“A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything – or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue – it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on.” – James 3:3-10 (MSG)
Are there words that you’ve spoken that you wish you could take back?
I’m sure you’ve all been there a time or two.
How about the words you’ve spoken that you’re glad came out of your mouth? Words of love, words that brought peace, or words of Truth when no one else had the courage to speak it.
What we speak out has power in the spiritual realm. Our words matter. Our heart matters even more, for our heart is the true source of our words.
Jesus said these words in His famous Sermon on the Mount: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (ref. Luke 6:45)
It would seem that Jesus’ brother James understood that what we speak reveals our true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. What is firmly rooted in the foundation of our heart will be exposed through our words and our actions. If we speak blessing to someone’s face, and yet mock them behind their back, we are the ones who are deceived if we don’t think that the hidden words expose us and the true nature of our heart.
While we will constantly be at war against our flesh, when the Holy Spirit is leading us, our heart pours out words and behaviours that reflect Jesus. We cannot tame our tongues, but our Saviour made a way for our heart to be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. The Holy Spirit is always at work in us to search our heart and expose what needs to go. He is faithful to lead us to what is true, what is noble, what is right, what is pure, and what is lovely. (ref. Philippians 4:8) It's our role to follow Him to where He leads.
Responsive Prayer
“Father, let the Holy Spirit search me and find if there is any offensive way in me. Expose the darkness in my heart, and in your kindness lead me to repentance. Fill me will Your Truth, and Love. Occupy every space in me, so that in my words and in my deeds, I would reflect the life of Jesus to all who know me. Wield my tongue to speak the Scriptures, to cling to Truth, and to be silent when my fleshly desires want to lash out. Do what only You can do in me. In Jesus name, amen.”
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