James 3:8-10
8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
Jesus tells us that we will be accountable for every word we speak. The words we speak either carry life or death. When we speak in accordance with God's word by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the very words we speak carry life. When they are sown into those who they are intended for, the Holy Spirit plants a seed and as we pray and seek the Lord, those seeds are watered.
But if our tongue is not under the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, our words carry the power of death. The saying goes: sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt me. This statement is false. There has been more damage done in the lives of people over words spoken and sown into the hearts of people that have been from the leading of the enemy and out of the sinful nature of a person.
Before we come to Christ we are ruled by the nature of Adam. When Adam sinned in the garden his nature changed. He went from being God centered, to self-centered. When people are self-centered they will simply destroy and step on anyone who stands in the way of what they want. They will carelessly use their tongue to tear down the lives of others.
But if we are truly in Christ everything in our lives must be fully surrendered to God. This includes our tongues. David prayed that the words of his mouth and meditations of his heart would be pleasing to the Lord. What is truly in our hearts will proceed out of our mouths. Our lives must be bathed in scripture on a daily basis and we must continually meditate upon the word of God. For it is when our minds are renewed by God's word that our lives will be transformed.
If this is an area that you personally struggle in I would encourage you to bring it before the Lord and ask for help. You will not be able to bridle your tongue in your own strength. But if you begin to abide in Christ and your focus is growing in Him daily, you will find that supernaturally your tongue is bridle and your heart and words will reflect that of Jesus.
Prayer
Father I come today and confess I need your help. Father I struggle with my tongue at times and even the thoughts that invade my mind and heart. I ask you to help me to not only bridle my tongue but that what I speak would glorify you and would bring forth life. Father I know I am created in your image and through your word you brought forth life. I pray that my tongue would be used to bring forth life. That every part of my being would simply be surrendered to you. Prune me as you desire and according to your will in the name of Jesus, Amen!
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