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…
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