I am reading through Proverbs this summer. Today I read chapter six and OH MY WORD! It kicked me in the behind. I figured since it made my palms sweaty and my heart skip a beat, I would blog about it.
"If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor"s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyelids. Free yourself..." Proverbs 6:1-5a
We all talk about each other. Whether good or bad, many of our conversations are about others. It is what it is. However, these verses made me question a few things.
I have no problem having difficult conversations within relationships. I absolutely loath confrontation, but, if I love you and value our relationship, I am willing to speak up. If something hurtful is said about me behind my back or there has been untruths spoken about me, I typically don't have a problem going to the source and having a conversation about it. I may come with sweaty palms, a TON of butterflies in my stomach, and shaking hands, but I will push through because I care about and value the other person.
The question I asked myself when I read these words was how do I respond when someone comes to me? Do I humble myself and apologize? Do I acknowledge what they said and give it value? Do I respond in love or in denial? Do I fight them on what they are telling me or calling me out on? What do I do?
I surely hope I humble myself and accept responsibility for my actions. Whether the intention was good or not, my words or actions hurt another and for that, I need to be sorry. I need to be humble. I need to apologize.
Sometimes my defenses rise faster and stronger than my humility. It is difficult to hear that my words or actions have caused pain to someone I care about. But sometimes they do and I need to own up.
Here are some more verses from Proverbs 6 that slayed me:
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes
a lying tongue
hands that shed innocent blood
a heart that devises wicked schemes
feet that are quick to rush into evil
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
Proverbs 6:16-19
While I don't think I struggle with most things on this list (thankfully), I do believe I fall into the "lying tongue" and "stirring up dissension among brothers" sometimes. I may try to cover my tracks and justifying my actions by saying a little white lie like I didn't mean it that way or something of that nature. After someone calls me out on something, I may go to another friend to "vent" when, in actuality, I am tearing that person down out of defense for myself. No humility.
These verses reminded me to own my stuff. My intentions may be sweet and kind, but the interpretation of another may think they are harsh. I need to own that. When I speak poorly about another, I need to take responsibility, humble myself, and say I'm sorry. And then my life must show, my actions must reveal, that I truly am sorry.
Tim McGraw has a song out right now about always being humble and kind. I pray these words over my kids, but I need to start praying them over myself and remember that however scary and palm-sweaty a heart-to-heart conversation may be with a friend, its a must because I love them.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
:
"If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor"s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyelids. Free yourself..." Proverbs 6:1-5a
We all talk about each other. Whether good or bad, many of our conversations are about others. It is what it is. However, these verses made me question a few things.
I have no problem having difficult conversations within relationships. I absolutely loath confrontation, but, if I love you and value our relationship, I am willing to speak up. If something hurtful is said about me behind my back or there has been untruths spoken about me, I typically don't have a problem going to the source and having a conversation about it. I may come with sweaty palms, a TON of butterflies in my stomach, and shaking hands, but I will push through because I care about and value the other person.
The question I asked myself when I read these words was how do I respond when someone comes to me? Do I humble myself and apologize? Do I acknowledge what they said and give it value? Do I respond in love or in denial? Do I fight them on what they are telling me or calling me out on? What do I do?
I surely hope I humble myself and accept responsibility for my actions. Whether the intention was good or not, my words or actions hurt another and for that, I need to be sorry. I need to be humble. I need to apologize.
Sometimes my defenses rise faster and stronger than my humility. It is difficult to hear that my words or actions have caused pain to someone I care about. But sometimes they do and I need to own up.
Here are some more verses from Proverbs 6 that slayed me:
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes
a lying tongue
hands that shed innocent blood
a heart that devises wicked schemes
feet that are quick to rush into evil
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
Proverbs 6:16-19
While I don't think I struggle with most things on this list (thankfully), I do believe I fall into the "lying tongue" and "stirring up dissension among brothers" sometimes. I may try to cover my tracks and justifying my actions by saying a little white lie like I didn't mean it that way or something of that nature. After someone calls me out on something, I may go to another friend to "vent" when, in actuality, I am tearing that person down out of defense for myself. No humility.
These verses reminded me to own my stuff. My intentions may be sweet and kind, but the interpretation of another may think they are harsh. I need to own that. When I speak poorly about another, I need to take responsibility, humble myself, and say I'm sorry. And then my life must show, my actions must reveal, that I truly am sorry.
Tim McGraw has a song out right now about always being humble and kind. I pray these words over my kids, but I need to start praying them over myself and remember that however scary and palm-sweaty a heart-to-heart conversation may be with a friend, its a must because I love them.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
:
Comments