ever made the comment after you hear a sermon, "Wow, sure did get my toes stepped on today"? I have! Sometimes what we need to hear hurts, doesn't it? Sometimes being the one to have to say the tough stuff hurts, but I just want to say today...say it! When it is for the purpose of building and protecting the Kingdom...say it!
Read this... In Jeremiah 15:19, we're told...."...if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be My spokesperson." This verse puts so much in perspective on how we use our tongue. I don't know about you, but to be found worthy to be God's spokesperson is much more appealing and purposeful when I stop and think about how I want my life to influence. You know the great thing, too? The truth is that we all fail when it comes to how we use our words. If you don't fail, then you must not speak at all. Our words get the best of us by swallowing us up sometimes. The great thing is that we don't have to remain that way. We CAN make a turnaround. Our talk can become that, which we've designed our mission for Aroma to be..."life leading to life." Let me encourage you today. If you find yourself in a place where you feel bound to unwholesome talk, make that turnaround today and allow God to show you the way to those "worthy" words.
