"Who do you think it is you've insulted? Who do you think you've been bad-mouthing? Before whom do you suppose you've been strutting? The Holy One of Israel, that's who!(2 Kings 19:22)
Many years ago, I figured out "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me", was a lie. Words can either build up or break down a person. Sometimes they cut so deep it causes a physical pain.
ABBA has held me accountable for things I have said of others in the past, and through Him I am striving to become more Christlike. Not only in my words, but also in my actions.
Many years ago, I figured out "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me", was a lie. Words can either build up or break down a person. Sometimes they cut so deep it causes a physical pain.
ABBA has held me accountable for things I have said of others in the past, and through Him I am striving to become more Christlike. Not only in my words, but also in my actions.
Words.
Have you ever considered the power you hold in the muscle of your tongue?
It is so easy to get caught up in the gossip, slander, malice. It is so easy to get caught up in the headiness of praise.
It is also so easy to forget, it isn't the person or persons you are attacking - it is ABBA. He created all of us. In His image.
All of us.
Even those you find offensive, distasteful, those you deem not quite as good as you, different, lost or found.
All of us.
So, the words we throw out regarding someone, are actually words thrown out towards ABBA. He is so protective of His children. Doesn't that scare you just a bit? To think when we attack another, behind them is their Father who will react like a wet mother hen. A bear whose cubs are threatened.
All of us.
Including the one we usually speak the ugliest to - ourselves.
How often we look into the mirror and view ugly or not "enough" and in some cases too much "enough". How often we knock down praise from someone in false humility or actually not thinking we are worthy of the blessing of encouragement. Or how we become so full of self and choose to live life our own way, "strutting our stuff" before our ABBA.
The solution is to keep totally focused on ABBA, but we don't. More often than not, we focus on self. We take words directed towards us as personal instead of looking at the speaker through Christ eyes. We compare our selves and come up either too good or too bad.
I pray that we instead see, speak, treat, love on, each and everyone of us as ABBA does.
Have you ever considered the power you hold in the muscle of your tongue?
It is so easy to get caught up in the gossip, slander, malice. It is so easy to get caught up in the headiness of praise.
It is also so easy to forget, it isn't the person or persons you are attacking - it is ABBA. He created all of us. In His image.
All of us.
Even those you find offensive, distasteful, those you deem not quite as good as you, different, lost or found.
All of us.
So, the words we throw out regarding someone, are actually words thrown out towards ABBA. He is so protective of His children. Doesn't that scare you just a bit? To think when we attack another, behind them is their Father who will react like a wet mother hen. A bear whose cubs are threatened.
All of us.
Including the one we usually speak the ugliest to - ourselves.
How often we look into the mirror and view ugly or not "enough" and in some cases too much "enough". How often we knock down praise from someone in false humility or actually not thinking we are worthy of the blessing of encouragement. Or how we become so full of self and choose to live life our own way, "strutting our stuff" before our ABBA.
The solution is to keep totally focused on ABBA, but we don't. More often than not, we focus on self. We take words directed towards us as personal instead of looking at the speaker through Christ eyes. We compare our selves and come up either too good or too bad.
I pray that we instead see, speak, treat, love on, each and everyone of us as ABBA does.
All of us.
His Beloved.
His Beloved.
No comments:
Post a Comment