Speak wisdom {Living Outside the Stacks}

On Sunday morning we had a guest speaker at our church named Evangelist Rodney Warren. He often speaks at our church in our pastor’s absence and I enjoy listening to him because I always learn something. Which is a good thing because, well, that’s part of the reason why we go to church, right? For the past year or so, the Lord has been dealing with me on two fronts: my temper and my mouth.

I have a pretty bad temper. Not an I’ll cuss you out or cut you kinda temper but an I will verbally cut you down to size and do my best to inflict as much emotional harm as possible kinda temper, which can be just as bad as cutting someone. The hubs likes to say that words are like mud against a white wall, you can wash it away but the stain remainsAnd over the years I’ve done my fair share of staining.

Anyway, as Evangelist Warren was speaking the two verses that kept bouncing around in my head were:

Ephesians 4:26

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

And

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Wow! How many times have I laid in my bed thinking of all the hurtful things I could have/should have said in response to whatever has gotten me going? How many times have I wrestled against the angry text? How many times have I thought people should be grateful we now have cell phones and I can’t call them and slam the phone down? I was the queen of the phone slam, y’all. In my anger, I was sinning because I was going to bed and waking up angry. Actually, I was going to bed, laying there, falling asleep and waking up angry. And, goodness knows, I was thinking all sorts of awful stuff. For the record, if you’re thinking it, you might as well say it….

The Bible doesn’t say don’t get angry; Jesus got angry (remember he threw the money changers out of the temple in Matthew 21:12~13) but Jesus did not sin. As Christians, we are called to be Christ like in all aspects of our life, on a daily basis. I know that I haven’t lived up to the standard that he has set for me but I’m publicly acknowledging my sin and asking for God’s grace and forgiveness. And to all of those who’ve been hurt by my words, I ask that you forgive me as well. From this day forth, I speak life, love and blessings on you and your loved ones.

I’m linking up with:

Internet Cafe Devotions ~ Word Filled Wednesdays