BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes
great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a
small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among
the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the
whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
(James 3:5-6)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever started a day feeling great and then someone said
some unkind words to you? It changed your mood and focus for
the entire day, didn’t it? You can feel as though you are walking
on a cloud, and then someone asks,
“Are you feeling okay? You look like you don’t feel very good.”
It can disrupt your mood and you begin to imagine reasons why
you would look ill to others. It can destroy the cheerfulness you
had when you awoke that morning.
Has this ever happened to you – you are talking to someone and
before you have finished speaking, the other person starts talking
over you? How does that make you feel? What does that say about
the other person’s opinion of what you have to say (and possibly
you in general)?
Have you ever had an experience when you were talking to someone
and he or she walked away, or started talking to someone else while
you were still speaking? It can be rude and inconsiderate, but what
message does it convey? It can tell us that he or she is not interested
in what we have to say, and they don’t have the patience or courtesy
to listen anyway. It can also be an indication that they have little
respect for us as a person.
Jesus was busy about God’s Work and had a limited time here on
earth to accomplish everything, but He was still attentive to others.
If Jesus took the time to hear everything others had to say, then we
don’t you think that we should patiently listen as well. When we fail
to listen to others, it can be a sign of self-centeredness. We may not
think of ourselves this way, but our actions are usually an overflow
of what is in our heart.
As believers we should be sensitive and aware of how our misuse of
words can demoralize someone. There may be times when we hurt
others unintentionally, but there are some who do it maliciously. God
expects us to lift the spirits of others and avoid the things that would
hurt them. God doesn’t treat us in a hurtful manner, so we shouldn’t
treat others that way.
A ‘loose tongue’ can have a negative impact in many areas,
including:
Devastating the lives of others.
Unkind and misplaced words can destroy the joy
and happiness in someone else.
Disruption of God’s work.
Saying the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and in the wrong way
can destroy the enthusiasm of someone God has called to serve
Him (ministers, teachers, and others who are trying to use their
spiritual gift to serve Him where He has called them).
Destruction of the world’s view of the church and/or Christians.
The inappropriate use of words can damage the perception others
have of believers. Like it or not, Christians are observed by others
and when a lost person sees us using words in the wrong manner,
it can cause them to lose interest in becoming a faithful follower
of the Jesus.
Tarnishing the reputations of others.
A few derogatory words can destroy the reputations of others.
We can use words in a way to manipulate the opinion people
have of someone else. This is why believers should avoid gossip
like the plague. Gossip is not a popular subject, but it seems to
be a popular activity.
Some people spend a lot of time talking about someone else,
often with the intention of injuring them in some way. They
either hurt the person’s reputation, or they damage and destroy
the friendships he or she has built with someone else. Believers
can be just as guilty as non-believers in the area of gossip. Gossip
does not fit who we are as members of God’s family.
Whenever we destroy the reputation of someone, it can take a
very long time for them to regain their good standing in the
eyes of others. What we say is often a reflection of what is in
our heart.
David prayed (and it should be our prayer as well):
May these words of my mouth and this meditation
of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my
Rock and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14)
Breakdown in relationships.
If we don’t use godly wisdom and filter what we say, we can
destroy a relationship with others by the things we say to their
face, or to someone else. If we are mad or frustrated, we would
be well advised to avoid saying anything to the other person,
or anyone else, until we have gained control of our emotions.
Loss of self-esteem.
Similar to destroying reputations, we can damage a person’s
self-esteem by the things we say to them, or about them to
others. We all have areas of weakness and when someone
highlights these areas, we feel the pain and burden of our
weakness even more.
As God’s children, we should be focused on what we can say
to elevate the self-esteem of another person, rather than the
things that can tear it down.
We can actually injure our own self-esteem, by feeling the pain of
guilt for saying things that we know were harmful to someone else.
Creating arguments.
The misuse of words can cause such bad feelings between two
people that they no longer speak to each other. It can escalate
to the point where they do things verbally or physically to harm
each other. There are some people who seem to entertain themselves
with causing friction between others. It’s difficult to understand why
someone would enjoy doing this, but it seems they do. Some have even
developed a reputation for this type of action.
Just to be sure everyone understands how dangerous an
uncontrolled tongue can be, James says it is ‘full of evil’.
He tells us that the source of this evil rises up from hell
itself.
In essence, James explains that when we fail to control our
tongues, we give Satan an opportunity to corrupt our lives.
When that happens, he can influence our words in such a
way that we can devastate the lives of others by the things
we say to them.
Sometimes an uncontrolled tongue can simply mean being rude,
such as interrupting others when they are trying to express
themselves. It can be an indication of not being a good listener.
Some might say they rudely interrupt because they are afraid they
will forget what they were planning to say if they wait for the other
person to finish speaking. We need to realize that if we forget what
we were going to say, it could be because God wants to prevent us
from saying something that should be left unsaid.
ACTION:
How is your ‘word filter’ working? Are you aware of how your words
can impact the lives of others? Do you try to exercise self-control when
speaking to, or about others? Are you focusing on the faults of others
or their good points? Would others describe you as a person who is
kind and a considerate encourager, or would they say that you are an
unkind discourager?
Are you a good listener, or do you talk more than you listen? Do you
spend more time talking about yourself than you do listening to what
others have to say? Jesus was busy 24/7, but He still took the time to
genuinely and patiently listen to the concerns of others. If we are His
followers, then we should mimic His attitude, wouldn’t you agree?
As human beings, we are susceptible to making mistakes, but even
though our intentions were not meant to be harmful, we need to be
willing to accept our responsibility and apologize for the things we
have said or done.
Consider these messages from God’s Word in Proverbs 15:
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit.
The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but gracious words are pure in his sight.
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I pray that my words will be pleasing to
You and to others. I ask You to help me choose my words
carefully so that I can lift the spirits of others and not damage
them in any way. Help me to focus on the good in others and
teach me to not assume that what they do or say is meant to be
malicious, especially since I don’t know their inner thoughts.
When I do that, convict me that I am being judgmental and
You tell me that since You are our judge, I am usurping Your
position by my actions. Only You can see the whole person and
know what is in their heart and mind, so You are the only One
truly qualified to judge. Forgive me for wrong thinking and
wrong words, and teach me to have a heart of forgiveness if
others have treated me unkindly. Going forward, I ask that
You would mold me into an encourager, so others will see
Your love through me.”
BLOG: utvolwoody.com
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
Discussion
No comments yet.