Toxic Waste

Today when we came into work there was a message left on our business' voice mail. It was an irate customer. A lady who was furious over an oversight on our part. She had cause to be dissatisfied, and in the end she changed her tune because we made things right with her, but in the meantime she left a long tirade that spilled over onto the entire office.

It got me to thinking - I wonder have you ever considered your words may be toxic? If we replayed that message to her would this precious lady feel justified in ranting and raving (not an over-exaggeration) or would she regret them - the tone, inflection, the words and meaning conveyed? I'm sure it was hurt and wounding in another area of her life totally unrelated to the issue at hand that caused her to lash out and over-react to the inconvenience she experienced.

I hate to confess it, but I've done the same thing. Recently. And not with an indifferent answering machine to a room full of strangers. Sometimes we dump our worst on those closest to us. Maybe even more than 'sometimes' - more like 'often' or 'mostly'. Is your home the place you let go of what should be eliminated in a safe place? Anger, frustration, disappointment, hurt - all these emotions are real and we need to acknowledge them, but pouring them out on our unsuspecting families is like unloading hazardous materials with no protection.

Psalm 140:3 speaks of those who plot evil and says, "Their tongues sting like a snake;the venom of a viper drips from their lips." I'm sure when I let go of my anger or other destructive emotion I don't consider myself as 'plotting evil' - but stinging and venom sound pretty close to the results. James says that our tongues are "a flame of fire". Verse 6 goes on, "It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself." He tells us that if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and control our selves in every other way. He goes on to say that no one can tame the tongue - it is restless and evil and full of deadly poison. Yikes!

'Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks' (Mt 12:34) and we know from Jeremiah that above all things our hearts are deceitful and 'desperately wicked' (Jer. 17:9). It just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?

The only solution is found in yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit's control. His fruit is the opposite of toxic, it gives life, wholeness, healing: 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control'. I know left on my own I would choose foolishness over wisdom every time and lose control of my tongue.

Did you know that the same tongue that can 'promote health' (Prov. 12:18) also 'break a bone' (Prov. 25:15)? Proverbs goes on to say that 'life and death are in the power of the tongue' (18:21) and whoever guards his mouth keeps his soul from troubles (21:23).

Jesus, in Mt. 12:36-37, warns us, "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."

Okay - enough of the word study on the tongue - I'm starting to squirm!

I think I will say with the psalmist:

I said to myself, "I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me."
But as I stood there in silence-
not even speaking of good things-
the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered-
how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath." (Psalm 39:1-5)

All for Him,

Missy