Coming into the Thanksgiving and Holiday season we’ve all heard the proverbial stories of family gatherings gone bad. But wherever we gather it’s good to be reminded how much others needs our WORDS of encouragement, support and love.
Sounds easy enough but James says, "No human being can tame the tongue" (James 3:8, NIV). Wait a sec! If we can't tame our own tongues, what hope do we have?
This is where Jesus' words become crucial: "Out of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45, ESV).
Our words aren't the real problem—they're the symptom. Our WORDS just express what’s ALREADY in our hearts.
We may manage our speech for a while, but eventually, what's in the heart will come out. If we want to CHANGE our words, we have to CHANGE our hearts. And that's something only God can do!
1. The Pause Prayer
When tempted to ‘lash out’ whether in person, text, or email—it can help to PAUSE and PRAY a simple PRAYER: “Lord, give me Your words, not mine."
This three-second pause can SAVE us from SAYING things we can REGRET because It interrupts my knee-jerk reactions and invites the Holy Spirit to guide a more thoughtful and kind response.
"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psa.141:3).
2. The Heart Check
When wanting to say something critical, gossipy, or selfish, we can ask ourselves:
"Why do I want to say this? What's really going on in my
heart right now?"
Am I hurt and wanting to hurt back? Am I insecure and trying to make myself
feel better by putting someone else down? Am I angry and wanting to punish
with my words?
Usually, my desire to speak harshly reveals something I need to bring to God—a
wound that needs healing, an insecurity that needs His truth, or a sin that needs
confession.
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psa.139:23-24).
Let's Pray:
Father, we confess we often cannot tame our tongues. And we’ve wounded people and used our words to destroy instead of build up.
But we also believe that You can do what we cannot. Thank You that You can transform our hearts, Lord. Help us to PAUSE before we speak. Show us what's really INSIDE
our HEARTS when we're TEMPTED to use our words as WEAPONS.
And give us YOUR words—words of LIFE, TRUTH, GRACE, and LOVE!
In Jesus' name, Amen.