After working a week in summer school, I've come to a realization that (and this is a ginormous generalization) teachers never really outgrow high school and catty-ness. My first week has been literally exhausted my mind. The conversations I've listened to have been such an eye opener to the true meanness and pride that consumes our lives because of the overflow of our hearts through our mouths, if that makes sense. Minus a few conversations centered around health and growing up in College Station, all these church-going, Christ-beliving, nice, loving women talk about are other people and their dislike or annoyance of them. Simply put, they dont talk about anything, they gossip about everything, circling rumors, throwing flames from their tongues. I guess my test comes in at being the youngest, a rookie and not knowing how to combat it, but wanting the Lord glorified through our speech, and just glorify Christ in all I say and do. Authority and maturity and sin are pretty difficult to deal with and the devil does an amazing job at weaving these things together to creat confusion and a dilema in reflecting Christ's love and gospel cause its pretty near impossible to set the example at the bottom of pole, as I'm sitting in a group of women that are over me in my job and a lot older than me and are sister's in Christ. I'm not saying I can't do it, because I know in Christ, I have the power to move mountains, and through prayer I know these hearts can be changed. My hope and prayer for my group of teachers and myself this summer is that they would come to an understanding as it says in James 3 "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is a fire, a world of evel among all parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire......but the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness".
Its good for me to be conscious of the importance of filtering my speech, learning self-control but also knowing when to say something that needs to be said inspite of what others may say about me later when Im gone..and i think thats the hardest, most scariest part for me: praying for boldness of speech because I know the Lord will give it to me and then I'll have to be obedient to what He calls me to say.
the mouth is a powerful thing. let us be mindful of our words on a daily basis. speak the truth with grace because it perserves love, and we are called to love one another.
grace & peace,
lish
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