The subject of words has been running through my mind for the past several weeks as Ryan has been teaching through the book of James. When I say "words", I mean the things that we allow to come out of our mouths. There is such power in our tongues. A playful jest or even an honest criticism by a loved one carries SO much weight and can be so damaging to the person it is directed at. Often times, the damage that words can create is unintentional but can still be so permanent. I've been doing some self-evaluation of my own ability to tame my tongue and I can say with confidence that I have a lot of room for improvement. I've gotten into a bad habit of using humor (mostly self-deprecating, but sometimes directed at others) as a way to show my love for people in my life. I definitely think there is a time and a place for sarcasm, but I also know there are many times where I have crossed the line into hurtful territory.
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." -James 3:9-10
I have a friend that I admire a ton. I can honestly say in the two years I've known him, I've never heard him say anything negative about anyone. That is what I desire for my own life. Lord, help me to tame my tongue.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Words. . .
Posted by Josh Boyd at 4:14 PM
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1 comments:
how true this is. as i've been touring for two weeks with 64 other guys, i can honestly say that this has been a primary concern of mine. i guess we have to keep in mind that, while we have the ability to tear others down with our language, the opposite still exists. with their mouths did the early church cast out demons. with his mouth did God speak the world into existence. thanks for your thoughts man. you're not alone in your endeavors. =]
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