My Tongue

I am studying the section in the book of James that has to do with controlling my tongue. You can read it in James 3:1-12. This is the section of study that compares the tongue to different things to help you realize the power of such a small thing. It is compared to a bit that is placed in a horse's mouth, that can then control the entire horse. It is then compared to a small rudder on a huge ship, that can control the direction of the entire ship. And in today's reading, the tongue is compared to a small fire that can destroy an entire forest. One phrase stuck out to me in this section....James 3:6 talks about the tongue being set on fire by hell itself.

Satan's main job is to kill, steal, and destroy. He wants to divide and tear apart my home and the important relationships in my life. Just a few little words spoken in frustration, spoken from exhaustion, spoken in sarcasm, or spoken in just plain anger can hurt and leave scars that can never be erased.

The study has really convicted me of the power of my words. Don't we all take for granted the freedom that we have with our mouths. Words just roll right out of my mouth without much thought to the aftermath that might be left behind.

I realized during this study that I am much more guarded in public settings than I am right here in my home. Motherhood is tough. It is exhausting. It is a never ending job with no time off and no vacation days. I have days when I wake up and I just don't want to do it "today". Just as the paid employee looks forward to the weekend, I look forward to that day off. But yet that day never comes. My selfishness and my pure exhaustion can develop into negativity and sarcasm quickly. Instead of focusing on all the blessings in my life, I start to focus on the perceived negative aspects.

I know the power of my words. I know that I set the temperature in my home. I know that every single day I model Christ to my girls through my actions and my words. Starting today I want to do a better job of stopping the words as thoughts only. I cannot tell you how many times I think a sarcastic thought in response to something Reagan has done or said. She is five and simply does the most annoying things at times. She doesn't "get" sarcasm though. She just knows that Momma is irritated with her.

On a daily basis I have to set a guard over my mouth. I cannot let Satan have control....and he will take control if I let him. Words start as thoughts and 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that I have to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. That is easier said than done because words slip out so fast. This will probably be my next memory verse for March 1st because it is something that I need to be mindful of every single day.

My friend Dana Roten and I are emailing each other every morning and sharing our quiet times with one other. She shared two thoughts about the tongue that I wrote down because I wanted to remember them.
1. Words are like toothpaste. Just as toothpaste cannot be put back in the tube once it has been squeezed out; neither can words be taken back. (Like I said, I can easily apologize but the scars remain.)
2. The tongue is "YOU" in a unique way; a tattletale that tells on the heart and reveals the real person. (Ouch!)

Until next time...