I’m not going for guilt here today, friends.
But I am going for gut change.
When you sit down with your two oldest, open thin pages of printed scripture, and find the Word you read to them is really for you – the conviction and lightbulb are strong and sweetly piercing.
They sleepily ate warm chocolate mini muffins from a cooling rack at the table this morning as I read the following:
This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Mt. 15:8)
Jesus was quoting Isaiah here, saying that his prophecy of these people was correct.
Its arrow is on target for me, too.
There may not be anything especially juicy to divulge here, for either of us. But there are things that I ride my kids about, that I often times let slip in my own self.
Patience with one another. Calm reactions to stimuli. Doing things when you say you will.
There may have been a time or two recently when I preached these things to my people without practicing it towards them myself.
I am mortal. Human. Growing. Because of this, dips and mess-ups will occur. But me being the creature that I am, does not give me an excuse for refusing to notice weaknesses and deciding to improve on them.
The introspective person WILL see gaps and vices in themselves. They will. Don’t let their presence allow you to have an attitude of condemnation or hopelessness. Do allow them however, to hone you.
Understanding that we will never arrive at perfection this side of Glory, we remember that growth and maturity and improvements are processes that will be ongoing.
In us, and in others too.
Being faithful to notice and improve in the small areas (but is anything really small? All is impactful.) will make us capable of being honest and upright in the big ones.
This idea of our lips matching our lives, our walks matching our word, our preaching matching our practice – its importance is paramount when it comes to parenting/mentoring/coaching/teaching.
What their eyes see you doing holds much more weight than what their ears hear you saying.
It was Emerson who said that, “What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say.”
As the kids munched muffins, and we talked about walk matching talk, I felt that gentle jab in my gut region – telling me to live what my lips were saying, even in the seemingly small and hidden.
Join me in asking for help today…
Lord of my life, let my lips match my heart. Help me to be righteous in the inner regions, and let that overflow honestly into my words and teachings. Give me the gumption I need to see and address the issues in myself that don’t match up. Let this really teach and bless the people around me, young and old. Thank you for your kind promptings and revelations. Encourage me as I seek to be more like You. In Jesus, amen.
I’m so glad to know I don’t have to go at this alone. Thanks for journeying with me. Enjoy your Wednesday, friends.
**********
To see our posting plan, click here. Blessings to you!
Thank you so much for that reminder! I’m so blessed by what the Lord gives you to write 🙂
Thank you very much Beth! I hope you have a great afternoon! Thanks for popping in for a read today! – Kate 🙂