If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart,
this person’s religion is worthless. ~James 1:26
The words flew out of my mouth before I realized what was happening.
Harsh words, spoken in anger and self-righteousness.
They left a bitter taste in my mouth, and a bewildered look on my child’s face.
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She sat at my kitchen counter, and we chatted as our children played.
The usual topics like weather, kids, and our daily lives as moms were soon exhausted.
Our conversation turned to other people–mutual acquaintances whose lives, I realize now, are none of our business.
I felt an unsettling in my spirit–a Holy Spirit warning that I didn’t heed.
Not even disguised as prayers requests, we shared our opinions and judgments of other people.
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Clumps of dirt and mud decorated my freshly swept floors. I knew who the culprit was, and I was NOT going to ignore it again.
After all, doesn’t he realize how hard I work all day? Doesn’t he respect me enough to do this minor thing for me? To make my life just a little easier?
My temper was flaring, and as I rounded the corner and he came into view, I blasted, “Why can’t you just take your boots off at the back door for goodness’ sake!”
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We’ve all been there… a loose tongue, saying things we didn’t really mean…
It’s okay, right?
Except it’s really not…
James 1:26 says that we’re deceiving ourselves and that our religion is useless. We are of no use to the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:45 says that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…
So the trouble with our unbridled tongue is a symptom of a greater disease–heart sickness.
And heart sickness can only be cured by the One who made it.
Father, would you heal our hearts and help us to control our tongues so that we might be useful to Your kingdom…
Oh me, Oh my! I am going to share my most recent incident with my unbridled tongue. Before I do, let me say this…. I have come a long way in my journey, but I still have a long way to go! So, about two months ago I was talking with my husband and out of my mouth came a curse word. I stopped speaking immediately, threw my hands over my mouth, and about cried. I was in utter shock and I couldn’t help but to wonder where that word came from. It was no where in my thought process at all, but it was in my past! That is the moment that I realized that old habits truly are hard to break, but prayer and studying His Word can and will change your heart!
Thanks for sharing, Nicky. I’ve learned to accept progress, because I’ll never be perfect. And yes, studying His Word will change our hearts, our thoughts, and our words. 🙂