A Lot of "A Lots"

There's a t-shirt/cottage industry that sprung up around, I think it was, a woman who called in to the Ellen DeGeneres Show. She said she loved Jesus but she drank a little. I have always cringed when people mention it because I don't like to use His precious name so casually! However, the point made by this simple statement has resonated with me for YEARS. I usually substituted cussing for drinking when applying it to myself in my head, since I essentially gave up social drinking twenty-five years ago.

The point of the silly little joke gone wild/universal isn't lost on me and, sadly, has applied to my life in more ways than one. Except for the "a little" part. I find myself doing certain things "a lot"...things that seem to negate the "I love Jesus" part.

I'm a little down today because of my big mouth. I can't seem to get the voice in my head that criticizes others to come into line with what I know the Bible teaches about love. I am so saddened by this fact. I have deep hurts that come raging to the surface with little provocation and vicious statements roll off of my tongue. It's not good. It's not godly. It's got to go.

I love the line from a song recorded by  Chris Rice  that goes something like this: "Freedom from myself will be the sweetest rest I've ever known." I think he was talking about when we reach heaven. Can I ever relate. I've got other strongholds that have got to be shown the door, too, but this issue of my mouth, it is serious business.

I have done some thinking on the topic and want to encourage anyone else who is fighting the same battle to embrace the scripture that tells us to take every thought captive. If we keep our minds continually on God and His work, His perspective, His unfailing love for us and others, it will be much harder to be vicious verbally. If our thoughts turn dark, we can make the conscious effort to hand our minds to God for Him to sort them out and set them right. Our thoughts lead our emotions, which lead our mouths. Ultimately our actions will go down into the ditch, too! Good news! They can come up out of the ditch. Thank you, Lord, that You take me by the hand, brush off the filth of my sins of resentment, anger, rage and bitterness and set me on a level path where my ankles will not turn,. Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on me, even when I want to give up on myself!