Day 12 ( connections)

I had a bit of a nightmare today.

In my Jo Jingles job I have an ipod and a speaker and all the music for the classes are on said equipment.  I had four classes to do today and in the first two everything went exactly to plan.  But in class three I plugged in the speaker - and nothing happened.   It had all been working perfectly ten minutes previously - but the act of moving the speaker from one room to another had.... well, Ive no idea what had happened.  But it wasnt working.  Aaaarrrggh!   I had twenty eight kids sitting looking at me waiting to start singing and there was no music.

It turned out that the cable from the ipod to the speaker was dodgy.  So there was no connection.  And without a connecting cable the music wasnt able to get from the ipod to the speaker - no sound.   Even thought the ipod itself was working fine.  And so was the speaker.  Both pieces of technology are utterly dependent on a thin sliver of copper cable properly plugged in in order to work.  And that thin copper wire is really quite fragile and vulnerable to breaking.

Let us imagine that Jesus is singing songs to the world.  Songs of redemption and hope and love and salvation.  And we are the speakers He has chosen to use to broadcast His message.... through us people will be able to hear His song.  The conduit through which He comes to us is the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God who is sensitive and gentle and who it is possible to offend.

How do we grieve the Holy Spirit ?   According to Ephesians 4 it has alot to do with what comes out of our mouths.

And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live…. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

I suppose it makes sense - we cant be broadcasting the song Jesus is singing whilst at the same time slagging and ranting and being mean and bitter in our words.  A spring cant produce clear and bitter water at the same time.  It must be one or the other ( James 3:11)

So if we are longing for that sense of connectedness to Jesus - if we want to hear and transmit His word to the world, then maybe we need to place a guard on our lips (  Ps 141 :3 )  As James points out it is actually the hardest thing in the world to do to control our tongues. A sign of true maturity is the ability to zip it, bite it, hold it back and not just say what we want to say when we want to say it.  Allowing God to have control of our words is surely one of our ultimate goals 

Im not good at this.  Not good at all.  Ask my kids.  I sometimes wonder why God bothers with me at all when I am so negative and sarcastic and cross and impatient and mean.......   

But the wonderful amazing thing about God is that he never gives up on us.  Tomorrow is a new day.  There is always a second chance,  more forgiveness, more grace.   He is so determined that the world will hear His song that He will take any and every opportunity to use us to broadcast His message.  Surely the least we can do in return is to try to keep the channels open,  remain plugged in and take care of the connection.

Lord help me to eradicate the negative and unhelpful stuff that comes out of my mouth so that I do not grieve Your lovely Holy Spirit.  Keep me connected and plugged in to You so that I can hear you clearly and sing the song you are singing.  Amen