This week I am attempting to use no sarcasm. I find I use it too much, too often. I use it when I am uncomfortable, to make others feel at ease, or to lighten a tense situation. I use it to cover being negative, so that I can say "See, I am being positive!" When really, my heart is not. I use it as a natural response to compliments, perhaps I don't know how to receive them very well. It seems to be so much of a part of my conversation that I cant decider it from my normal speech.
So, this week I am trying to stop all of it, to make myself more aware of it. I want to see what I say, and when ... and why. I am letting people know so that they can hold me accountable, see if you can catch me! This might mean I need to not talk at some points ... but that is OK with me, I want my speech to reflect the Lord, and if it doesn't, then I don't need to talk.
As Thumper's Dad said in Bambi "if you don't got nothing nice to say then don't say nothing at all."
"May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart, be pleasing to you O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. " -Psalm 19:14
Want to know the funny part? This week in my Bible Study Methods class we are studying and learning about Irony. HA!
2 comments:
Thanks for the reminder, Heather. Our words can bring life..or not. The Word admonishes us to use our words carefully, as a gift to him, and now you have reminded us as well. I love your transparency...and your willingness to do hard things for the King! ~ mama
I want to hear more on this. I don't think I told you how proud of you I was when I read this. I think we hide behind sarcasm much of the time, as a way of not having to be vulnerable or soft. If we can make someone laugh, we can avoid being exposed. Problem is, we're not letting someone see the real us, and also, we can end up hurting feelings in the process, without even meaning to.
I remember when I was counseling with Pastor Parks, and I was relating some lesson God had recently taught me-- I repeated "God's Words" and they were so sarcastic and cutting. P. Parks stopped me and said, did God REALLY speak that way to you?"--of course not! What God had spoken to my heart had been so soft and vulnerable, and loving, I could hardly contain it. So in remembering and repeating it, I made it out with such sarcasm as if to be funny, and as if to belittle myself in the process.
It was a huge lesson for me.
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