Ah, the issues and reality of life continuously bring me to the Word of God for answers, direction, renewal and change. It truly does pertain to every area of life. One of the realities in our daily lives is the choice in our words. The Words says so much about this! All my life, even in recent days, I’ve seen the building up and the tearing down of lives around me (Including mine) due to the power of the tongue!
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” I love the breakdown Francis Frangipane gives on this topic… the topic of GOSSIP!"The Scriptures say that we will be justified or condemned by our words. Yes, our words, even those spoken in secret with a spouse or friend about others, are used by God to measure our obedience to His will. Simple words, yet James writes, "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man..." (James 3:2). Scripture reveals that "Life and death are in the power of the tongue..." Prov. 18:21). Words have power. Your words and their confession of faith brought you into salvation; but words without faith can lead us and others into destruction and heartache. Indeed, James 3:8 warns, "the tongue...is a restless evil...full of deadly poison." This little organ, he says, "is a fire, the very world of iniquity." He then reveals a most profound thought, that the "tongue . . . sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell." If we talk negatively about someone or maliciously gossip, the destructive fire released in our words has its origin in hell itself! Lord, help us to understand the power of our words!” ~Francis Fangipane
Watching this happen over and over, my heart is saddened that we often times don’t regard the person we are speaking of when opening our mouth! To what do our words reveal? Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. To what is our gain and who shall receive the glory… ourselves or the Lord? The Psalmist writes, “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” Psalm 12:2-4
Our words reveal the TRUE us! How we react and respond to situations around us makes all the difference. Do we speak ill of another; whether behind their back or face to face, both are wrong and is unfruitful! Who does it profit but the enemy? NONE! What is the enemy’s main objective here, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: …” John 10:10 Yes, he wants to kill our friendships and relationships and what better way than to twist our words, to use them against us and destroy what the Lord is doing in our lives. He wants to steal our testimonies unto the Lord!
Take a look around, and take note of the power of our tongues. Let us delclare as the Psalmist and say, “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.” Psalm 39:1 Watch the company you keep! “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9
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