Today’s reading: James 3:1-12
Our tongues are powerful, and we can turn them into weapons of destruction–in an instant. James 3:8 says, “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Ouch! Every time I read that verse and those surrounding it (James 3:1-12), I cringe because James is dead on correct. It pains me to admit it, but I can give plenty of examples of words that I have spoken that weren’t God honoring–insensitive words, gossip, harshly delivered words, corrective words not spoken with love, reactive and retaliatory words of anger (you get the picture).
But our inability to completely tame our tongues doesn’t mean we can’t curb what comes out of our mouths in a pretty significant way. In fact, we absolutely can! It definitely takes effort, but if we commit to spending time with God by taking in His Word and talking with Him through prayer, getting better control over what comes out of our mouths will naturally follow. God wants and expects us to represent Him well with our words, and we can when our eyes, hearts and minds are focused on Him.
Do you think of your tongue as “a restless evil, full of deadly poison”? When are you more likely to allow negative or hurtful words to come out of your mouth? How does regularly spending time with God (reading the Bible and praying) influence your heart and ultimately your words? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
