"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Proverbs 15:4
The students in my classroom where cracking up, but my gaze was fixed on the young man's face. The laughing was contagious, it had begun as an instant burst, there was no hint of it being a courtesy laugh, the students were giving a unanimous belly laugh. The comment that brought the hysterics was quick, witty, comical, and cutting. The comment also came from the mouth of the teacher.... me. I have to admit that at first I took joy in the response to my rapid fire humor. It came forth with hardly a thought or filter and the laughter tickled my ego. All was well until I caught the look on the face of the young man to whom the comment was directed. He was trying to hold a smile, while shaking his head. He knew he was the brunt of my humor and the brunt of his friend's laughter. He was putting up a decent front, but his eyes gave up what had really happened, I had broken his spirit. When I saw his eyes I felt a familiar ache in my stomach, and as swiftly as the sharp funny words flew, my heart sank. The Lord's conviction hit me like a hammer and I was as broken as my student. As I looked at him trying to hide the hurt, I swore in my heart I would never again bring that kind of brokenness so that I would seem clever. I tried to divert the attention from the student by making some wise cracks and putting myself down. But even after the laughter died down, there seemed to be a heaviness about his countenance. I grabbed him when class was over to assure him I cared about him, and told him I was sorry for my harsh tongue. He assured me it was no big deal. I hope it really was no big deal to him, and that it wasn't something he carried with him. I do know this, I have carried it with me, as a healthy reminder of the power of the tongue. I haven't mastered my mouth yet, but this I know, it is much better to use it to bring life rather than brokenness. May we all be guarded.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Whole Lot Of Shaking
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Hebrews 12:28
Today the streets of Cairo Egypt are packed with thousands upon thousands of people demanding a change of government in their country. For the past week we have seen on the news, the demonstrations that have turned violent. There has been rioting, looting, vehicles burning, and government offices set ablaze. Many of the police force have left, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the police stations have now been burned. The military has been called into the chaos to establish some order. With the number of people packed into Cairo today we can only pray that things remain peaceful. Many feel the events in Egypt were actually triggered by demonstrations in Tunisia, which eventually lead to the toppling of that government. There have also been demonstrations in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan, leading to a good deal of global anxiety over the instability in the region. A major concern in Egypt, is the question of who will fill the power void in the Egyptian government if Hosni Mubarak is removed. One group taking advantage of the situation and seemingly poised for a power grab, is the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood. This would not be good for the people of Egypt or for the region, pray that this does not happen. As we see these things quickly unfold, and listen to the experts try to guess what the future might hold, it is easy get uneasy. These are days we need to remember who is in control. We serve a God enthroned in heaven, who is sovereign over the affairs of nations and men. His hand has been working in history past, and is still working today, bringing all things together in Jesus Christ. The Lord is returning and the events we see now are not random, they are a continuation of birth pangs, leading to the final redemption of this world. We are not to be caught up in the confusion and anxiety of these days, instead our best witness will be seen in our peace and stability, as we trust in our soon coming King. There is now, and will continue to be, a whole lot of shaking going on, but ours is a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
Today the streets of Cairo Egypt are packed with thousands upon thousands of people demanding a change of government in their country. For the past week we have seen on the news, the demonstrations that have turned violent. There has been rioting, looting, vehicles burning, and government offices set ablaze. Many of the police force have left, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the police stations have now been burned. The military has been called into the chaos to establish some order. With the number of people packed into Cairo today we can only pray that things remain peaceful. Many feel the events in Egypt were actually triggered by demonstrations in Tunisia, which eventually lead to the toppling of that government. There have also been demonstrations in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan, leading to a good deal of global anxiety over the instability in the region. A major concern in Egypt, is the question of who will fill the power void in the Egyptian government if Hosni Mubarak is removed. One group taking advantage of the situation and seemingly poised for a power grab, is the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood. This would not be good for the people of Egypt or for the region, pray that this does not happen. As we see these things quickly unfold, and listen to the experts try to guess what the future might hold, it is easy get uneasy. These are days we need to remember who is in control. We serve a God enthroned in heaven, who is sovereign over the affairs of nations and men. His hand has been working in history past, and is still working today, bringing all things together in Jesus Christ. The Lord is returning and the events we see now are not random, they are a continuation of birth pangs, leading to the final redemption of this world. We are not to be caught up in the confusion and anxiety of these days, instead our best witness will be seen in our peace and stability, as we trust in our soon coming King. There is now, and will continue to be, a whole lot of shaking going on, but ours is a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
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