Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Out of the heart, the mouth speaks...
by mrs lilyWhen words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
Recently I witnessed a group of believers disputing, and there were some hurtful things said. It hurt me more than I can tell you, just seeing division in the body, but beyond that, even though I was not directly involved in it, and nothing that was said was directed at me, much that was said stuck with me. It was almost as if what I had heard had been recorded and repeated in my mind, over and over.
It got me thinking about the power of the spoken word.
I grew up in a loving home where it was rare that we would say anything cutting to one another (that is not to say we did not have arguments). But it wasn’t until later in my life when someone was brought into my life who had made accusations against me and attacked who I was that I realized I had never been exposed to any real verbal abuse. It’s been years now since it happened and I still hear things that were said repeated in my head; it is still a struggle to not let those things define me.
Reckless words pierce like a sword… Proverbs 12:18
For me, words are extremely important, so much so that even a joke made in fun against me can aid in molding who I am if I am not careful. I’ve heard it said that over 75% of all joking is rooted in truth, and I think that might be true - I know that I have used humor as a cover up to be able to say what is really festering in my heart.
Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James 3:5
How often do we excuse what we say because we feel like we just need to vent? We try to justify the very things that God hates; slander, gossip, and so on. Or we laugh and say we didn’t really mean it, we were just joking. But is that really so?
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Comments (11)
Too often.
The Lord provided us with tongues; what we speak with them is and always will be our business. But do we want entrance into the Kingdom of Paradise? If we do, then we do not sully the tongues that God gave to us with profanations and blasphemy.
gentle reminder of remembering if your comment isn't kind delete it!
Haha, you know what? I know that there's half-truth to every joke, and I usually say it too! Talk about being candid. At least I'm honest.
Its like my favorite radio host says, the outside follows the inside. If you try to practice it, you will start to live it
I love what James goes on to say....
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
How often we stand on Sunday, hands lifted high praising our heavenly Father, and then turn not ten minutes after the service and speak something hurtful or distasteful to our brothers/sisters fellow humans.
I remember the first time the REALITY of these verses pierced my spirit.
That was a true ouch moment
Thanks for the lovely reminder of another living-principle of the word of God.
x
true.
I was in class the other day, and we had a time of ministering, we were praying for ourselves, then I ask God, what is it that He wanted me to change.
"Guard your tongue from careless idle chatter" Immediately it hit me, from then on, I have been guarding my tongue from careless words.
So thank you for this post, I do need constant reminder to watch my mouth. Heh.
Thank you for posting these articles. They help a lot.
I've also heard it as well that everything said, including jokes, contain some truth to it.
And I 100% agree to it.
If only we didn't have to be so rash with our tongue. /sigh.
hi can you be my friend.