Do
not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful
for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen.
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…
GO
ALL IN FOR CHRIST!
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