As we are quickly approaching 2018 (3 hours and counting!), I find myself reminiscing about this past year. One year ago about this time, I was sicker than I had been in a very long time. It was a debilitating sickness that left me bedridden and unable to care for my family for almost two full weeks. It was during that time that I was able to really think about what I wanted 2017 to look like for me (I had nothing else to do but close my eyes and think! haha). I wanted my life to be filled with joy and thankfulness, so I chose to focus on the word “Eucharistio,” which in essence means “thanksgiving.”
Did I find myself more thankful this past year? If I’m honest with myself, I failed miserably. There are many moments that I look back on and think, “Why did I not have more perspective?” If I had just counted my blessings a little more, the moments where I lacked patience and understanding with my children may have been fewer and farther in between. If I had just looked up and thanked God for what he was doing in my life, rather than looking at the circumstances surrounding me, I may have faced some “challenges” with a smile rather than consternation.
But… I think about the miscarriage that I had in May and I realize that I WAS thankful. I was thankful for the little life that grew inside me for a few short weeks. I AM thankful that some day I will get to meet that sweet baby and walk the streets of gold with him/her.
There are distinct moments when eucharistio played an important part of my life… and I am thankful for 2017… and now for 2018!
This year, rather than focusing on one word, I am going to focus on MY WORDS.
Today I read James chapter 3 in my Bible and was really struck by it. If you have never read this chapter, it is all about your tongue and what you say. What really struck me wasn’t how important your words are… I think we can all agree that our words have a powerful impact on those around us. What struck me was that if you are able to control your tongue, you are able to have power over your whole body.
“If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”
James 3:2
So reverse that… If you are unable to have control of your tongue, you aren’t in control over your whole body. Whoa. Talk about conviction. If I am unable to control the words that come out of my mouth, what other areas of my life am I not in control over? What other areas of my life are lacking?
James 3 talks about how our tongue is like the bit in a horses mouth. One small thing can control our whole body and turn us in different directions.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Luke 6:45
What is inside of me is what is coming out of my mouth. Are my words loving? Are they kind? Are they compassionate? Are they judgmental? Are they bitter? Are they cutting? Are they healing? My words show what I am like… REALLY like… on the inside.
So how do I bridle my tongue? How do I control it? I can’t!
“But the tongue can no man tame.”
James 3:8
But God can.
How do we allow God to control our lives? How do we surrender every piece of ourselves to him? By being filled with HIM! If Christ is filling every crevice of our being, that is what will come out of our mouths… and I’m willing to bet our actions follow suit!
But how do we fill ourselves with Christ?
“Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom.”
Colossians 3:6
When we fill ourselves with his Word… he will give us wisdom. Isn’t wisdom what should direct our lives? There’s a whole book in the Bible dedicated to wisdom! It’s THAT important. It’s so important that James 1:8 tells us to ASK for wisdom if we are lacking it. It’s seems so simple: read your Bible and ASK for wisdom. But boy can it feel daunting!
As my husband reminds me often, “Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” (Philip Stanhope) And the rewards of wisdom are certainly worth the effort!
“But the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
James 3:17-18
Peace…
I feel like I’ve just reasoned out my new years resolution with you all. I want peace for 2018, and it all begins with my tongue.
Good bye 2017… I am thankful for you.
Hello 2018… I’m ready for a “peace” of you.