Word to the Wise

Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

Quarantine is apparently never ending and all I've had to do for the last several weeks is think. Naturally, I've thought a lot about interacting with the human world again and when I thought about it I realized that I want to come out of this season a better person. I know, I know, self reflection and all that jazz can be so annoying but hear me out. I want to be better, and I honestly strive to become more Christ-like day by day. It's a continual thing I'm always working on and in this season I've decided that how I speak needs to change.

I began studying the subject over the last several weeks and I was convicted by every verse I read. You know how sometimes you think it'll be a good idea to study a subject more and then regret it because it is SO convicting? Mmhmm yah that's where I'm at right now. #convicted

My mouth tends to move faster than my brain and sometimes I just blurt things out. More often than not those are the words I regret the most.

Here's the thing about words, no matter how many times you apologize or try to take them back, you can't.

We hold onto the words people have said to us, about us, and against us for a lifetime. They eat at us, haunt us, and hurt us. We regret what we ourselves have said and this is the harsh reality of speech.

Many times in scripture the idea of love building up is brought forward. (Romans 15:2, 1 Cor 8:1, 2 Cor 13:10, Ephesians 4:15, 29, 1 Thess 5:11) Not just in our speech, but also in our actions. Over and over we are exhorted to build one another up. Not tear each other down.

Practically what does that look like? Start by kicking gossip to the curb. I know that as a girl gossip with our friends feels natural and something that we just slip into. I have often said to a friend, "So, what's the gossip?" and have meant it literally. Why on earth is that a good conversation starter?? Gossip and speaking ill of others in any way is so hazardous, not just for the person we are speaking about, but for ourselves! It not only grants us the mindset that it's okay to tear others down and to lift ourselves up; but it says more about who we are than who the person we're speaking about. God calls us to humility, to meekness, to kindness, goodness, and self-control (Okay so I didn't say ALL the fruit of the spirit but you get my vibe I'm sure) These aren't just ideas or suggestions, they are commands. Throughout the book of Proverbs, especially, we read over and over about the foolish man and the wise man, and how their speech effects them and the world around them.

A dear friend of mine has impressed Philippians 2:3 on my mind a heart so much over the last months. Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." This is the idea of lifting others up, putting them first, of speaking and thinking kindly of those around us. As a naturally sarcastic person this has been so convicting to me! I want to do better, I want to speak better, I want to glorify Christ better. It's an uphill battle, but it's one I will never stop waging.

When thinking on this topic a C.S.Lewis quote about humility came to me. "Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less." I think that this idea of humility ties in so perfectly to our speech. Thinking of myself less and placing others before myself, their needs higher than my own and so on. Again, #convicted

I want to share a quote by Ironside on Ephesians 5:4 “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”

"In place of these things, what should occupy the Christian tongue? “Rather giving of thanks.” There is a beautiful play on words in the Greek language that does not come out in the English. The word translated “jest” and the term “giving of thanks” begin exactly the same. The Greek for the one iseutrapalia, the Greek for the other iseucharistia. The apostle was balancing the one word against the other. Not eutrapalia but eucharistia; that is, not ribaldry but thanksgiving, not vile talk but praising the Lord, not filthy conversation but that which brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ."

Ironside says that the solution is to turn our gossip into thanksgiving, to turn our unkind words into glorying of God and to focus on building others up.

My prayer for myself is that these thoughts and convictions would take hold in my life. That the thought of them turns into action and that I do make the conscious change. As usual my thoughts feel scattered but I pray they speak to you as they did to me.

Much love my friends, stay safe!

Ais xo