As Pastor explained what his sermon was going to be about today, (taming the tongue) I immediately thought of swearing. "How ironic, I was just talking to Hubs about how we need to work on swearing a lot less." It went deeper than that, though and opened my eyes.
As Pastor put it in church this morning, "our culture is a greenhouse for destructive talk." It's not just the swearing that's a danger; it's the messages we're putting out as well. We live in a world where it's all competition and tearing each other down. That's the norm now and honestly, it's sad and scary. The destructiveness is ALL around us; our music, magazines, social media, news, work environments, even home environments. No wonder it's not a shock anymore to degrade someone and tear them down.
Our tongue is tiny but it has mighty power. Sometimes more than we even realize, I think. Today, it was compared to the rudder of a ship. That tiny instrument determines which direction the whole giant ship sails. Think about their sizes and the power that little rudder has. The same goes for our tongue. Your tongue can determine whether you go up or down in life and the feelings of those around you. That is a lot of power for one mere person to hold. Proverbs 25:15 talks about how soft words can break bones. If soft words can break bones, what do harsh words do?
I'm sure that we're all well aware of the fact that words hurt. Whether it be from a coworker, parent, friend, bully or even a stranger, we have all felt, to some extent, the effect words can have. Think about that. Then think about the fact that the closer you are to someone, the more their words can hurt; the bigger the influence their words will have. We need to take that to heart. I'm starting at home. "Your tongue has the power to make your home a healing home." Another great quote from Pastor that got me thinking. Although I could be worse in the way that I talk to Hubs and our Littles, there is still PLENTY of room for improvement. With the littles especially. Their minds, souls and personalities are so incredibly impressionable. I have got to start building them up more. Paying more attention to not only what I say to them but how I speak to them as well.
I had the perfect opportunity as we were coming in the house from church. It may have been minute but that's where it all starts, correct? Our backdoor is broken and the bottom panel is missing so when it snows or even when the wind blows the snow, it will build up in the doorway. I was the last one to go into the house so I was holding the door open for Peanut who was in front of me. Well, as she was stepping over the threshold, she hit the pile and knocked some of the snow into the house. My immediate reaction was, "Come on," in an irritated tone ready to continue lecturing. I looked at Hubs and right there, I caught myself and was able to stop. Did she do it on purpose? No. Was she trying to avoid it? Yes. There was no need to continue. Granted, I didn't have to respond that way to begin with but, stopping myself was a great first step. After all, it's just snow. It will melt and be gone.
"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." -Luke 6:45
In the words of Pastor, "Your tongue is not just attached to your brain; it is attached to your heart too. If you want to control what's coming out of your mouth, you have to let God control what's going on in your heart." It is impossible for a human being to completely tame their tongue. We can not do it without God's help.
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