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DAY 11 - TAMING THE TONGUE

How important is it to make sure we guard the words that we allow to leave our mouths? Is it truly possible for us to speak death or life over a situation? Does the Bible give us direction on this?

To answer these questions in order: Vital. Yes. Yes!

PROVERBS 13:3 - "WHOEVER GUARDS HIS MOUTH PRESERVES HIS LIFE; HE WHO OPENS WIDE HIS LIPS COMES TO RUIN."

PROVERBS 15:4 - "A GENTLE TONGUE IS A TREE OF LIFE, BUT PERVERSENESS IN IT BREAKS THE SPIRIT."

PROVERBS 18:21 - "DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE, AND THOSE WHO LOVE IT WILL EAT ITS FRUITS."

I ask you, do you speak life over your spouse, your family, your loved ones, yourself? When you are frustrated, what comes out? If someone snaps at you, throws their drink at you, or treats you "less than", does the love of the Father come out or something else?

Jesus, James, and Paul have spoken on this issue extensively. In MATTHEW 12:33-37 Jesus cuts right down to the bone on this. He says "FOR THE MOUTH SPEAKS WHAT THE HEART IS FULL OF." and he finishes with, "BUT I TELL YOU THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO GIVE ACCOUNT ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT FOR EVERY EMPTY WORD THEY HAVE SPOKEN. FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE ACQUITTED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED." (Please read Matthew 12:22-37 for the broader context).

Jesus says we will give an account for every EMPTY word we have spoken. Not only every "harsh/angry/rude/unGodly" word but also every empty word. Every opportunity that we open our mouths is one where we can honor God. I can almost guarantee if we constantly speak "death" over our marriage (or any relationship), it will only bring death.

Let us take a look at an example: If I constantly tell Nina when we get into an argument, "You don't love me. You don't want to be with me. You should have married someone else." I am speaking that over our marriage and there will come a point to where I will actually start to believe that and then I will build my entire understanding of our marriage based on that foundation of death that I SPEWED. Not only will it negatively affect me but it will also negatively affect Nina. Maybe she will start to think, "No matter how I show my love Kyle refuses to receive it. What's the point?"

Now, let's take that same argument but instead of speaking death, I start speaking life: "Nina, I love you and I KNOW you love me! Let's stop this argument and let's pray together." 

We have to understand this is a GAME CHANGER. We must understand the WEIGHT of our words. And remember, we WILL give an account for EVERY empty word we have spoken. Let us speak LIFE!

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for the Lord to reveal ways we can better guard our words. 

Let us guard our tongues and choose to speak life instead of death.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS: MATTHEW 12:22-37