If You Can't Say Anything Nice...

I am pretty sure we have all heard, if not from our mothers then somewhere,  'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.'  I am one to often analyze things, maybe even over-analyze and this is cause for pause for me.  Doesn't saying nothing really say tons?  For example, someone shares something with you that you don't at all think is a good idea.  Silence?  That seems to shout disapproval. Doesn't it?

Paul says in Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."  Nothing nice to say.  And so, silence?

In his letter to the Philippians, in chapter 4 verse 8 he says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

The problem is being able to remember one of these passages at those awkward times... something helpful, beneficial, noble, admirable....you get the idea.  Right?  That generally doesn't happen for me.  However, God knew when He inspired those words that there would be times when an encouraging or positive response would be hard to come up with.  But He still says it.

'According to their needs' might be a key little phrase.  Maybe the person's need is to simply have someone listen. One thing we can be sure of:  they weren't sharing because they wanted to sound ignorant or evil nor were they looking for criticism.  And possibly, if we really try, we can find SOMETHING, whether it be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy or helpful to include in our response.  Maybe?

Pausing before we speak is such a good practice to develop.  A quick answer isn't impressive; especially if it's surfacey or even worse, critical. And who is it we should be striving to impress anyway?

I think we can say something when we 'can't say anything nice'.  It might require a little insight.  A little discipline in the pause-creating practice. Which definitely requires wisdom from above.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  James 3:17

THAT wisdom, wisdom from above, is sometimes correcting, and sometimes it smarts, but it is always encouraging.  God never corrects us to hurt us,or to make Himself sound smart.  And sometimes He is silent on a matter... for a time.  A pause.

Are You Sure?

Faith is being sure of what we hope for..... Hebrews 11:1a

Possible implication: Can we be NOT sure what we are hoping for?  Personally, I had hoped I wouldn’t have to be involved in deaf ministry.  Not that I have ANYTHING against the deaf...I have a deaf daughter for crying out loud.  It's just such a visible ministry.  And I don't like to be visible.  However, over time, God began revealing to me that just MAYBE I would like it.  Fine.  I will do it.  But I have conditions.  I will only interpret the sermon.  Hopefully God will send someone else to do the worship part...every time.  That’s just too vulnerable of a position for me to be in.  And because I am hoping in faith, surely it will be so.

Back story.  I have always been too afraid, too insecure to lift my hands during worship...although I felt compelled to do so, I simply could not.  People might look at me.  They might think I am weird (and I am...different story.)

I can’t say with any certainty why God allowed the deaf ministry to fold for a time at our home church...there were so many more people affected than just our family.  But with reasonable assurance I am beginning to understand what He has worked out in me ... “for the good of those who love Him” ... of which I am one... “who have been called according to His purpose”  Romans 8:28 .... that purpose which is becoming a little less mud-like and a little more clear. 

When we left our church to attend one that has a very strong deaf ministry, the church that God led us to has a culture of very expressive worship.  It is awesome.  Literally.  It was there that God began untying the chains that kept my hands at my side during worship.  And it had almost literally felt just like that...I wanted desperately to raise my hands but COULD NOT.  During the three year stay at that church I was freed....freed to worship with abandon.

Through a series of what I now believe to have been providential events, we have returned to our former church.  Our church home.  When we got there, there was still no deaf ministry in place but due to a season of slight rebellion in our family member who is deaf, that wasn’t really an issue for the time being.  And we have another family member who had remained VERY connected even while we were attending the other church.  And for reasons only known to God, my husband and I could not for the life of us, find our place there.  So after much prayer and discussion, we went back.  Home.

God began calling me....and I didn’t want to.  Looking back, He had been calling me for quite a while.  Finally, out of obedience only, I responded and just a few conversations took place with leadership and before I knew it, deaf ministry was back up and running.  And I whined a lot.

There came a moment where I sensed God saying in my spirit...’you know, you MIGHT like this!’  I likened it to a parent telling their child ‘just try it!  You are going to like it!'  And if we, mere human parents, would only tell our child that out of love and human foreknowledge, how much more can God be trusted? 'If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!'  Matthew 7:11  And for a very long time I HAD been asking about what my calling is.  Everyone has one!  What is mine??

And so I allowed God to begin working on my attitude.  Big of me, wasn't it?

The first two weeks I interpreted the sermon while others interpreted the worship portion of the service.  It was very difficult for me,  but I really was just glad to not be doing worship...you know...that vulnerable place where people might look at me and think I am weird?

This past week, week number three, there was no one to interpret worship but me.  And I was NERVOUS!  I prepared and I practiced.  And what an amazing thing to spend so many hours being saturated in worship!  But during practice and preparation, I was alone and I still didn’t really want to do that.  Not in front of people.

And Sunday came.  I decided that I was simply going to worship God.  In sign language.  Which really is the point of interpreting the worship service.  Leading the deaf congregants in worship, in their language.  And so I worshipped.  And I was nervous.  And dare I say that I liked it.

So it turns out that God was right.  He knows what we will like. And He knows what we SHOULD hope for because it will be good.  So that we CAN have faith in what we should be hoping for.  I think in order to have faith in what we should be hoping for, we have to let God in.  Allow Him freedom to introduce us to ourselves as who we really are...who we were created to be.  He is the only one who really knows since He is the one who created us...on purpose, with a plan for our lives.

We would do well to NOT listen to the chatter of the enemy whose very goal is to lead us astray.  Because he knows if we live out our calling, it is only there we will find true joy.  And then we just might tell people about the One who is responsible for that joy.  Because it would be selfish not to.

He can let YOU know what it is exactly you should be hoping for, thereby having faith in that very hope.   And He will. 

He is faithful.

Perspective Might Change Things

After a pretty long battle ... long is a subjective word actually, but this battle has felt long to me!  Anyway, I have finally agreed to be obedient to God.  I have reluctantly, with a reluctance that has morphed into nervous excitement, agreed to begin interpreting at our church.  I have never, ever been a person who likes even a little bit to talk in front of people.  And I do realize that I am not alone in this fear.  I think I may have heard it's the number one fear that people have.  But I digress.  I didn't want to do it.

So the first service the deaf ministry was relaunched at my church was this Easter.  Two days ago.  I say relaunched because we used to have a deaf ministry but it has been on hiatus for a few years.

Easter Sunday is a very good day.  Period.  But in this regard, it was a good day to start this back up because there are always so many visitors and you just never know who might be there that knows someone who is deaf, or has deaf family, whatever.  What this also means is there were going to be even MORE people in that large group of people that I needed to be up in front of.  Ugh.

Easter morning I woke up and almost immediately start to pray for God to help me..I am so nervous. And David comes to my mind.  How he kept the faith even while a crazed king continually wanted to kill him, when he had done nothing to warrant such hatred.  About 30 seconds into my thoughts, and the remembrance of Jesus appears.  Hello!  You know.  Jesus.  The very Who we are celebrating this very day.

I have whined and whined about the calling He has apparently planned for me.  But this truly is NOTHING compared to the call He placed on His own life.

THE God who created the very universe submitted Himself to the womb of a young girl.  I never thought about that little detail before.  Is there any more humble, helpless place than a womb?  And then childbirth. Pleasant?  I think not.  Seriously...He really could have skipped a few steps along the way.  Thirty years of living life, experiencing everything we do.  Keep in mind, this was without all the modern conveniences we have the luxury of using for our ease of life.

And ministry begins.  His ministry.  His calling.  So much criticism.  Hatred.  But I have to think there was such joy that came with those moments His disciples REALLY got it.....even if they couldn't quite get their heads around a certain teaching that they still somehow believed.  And He knew!  At times they were probably a bit befuddled in some of the details but He knew their hearts and that they were choosing to not focus on the parts that confused them.  Because they truly knew that He was who He said He was.

And He knows when that's the case with us as well.  And I think it pleases Him.  Dare I say brings Him joy?

Then there was that Friday.  Good Friday.  The Bible says He was beaten beyond recognition. BEYOND.  I am not sure I really allow myself to understand what that truly means.  Have you thought about that?

Crucified. Those soldiers didn't even know that they were, for you and for me and for themselves, bringing forth the spotless, perfect lamb to be sacrificed so we could be forgiven. Again and again forever.

You see, I think God created us because He wanted a relationship with us but we are human and we sin.  And He is holy and cannot even look upon sin and so in order to have eternal relationship with us...He is eternal after all and so the relationship would need to last forever .... there has to be atonement or retribution made for our sin.  Or He can't even look upon us, let alone have a relationship with us!

The only sacrifice big enough to cover ALL the sins of ALL mankind is the One responsible for creating all of mankind.  God.  He promises His creation through the ages that He will send the Messiah who will take care of that sacrifice for us.  To be our Deliverer from what we truly deserve. That promise becomes a part of everything the Jewish people knew and know to be true.  Much like in America there is no doubt that George Washington was the first president.  It's not even debatable. Or that tonight will become tomorrow morning.  We know that is true and the Jewish people knew THAT to be true.

The Promise shows up.  He proves Himself again and again.  Who else can raise people from the dead?  Who else knows things about us that no one else knows?  We certainly don't tell anyone those things.  Who else dies and then comes back to life Himself?

Only Jesus.

My point is this calling on my life, whether it be for a season or the rest of my life is an honor.  I do not need to be afraid.  At least comparatively speaking.  If one person comes to know The Lord, thereby being saved from eternal damnation INTO eternal relationship with God....that relationship which was THE point of our being created in the first place, and the only place we will discover true joy.... if that happens because God somehow saw my hands fit to interpret His message for the deaf, I say thank You for the privilege.

And I must remember Matthew 4:19 if I want to be a follower of Jesus.  "Come, follow me," said Jesus, "and I will send you out to fish for people."  And in Romans 1:16 Paul says 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.'  It's not even my power making it happen!  Why am I afraid?

That salvation knows no boundaries.  God wants no one to perish.  Jew, Gentile, Hearing, Deaf...NO ONE.  Not any people group at all.  No person.

I don't need to be afraid and neither do you!  It's HIS message.  It's powerful and if you give Him a real chance you will find that it is true!

He is risen.  He is risen indeed!