My Heart, Pierced

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love…

Philemon 8-9a

"Hurry up!" "Be quiet!" "Put on your shoes!" "Clean up this room!" "Why did you do that?!" "What were you thinking?!"

It’s easy and, sadly, natural for me to order my little ones around... afterall, I am the mama. Often I find myself using a tone of condescension. How much better would it be, instead, to appeal to my children with love... to guide gently?

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
I Corinthians 13:1

I fear that all too often my voice and my words sound like a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal to little ears and tender hearts.

God, forgive me. My sons, forgive me.

And then, I remember the woman... the wife... the mother... of noble character.

She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

Father, will you refine your often harsh and thoughtless child? And, protect those whom You (and I) love from that which is so dangerous?

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. James 3:6

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

All emphasis to scripture added by me.