I truly believe that the hardest thing in this world is taming the tongue, really! For me to "say nothing" is very very hard! This past Friday at work, I had every intention of keeping low-key and not saying much of anything.
How did it go? Well, let me ask you a question? Have you ever started out a day and thought, "I'm going to really get in TROUBLE today!" That was my day on Friday, I could not keep my mouth shut. On average, I work with two or three ladies and we are almost always talking to each other. As soon as I would say something that day, whether it was gossip or sarcastic, or whatever, I envisioned a tally mark going up. My day on Friday was a reminder of how imperfect I am and the true need for a change. Only through Christ can I change from being the mouthy person I am to being graceful and kind.
UPDATE: Monday I went to work and spoke very little. I was trying to control what I say.....by saying very little (all or nothing I suppose :P). My co-worker did notice a difference and asked if I was "feeling bad, upset, or just not feeling like talking". I just responded that I was tired, which made me quiet (not to mention that I'm trying to keep myself out of trouble :D, which I did not mention).
If my co-worker can notice and comment on the difference in my talkativeness, surely this should be a great motivator to change many things that hurt my witness for Christ.
I want her, and others to see the difference Christ has made in me.
1 comment:
I can completely understand your struggle to tame the tongue. James wasn't kidding when he said that it was set on fire by hell (James 3:6).
Personally, I have found that silence is avoiding the problem. People will think I am feeling unwell or that I'm mad at them. This was definitely not the message I was trying to transmit. I have a pretty large workplace and I've nicknamed my department "Gossip Central". I can escape from gossip by just leaving the room and work on something else. Others may not have this luxury. Yet, I even found that leaving the room quickly was another way of avoiding the problem. I knew that I needed to confront gossip and state that I did not want to participate in it. Or if I catch myself gossiping, I will apologize to them and explain that I should not have been talking about that.This works best for me because then they will know why I'm not participating and where I stand.
Gossiping is quite easy and always gives the flesh some gratification. The book of James is so convicting and blunt. He describes the tongue as a restless evil that will curse man and praise God. I commend you in your fight to subdue it. May the Lord give us both strength, wisdom, and determination to discipline the untamable tongue.
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