“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. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 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. And among all the parts of the body, 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. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
Memory Verse: Matthew 12:36-37 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.
Words are so powerful to the extent they have a make or break impact on human lives. In today’s world, people say everything and anything. For a fact, people generally will say one thing to make a man and another to break down a man completely. Unfortunately, we live in a world controlled mainly by people’s utterances.
A few questions for you and I to ponder on are:
> What do words actually mean to you?
> How seriously do you think God takes the words of our mouth?
> Must we really talk for the fun of it or talk to stay relevant?
> Are words so impactful and does it make such a difference?
> Can we really control what we say?
It is scary to know that as easy as it may be to speak randomly, the bible makes us understand that even those idle words will be accounted for. Now that’s really scary and I personally have been dwelling on that for a while. An article published by Fiona Macrae in the Daily Mail newspaper on the 23rd of February 2013 stated that “an average woman says approx. 20,000 words per day while men say about 7000 words per day”. As interesting as this research may be, it is clear that words vary per individual but most importantly, what are the contents of the words being spoken?
Words are capable of destroying almost everything and it has lasting results and impact. Some people are so affected by our words that if gives them hope, life and assurance. In like manner, our words can also negatively affect lives so much that it not only breaks them down emotionally, but also cause irreparable damage to the individual physically and spiritually. Proverbs 18:21 warns us that ‘death and life are in the power if our tongue’.
Our words and how we communicate can affect our world so we are therefore encouraged to watch what we say because:
· Our words can make or break our direction in life
· Our words can build or break our relationships
· Our word can destroy us and others
Because what we say often reflect the state of our heart, it is important to be mindful of what we voice out. It is easy to understand the state of a person’s heart through what they say therefore it is important to be careful about what we say and the content of the information we give out about our lives.
God is interested in what we say as much as he’s interested in our heart. This is because a person who says they are religious and cannot control their tongue is only deceiving themselves according to James 1:26. Being a child of God involves to a very large extent controlling what comes out of your mouth. Such words may give grace to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29.
Can you really be praising God with the same mouth that lies, backbites and slander others? Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? can fig trees bear olives, or grapevines bear figs? Can a salt spring produce fresh water? certainly not!
So a person with a good heart filled with the Holyspirit should only work towards bearing fruits of the spirit and nothing contrary to the law of God.
PRAYERS:
Father I thank you for a great day. Thank you for your blessing and for your unlimited grace towards me. I pray for a renewed heart today and for the ability to speak forth that which is seasoned with grace. Empower my words to heal rather than destroy, let it build rather than damage, Let that which comes out of my mouth never destroy anything except the kingdom of the devil. Thank You Lord, in Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
Thank you Lord, in Jesus Name I pray, Amen
