Rest Assured
Devotion for Friday , November 06, 2009 |
|  |
| Previous Next Selection Taken From:
Rest Assured: Devotions for Souls in a Restless World by Nancy McGuirk We live in an on-the-go society that values
stimulation over stillness. But God ordained the
Sabbath as a day of rest, our "prescription" for
peace of mind. In these 90 insightful and
soul-soothing devotions, McGuirk helps women
reclaim and practice the serenity the world seeks
to steal. Features personal challenges, study
questions, and helpful indexes. B&H Publishing
Group, copyright 1973. |
TAMING THE TONGUE
Keep your tongue from evil
and
your lips
from speaking lies.
-
PSALM 34:13
I cringe at the number of times I have spoken without thinking. The power of the tongue is easily forgotten. Proverbs 21:23 says, "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." And Ecclesiastes 3:7 says there is "a time to be silent and a time to speak."
Words can have a penetrating effect on one's spirit: "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Prov. 18:21). The greatest disease of the tongue is gossip: "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (26:22). It causes more trouble among the people of God than one could imagine. We deceive ourselves by thinking that we are lifting ourselves up by putting others down. And that is just what the enemy would have us think.
Avoid gossip at all cost. It's a subtle sin that lures the unaware down its destructive path. We forget that we will be judged by every careless word that comes out of our mouth (see Matt. 12:36-37). But it's not just the words of our mouths that indict us. If we listen and receive the gossipy words of another, we are mutually guilty. God sees the heart as well as He hears the tongue.
When the Holy Spirit is at work in us, our words bring life to others. If Jesus' words were both encouraging and edifying, then our words should be as well. That is what I love about the apostle Barnabas (he was known as Son of Encouragement; see Acts 4:36). He always lifted up those around him and built up his brothers in Christ. No wonder Paul took him along on his missionary journeys as a co-laborer in the gospel.
James's words are apropos: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (1:19). May our tongues be instruments of blessing, not destruction; of love, not disdain.
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive me for the times my words have caused hurt instead of
blessing. I ask the Holy Spirit to be a check on my speech; to remind
me to think before speaking. Amen.
For the rest of your life…
Govern your tongue by governing your heart.
Click here to send this devotion to a friend!
