Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Friday 01/08/09)

Prepare For War Pt IV

James 1:19-20 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁹Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. ²⁰For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].

Proverbs 21:23 (Amplified Bible)

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.

1 Peter 4:7(b)-8 (Amplified Bible)

⁷(b); keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer. ⁸Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

Last night in Bible study the lesson was on love in leadership. It was interesting that these two elements were connected by an author to provide such insight and a different approach. As I pondered the lesson today, I began to think of some of the main points in the lesson and one that impacted me most was in the area of communication. The point that choosing one’s words wisely was important and how one started and ended a conversation impacted the communication process as well as the atmosphere that was to follow. I thought about how difficult it often was to tame that little thing that provides us a vehicle for speech and taste. It seems harmless but can be deadly if provoked, and for some even when it is not provoked. Taming our tongue and taking control over our method of communicating especially in times of displeasure can be a challenge to even the most mature of Christian, let alone those of us who are still being processed. It can be a war that we often do not win, and it can cause many casualties.

I love to talk; my brother says I am good at it. But I also love to listen, but this is something that I in my younger years I did not do well. Through many life lessons, growth and maturity in God I learned that the ability to close my mouth and surrender the floor to others was important. We battle to want our point heard and our side taken. We want to ensure that no one gets one up on us or that they can hurt us without us retaliating and putting them down further, than they have tried to put us. Jesus when He was being accused, often did not defend himself, why? Probably because He did not have to. He was truth personified. If the truth lies with us then why must we use words to tear others apart or make them feel bad about themselves? It is easier to let all that is on our minds flow out unfettered than it is to restrain ourselves, our thoughts, our words and pray. But when we are running around our house, our jobs and the community letting go and letting flow are we being a good representative of Christ? Are our words and conduct exemplary of who we claim to be and whose we claim to be? We are often falling short when we are running around giving people a piece of our mind; as my mother would say “you keep giving people a piece of your mind you aren’t going to have anything left.” It is important to listen and to let God fight the battle. For God fights differently, He will often require us to be nice to some one who has treated us wrong, or give a kind word to someone that has been nasty to us. To show love to someone that claims to hate us. But this doesn’t come easy, as one of my Pastors said we need to learn to study to be quiet. When we trust God with our day to day operations we realize that often words are not what is necessary, but consultation, prayer, submission and obedience to the Father is what helps us win the battle.

Today is one of the best days to begin to think before we speak. Stop making excuses and telling people I am just “straight no chaser,” no you just do not want to wrestle that tongue into submission and make it surrender to a higher power. It is time to put away childish things and childish behaviors that afford us to have diarrhea of the mouth and to kill people with our words. It is time make our communication acceptable in God’s sight. It is time to make that tongue a prisoner of war and make it confirm to the spirit and will of God our Father. Not my words Lord, but yours be said!