For my quiet times, I am reading through I Peter. Reading short passages at a time, I begin each reading by asking the Holy Spirit to point out a key verse. A verse that focuses on an area of my life that contains sin or for an area that I need encouragement or direction.
Today, I began reading the middle section of I Peter 3. I kept coming back to the second part of verse 10. And of course I can’t read this verse without having a strong desire to hold my tongue and sing the Steve Green song “Keep Your Tongue from Evil.”
But why this verse?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.
I am not an evil person per se and I can’t lie worth a flip. My face tells all. So why is the Holy Spirit bringing me to this verse?
And then my eyes are drawn to the word “lies.” I realize that I am thinking about this word from a preschooler’s point of view. “Did you take the cookie?” “No.” A typical child lie.
But the Holy Spirit reminds me of the lie I tell every day, “Jesus is the most important person in my life.” While my heart wants to believe this, my actions fail. I lie every time that I choose “me” over Jesus. I lie every time I don’t have love, patience, kindness, self-control towards my husband and children.
Here are a few additional verses:
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” Matthew 15:18
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” I John 3:18
“If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
The words that I speak show my true feelings which show God how much I love Him.
Isn’t it awesome how relevant and personal the Scriptures are? Isn’t it amazing how the Holy Spirit meets me right where I am?
I understand that on this earth I will never be perfect. But each time that I choose love, patience, kindness, self-control over the sinful desire I am choosing not to lie.
What lie are you telling yourself?
I lie in the same manner. I want a walk with God, so I claim, yet that extra twenty minutes in bed is more important to me than community atinv with All.eighty God.. I claim to have good intentions, but my actions end up shouting the absolute opposite.
Thank you for sharing!!!
Stacy