Monday, February 4, 2008

Guard Your Heart

These verses from Proverbs spoke to me today:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

I think the times the Bible speaks the most clearly and directly to me is when I'm struggling with something. Today I am struggling with something that can so easily turn into sin if I don't get it under control. The part of the verses that spoke to me was where it said to keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Well, I don't have a problem with using foul language or anything like that, but sometimes I do have a problem with talking about people in an unkind way. It's not exactly what you would call gossip, but it's just having a discussion with one person about another person and bringing up all the bad things about them. This is a constant stuggle for me and many times I am able to stop myself by saying, Ok Kathy, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. But today I didn't tell myself that and I talked about the difficult person who is a constant problem in my life. I know it's wrong and that when I do this, it only brings that person down in the eyes of someone else. I need to work on this and keep these verses in my mind.

10 comments:

bp said...

Thank you for sharing this today. I have that problem as well. When I first read the verse at the top of the posting the word "heart" jumped out at me. My husband and I have been talking about heart matters a lot lately with a book he read, and one I'm reading about our children's hearts.

Cliff said...

The most thinly veiled attempt of talking about others is when you gossip in the form of a prayer request.

Funny how the word "gossip" sounds like the noise a snake makes.

Amel said...

GREAT reminder, Kathy! THANKS for sharin! :-))))

Stylin said...

Hi Kathy
Thats a great post.Around here we call it"being an Indian",it seems like it is so deep rooted in me and its hard to stop.

Stylin said...

Hi Kathy
I was at Ninas blog and saw your comment on accents and it cracked me up to read the words you described the accent of that old lady"old money".
I want that accent and that money!!!

Kathy said...

Frasypoo, yeah I would like to have that money too! It just seems like the rich people around here are the ones who talk with that kind of southern accent.

74Wixy, yes, I know what you mean. I've heard those kinds of "prayer requests."

Cliff said...

I hope you read the email I sent you this morning.

The Purpose Driven Life devotional for today hits that target right in the bullseye.

I thought about this post when I read it.

Kathy said...

I did read it. Boy oh boy! That put me in my place, for sure! I know I've done something wrong when I read something like that and I feel like I'm being disciplined. Can I come out of the corner now?

Cliff said...

You can come out of the corner now because I need to go there.

Juliana said...

Hi Kathy,

I need your help, Will you vote for me Thanks.