| Original Date: January 26, 2010 |
| Email Subject: Did I say that? |
Dear Friends,
Have you ever said something that was improper for the setting or time and wished you could reach out and grab it and shove it back in? I know I have more times that I would like to admit. A little while back someone who is a respected believer allowed several words of profanity to come out of their mouth. They looked at me and said in astonishment, "I don't know where that came from." I looked at them and as nicely as I could said, "I do," Matt. 12: 34b says, "the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." I can't remember what they said, but I do know that this truth is so very true. What we put into our heart is what will come out of our mouth friends. Jesus goes on to say in vs. 35, "The good man out of his good treasure brings forth which is good and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil."
Friends, it is so sad when Christ followers, who should know better, use words that cut down and not build up, discourage instead of encourage. May I encourage you to take the truth from Psalm 39:1 along with me and apply it so our words will always be with grace seasoned as it were with salt so that you may know how you should respond to each person(Col. 4:6). Read what the Psalmist has to say with me, "I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle." Note the two times the word "Guard" is used, wow, in other words it takes effort to control the tongue, it takes a discipline "muzzle" to control the tongue it takes a willingness on our part to make sure that the glory of Christ is both seen and heard from our life and lips!
What a difference we could make as Christ followers if we practiced the discipline of the tongue. We have all seen the truth from James' writing lived out, "from the same mouth comes both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way (James 3:10).
Join me would you in putting a guard over our tongue by making sure our heart is filled with the truth and love of God's Word so that when we walk down life's path we won't have to worry about asking, "Did I say that?"
Have a great week my friends,
Pastor Doug |
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