James 3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
Have you ever tried so hard from saying the wrong thing but you just couldn't, and some how to your surprise the wrong thing just pops out of your mouth even before you could think? Well I have on so many occasions and if you are honest with yourself, you will admit you have too. The Bible calls the tongue "an unruly evil and full of deadly poison." I am so horrified just the thought of knowing that with this same tongue, I offer my praises unto the Lord and in the same breathe I curse others who are made not in any others likeness but the Lord Almighty. Hmmmm, Lord have mercy on me!
I know from my own experience that when I became born-again; I automatically expected an instant change in my action, spoken words, attitude and judgements of others. However, this is possible "but only" through complete dependence and reliance on the Holy Spirit through our total surrender - our free will. Why? Because the Bible teaches us in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So it doesn't matter how hard we try, it's got to be on God's terms not ours. James clearly outlines into detail the harm, evil and damage this very tinny part of our of our body called the tongue can cause to our entire body - James 3:6, "The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell."
Today I want to remind us all that before we open our mouths to say anything to anyone, lets examine the thoughts of our minds and hearts before allowing the words to flow from our mouth. Because an abusive conversation can undermine the power of ours prayers and our sacrifice of praise to the Lord. I am learning daily not to beat myself up too much about certain things because I know I can't always control what I hear, but I can control what I hold dear in my heart and what I say to others. It's time for you and I to learn to daily submit our total will to God for He is the only one who can cause us to do will and do His good pleasure by knowing when to say what and when not to.
Food for thought:
Before you pass along any information that could hurt someone today, ask yourself; Does this need to be said, or do I just want to say it? Would more harm come by saying it or not saying it? If it needs to be said, am I saying it with the right intentions?
Verses for meditation:
"for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."-- Matthew 12:34b
Don't say anything that would hurt [another person]. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.--Ephesians 4:29
2011 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
Have you ever tried so hard from saying the wrong thing but you just couldn't, and some how to your surprise the wrong thing just pops out of your mouth even before you could think? Well I have on so many occasions and if you are honest with yourself, you will admit you have too. The Bible calls the tongue "an unruly evil and full of deadly poison." I am so horrified just the thought of knowing that with this same tongue, I offer my praises unto the Lord and in the same breathe I curse others who are made not in any others likeness but the Lord Almighty. Hmmmm, Lord have mercy on me!
I know from my own experience that when I became born-again; I automatically expected an instant change in my action, spoken words, attitude and judgements of others. However, this is possible "but only" through complete dependence and reliance on the Holy Spirit through our total surrender - our free will. Why? Because the Bible teaches us in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So it doesn't matter how hard we try, it's got to be on God's terms not ours. James clearly outlines into detail the harm, evil and damage this very tinny part of our of our body called the tongue can cause to our entire body - James 3:6, "The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell."
Today I want to remind us all that before we open our mouths to say anything to anyone, lets examine the thoughts of our minds and hearts before allowing the words to flow from our mouth. Because an abusive conversation can undermine the power of ours prayers and our sacrifice of praise to the Lord. I am learning daily not to beat myself up too much about certain things because I know I can't always control what I hear, but I can control what I hold dear in my heart and what I say to others. It's time for you and I to learn to daily submit our total will to God for He is the only one who can cause us to do will and do His good pleasure by knowing when to say what and when not to.
Food for thought:
Before you pass along any information that could hurt someone today, ask yourself; Does this need to be said, or do I just want to say it? Would more harm come by saying it or not saying it? If it needs to be said, am I saying it with the right intentions?
Verses for meditation:
"for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."-- Matthew 12:34b
Don't say anything that would hurt [another person]. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.--Ephesians 4:29
2011 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
Thank you soo much for this.
ReplyDeleteYesterday's post really touched something deep inside me as well. I remembered you this morning during my quiet time and prayed that God should bless you for being such a blessing to me through the word for yesterday.
May God bless your labour of love i.e this blog
Many Blessings
@Mimi B, I am so humbled sis! Thank you very much for remembering me in your prayers and I thank God for your life.
ReplyDeleteRemain blessed,
Enyonam