"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." -1Peter 1:13-16 (NASB)
Today I am going to basically begin a series on several topics that we "Christians" often fall in. Please keep in mind that this is to bring awareness to not only where the Body as a whole often fails, but perhaps something I write will set off a flag in your mind as well- possibly an area that needs to be addressed in your walk. Believe me when I say that this blog is being written by an extremely imperfect man, but one whose eyes are on the cross, and strives daily to reach my potential in Jesus Christ. Although I probably could write a book on topics such as these, I will focus on several topics, including our words, judging, dying to the flesh, and getting involved in ministry.
Words are an extremely amazing gift from God. With them we can bless our Lord with prayers and praise, we can tell our kids how much we love them, and use our communication skills to advance our careers. However, just like any other great gift, comes great responsibility. James reminds us in his letter that we stumble in many ways, and he who is able to bridle his tongue can control his whole body as well. (James 3:2) Wow! Did you get that? Just think of how hard it is to control our flesh, yet the Bible tells us if we can control one tiny little muscle, we can literally steer our entire ship. (v 4) Our words can be just as devastating, and often relationships can be broken, reputations can be ruined, and friendships severely damaged or lost over the wrong words. And by all means- watch the gossip!!! Do you want to hear a great definition of what gossip is? According to my pastor, gossip is "when you share something negative about someone to someone else who does not have the power to change it." Let that sink in a bit and then make any necessary corrections. (See also Proverbs 18:19)
Now, I'm not going to focus entirely on the negative portion of words, but I do pray you walk cautiously and be aware of the evil behind cutting words. Be aware of your enemy and keen to his tactics, because tools such as gossip and slander are some of his best angles in breaking the Body of Christ up. On to the positive. Dad, speaking words of love, affirmation, and joy will go farther in your child's life than you will ever know. I mentioned in a previous blog of a time my daughter asked me if I just wanted to go outside and "talk". We didn't discuss anything major, but sharing priceless times with her like this, plus all of the countless prayers, words of affirmation, and telling her how much I love her is laying a foundation in Jesus Christ that will stand against anything this world will ever tell her. There will be a time the world tells our kids that they are failures; but they will rise above if they know dad sees them differently. I'm sure there will be plenty of times a teenage boy whispers sweet nothings in my daughter's ear (unless I can find a way to keep her 5 years old), but I pray she won't be phased by his tactics because of the validation she got from God and from me. Finally, with all of the filth that is on TV, music, and in movies, make sure you teach your kids to help filter out the swearing and slander- that especially means that they NEVER hear it from us as well!
If your tongue is currently getting the best of you, take it to the One who is able to help you overcome. Come open and transparent, asking for wisdom and discernment. Let the praises flow first and foremost to our Lord and give Him the blessings that He is due. Submit yourself, your words, and tongue completely to Him and watch the transformation that follows.
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