The Phil Files

What? What in the world is “athlete’s tongue”? It’s athlete’s foot that spread to your tongue because you’ve spent so much time sticking your foot in your mouth!

Yep, and I’ve got it. I regret it. I’m saddened by it. I’m mad at myself for having it. But there are some things that happen … especially when they repeatedly happen … that I LET get the best of me. Then, boom. I put my foot in my mouth. Sometimes I want to blame time. Sometimes I want to blame stress. Sometimes I want to blame my own stupidity.

Bottom line, good people sometimes do hurtful or unfair things to us … again and again and again. And then instead of dealing with the issues, we stick our foot in our mouth and fall on our face. Underneath it all is a heart that wants to justify itself, its hurt, and its need to get even. So I think one of the most impressive things to me about Jesus going to the Cross is that he didn’t complain or whine. 

“This isn’t fair! I know your secret sins. Let me go or I will tell everyone about who you really are! Besides, if you weren’t such a jerk to your wife, you would listen to her advice and know I was innocent. Speaking of your wife, does she know about …”

That’s kinda what I think I would like to have said to Pilate if I were Jesus. But in the unfairness of the trial, the inhumanity of his treatment, in the abandonment by his closest followers, during the ridicule by the crowd and the religious leaders, he kept silent except for a few emotionally moving words. And even these words were not mean-spirited or intended to justify any resentment or bitterness. And some of the those words come to me, with my athlete’s tongue and give me comfort: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

But then I need something more than forgiveness, I need some spiritual healing, some holy medicine for my heart, because my athlete’s mouth is not a problem of my tongue or my feet, but of my heart:

“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile you. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile you; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile you.” (Matthew 15:16-20)

O God, please heal my heart and make it like Jesus?

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

  Those whose walk is blameless,
    who do what is righteous,
    who speak the truth from their hearts;
  who have no slander on their tongues,
    who do their neighbors no wrong,
    who cast no slur on others;
  who despise those whose ways are vile
    but honor whoever fears the LORD;
    who keep their oaths even when it hurts;
  who lend money to the poor without interest
    and do not accept bribes against the innocent.

  Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

\o/ — Comments Psalm 15: They will never be shaken! — \o/

At first glance, my first reaction to Psalm 15 was to say, “Sure, these folks won’t be shaken, but I can’t be that person! This is describing someone way better than I can be!”

On second glance, I thought that maybe this was the opposite side of the coin from Psalm 14, which seemed so pessimistic and realistic about human failure, so Psalm 15 is more hopeful that someone can live the life God wants.

On third look, I see the kind of person the LORD longs for me to be. These are the values He wants me to live out in my daily life. If these become my goal as I passionately try to live for God, then my future is secure.

On deeper contemplation, the last four words — will never be shaken — reminded me of Hebrews 12:28-29:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire”(TNIV)

Then the Holy Spirit defines what true worship with reverence and awe really is in chapter 13:1-16. The character the Spirit describes is comparable to character suggested in Psalm 15 — people who live the life of God in their daily routines.

In a mind clouded by Western culture, I can so easily separate worship from daily character. But, as Psalm 15 reminds me, worship is the character I live in my daily lifestyle because God wants to live with me, in me, and among us. If I want to live with God, then my character needs to reflect His presence in my life. At the heart of this is a deep admiration and appreciation for God and those who honor the LORD.