In our church service yesterday, one of our elders gave a message about the tongue and gossip. This is something that has been in my thoughts lately, too, as I have a difficult time with this.
I wonder why?
and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison, (James 3:8)
oh yeah...that's why.
Be that as it may, we are still told earlier in this letter that:
for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one [is] a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;(James 3:2)
And this has been a wonderment to me. Jesus said that out of the mouth come what is in the heart. However, couldn't one have an evil heart and yet not speak? If one refrains from saying what one really thinks, that doesn't really change the heart.
Thinking on it further, I imagine that even if one does think something, but refrains from speaking, this is a good thing.
Words are powerful.
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.(Proverbs 18:21)
We most remember words that powerfully build up and unfortunately words that tear down. I know I do.
Paul writes:
Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers; (Eph. 4:29)Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:19)But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (Col 3:8)
I've sure spent enough time tearing down, I would like to try to start building up! Why is it so much easier to complain or to criticize or to gossip than to say things that would build another up?
Thank you for this. I had been in a room with co workers and as one would leave the rest that were behind would talk about the person that left! It was always started by one person (my supervisor) and everyone else would just join in. I am ashamed to admit that I did nothing to stop it...that time. Months passed and it happened again and this time I did say something.In a nice way ( didn't want to get fired!) and something really cool happened...It stopped!
ReplyDeleteThank You for the reminder Ma!
Blessings, Joanne
Thank you I needed to hear this
ReplyDeleteHi Ma! I've been thinking about my words a lot too in these ways you bring out. Here's one.
ReplyDeleteMy sister has one of those new cars with OnStar system, she is one of those who thinks that since she has "nothing to hide" that it's just the best thing ever invented to help her get around. While she drove us in her car I had a few moments of mentally rephrasing my words and censoring my subject matter. At one point she was asking the OnStar "lady" in the sky for directions to a health food store and I chimed in with a wise crackish remark about them being able to hear everything we were saying and low & behold when my sister said, "My sister's in the car and she said", the lady interrupted her and said, "Oh yes, I heard her!" YIKES! That was so creepy! Implications abound.
But it set me to thinking of how Our Father God hears EVERYTHING out of my mouth and in my head/heart!!!!
Yeah, me and my tongue do get into trouble sometimes . . .
ReplyDeleteI like the part where you mentioned that just because you refrain from saying something evil doesn't mean your heart is changed. That is SO true! If we are thinking the evil thought in our hearts and minds, in the eyes of God, it's still a big "no, no!"
Great reminder! I needed to read this today. Actually, reading this everyday would be a good thing for me. :)
Hi Joanne:)
ReplyDeleteGood for you saying something. I don't know that I would have the courage. The elder did advise that we "dismiss" ourselves from gossip, but I think you did one better.
ms nk rey....
Me too!
Hi musemater,
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! I don't do OnStar either, I actually got lost a few weeks back on the way to a homeschool field trip...I kinda wished I had it (NOT)...ok maybe for a split second. I was able to stop and ask an actual person for directions:)
I like what you said about rephrasing ...I am trying to do that too:)
Hi MW,
I do wonder if controlling our tongue would be of any benefit to our hearts? It would be an interesting study...of course no one would know it but our own selves and God.
I think that holding the tongue is possible if, a) one's heart contents are not squeezed to the point of spilling, or b) one asks God for help. I also think that holding the tongue with God's help to be beneficial. I'm often very glad that I did not say all I wanted to say in the heat of a moment, after things cool down and I see God's grace and purpose again. Great post and reminder, Ma!
ReplyDeleteWell, my rule of thumb is if you have any doubts about saying something, don't!! Once said, you can never take it back.
ReplyDeleteI believe controlling our thoughts has a direct implication on our heart, Ma. We are told to take every thought captive to Jesus Christ. When you (at least when I) do take your thoughts to Jesus before you speak them, you have time to think before you speak. Usually, when you examine what you're going to speak (if you're under the leadership of the Holy Spirit), you see the wrongness (or rightness) in what you're thinking...
ReplyDeleteI love the book of James. It speaks to me (along with Ephesians) in almost every word written in it.
May the good Lord guide your steps and thoughts today.
Kim
Hi Petra,
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. I left you a comment at This Good Steward, but used a different email, so maybe it got sizzled with the spam.
I am also glad that I didn't say some things and sorry that I said others:(
Ginny,
That is so true. I still remember harsh words spoken years ago.
Kim
I wonder if it does, and I'm willing to try. We are told to take every thought captive. Can we do it? I believe so, with the Spirit in us.
It was interesting that during the sermon, this conviction was not all condemning at all to me, but more of a leading, a "let's do better" type of thing. I have always felt that the flesh pushes but the Spirit of God draws us.
I haven't studied James too much, but am really surprised about how much is in there about our mouths!
This is somewhat related...when I visit Ken in Canada, I help him out around the house...he makes breakfast (he's a better cook than I) and I clean up the kitchen. If I forget something, like washing the pots that are still on the stove, he will say with a smile: "Now you can get those pots on the stove" ... quite a difference from my past experience of "you did a terrible job, just look at that stove!"
ReplyDeleteHe is a wonderful example of how to say things the right way, and be an encourager. :)
I really like that Susan:)
ReplyDeleteI will definitely use this when checking my kiddos chores.
I need a lot of help in the encouraging words area!
Because it makes us feel better about our own choices. Sad, but true. We need to all work on this.
ReplyDeleteHi Stacie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight here. Maybe if we were more encouraging to each other, we wouldn't feel the need to build ourselves up.
Sometimes, I feel like I'm just plain mean for no reason....(sinful nature I suppose).
The flesh can be rather icky.>:(
I think if we can see that we are ALL in this together...building each other up should be easier. A lot of things divide us up that I don't think are necessary.
I love to think about how life is in the power of the tongue.
ReplyDeleteI don't use the sinful nature as an excuse; it does a pretty good job of using me as-it-is. We all need this reminder and remember that we are "hard-wired" to the "fallen" flesh and need to walk in the Spirit, including thinking before you speak and holding that little devil "the tongue" in line. Abide in Christ and bear good fruit, aligned with the will of our heavenly Father Lord God. I surely am a work in progress, but working, praise God!
ReplyDeleteHi Ma - nice to meet you and thank you for commenting on my journey into Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThis tongue thing... oh it can get us into deep trouble. There's such power in the spoken word - we can speak life or death, blessings or curses. I guess I tend to believe that whatever we harbor down deep inside tends to surface through our words and we need to take captive those ugly thoughts before they can get down inside. And it sure doesn't hurt to renew our minds with the washing of the Word. After all, when I'm tempted to gossip I pray that I'll hear the Holy Spirit remind me that I'm about to tear down someone who Jesus gave His life for.
Great post and beautiful blog.
Blessings and hugs,
Deb
Hi Deb thanks for your visit:)
ReplyDeleteCaptivate the thoughts before they can go deep down. It starts in the head and settles in the heart. I like the way you put that. And tearing down someone Jesus died for, if looked at that way, it really makes you think twice.
Brian,
Well said.
Bob,
I am just now starting to figure this out.
Hi Ma!
ReplyDeleteExcellent words! I think often about speech. Words are so powerful that they can hurt or heal, bless or curse, it's up to us.
I appreciated Petra's words.
Hope you are well and enjoying the holidays! Blessings.