Those who guard their
lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
If we were to take a count each day, we would probably see
that a large proportion of the sins we commit against each other stem from the words
that we speak. Words, while not as visually fierce as an aimed barrel or wielded
blade, can be equally as destructive. Sure, the recipient is not physically bleeding
or bent over in pain when we fire off our words, but they can definitely be
deeply wounded. Foolish words can smash apart relationships, cripple interactions,
and wound participants. Controlling our tongues is no easy task. Heck, at times
it can seem nearly impossible as our anger, pride, and jealousy can bubble to
the surface and cause us to speak like fools. And the idea of stopping the flow
when we are in the heat of the moment can seem equivalent to damming a raging
river. When God equips us with the strength through the Spirit to bite our
tongue, we have to swallow that overwhelming urge to let sin steer the ship. And
at times, letting sin chart the course of our words can feel so right and justified.
Yet in the end, we see the aftermath of our destructive behavior…and at some
point, after the smoke has settled, we regret our words and may even wish that
we could have a “do-over”. If we try to govern our words on our own, we are
going to fail. It’s is only when we put God at the center of our interactions
with others that we begin to see a change in how we use our words. It is only
when we genuinely pray for God to make a change in our lives that we will start
to see our words being used to build up rather than tear down. The
transformation probably won’t be swift and will likely include some growing
pains, but there will be a change. And that change will lead to good things in
our lives…our disciplined commitment to serve the Lord with our words will
produce positive fruit in our lives…as seen in Proverbs 13:2, “From the fruit of their lips people enjoy
good things”. The ability to speak and communicate with another is a great
gift…a gift handed down directly from the Father. May we use it wisely and in a
manner that is pleasing to the Lord. To God alone be the glory!
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