intimate partner violence

January 14 – Daily Devotion | Control Your Tongue

Control Your Tongue

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."   James 3:2-6 NLT

Have you ever walked into a room and saw someone look at you and then quickly look away? Like they knew something about you. Or, the person stares you down with an accusing look. Your heart starts pounding in a fight or flight response, you’re not sure what is going on and you begin asking the Lord,

“What did I do? What are people saying about me?”

Words are powerful. They have the power to build people up and the power to tear people down. Today, you have a choice to make. How are you going to use your words?

James boldly tells us that not everyone should become teachers in the church—James 3:1. Why? Because the tongue is powerful. It persuades people in specific directions and not everyone has self-control over their tongue. God will judge teachers with greater strictness because their position is one of influence over the people. Teachers are to teach the truth found in the Word of God. They are to live out what they teach. They are to use their tongue to glorify God, pointing people to Jesus. If they do contrary to that, God will hold them accountable.

What do you think that accountability looks like?

Truly, do you know that your words can change how someone views a person? Gossip and slander is when you misrepresent someone with your words in a way that it damages their character in the eyes of others. You are stealing their reputation when you assume their motives are wrong and you share your assumptions with others, as if your assumptions are truth. This is damaging. Do you care?

Christian, why are we trying to humiliate other people with our words? When we attack a fellow Christian with our words, we attack Jesus Christ. For Jesus lives within that person—Romans 8:11. Do you know that the world is watching the church? They are watching you! Jesus calls His church to be a light to the world—Matthew 5:16. But these sins of the tongue extinguish the light in a child of God; they extinguish the light of the church. No one wants to go to a place where they fear they won’t be accepted and that they are going to be talked about behind their back. Jesus does not like this! He does not like it when people keep others from Himself—Mark 10:14.

So, how do we deal with the sins of the tongue, when we’ve committed the sin or have been sinned against? We go to the cross! When we stand at the foot of the cross and look up and see the beating Jesus endured for us—the beating that released the grace of healing—we see that God redeems the sins of His people—John 19:16-37. We see His grace and mercy poured out on mankind. We see God forgiving us. We see God calling us to forgive others.

If you have sinned against someone by talking badly about him or her, repent. Ask for forgiveness and “prove by the way that you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God”—Matthew 3:8 NLT. If someone has sinned against you, forgive him or her. Don’t sin in return by talking badly about them, holding a grudge or growing bitter. You are responsible for your own actions. God calls you to obedience. Obey Him and He will defend you in the eyes of others—Isaiah 54:17.

Prayer: Abba, please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can control my tongue. In Jesus' name Amen.

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