Taming the Tongue (And Those Fingers On The Keyboard!)

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." Proverbs 21:23

"It [love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

These are both verses I have read and heard perhaps a million times, but tonight they both jumped out at me as I was reading. As a Christian, I have been called by Christ to love. This is not an option. I do not get to pick and choose who I love and who I do not love. I am simply called to love. In the past month or so I have been convicted so many times about my tongue (or in the case of online chatting, my fingers). How many times have I spoken or typed words about someone that were hurtful or unkind...whether behind their back or to their face? It's so easy to justify it..."I'm frustrated and need to vent" or the old, "I love her to death, but..." I have chosen to live my life according to what Christ would have me do. Therefore, I must take His Word to heart. His Word tells me to "guard my tongue" to "always protect" to "keep no record of wrongs." If I am "venting" my frustrations about someone or just being generally snarky about them, how is that protecting them? How is it guarding my tongue? How is it showing love? It isn't. Every person who has ever lived, with the exception of Christ, has messed up. We all fall flat on our faces nearly everyday. We all do stupid stuff. We all fail! Do I want others "venting their frustrations" about my shortcomings and failures behind my back? Do I want them holding every hurtful word or look against me? Certainly not! Why should it be ok for me to do these things then? It isn't! I do believe that I have been doing better in this area, but I still have such a long way to go. It is so easy to fall into a pattern of gossip and ugliness. Friends, if I go silent in a conversation, please know that I am probably not upset with you for what you have said. I am merely trying to keep my own tongue in check. I am working hard to see the best in people and to speak with love about them.

On another note, still no word on the job. She did email me to say that they had had some flooding from the storm, so I'm sure they are a bit busy right now. The not knowing is kind of hard, but I know that it will all work out.