Gossip or Feathers Thrown to the Wind

Spurgeon told the story of a woman who visited him wanting help to overcome her problem with gossip. Instead of a sermon he sent her away to perform a simple task and asked the woman to return when she was finished.

She went home to find a feather pillow. The woman then went outside, tore open the pillow, and emptied the feathers inside to the wind. When she was finished the woman returned as asked.

Spurgeon responded with another assignment asking her to go back outside and gather all the feathers. The woman assured the pastor that such a thing would be impossible. Spurgeon then explained that gossip is like those feathers, once released they can’t be reclaimed.

The other day resentful words came to my attention through a disgruntle woman who thought I needed to know what x thought about z. I longed to put my arms around her and make her understand the damage she was doing with her words. Instead all I could do was walk away from the situation with a heavy heart.

Gossip isn’t always as bold as what I encountered the other day. Sometimes it covers itself under the guise of a prayer request that blabbers on with details others don’t need to hear. Other times it’s not the speaking but the listening that gets us in trouble. Words once heard are hard to forget even if we don’t pass them on to anyone else.

I’m reminded of the wise advice in a song many of us sang as children in Sunday school.

Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.
For the Father up above is looking down in love.
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.
Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.
For the Father up above is looking down in love.
Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.

“Heavenly Father, guard our use of words lest we toss them like feathers to the wind.”

If God is Quiet . . .

That is the question I found myself asking during a recent Bible lesson. We are studying the life of David with the help of Beth Moore’s book “A Man after God’s Own Heart”.

Saul was a man after men’s heart but failed to seek God’s dearest blessings in his life. Pride and arrogance went to his head. In time God stopped answering Saul’s prayers. The doors of Heaven were closed, and Saul was left to fumble along on his own.

Worse still for Saul was the knowledge that David, not his son Jonathan, would be the next king. Saul did everything in his power to change the mind of God including seeking David’s death.

The lesson that stirred the question in my own heart was taken from 1 Samuel 28 when Saul sought advice from the departed Samuel through sorcery. The Philistine army was breathing down his neck, and Saul was afraid.

God sent Samuel’s spirit to talk with Saul, but the answers were the same. God was quiet because Saul continued to live in unrepentant sin. His days as king of Israel were numbered. The only new information was in the timing. Saul and his son would die “tomorrow”.

All of Saul’s trickery . . . his dogged pursuit of David had failed. God’s sovereignty would prevail. Saul’s feeble attempts robbed him not only of the kingdom but also from his fellowship with God.

Our sins are just as damaging. If we continue to ignore sin in our lives God will not answer our prayers. If we think we do not sin we have the wrong definition of sin.

Sin is not just what the murderer or robber on the evening news commits. It is anything that gets in the way of our fellowship with God. The causal gossip we share as chit-chat with a neighbor is just as displeasing to God. The harsh words we speak behind closed doors. The call we couldn’t find time to make to encourage a friend.

If God is quiet we need to do some personal housekeeping.

Sand Castles

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
I will uphold you,
With My righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10, NKJV)

Beautiful words of comfort, but do we really believe them and hold them to our heart the way we ought? If you are like me the answer at best is only sometimes.

For several weeks I’ve become almost afraid to pick up the phone. Between the middle of November and the end of December loved ones have been in and out of the hospital under serious life threatening circumstances.

I long to have my emotional compass so in tuned to Christ that circumstances don’t fray me, but fear gets in the way. I’m anxious when I ought to be peacefully resting in God’s promises. The burdens I take to God in prayer don’t stay there. I need more then a sand castle faith.

Sand Castles
by Teresa Dickhoner

Heavenly Father,
The strength I need is near at hand,
If I accept who holds the reigns,
And running the show I no longer demand.

Yet, I stubbornly seek false comfort,
In feeling I’m in control.
And, consider surrender so uncertain,
I struggle to let go.

Hope is not in my fragile faith,
But in Your faithfulness that stands,
When human resources crumble,
Like castles built on the sand.

© 2009 Teresa Dickhoner

Consistent Steps

“We learn how to do things by doing the things we are learning to do.” (Aristotle)

Collecting quotes is one of my hobbies. I have a small decorative book where I store them for safe keeping. This one was tucked away in the preface of a book of poetry the family gave me for Christmas.

At the beginning of yet another year most of us have some kind of goals or resolutions. Many of us desire to lose a certain number of pounds during the next year. More than a few Bibles turned to Genesis chapter one yesterday morning with the goal of closing on Revelation chapter 22 by December 31st.

Aristotle understood that reaching for any goal takes work. The hardest task can be consistency. Resolutions start each year and are set aside before the end of January for lack of taking the smallest step over and over, forming constructive habits. Aristotle would call it “learning by doing.”

Heavenly Father: Enable me to be willing to learn through consistent daily steps the things that will help me reach my goals for 2009.