Tongue Follies....
Today's Reading: Jeremiah 9:23-10:25
Find the reading plan here.
As we focus on the guarding and taming of our tongues this week, I have to share something personal with you. I would not be authentic or sincere if I did not share with you the struggles as well as the victories on this faith walk with the Lord.
The Lord laid the theme on my heart at the end of last week regarding guarding our mouths. Beginning on Saturday of this past weekend, I felt like something or someone had gotten my tongue and ran away with it.
By Sunday morning, before church, yes before church, my tongue went on a rampage.
Something had set me off, details aren't important, but my mouth just started spewing words.
I wasn't using foul language, however, I was using hurtful language to someone in my family that I love deeply. My husband.
We were in our closet, I was yelling, and he was looking at me like I had 8 heads. Quite possibly I did in that moment. Be glad nobody filmed that little doozie of a horror show. I certainly would have died of embarrassment. And then died some more.
As soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt sick. I was so sick of myself. I was so disappointed in myself.
The night before, I had tossed and turned. My spirit was tossing and turning as well. When the Lord wants us to talk about or teach something, especially something that will shed Light and Truth, we often go through some spiritual turmoil.
In other words, Satan doesn't like it too much. He knows his ground is about to get torn up by the Holy Living Word of God and His Truth. And he gets a little squirmy.
So, now you are getting the picture of the spiritual turmoil that was already taking place. All my little mouth needed was a taste of dissatisfaction and I was off like a bull in a china cabinet.
After my mouth explosion, I apologized to my husband. He didn't bat an eyelash. He was fine. However, I was left with this feeling of brokenness and ugliness that I had left all over the closet floor with my mouth spewing.
Let me just be real clear here....
I had my time with the Lord that morning. I had lots of time with Him actually. So, I didn't even have the excuse of needing time with Jesus that day.
This goes to show us that we still have a choice and an effort to make when it comes to controlling our tongues. It does not come naturally. Let me repeat: It does not come naturally.
Anything that goes against the grain of our flesh, and in tune with God's Spirit, will feel unnatural.
Whatever the flesh tells you to do, you can pretty much count on the fact that you should do just the opposite.
Just to give you some scriptural insight on just how powerful the tongue is, check out this little doozie of a scripture.
"but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, filled with deadly poison." James 3:8
Whoa!!!
That is pretty clear cut, isn't it?
So, what is our hope? Are we just hopeless tongue-out-of-control-human beings?
No.
The only hope we have of guarding our mouths is by the Spirit of God.
He is the only one able to do this seemingly impossible feat.
"With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of." Ephesians 3:20
We must relinquish the control to Him. Every single time. Every single time.
Remember what we learned a few weeks ago about our bodies and spirits belonging to Christ?
Well, this means our tongue too.
So, you had your quiet time, you memorized your memory verse, you prayed and sat in the presence of God today. Does this mean that your tongue is safe and sound and it will speak loveliness all day?
No.
This is the part that takes diligence on our part. This is the part that takes being intentional.
God will not make us speak lovely things. He wants us to, He teaches us to in His Word, but He will not force us.
This is where obedience and discipline come in.
Here's the beautiful thing....
When we choose to speak love, to speak life, to speak encouragement, to speak softly instead of harshly, to speak patience instead of haste.....
Not only are the ones receiving the words from our mouths blessed, but we are blessed.
Suddenly, we feel better. Peace rushes in.
We don't have to feel lovely, to speak lovely. Let me repeat that: We don't have to feel lovely, to speak lovely.
Sometimes, we just have to be obedient, go against our feelings, and speak kindness and love.
The tongue is a muscle. One of the strongest in the human body. Just like any other muscle, it can be trained.
The more we train it to speak lovely words, the easier it will come.
Can I just say for the record, that this is something I think that we will have to practice our entire lives.
The more life we live, the more things we see, the more people we meet, we will be tempted to use our tongues in ways that are not life-giving.
We must stay the course of training and discipline when it comes to our tongue. Whether we are 9 or 99, our tongues have power. The power of life or death.
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those that love it will eat its fruit" Proverbs 18:21
tongue in training,
jill
Find the reading plan here.
As we focus on the guarding and taming of our tongues this week, I have to share something personal with you. I would not be authentic or sincere if I did not share with you the struggles as well as the victories on this faith walk with the Lord.
The Lord laid the theme on my heart at the end of last week regarding guarding our mouths. Beginning on Saturday of this past weekend, I felt like something or someone had gotten my tongue and ran away with it.
By Sunday morning, before church, yes before church, my tongue went on a rampage.
Something had set me off, details aren't important, but my mouth just started spewing words.
I wasn't using foul language, however, I was using hurtful language to someone in my family that I love deeply. My husband.
We were in our closet, I was yelling, and he was looking at me like I had 8 heads. Quite possibly I did in that moment. Be glad nobody filmed that little doozie of a horror show. I certainly would have died of embarrassment. And then died some more.
As soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt sick. I was so sick of myself. I was so disappointed in myself.
The night before, I had tossed and turned. My spirit was tossing and turning as well. When the Lord wants us to talk about or teach something, especially something that will shed Light and Truth, we often go through some spiritual turmoil.
In other words, Satan doesn't like it too much. He knows his ground is about to get torn up by the Holy Living Word of God and His Truth. And he gets a little squirmy.
So, now you are getting the picture of the spiritual turmoil that was already taking place. All my little mouth needed was a taste of dissatisfaction and I was off like a bull in a china cabinet.
After my mouth explosion, I apologized to my husband. He didn't bat an eyelash. He was fine. However, I was left with this feeling of brokenness and ugliness that I had left all over the closet floor with my mouth spewing.
Let me just be real clear here....
I had my time with the Lord that morning. I had lots of time with Him actually. So, I didn't even have the excuse of needing time with Jesus that day.
This goes to show us that we still have a choice and an effort to make when it comes to controlling our tongues. It does not come naturally. Let me repeat: It does not come naturally.
Anything that goes against the grain of our flesh, and in tune with God's Spirit, will feel unnatural.
Whatever the flesh tells you to do, you can pretty much count on the fact that you should do just the opposite.
Just to give you some scriptural insight on just how powerful the tongue is, check out this little doozie of a scripture.
"but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, filled with deadly poison." James 3:8
Whoa!!!
That is pretty clear cut, isn't it?
So, what is our hope? Are we just hopeless tongue-out-of-control-human beings?
No.
The only hope we have of guarding our mouths is by the Spirit of God.
He is the only one able to do this seemingly impossible feat.
"With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of." Ephesians 3:20
We must relinquish the control to Him. Every single time. Every single time.
Remember what we learned a few weeks ago about our bodies and spirits belonging to Christ?
Well, this means our tongue too.
So, you had your quiet time, you memorized your memory verse, you prayed and sat in the presence of God today. Does this mean that your tongue is safe and sound and it will speak loveliness all day?
No.
This is the part that takes diligence on our part. This is the part that takes being intentional.
God will not make us speak lovely things. He wants us to, He teaches us to in His Word, but He will not force us.
This is where obedience and discipline come in.
Here's the beautiful thing....
When we choose to speak love, to speak life, to speak encouragement, to speak softly instead of harshly, to speak patience instead of haste.....
Not only are the ones receiving the words from our mouths blessed, but we are blessed.
Suddenly, we feel better. Peace rushes in.
We don't have to feel lovely, to speak lovely. Let me repeat that: We don't have to feel lovely, to speak lovely.
Sometimes, we just have to be obedient, go against our feelings, and speak kindness and love.
The tongue is a muscle. One of the strongest in the human body. Just like any other muscle, it can be trained.
The more we train it to speak lovely words, the easier it will come.
Can I just say for the record, that this is something I think that we will have to practice our entire lives.
The more life we live, the more things we see, the more people we meet, we will be tempted to use our tongues in ways that are not life-giving.
We must stay the course of training and discipline when it comes to our tongue. Whether we are 9 or 99, our tongues have power. The power of life or death.
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those that love it will eat its fruit" Proverbs 18:21
tongue in training,
jill
