The Littlest Member
Friday, October 30, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
James 3:5-10
Your words should be used to glorify God and edify others.
While walking through an old English cemetery once, a young man admired the stonework and structure of the tombstones. He took time to read of lives lived to the fullest, some that ended quickly, others who were loved by many, some who were loved by few. He took note of all the engravings and last words some people desired to be on their final resting place. As he wandered, he noticed one tombstone's inscription that caught his attention. There was the grave of a Miss Arabella Young. The epitaph on her tombstone read as follows:
Beneath this stone, a lump of clay
Lies Arabella Young
Who on the twenty-fourth of May
Began to hold her tongue.
Sadly, that tribute could be given to many people upon their death. The tongue seems to be a tricky thing to control, as we saw a few days ago, but today let's notice the power of the tongue. Our tongues have the power to do one of two things-help or hurt.
The Bible calls our tongues a little member of our body, but a vital member. Just as the small rudder in the back of a ship dictates the direction of the mighty ship, so our tongue has great power in our lives. Notice God's description of the tongue in verse 8, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." The tongue has great power and we must be careful how we use it.
Sometimes our speech can be contradictory. Think of God's words in verse 9, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that the tongue you use to cut down others, is the same tongue you use to praise God and worship Him? God says these things ought not to be so!
The words that flow from your mouth should always be uplifting and Spirit-filled words. God gave you the power of speech in order to glorify Him and edify others. Is your speech doing those two things? Too often we can become cynical, critical, hateful, or even malicious in our speech. God never intended for our words to hurt others. He desires that we would be an encouragement to those around us.
How do you use your words? Do you often find yourself criticizing other people? God doesn't want you criticizing one of His creation with the same tongue you use to glorify Him. Your words should be pure and uplifting.
Spend some time in prayer with God. Ask Him to help you control your tongue, and only speak encouraging words. God warns that your tongue is a powerful member, so give Him control of your words today and allow Him to give you the words to say.
Friday, October 30, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
James 3:5-10
Your words should be used to glorify God and edify others.
While walking through an old English cemetery once, a young man admired the stonework and structure of the tombstones. He took time to read of lives lived to the fullest, some that ended quickly, others who were loved by many, some who were loved by few. He took note of all the engravings and last words some people desired to be on their final resting place. As he wandered, he noticed one tombstone's inscription that caught his attention. There was the grave of a Miss Arabella Young. The epitaph on her tombstone read as follows:
Beneath this stone, a lump of clay
Lies Arabella Young
Who on the twenty-fourth of May
Began to hold her tongue.
Sadly, that tribute could be given to many people upon their death. The tongue seems to be a tricky thing to control, as we saw a few days ago, but today let's notice the power of the tongue. Our tongues have the power to do one of two things-help or hurt.
The Bible calls our tongues a little member of our body, but a vital member. Just as the small rudder in the back of a ship dictates the direction of the mighty ship, so our tongue has great power in our lives. Notice God's description of the tongue in verse 8, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." The tongue has great power and we must be careful how we use it.
Sometimes our speech can be contradictory. Think of God's words in verse 9, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that the tongue you use to cut down others, is the same tongue you use to praise God and worship Him? God says these things ought not to be so!
The words that flow from your mouth should always be uplifting and Spirit-filled words. God gave you the power of speech in order to glorify Him and edify others. Is your speech doing those two things? Too often we can become cynical, critical, hateful, or even malicious in our speech. God never intended for our words to hurt others. He desires that we would be an encouragement to those around us.
How do you use your words? Do you often find yourself criticizing other people? God doesn't want you criticizing one of His creation with the same tongue you use to glorify Him. Your words should be pure and uplifting.
Spend some time in prayer with God. Ask Him to help you control your tongue, and only speak encouraging words. God warns that your tongue is a powerful member, so give Him control of your words today and allow Him to give you the words to say.
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