Alive Word: Guard your tongue
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson - Friday, June 10th, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren,these things ought not so to be.” - James 3:10
Lord, have mercy on us and help us especially in the Body of Christ to bless and not curse and to use our tongues for good and not for evil.
Some people think that cursing is only using swear words which the Bible warns against but you can curse and place curses on people by the negative words that you speak about them or decree against them with your mouth.
Sometimes people say things and then they say that they did not mean to say it.
However, the Bible says in St. Matthew 12:34b “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
The Message Bible puts it this way “…A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” St. Matthew 12:34b
What we speak is what we get. What we decree with our mouth affects what happens in our lives and in the lives of others. Some may disagree but verbal abuse is sometimes worst than physical abuse. Sometimes people blame the devil for the things they say. Other times people who are unable to control their anger blame the fact that the person they cursed mashed their corn or got on their wrong side but ultimately the responsibility of response and the onus is still on you.
Then of course there is the matter of displacement. Some people get cursed because of something that someone else did to the person cursing them. Lord have mercy on us, especially those of us who name the name of Christ. Its one thing to say you are a Christian; it’s another thing to live the life. The talk and the walk MUST go hand in hand.
We have to be very careful who we talk to, who we share our personal matters with. Remember it is not every smile is a smile and not everyone who says they are your friend or who you consider to be your friend is your friend. That is why it is so important that we live holy lives and allow the Lord to lead and guide us.
If we live our lives in accordance with the Word of God, and commune daily with the Lord, God will open up our spiritual eyes and help us to discern so that we will know who is who. As for sharing secrets, be wise…. remember, every friend has a friend. Yes we all need at least one godly friend but we must seek God as to who that person should be because if we are not wise and careful we end up speaking to the enemy.
Read and meditate on the books of Proverbs and James. In these books there is much wisdom on the godly use of the tongue.
Some people are always talking and talking and talking. “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.” Proverbs 10:8 When you hear some people relating a story that they got from a friend who got it from a cousin, who got it from their boyfriend who got it from his mother, you would think that they themselves were on the scene.
Telephones are not evil and neither are cell phones but some people use them as tools of mischief, gossip, slander and backbiting. Some parents do not have time at nights to assist children with their homework because they are busy on the phone getting ‘the latest’. “A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.” Proverbs 17:4 “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Proverbs 26:28
Listen, none of us are perfect, none of us have ‘arrived’. God is working on all of us. But it is high time that we arise and realize the seriousness of the time we are living in and do what God has called us to do. God is looking for a people who will bless and not curse. God is looking for a people who even when you are reviled you revile not. God is looking for a people who will not join with the slanders and gainsayers but who will just pray and intercede on behalf of others.
In Psalm 34:18 David states “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” Saints of God, God is depending on us to use our tongue for good, to speak for His Word, words of life and blessings. Yes, they may be cursing you, lying on you, judging you but bless them anyway. Bind the negative words in the name of Jesus over your life daily and command those words to be null and void. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” St. Matthew 5:44 In Romans 12:14 it states “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
Women of God, let us take example from the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Proverbs 31:26 Christians let us all examine ourselves in the light of the word of God and where we know that we have sinned with our tongues repent and ask God to forgive us. Let us use our tongues to bless, and to declare and proclaim the Word of the Lord, the Good News of the Kingdom. “My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.” Psalm 71:24 When we need to settle a matter let us pray earnestly and seek God for divine wisdom and allow the Holy Spirit to tell us not just what we should say but how and when to say it
There are many who are hurting and if we do not allow the love of Jesus Christ to demonstrated through us and if we are not moved with compassion we only bring more pain and hurt to them and deepen their wounds. There are those who are struggling with low self-esteem because of different experiences they have gone through. Our words and our interaction with them will either help them to rise of sink them lower down. There are many who you do not even think, who are on the verge of suicide.
God is calling us to be Kingdom builders and not destroyers. He is depending on us to be his hand extended right here in this territory. Let us be determined to answer the call to be vessels of honour for God. If this devotional has ministered to you, take heed for time is short. We leave you with the words of Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Have a blessed weekend. Look out for Monday’s Devotional entitled “SIN IN THE CAMP!”
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