During a long telephone conversation yesterday, I
listened to pessimism and negativity with patience and only a few attempts to
turn it around. After getting off the phone, my attitude toward the person I
talked to started to sound like his attitude toward everyone else. Since then,
I’ve not said much, but have felt annoyed. Not only that, the more I think
about it, the more distressed I become. Today’s devotional speaks to this with
these words of David as he prayed.
I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue (Psalm 39:2–3).
“Mute and silent” is one thing, but musing seems to be equal to what I call stewing,
stirring the pot full of thoughts but
without accomplishing any results except that the fire gets hotter until I
finally have to say something. Usually, if I speak to anyone else but God, what
I say is not good.
In this psalm, David’s prayer could have asked God to
deal with the “wicked in my presence” of whom he speaks of in verse one.
Instead, he asks God to remind him of the brevity of his own life. He did not
apply that idea on his enemies, but instead, he applied it to himself.
There is a connection between attitudes toward others and
length of life for God uses this to remind me how often I say that life is too
short to fret about the things I don’t like, and too short to spend it in
conflict with others.
A few verses later, David expresses what I also know; I
cannot do anything about the sins of others. I can only confess and repent of
my own sins.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah (Psalm 39:7–11)
God does not want me to spend the day musing about the
negativity of someone else, even if I don’t verbalize my complaining. I’m not
to mentally or physically point my fingers. Instead, He wants me to deal with
my own attitude, confessing it and asking God to remove it from me.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
God, I know that You are faithful and just. You will help
me be the person You want me to be. I can also trust You to be faithful and
just in the lives of those that irk me, but I dare not even pray about them and
certainly must not speak to them until I first deal with my own sinful attitude.
2 comments:
So very, very relevant to what I'm dealing with right now. I'm so amazed at the grace God has to use others to speak into my life an encourage my faith.
To convict me, and remind me of the truths that set me free in him.
Your blog has become a rich blessing, by the grace of God. Thank you for listening to him.
Listening to Him seems a steep learning curve! So many voices - lots of sorting required! I'm glad God is blessing you and trust that He will continue to do so. Thanks for dropping by.
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