Read It, Learn It,
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“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the
parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s
life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…. With the
tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who
have been made in God’s likeness. ” – James 3:6,9 (full
text v.1-12)
Here is a little test that I was taught as a young boy.
Take a tube of toothpaste and squeeze the tube so a large portion of toothpaste comes out (you might want to have a paper towel or paper plate to catch it ;-) ). Now, once you have squeezed it out, go ahead and put it back into the tube. That’s right, just pick it up and put it back. An impossible task, wouldn’t you say?
It’s dimensions were 9.5 ft by 28 in. It weighed 9,400 pounds (4000 kg). It was loaded carefully into the cargo bay of the Enola Gay. On August 6, 1945 that cargo bay door was opened and the world changed. Once the ‘Little Boy’ was released there was no way to stop it. After free falling for a few minutes it was detonated at 1,900 feet above the city of Hiroshima, and the atomic age had begun. Instant death, devastation and destruction took place as far as 2 miles away, and would continue for months and even years as the residual effect of the radiation would wear off.
Watch what comes out of your mouth. The effects of every word have enormous impact on the little ears that are hearing you, for years to come. Once you have said your piece and the words have been cast upon the airwaves surrounding you, there is no way to retrieve them. You can apologize and ask for those within earshot to forgive you, but the damage has already been done.
We went to a concert over the weekend. We saw Casting Crowns and Matthew West. It was an incredible night of praise and worship. As the words echoed over the Pavilion and hill-side 17,000 of us were on our feet, hands lifted high and singing along with the band. The impact of the words of their songs and the stories and testimonies created an atmosphere of reverence and honor towards God Almighty. As the night drew to a close and we made our way back home, the euphoria carried on with us. I found myself the next morning repeating the songs I had heard the night before. The lyrics engrained in my mind with such a positive perspective for me to carry forward.
We must be able to control the words that come from our mouth. Little ones are listening and will mimic what they hear. This requires patience, calmness and thoughtfulness before allowing your tongue to take control of the situation. Through the Holy Spirit you are capable of controlling your emotions and words. Choose them carefully and let them be a positive impact on others that you meet, rather than devastating and destructive.
ACTION: Count to 10. When you feel the anger boiling, the words are on the tip of your tongue, stop, count, breathe and calmly respond to the situation. You are the only one that can control your words. Allow the Holy Spirit and God the Father to shape your words into something that is constructive and helpful today.
© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com
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