Control your tongue
2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
How about you?
When someone makes you angry, do you give him or her "a piece of your mind" before thinking about the damage you might be doing? Like a tornado, your tongue can do a lot of damage in a few seconds, but it might take years to repair the situation.
To memorize: Psalm 141:3
et a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
THis is one area where I really still need a LOT of work on...disciplining my tongue. Sometimes it still gets ahead of me. I've tried training myself not to talk so much unnecessary .....better to be quiet than say something not so pleasant!
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:24 PM
In the same boat as you Suz...
As a testimony -
Over the weekend, a teenager behaved better than a much older person in this same matter. The PowerHouse member (one of your leaders) conducted himself really well in comparison to the adult who went around talking and trying to justify his behaviour.
Our motives may be good, but at the end of the day, the Lord looks at our hearts because "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).... and this is what the grown up is learning from the conduct of the youth!
Praise the Lord because "when a man's ways pleases the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7
Indeed, "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles." Proverbs 21:23. I think the adult's soul is out of peace, while the youth is perfectly at peace.
I, too, learned from this.....
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:13 AM