Ephesians 4:29
When I was a little
child I can recall how often my father would instruct me to think before I
speak… Even though I never really paid his instruction in mind, today I have
come to know and understand exactly what he meant… Words are powerful, the
things that we speak can produce seeds of abundance or failure in one’s life;
this is why James writes in the 3rd chapter of his book about the
importance in taming our tongue… In this chapter he says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does
not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole
body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide
their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large
and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever
the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it
boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among
our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of
life, and set on fire by hell. ...” Your tongue has the ability
to transforms lives or tear them down, your tongue has the ability to reap
corruption or alter the atmosphere; because of the power that lies in it’s use,
we are reminded today that we must not let any unwholesome talk come out of
our mouth… When I read this passage there are two points that jump out to
me; either you think before you speak or you need to just learn to shut up…
Through today’s devotion we learn the importance of control our tempers and not
allowing any crack or crevice to be created so that the enemy can manipulate
his way into our lives and situations through a bit of anger within us… There
are many verses in the bible that deal with anger; however, to become angry is
not a sin… Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but
a wise man keeps himself under control.” You can and will
become angry (even Jesus became angry), but the key is not allowing your anger
to be vented and the easiest way to keep this from happening is controlling the
things that come out of your mouth… Paul writes to the church of Ephesus
today and instructs them about how to conduct themselves in their relationships
with other people… All of us have a
boiling point, a height of anger or rage in which we will lose our minds and be
careless with the things that are spoken out of our mouths! Our patience’s has
been pushed to the brink of the cliff and we just can’t bite our tongue any
longer; we have tried to be kind but it just seems like different words must be
used to address this person and resolve this conflict… Understand today that
Jesus had plenty of opportunities to “flip his wig or go off the deep end,” but
the way you talk to people and about people shows your maturity and ultimately
your relationship with God! The things you say about others are really a
reflection of yourself… When you speak to someone in love, this directly
displays the love that lives inside of you; on the contrary, when you allow
unwholesome talk to come from your mouth you really are putting forth a public
display of who ugly you are inside… “What goes into a man's mouth does not make
him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him
'unclean.” People will always
talk about you, they will always say things that you may not agree with or may
be hurt by, but the ultimate sign of a true Christian is not your response in
words to the accusations, but how you flip this trial so that God receives
glory and honor. Isaiah 53:7 says,” He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he
did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Bottom line,
think before you speak and if that doesn’t work just shut up…
BE
BLESSED!!!
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