WATCH YOUR TONGUE PART 1
Main text: James 3:6 – ‘The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and itself set on fire by fire’.
‘But I tell you the truth that men will give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word’ – Matthew 12:36
To watch in this context means to be cautious or wary of something – the tongue. The tongue if not carefully guarded is capable of causing harm to other people and its owner. The primary purpose of the tongue is praise but unfortunately, nowadays many people have converted the tongue as an instrument of obscenity. Regardless freedom of speech, we should not use our tongue to slander others. Some others tell lies in story-telling in order to impress people. Others use derogatory words when offended or hurt to make a point. The Psalmist David in the bible prayed, ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, Oh! Lord. Jesus Christ condemns careless words, saying they come from evil heart. And how about words we speak without considering their effect on others. If you think God will turn a blind eye to that then, think again because He warned us from the bible text above that we shall give account of every careless word spoken.
What you say can create or destroy, discourage or inspire, heal or hurt so, choose carefully what you say. The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Use your tongue to frame your world. Careless words are often just the meaningless chatter we engage in when we have nothing worthwhile to say.
THERE IS A TIME FOR RECKONING, MIND YOUR TONGUE
Prayer Point: Lord, deliver my tongue from becoming a cemetery of evil.
BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.