James 3: 1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
last night after children's church... I was talking with two of the teachers/leaders of the ministry... and I was outside yelling.. as it true to form for me.. yelling from one person to another.. one of them told me to stop being mean.. I am thinking.. I wasn't being mean.. no one really takes me seriously when I yell.. just look around at the kids.. they wouldn't cling to me like they do if they felt I was mean in any way... she says that when someone doesn't know me.. then they think I am mean.. so in my head.. I am thinking.. I really probably should be one of those quiet silent types... as I get home.. I hear God saying.. you are created as you are.. on purpose...
when we think of taming the tongue.. we think about being quiet and subdued.. God has revealed to me that taming my own tongue is not so much about being quiet or subdued as it is about being encouraging and truthful... truthful is a HIGH priority in my own life.. so truthful is no struggle.. but.. sometimes I could possibly come out with the truth in a more tactful way...
I believe taming the tongue is more about how we speak.. what words come out of our mouth.. are we condemning and rude.. mean and hurtful... or are we instead encouraging and building up... that is what I think the taming really is.. to keep the words that come out of our mouth to be pleasing to God's ears...
what comes out of the mouth is what is in the heart.. so really.. the true change needs to come in our heart and mind.. if we are thinking mean and hateful things.. that is what comes across.. even if the words seem to be dripping in honey.. yet if our hearts are pure.. we can say truthful and hard to hear things because someone knows that we are not judging or condemning them.. just trying to help get things right...
tame our heart and our mind.. allow God to transform these things.. and our tongue will be tamed...
be comfortable in who God made you to be.. if He isn't telling you to change something.. pray about it before you allow others to make you think it needs changed.. it really could be who you are on purpose...
No comments:
Post a Comment