Today’s Encouragement is James 3:8-9 NLT but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes, it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes, it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
Tame The Tongue –
Strange… The power of our words… like a spark setting a forest ablaze or a tiny rudder turning a huge ship… in this same way, our words have a potent influence over our lives and others!
And it’s a real problem (evil, poisonous!) because we can praise God one minute and curse his children the next… (I can attest to this latter point personally! Sadly, many times, I’m driving and praising God, then some driver does something stupid, and I’m, well, “not very Christian” in my response!)
I then remember that I am allowed to repent by God’s grace. Then I do so. I turn from my sinful words (stop my mouth), accept God’s forgiveness, and resume singing His praises! Because – He Forgives! He recognizes we are not ever perfect, that taming the tongue doesn’t ever happen (see today’s verse… no one can…)
But we can be aware of the tremendous power of hurtful, negative, doubtful, faithless words… these destroy the speaker and the hearer!
Conversely, our hopeful, faithful, positive, uplifting, confident words build up both the hearer and speaker just as surely!
How to change? Ask God! He’s in the transformation business!
Father, help us recognize the need to change our words, realize we cannot, and accept that You alone can transform our words into speech that honors You and expresses love to You and those around us… we recognize that this is Your will for us. We ask for Your help.
I Say Yes
Kim Walker-Smith
Today’s Encouragement 