To speak or not to speak - this is a question that has come to be a daily way of keeping my mouth in check. Since the beginning of the year, I have been meditating on scripture that focuses on speech. What I have uncovered is not at all pleasant. What's interesting is that none of these scriptures are new to me. I've heard them all before, however, I have come to appreciate them in a new profound way. God wants me to surrender my "tongue" daily. So what started my thinking on this subject? Well, last year I hosted a Bible study in my home. One of the studies was on the book of James. Wow! When it got to the part about the tongue (chapter one)...my tongue got stepped on. That was the beginning of what God is now showing me. Now I am on a journey called "to speak or not to speak". Read the following & you will see what I mean.
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
Did I hear an “Ouch” or "Amen"?
Yes an ouch, God keeps showing me scripture about being quick to listen and slow to speak as well. Instead of a new years resolution I chose a word for the year, it is "intentional", my desire to be intentional in what I do , think , say etc. My mouth does get ahead of me at times, I am often thankful that others are quicker to speak than me because they block my quick response. I am trying to be more thoughtful and intentional, but the good I want to do ,I don't do, I do what I don't want to do. The same struggle we all struggle with, Thankful that my Abba is not done with me, and that His grace and mercy are new every day.
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