yesterday one of the pastors of our church (we have a husband-wife pastoral team) posted several ideas for lenten disciplines on his blog. the one that hit me in the face was one about controlling one's tongue--a big challenge for me. one of my greatest sins is that of being hyper-critical of others. it's something i pray about daily, & i find that i'm not as quick to judge as i once was. i'm a long way from allowing God to remove that sin from my heart, though.
as i read his suggestions, i thought, "this is a great way to avoid being so critical." can i get through one day, then another and another, without saying one critical thing about another person, without complaining about anything? can i make it a point to encourage at least one person every day? can i use my tongue only in a positive way one day at a time?
i had just read Jesus' teaching in the sermon on the mount, in which He said that the we will be judged as we judge others. i'm in big trouble if God applies the same standard to me that i apply to others. one of the things i have to think about as lent approaches--it begins one week from today--is why i am so critical of others. maybe i'll share some of my thoughts on this topic in coming days.
my prayer for myself and for you is that we can control these mischievous tongues of ours, using them in kind ways that build up rather than tear down.
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