Monday, September 08, 2008

The Power of the Tongue...

I have always known my battle with my tongue.  It can get me in trouble faster than any other member of my body.  James 3:8-11 says " No one can tame the tongue; it is a restless [undisciplined, unsettled, unable to be restrained] evil and full of deadly poison."  So much of my sin is committed by opening my mouth.  I have been so convicted of this lately.  My pride, my selfishness, my insecurity, my fears all flow from me.  I also really struggle with self-control, which is simply NOT a good combination.  So here are a few of the things that I have been convicted of regarding my tongue.

1.  I am to be a woman of my word.   Matthew 5:37 says "Let your yes be yes and your no be no."  I want to be known as a woman of commitment, a woman who always honors her word.  I struggle with just being non-committal and I have blamed it on my husband, who takes his time making decisions, but he is not the culprit.  
I especially struggle with this as a mother.  So often I will tell Abby Kate, "just a minute" or "we can do that in a little while" while later, not following through.  I want to raise children who honor their word.  I must set the example, even in the smallest things.

2.  I want to encourage with my tongue.  I love this verse!  It has SUCH convicting commandments.  It takes me loads of time to digest every time I study it.  Ephesians 4:29-32 (AMP) says  29Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.

    30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

    31Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

    32And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

How much meat there is in that passage!  How different our world would be if we let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouth and only spoke when it was good and beneficial and gave blessing and grace to those who heard it.  I am REALLY going to work on this.  I want to speak LIFE, not curses over others.  I want my heart to overflow with genuine affection and interest.  I want my words to encourage and inspire rather than tear down.  

It seems to be the hardest to those closest to me.  I am really going to work on my words spoke to and before Abby Kate and Bobby.  

3.  I want to speak scripture over Abby Kate.  Deut. 6:6 says “These words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  

I so desire to follow this command!  I am doing a study where the author talks of speaking scripture over her children when she tucks them in at night.  With my toddler, she doesn't lay still very often so if you have ideas on how to do this, I would love to hear them! 


5 comments:

Gloria Brown said...

Steph,

Thank you so much for writing this. I battle the same thing every day, and I really have to be on my guard working with these kids, who more than likely receive the only kind of positive, love-filled words from me.

Gloria

Katie M said...

What study are you doing? I'm in Week 2 of a study called "Can We Talk?" and the first week was over that very same stuff! I've been convicted of the VERY SAME things...thank goodness for God's grace! I will be praying for you in this area! Love you, sister!

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog...and am so excited...pretty sure you are leading the study I just enrolled in on Thursday mornings. Can't wait! I love your posts.

AMENMom said...

LOVE this post Steph! I do have a suggestion that I use for my own wiggly toddler. Ethan's life verse is Joshua 1:9, because his name means strong and courageous. I worked at a day care forever ago, and we sang that verse as a little song all the time. Now E and I sing it, even the "Joshua 1:9" at the end. When Abby has to memorize verses for church we do the same thing. When I'm making it up I do it to a tune they know, like Mary had a Little Lamb, so it's something familiar. Doesn't even need to rhyme. It works!

Nancy

PS. If you're lucky I might sing you the Joshua song one day :)

Amber said...

Steph, I loved this blog and gain so much from it, as my mouth is my biggest struggle. I am searching for a new personal study to do daily-any ideas? I'm so proud to call you friend and learn from you! Amber WRIGHT!!!