God is apparently trying to speak to me about....well....speaking.
My devotional last night led me to Hebrews 13:5 "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." And as I was pondering that verse my eyes wandered over to the next column...then the next page. And verses started jumping out at me like frogs in hot water.
Hebrews 13:15 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His Name." (Okay, so I need to work on praising God in every moment.)
James 1:26 "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. " (Worthless...that's a little harsh, don't you think? What about when the person ahead of you is driving 30 in a 45 mph zone...)
And the clincher: James 1:19 "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
Well, this last one intrigues me. How often do I zone out as a student is trying to tell me something about their day at school, but I get distracted by another child zooming around the room with a paper airplane and someone else banging out Yankee Doodle on the keyboard and...you get the point.
My husband is a role model for me in this area. He is an outstanding listener. He can have tons of things that need to be done before a service, but someone comes up and he immediately gives them his undivided attention. He has a gift for making people feel important.
Then, "slow to speak". I used to be slow to speak. I was an extreme introvert growing up - rarely spoke up in class, reading was my favorite pasttime, and I always felt very awkward trying to come up with conversation starters.
Well, now I'm a teacher, and suddenly speaking quickly is not so hard anymore! Being in the school setting has made me slightly more vocal than I used to be.
When the college students told me that their lack of attendance was actually my fault because the school had moved their classroom two blocks off of campus and they weren't able to come when it was cold or rainy, my response of "That has to be the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard" probably was not the best response. So, I need to work on 'slow to speak'.
And finally, "slow to become angry". This part is actually a little amusing because of something that happened a few months after we got married. I was frustrated with something that had happened at work - I honestly don't even remember what it was. And I came home on the rampage spewing out all of my frustrations about the situation the minute I came in the door. After a little time, I said quietly, "I'm sorry for yelling." And Russ said, "You were yelling? You didn't even raise your voice!" (I grew up in a quiet home...my version of yelling is apparently a little different than the majority of the world's.)
So I'm taking this as a word from God. May my lips be fruitful with praise. May I listen attentively to others and rarely speak myself. May I be slow to anger - instead, be continually thankful and kind in the words that I speak.
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