Saturday, July 14, 2012

Toxic Words

So, the past 2 weeks I have gone to 2 different churches BUT they spoke on the same subject...toxic words...speaking words of life and speaking words that bring death.  Is God trying to tell me something here????  I think so. 

I have a BIG mouth...anyone who knows me can attest to that.  I say it like it is, don't really hold anything back and many times that gets me into a LOT of trouble. Even as I walked out of one church service, I was extremely worried if me taming my tongue meant that I couldn't be sarcastic because I LOVE to shoot out a sassy, sarcastic remark, especially towards my poor husband.

 I never have really cared about how the things I say can bring hurt and death to others. Then I thought about all the words I like to spew out and in Proverbs 10: 19 is says "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." Ouch...I am a talker...

Then you read James and honestly, feel like a crummy person.  James dedicates chapter 3 to Taming the Tongue.  I read this and feel like I am such a failure. I am guilty of using my mouth as a weapon to hurt others too many times.  He says in verse 9 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 

TOXIC WORDS:
any material that can cause sickness or death

 I read these verses in church one of the Sunday's and have been thinking about them ever since. 
In Proverbs 18: 21 "The tongue has the power of life or death." and in Proverbs 12:18 "Reckless words PIERCE like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 15:4 " The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Ephesians 4: 29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

These 2 lessons and reading about them in the Bible have really been playing over and over in my mind, especially as I am preparing to bring a little girl into this world.  We all know that girls can be caddy and down right brutal, but little girls are also wired with a tenderness and sweetness and I need to bring those qualites out in my little girl and one important way I can do that is by being that role model. I need to be using my words and mouth to build her and others up, not shoot them down. I don't want my child to be one of those sitting in the corner with her friends giggling about somebody.  I want her to be the friend to that someone others are giggling about. 

I have a lot of work to do to get myself on the right track when it comes to taming my tongue.  I know I can do it because with God all things can be accomplished.  I am truly thankful for this child and thankful that God is going to trust us with her, because ultimately she will be His. 

Father, help me to be the mother you have created me to be.  Help me to be a mother made in Your image.  Father, I pray that I will become a person who speaks words of truth and life and wisdom and that my little girl will have a role model that will help her to embrace her sweetness and tender heart.  Thank you for this little girl and giving us a child to bring up knowing You.