Tongue bridling

Youversion note: http://bible.us/n/GLd6

Tongue bridling James 1: 19-27

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The Word of God is a glass, a mirror. We can see our sin and we can see God's perfect image. It is the person who looks in the mirror and forgets how to adjust their image that the Lord says is deceived. We do it to ourselves when we don't meditate in the mirror. Some "seem to be righteous" but when they open their mouths, you know they are defiled.

 There is so much power in the use of our tongues: life, death, our Christian witness. Becoming slow to speak is a sign of maturity. Is what I have to say fruitful or even necessary? Do I speak so as to selfishly give my own opinion or to glorify God? May the Lord give us wisdom in the use or witholding the use of our tongues today.

Comments

  1. Walking TogetherJanuary 30, 2012 at 7:13 PM

    I must say that bridling my tongue is the hardest thing for me to do. the bible says that if you can keep your tongue in check, you can keep your whole body in check (my paraphrase of course!)

    Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. C1FaithJanuary 31, 2012 at 8:27 PM

      I am right with you. I am generally talking less now just to keep the volume of opportunity down for me to say the wrong thing. Lord help us.

      Delete

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