Hi there everyone,
I have a bit of a dilemma. I work in a fish restaurant as a part-time waitress. I really enjoy my job, the pay is good and the customers, staff and bosses are a good bunch.
But most of the staff swear profusely. This is the world i'm afraid. I'm not bothered by what other people do but sometimes I feel like swearing as well. The word comes into my head but I don't say it. I always say fudge or sugar instead. I occasionally say 'feck' (as a joke) which is the Irish way of saying the f word.
And it is a favourite word out of one of my favourite comedies in England from Ireland called Father Ted about catholic 3 priests. Very funny! One is an alcoholic who shouts 'feck' a lot!!
I really don't want to leave and I wonder if God really cares about these words. Would He rather me work somewhere where there is no bad language but maybe not as nice people or a job that is obsessed with rules or even on my own, which I would hate.
The trouble with me is that I feel guilty about everything. I always feel that my spirituality isn't good enough.
I would be interested with what you think.
Godbless
Nancy
For me Nancy, you like the job and those are hard to find, what is also hard is to realize that God don't give a whit about swear words only the pharasees of religion will try to harm your spirit into thinking you are a bad ole putty tat.
Lighten up on your self and have fun , enjoy your co-workers for who they are and who God is working on them to be. He might even use you and a swear word or two to help them.
It sure is "easier" to be alone. Nancy, God bless you. YOU are
in the world, but not of it. I worked in a place once that when I
look back, it makes me cringe. Yet I have learned that I am no
better than any man on the face of the earth.....in the flesh. My
daddy used to teach me that, but then he'd say:
But you sure better ACT LIKE IT!
Or you'll get to go get a switch across the road.
Quote from: Nancy on March 29, 2009, 02:35:31 PM
Hi there everyone,
I have a bit of a dilemma. I work in a fish restaurant as a part-time waitress. I really enjoy my job, the pay is good and the customers, staff and bosses are a good bunch.
But most of the staff swear profusely. This is the world i'm afraid. I'm not bothered by what other people do but sometimes I feel like swearing as well. The word comes into my head but I don't say it. I always say fudge or sugar instead. I occasionally say 'feck' (as a joke) which is the Irish way of saying the f word.
And it is a favourite word out of one of my favourite comedies in England from Ireland called Father Ted about catholic 3 priests. Very funny! One is an alcoholic who shouts 'feck' a lot!!
I really don't want to leave and I wonder if God really cares about these words. Would He rather me work somewhere where there is no bad language but maybe not as nice people or a job that is obsessed with rules or even on my own, which I would hate.
The trouble with me is that I feel guilty about everything. I always feel that my spirituality isn't good enough.
I would be interested with what you think.
Godbless
Nancy
:cloud9: I don't where you would find a job where there was no swearing, unless it was a Christian organization you worked for! I've faced this everywhere I've ever worked, and I just ignore it and continue to be as He has made me to be. Funny thing is, I never announced to anyone that I was a Christian, they just knew it from my actions or lack thereof, depending on the situation.
We are to have an excellent spirit about us like Daniel, which is both God given in one sense, and something we are to strive for in another sense, in trying to go beyond what is expected of us to excel in whatever situation we find ourselves in.
Applying this principle, I found that though at first they ridiculed me or mocked me sometimes behind my back, sometimes to my face, but in the end, they respected me, because none of what I did in regards to just being what He had made me, was in condemnation to them or of a religious spirit, but was done out of a changed nature that at the same time, showed loving concern for them as God would, and they felt the difference.
One of my employers who was a homosexual, asked me two weeks after I started working for him, "What church do you go to, you're different than all the rest of the church people I've met?"
That opened the door to introduce to him the ministry of reconciliation instead of the ministry of condemnation, which is really what most of the churches are preaching from. He began to ask me other questions daily after that, and He drank like man who had been in the desert all of his life would, and received the Lord and the baptism in the HG, two months later. We don't change people by preaching at them; conviction is the job of the Holy Spirit and if we just rest in what He has made us to be, showing the loving concern (that is without judgment) of our Father (a true shepherd's heart), the Holy Spirit will draw them into the sheepfold. Blessings....
PS. When God places a Spirit filled, heart circumcised Christian in among the "gentiles", it's to make you a visible expression of Him and to provide them a covering. It's the same as you being of the house of (insert name here), and as the head of that household you are required to make sacrifice for the others, as in the OT the head of the household had to slay the sacrifice for the others. So in one sense you are there to provide the sacrifice for the others, that brings covering. And as their covering you have the right to pray and intercede in their behalf and those prayers will be answered.
According to Jesus, it's what comes out of someone's mouth that defiles them. Rather than looking for euphemisms which will still register on your spirit the same 'cause you know what you were saying without saying....spend as much time as possible when you're off the clock filling your mouth with God's Word and thanksgiving. God killed a generation of Israelites over grumbling, which is how these words are being used rather than as a deliberate act of blasphemy and defiance against God the way that many religious people would look at it. It's usually not a lot of that. But it's the very thing that got Israel in trouble that St. Paul looks back upon and says that these things were written for examples to us upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
If you want to enter into His rest, i.e. Hebrews chapters 3 and 4, then focus on the amount of time off of the clock that you're able to focus on building yourself up in praising God and meditating His Word. Just replace their thoughts with other thoughts in your mind. More than once I've nearly said with a bit of irony to folks like that "shut the efen hell up! I don't wanna hear that g-d profanity any more!!" But the Holy Spirit would remind me that if I want to see length of days, long life, and fully inherit the blessing, then that wouldn't be the least bit funny in the spirit realm even if the irony was profound in English to the carnal mind:
Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
(1Peter 3:9-13)
This passage and quite a few others indicates that the protective power of God turns on the dime of my tongue, as to whether or not I'll be fully shielded from evil or not. I personally can't afford to get sloppy and won't. 2Timothy 2 says to cleanse yourself from these things and you'll be a vessel of honor useable by the Lord for any good work. So much of our power in this life hinges on the tongue. If you're using a KJV, then run your concordance references on the tongue.
As far as the job situation. If you truly love it, then stay there. What other people do with their disgusting reprobate mouths that are full of Gehenna has zero to do with your life in God, what's paying your bills, etc. All that matters is what God is saying to you. And I was using my Biblical terms advisedly rather than being judgmental. (James 3, Romans 1, etc.) Stick to the job that you love being at. Just don't go home spiritually smelling like fish because of what Jesus said that I started this post with.
It's genuinely hard to climb out of that thing with the mouth once you've yielded to it. Took me years, but I saw the promise in the Scriptures of a clear, whole conscience and the ability to hear God infinitely better as well as how temptation, longevity, and quality of life is rooted in the tongue in the Bible. To anyone that's stuck in this kind of thing with your mouth: Perhaps you're where I was at with that for years. It is something that the Scriptures give keys on how to get out of that, but it's as tedious a process as the breaking of addiction processes you can think of. Seems at times like you might never stop using those words, but the further you press into the Scriptures and into thanksgiving to God, then that yoke will finally dissolve from your neck and that burden will come off of your shoulders.
:cloud9: Good posts Martin :thumbsup:
Hi ya all,
Thanks for good replies!
Martin are you seriously saying that I shouldn't even say fudge or sugar! Surely you've got to say something when you hit your thumb with a hammer or drop something!
What do you say?!
Godbless
Nancy
.
Quote from: Nancy on March 29, 2009, 11:47:53 PM
Surely you've got to say something when you hit your thumb with a hammer or drop something!
What do you say?!
Thank God, by his stripes I was healed and no weapon formed against me will ever prosper! In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command the pain to stop and for the healing anointing to kick in. I rejoice in the Lord my God that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is dwelling in me and He's quickening this thumb with that same power. In Jesus' Name, I've known and believed the Love that God has for me and nothing can ever separate me from the Love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord. I consider not my own body, but only that which God has promised. I am fully persuaded that that which He has promised He is able also to perform. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And I thank God that my thumb is being made alive right now, in Jesus' Name!!!
Stubbing your toe is worse, but when the Word's pumping through from the abundance of your heart like that, it's amazing how quick the pain stops and my youth is renewed as the eagle's with my mouth having been filled with those good things. 2Corinthians 10 says we're bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Romans 12 says not to be conformed to this world, but to make your body a living sacrifice and to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And this is how your mind is renewed, step by step, with every situation you face in your life. We're supposed to answer life with the Word rather than with feelings, personal thoughts, what things appear like, how the heathen answer things, etc. We walk by faith and not by sight.
Jesus said to continue in His Word and I'd be His disciple indeed, I'd know the truth and the truth would remanufacture me as free. If all He meant were moral principles, then the Hindu Gita, Confucius, the Tao Te Ching, or the Ten Commandments would suffice. No, Jesus said to imitate Him the way that He imitates the Father. The important thing isn't what I'd say in such and such a situation, but what our heavenly Father would say in such and such a situation. The Scriptures say you're being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ -- not to my image.
:cloud9: I agree Martin. I burned the top of one of my fingers once by a direct touch to my oven coil. It was totally the Spirit that for that split second took over, because I would have gone to the sink and run cold water over it and dressed it and that was it.
But this time, without it going thru my carnal mind, I slapped my other hand on the burn and commanded healing to come forth in His name. It didn't even turn red, and there was no pain. I did the same thing 2 weeks later in a different spot, and I ran to the sink first, then prayed. It bubbled and burned.
I think the first event was the Spirit's way of showing me what power was at my command if I only believed it was and exercised it. Unfortunately, I'm a slow learner. :mblush: :laughing7: Blessings....
Hey Nancy!
I think the word "fudge" is cute!!!
It'll make waves!! ha
I feel better pretty quick after saying those bad ole words people are afraid of and God still loves me and I can be in the spirit at the same time thank you very much.
:cloud9: Words are words and words evoke images that have no power of their own, it's the spirit behind the words that has power, either to create or destroy. That's why life and death is in the power of the tongue. Blessings....
Words can sometimes be a false positive as I call it. I can say a word and out come all the people telling me it is wrong to say it, when the greater problem is the false sense of guilt and the subsequent waste of spirit trying to over come something that is insignificant in the first place.
So when someone overcomes that they usually still sit and see that their spiritual life has not really increased it was only temporarily and falsly gratified in flesh.
If I say a word and it is meant to harm someone, the word itself is irrevalent.
No one seems to think Jesus was Cursing, yet, in respect to what we can do to someone else, I could say the F word when I hit my thumb or I can call someone a dolt and no one is going to "OH MY GOD HE CURSED" when they hear the word dolt, but the lesser word to someones "emotions" was far more damaging in reality to spirit.
If I talked like Jesus did to the pharasees and just replace some words with more commonly used ones today, there isn't as much difference as peiople want to claim.
Quote from: Paul Hazelwood on March 30, 2009, 04:47:26 PM
I feel better pretty quick after saying those bad ole words people are afraid of and God still loves me and I can be in the spirit at the same time thank you very much.
Not according to Jesus, Ephesians, Galatians, and James to name a few. Proverbs too. Do you know better than them?
Quote from: martincisneros on March 30, 2009, 05:46:17 PM
Quote from: Paul Hazelwood on March 30, 2009, 04:47:26 PM
I feel better pretty quick after saying those bad ole words people are afraid of and God still loves me and I can be in the spirit at the same time thank you very much.
Not according to Jesus, Ephesians, Galatians, and James to name a few. Proverbs too. Do you know better than them?
I know that I do not have to accept your assertion that specific words even matter. So I know myself better than you know me.
You are making me remember my old mentor. She was my first
prayer partner, just recently died. We had found each other again
on the net. Anyway, we had learned to "pray" together, and
had our "minds" so on God, full of zeal. One day after the prayer
meeting, we came into the Radio Shack where a guy was inappropriatly aggravitngly saying "Jesus Christ" to which we both
said "AAAAMen!!!!" Our very presence and speech turned that
right around.
I witnessed severe damage to how a person can see God through an encounter of someone reaching out and being critisized for their language rather than SEEING the wonder of the person even bothing with anything of God in the first place.
Sorry for always coming back to you Martin but I don't feel that using Christs' Name for something so trivial is a thing that I tend to do. I will only use the Name of Jesus if it is for something serious. My mother used to say 'There are people in real danger and starving so I don't think God cares about such and such a thing (usually something trivial). I don't agree with her entirely but I've always remembered what she said. Anyway using Christs' Name in a work situation would be putting your pearls before swine I think. Maybe I'm not as spiritual as you are but that just isn't my style. I cannot be something i'm not. People tend to feel uncomfortable with believers who talk like that anyway. Witnessing for Christ isn't meant to make a person seem eccentric. I'm sorry if this sounds hard but maybe we are coming from different positions. I don't want my life to be lived rigidly like that so that I have to consult the bible with everything I do. Maybe I'm a lousy Christian but there it is. Love is the only thing that matters. Showing love to others is the only law.
Godbless
Nancy
Hey Everyone,
What did paul mean when he said these words. (Acts 23:3) God shall smite thee, thou whited wall? If I remember correctly Peter cursed and swore (Matt. 26:74).
CHB
Hi there CHB,
That's right. Are we meant to be perfect even if inside we are cursing. Have we got to be word perfect to be a Christian, no faults of any kind. Surely that is a recipe for mental illness. I should know because I have been there. I spent time alone in my room reading the bible which I didn't understand and still don't to be honest. I get more bad thoughts come into my head when I read my bible than when I don't. Then I had a breakdown. When you suffer from OCD the bible can be explosive and make matters worse.
But back to my point.
I spend years trying to be something I'm not and it hurts. It puts you off of being a christian, because you feel that you can't make it so why bother! I just want to be me warts and all even if I have to say the odd fudge word now and again!
The other way makes you false I feel.
Godbless
Nancy
QuoteIf I remember correctly Peter cursed and swore (Matt. 26:74).
Peter denying Christ is a good example of anything?
Hi Molly,
No of course not!
I feel that if Christ forgave Peter for denying Him, how much more will he forgive us for being weak and saying the odd swear word.
And apart from Peter I'm sure that the disciples weren't the sort of men the teachers of the law and pharisees, would have mixed with. They were rough fishermen and tax collectors. I'm sure they didn't pussy foot around and say Oh my gosh, Oh dear. Jesus called two brothers, the sons of thunder because of their tempers. Hardly a christian virtue. The disciples also asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven to punish people who rejected Him. Jesus also ate with sinners who were real people, not hypocrites who pretended that they were perfect.
Godbless
Nancy
Amen Nancy!!! I don't curse but my favorite word is s--t. I have tried to stop saying this word but out it comes sometimes. To me, there are a lot worse things than saying these words and a lot more important things like compassion, mercy, and things of that nature. Worring about these words to me, are like straining at a gnat and swollowing a camel.
CHB