DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: APRIL 12TH TOPIC: Taming Your Tongue Scripture Reading: Jam.1:19 – 26; 3: 5 – 6.
Taming the tongue means putting a guard over your mouth and ensuring that what comes out is in line with God’s word and the good fruits of the Holy Spirit. It also, means not giving in to idle words, expression of anger or fits of rage. The Bible tells us that, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luk.6: 45). What comes out of our mouth is a reflection of what is in our heart. If our heart is overflow with love, then love and gracious words will pour forth. If the heart is full of anger and haughtiness, then anger and great boasts is what will come forth. We boast, we spew negative words; we partake in gossips because we see ourselves as better than others. Words can have lasting impact, and yes-in some cases, words can wound us in ways that last longer than even physical wounds.
When we speak, it’s important to choose the word that will lift up and bring joy, life and hope. Your words can either be rooted in fear and anger or in peace, faith and love. Therefore, this topic is aimed at helping us to avoid speaking hurtful things deliberately and not speaking harsh words in haste as a reaction or outburst of anger. It is about pausing and reflecting before speaking, and asking for God’s help when we struggle in this area. In Pro. 16: 24, the Bible says; “Kind words are like honey-sweet to the taste and good for your health”. Imagine that! If we speak kind words, it is sweet like honey to the hearer and good for the health of the speaker as well. Why? Because we avoid saying something we would wish we could take back, but can’t. We avoid the stress, the pain, the drama and everything else like it.
Your words have the great power to speak good and positive things and to bless others, and they can hurt and cause pain as well; that is why taming our tongue is so important. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jam. 1: 19). Wrong words spoken is equivalent to murder because three people are involved; the one who said it, the one who heard it, and the one about whom it was said. Let us be very careful of what comes out of our mouth in order for us not to attract the wrath of God.
Prayer:
Put a guard over my mouth, let not idle words come out of my mouth.
Rift me of the spirit of any anger that can lead to an outburst.
Help me my God to bring my tongue under control.
(revmrspatienceudenyi@hopealivechurch)
