Taming the Tongue and Heart

"I was at Fehira's the other day. She was heavy and sorrowful. At last it came out that her husband had said some very insulting things about her and that they had been noised about and her good name blackened. 'Did you answer him back?' I asked."

"'Without doubt I did!' was the answer." So we read about Him who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, and she prayed, 'Lord, make my tongue quiet."

"Today I was there again and asked how things had been. Yes, her tongue had been kept quiet, she said, 'but all is hot inside." The words stay in, because I asked God, but it is all hot.' So we went a bit further on the road to holiness and she prayed, 'Lord, Thou hast made my tongue quiet. Make my heart quiet now.'" **

Powerful portrayal of real life, right? She reacts exactly as is human nature - strike back...and how! Mmmmm...Hmmmm, now I know what you're thinking, "I'd have a few choice words for my spouse too!" Didn't she have every right to be boiling, bubbling mad as well as to defend herself? But, her "right" to defend or retaliate is never what resonated with me. To me, this story highlights the daily, life-long battle to fully surrender to Christ in everything! Why? Because that was, and is, my daily battle due to chronic health issues. All the years, all the unknowns and lack of control to understand, progress or get results greatly strained and tested my ability and my desire to allow Christ to reign in my heart! I wanted all the pain and craziness to just stop or at least to have a clear, specific diagnoses toward which to direct all my energy.

Flesh and Spirit at war! Fehira beautifully illustrates the struggle of living out her faith. Her vulnerability, honesty and willing surrender leap off the page of this simple recorded event. In her story, I see and feel, that familiar fight between what I want and what I know Christ wants for me in any given situation. Originally, she did the "easier" thing by holding her tongue but she clearly didn't like it because she was still "all hot" inside. She acted Christ-like on the outside but was not truly surrendered on the inside; that was the real story for me! The dichotomy of faith - flesh v. Spirit! I had to do as Fehira was guided to do: stop, pray and give it to God, over and over again! Each time, I learned how to more deeply trust Him to provide me His peace and His response for me in His perfect timing. Personally, I learned focusing on Christ alone is absolutely worth it! Trust Him,then just as for Fehira, just as for me, Christ will pull you closer to Him. This is faith lived out.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts" -Colossians 3:15

**A Blossom in the Desert, compiled and edited by Miriam Huffman Rockness