Sowing Peace

Today's reading is about the Divisive Tongue.  It begins by asking us to consider people who deliberately sow dissension. As I read that I felt a tiny bit okay, because I didn't think I deliberately did it.


But then I turned the page and read where it tells us about the goals of the Enemy. "He will cause us to become offended over a harmless statement, to read more meaning into a comment than the speaker intended, to ascribe impure motives to someone's behavior, or to believe a lie."  And I find that when I am being offended in this way, I in turn become more divisive.  Ouch!


At the same time, my Bible study lesson this morning was about Jonah. Many people know about Jonah being swallowed by a whale. But the whole story is that the reason Jonah was in the ocean at all was because he was running away from God! God had told him to go preach to some people in Ninevah and he didn't want to. He didn't like those people. They weren't like him and they weren't NICE!  So he jumped aboard a ship, a big storm blew up, he told the sailors to save themselves by throwing him in the sea, so there he was.  And wouldn't you know that God wouldn't let him die and AVOID the mission! God sent a big fish to rescue Jonah. But he let Jonah stew in fish juice for three days until Jonah worked out what was really at the heart of the issue.


Even then, after Jonah went and preached to the people and they repented and started worshiping the Lord Jonah was miffed! He still didn't like those people! And God asked Jonah what right Jonah had to say who would and would not be saved.


In my Bible study lesson, one of the questions was whether there was a "Ninevah" mission in my life that God keeps sending me on and that I would prefer to run away from.  Double barreled ouch! There are two people in my life that I can't help but be around and who I KNOW are my Ninevah mission. Like Jonah, I don't like them and they aren't like me. And over the years they've been often unkind or indifferent.


A mission to people who are unwilling, unwelcoming and unloving is difficult. After years and years of this, I am tempted to do a Jonah and jump a ship for Tarshish. Or worse, have an attitude of grudging obedience. Do I really look forward to these people coming to know the Lord? Do I really want to share the "goodies."  Don't I want God to like me better because I knew Him and obeyed Him first?


Ouch, ouch and ouch.


Lord help me love them the way you do, and passionately desire their hearts to yield to you. Help me not to be divisive when my feelings are hurt.  And if I'm not feeling particularly energetic in loving them, at least help me not be a stumbling block, and kindle in me a desire to serve more enthusiastically in this area.


Because it is God's preference for us to sow peace, I would like to offer a giveaway of The Peacemaker book. This is the student edition of The Peacemaker: Handling Conflict without Fighting Back or Running Away by Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson.  If you would like this book, please leave me a note in the comments. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.

In a Hurry

I cannot remember a time as a child when some adult (usually my mother, but often a teacher) was not saying to me, "think before you speak."  I was a precocious reader and I thought that everyone needed to know as much as I had learned and was very eager to share it.  The affirmation of my cleverness by others just spurred me on to more.

While my childhood enthusiasm to share indiscriminately calmed a bit as I got older, the habit to speak without thinking first was firmly in place.  I still struggle with it, especially in awkward social situations. I try to fill the empty space with empty words.

Today's Lent reading is about "The Hasty Tongue" and addresses this issue.  We have all heard the expression, "speak in haste, repent at leisure" (although it is usually remodeled as Marry in Haste, Repent at leisure).  The Proverb it comes from says "He who answers before listening -- that is his folly and his shame (18:13)."

I participate in Random Dozen, a meme hosted by Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee.  On January 6, 2010, this was one of the questions and my response:

2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response? Regrettably, I'm often thinking about my next line. Especially if it's funny...or they're having trouble getting to the point.

So yes, this is a continuing problem for me.  I have learned to NOT commit to things until I've thought about them, prayed about them and talked with my husband, and I've learned to say that to people who ask me to do things, especially connected with church. But I still fill in silences with how 'clever' I am – whether it’s comments on a blog or conversation in a hall.  And that often leads to people being annoyed, irritated or offended.  I apologize to those who have felt bothered by my hasty speech.

Lord, help me realize that I'm much more likely to dishonor you and blemish my testimony of serving you if I jump in without praying first.

Day 3 of Learning in Lent

Today's reading is about the Manipulating Tongue.  The passage refers to Delilah, the manipulative woman who was the downfall of Samson.  The writer says, "while manipulators are subtle and make every attempt to cloak their self-serving motives . . . "


I don't think I intentionally try to manipulate people When I was practicing law that was such a part of the 'game' that it was exhausting to try to keep up with it.


However, today I am asking the Lord to show me where I might be less-consciously trying to manipulate people or situations. 

• Do I cook a favorite meal in order to curry favor with another person or because I genuinely want to love that person?
• Do I offer help because I really want to help or because I want to be closer to 'the action"?
• Do I join a conversation because I really have something useful and God-honoring to add or am I just trying to show how smart I am?
• Do I remind my children to do things because I think it will do any good or because I want them to know how annoyed I am with their forgetfulness?

Trying to manipulate situations and people is ultimately a failure of trust in the Lord to handle it. And His word is clear, 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

Lean not on your own understanding,

 In all your ways acknowledge HIM, 

and He will make your path straight." 

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

The writer concludes with this affirmation, "Because I am in right standing with God, He surrounds me with favor.  Therefore, I have no need to manipulate anyone for personal gain or advantage."


Told you this would be a challenge...stay tuned.

My Lent Journey

When I was a kid I knew other kids that 'gave up' something for Lent, but we never did because our denomination just didn't practice that.  We didn't "do" Ash Wednesday either.  I never understood the smudges on other kids' foreheads but I was envious that they got to come to school late!


I knew about Palm Sunday and Good Friday (really bad Friday), and that Easter celebrated the Resurrection of God's son, but the Lenten period was a mystery.  But this year I've been wondering whether God is calling me to a period of reflection and meditation during Lent.


Yesterday (first day of Lent) I was reminded of a book a friend gave me recently.  I had left it in my backpack because I really didn't want to deal with it.  It stayed in there throughout the snowstorms and recovery period.  I told myself I wasn't going to look at it until I had paid her for it. (She didn't insist on that, but she'd gotten them for our entire study group so I wanted to do my part)  On Tuesday I paid her. No more excuses.


As I said, I'd been wondering whether this should be the year I should try to 'observe' Lent by giving something up.  I wanted it to be sacrificial and I wasn't quite sure what would FEEL most sacrificial to me.  BUT GOD has a funny sense of humor and I very clearly felt him place this book on my mind. It's a 30-day book, so it fits.  Each day, one passage, one prayer. Sounds doable right?  Did I tell you the title?

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue.

Yeah. Ouch.

So I started yesterday with Day 1 - the Lying Tongue.  So notice is served here and now, if I ain't tellin' the truth, I ain't sayin' nothin' at all . . . for the next 30 days I'm going to try very hard to make this happen.  Out and out lying isn't my problem -- it's exaggeration that gets me because I LOVE to get a laugh.  So...stay tuned on that one and if you pray, please keep me in your prayers!


Day 2 today -- the Flattering Tongue.  I tend not to do this one because I live in Washington DC where flattering words are usually clear attempts to manipulate people.  But still, I'm grateful that I read this piece this morning. I know it's going to get more difficult.


**and by the way, I consider my typing-fingers an extension of my tongue, so . . . that's the part where for me, it is sacrificial. You'll understand as the journey goes on and you see the other passages.