Embracing Him

I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

Over the past few years I have made many, many online purchases and I’d never had an issue with any of those transactions until a few weeks ago. After a recent purchase one of the items arrived with damage and there was a long delay in the pickup of the damaged item. In addition, my credit card was overcharged and my many calls to the customer service department did not help rectify the situation.

I was highly frustrated with the whole ordeal and I made sure all of the customer service representatives I spoke with understood exactly how I felt. Each time I spoke with a new customer service representative my patience grew shorter, tone became more unpleasant, and my words became more harsh. Thankfully, a family friend who works for the company was eventually able to intervene and resolve my issues before I lost it completely!

When I think back on how I handled this situation, I am not proud. I let my emotions carry me away and I spoke carelessly. Since most people understand how this could happen, they might be willing to excuse my harsh words. However, God holds me to a much higher standard and He is not willing to brush my bad behavior under the rug.

In Matthew 12:36, Jesus shows us that we have to be careful of what we say because we will be held accountable. God will not excuse our idle words because someone got on our nerves or because he had it coming to him, or because she said something unkind first. Now that we have given our lives to Him, God expects us to be a good ambassadors for Him. Part of our ambassador duties include thinking before we speak, allowing the words we speak to be seasoned with wisdom and grace, and even practicing silence at the most challenging of times. Our words are a calculated choice and we must choose them wisely.

For an emotional person like me, accomplishing these things can seem like an impossible task! However, scripture reminds me that with God’s help, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). I can be thoughtful, wise, and even silent but only if I continually ask God to serve as the doorman of my mouth (Psalm 141:3). Most importantly, when I slip up and utter something careless, I can go to God in sincerity, repent, and ask Him to forgive me for my words. Then I can praise Him all the more because He will no longer remember my transgressions (Psalm 103:11-12)!

This week, I have a three step plan to help remind me of the importance of speaking properly. First, I’ll be reading the book of James. It’s a great place to start if you want to learn about how to keep control of your words. Next, I’ll be praying about the words I speak and the tone of my voice and asking God to guide me. Finally, I’ll be posting a new Bible verse on my refrigerator:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

If you need to work on this area, feel free to join me! May your Monday be happy and blessed!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for the words the Bible provides for us to ponder and for the many ways these words can help us in our Christian walk. Help us to use our words to encourage and bless others. Forgive us for the times we have not spoken helpful words and give us the strength and courage we need to apologize to those who may have been hurt by our words.  Give us wisdom as we speak and help us remember that our words reflect who we are and what we believe. Amen.

Food For Thought:

1. When was the last time you uttered hurtful or unwise words?
2. What were the consequences of speaking so poorly?
3. Read James 3:9. Why is God displeased when we allow both blessings and curses to come from our mouths?

Photo: Courtesy of tompagenet (Flickr)

On one of our date nights last year, JT and I dined at a little Mexican restaurant. I can’t remember what JT had, but I very much recall the Honey Lime scallops I was served. These sweet tangy morsels were absolutely delicious and ever since that meal, I have longed to taste them again.

We haven’t been back to the restaurant since so I’ve tried to recreate the flavor at home. My creation doesn’t match the restaurant version but there’s a good reason for that. I’ve included soy sauce and bourbon and neither ingredient is very Mexican. However, the combination of flavors sure is tasty.

This past weekend I made Honey Lime Salmon for JT and Honey Lime Shrimp for me. Chicken would work well too.

Honey Lime Salmon
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (for me that’s usually the juice of 2 limes)
2-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 salmon fillet (8 ounces)

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer the marinade to a plastic bag and add salmon. Marinate for 2 hours.

Remove salmon from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

While the salmon bakes, add the marinade to a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a full rolling boil for at least 3 minutes. Simmer uncovered for 5 – 7 minutes until marinade thickens slightly and creates a sauce.

Serve salmon a bed of rice and drizzle with the honey lime sauce.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

Over the past few weeks, my heart has been feeling heavy. There is a particular situation that has been troubling me and I have been praying about it fervently.  Several times a day, I’ve been bringing my requests before God, petitioning Him, pleading for a resolution.

I have been so overwhelmed that I have sought counsel from a few of the more seasoned Christians I admire and have solicited prayers from one of the greatest prayer warriors I know.  As I have prayed and considered the sound advice I’ve been offered, God has shown me that I need to slow down, let go of my worries, and move closer to Him while I wait. So, in order to show God that I was seeking Him with all of my heart, I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I fasted.

Because it had been so long since my last fast, I had forgotten that fasting is a heightening, humbling, and powerful experience. As I fasted, I began to hear the voice of the Lord much more clearly.  God also led me to question my motives for praying and revealed to me that I was so busy pushing my agenda that I had not sought His divine agenda. In addition, God used this fast to help me change the direction and tone of prayers. Ultimately, this Heavenly heartprick steered me in the proper direction and drew me closer to Him.  I now better understand that in order to experience any spiritual growth as I fast, my heart needs to be in the proper condition.

The Lenten season is here and it’s a wonderful time to fast. Consider making this sacrifice as you reflect upon the life changing sacrifice Christ made for each of us. This is an excellent way to keep your mind focused on the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection and a marvelous way to develop and tone your spiritual muscles.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You for the Lenten season. Thank you for the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross and for the resurrection  that followed. As we focus on the life changing gift of salvation, help us to embrace You. Draw us closer and allow us to seek ways to get closer to you. Show us how to fast and give us the discipline we need to fast. When we do fast, help us to do it in the proper manner and enlighten us as we sacrifice. Amen.

Food For Thought:

1. Have you ever fasted? What prompted you to do so?
2. Why is fasting an important part of spiritual development?
3. Read Matthew 6:16-18. When we fast how is it to be done?

Photo: Courtesy of samanth celera (Flickr)