Think about the past 24 hours. What did you spend time talking about? In 2007, researchers at the University of Arizona found that on average men and women speak roughly 16,000 words in a day. That’s a lot of communication, and God cares about each and every word. James, Jesus’ brother, wrote that if we consider ourselves people of faith but don’t control our tongues, our beliefs are worthless......
You might have heard this phrase before but the first time I heard it it really struck a cord with me. Hurt people, hurt people. And honestly it is so true. Many people’s weapons of choice are their words- the tongue is a very powerful device that can be used for both good and evil. Some mean words are intentional and some aren’t but either way they both cause damage. Proverbs 18:21 says “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit....
Two children grow up in the same home sharing the same environment. They know each other well, so they always get along with each other, right? Not so much. Brothers and sisters are often in competition with each other — aiming to be first (or at least not last), striving to be the favorite, fighting to make more decisions than the other. You get the idea. Sometimes, sibling rivalries continue into adulthood and create ongoing family stress........
Have you ever felt you should speak up or take a stand, but weren’t sure you had the courage to do it? Maybe your coworker was blaming someone else for her mistake, or you saw a student being bullied at school. Maybe someone close to you was bashing Jesus and His church. When you felt the tug at your heart to do something or say something, how did you respond?......
Sometimes when you tell people the truth, no matter how kind you are, they don’t react well. We like to think people are objective and rational, yet when the truth steps on their pride, insecurity, or idols, watch out! God commissioned Amos to speak the truth to Israel and its wicked king.....
Every word we speak matters. Our words can pour love, joy, comfort, and clarity into the lives of the people around us. Or, they can rip those same people to the core of their being. It’s up to us to carefully consider the words we speak. Proverbs says wise people "make their mouths prudent." In other words, they slow down enough to think about how their words will be received and what effect their words might have on the other person's future........