Living Fire or as Sweet as Honey

If you grew up in the Bible belt then you probably already know what I’m referring to. That’s right, the tongue. In the Bible, James describes the tongue as a little thing, but when used wrongly it can set a man on the wrong path.

In my life I have always (and still do) struggled with having a sassy mouth. I have found myself in situations having to apologize for something I said or the way I said it, either on purpose or not on purpose. At one point in my life I felt like everything I said was wrong! I pleaded with God (and still do) to put a guard over my mouth (Psalm 14:13).

James 3:10 also says this, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters this should not be.” When we use our mouths, the words that come out are supposed to be loving and good, not words that will tear each other down or be disrespectful.  This is another HUGE way to magnify God. Because if we do all these good things but are always spreading gossip or talking back to our elders, are we really magnifying God? So today I want to give a few tips on how not to fall into the temptation of letting the devil take over your mouth.

1.  Pray. Pray and ask God to help you control your mouth. If you even know there are certain situations where you know you’ll be tempted, ask God to put a guard over your mouth (Psalm 14:13).

2. Put good words in your head.  If you find yourself being prone to take God’s name in vain, but you are listening to bad music, T.V. shows, etc. then don’t! Get it out of your life. Listen to Christian music. Read good magazines and books (Exodus 20:7).

3. Memorize Scripture that can help you. Look up Scripture that helps you remember that your words have power. Find Scripture that can help you stop talking back to your parents or mouthing off to the people around you (Ephesians 5:4).

4. Don’t intentionally become a part of a situation where it will be easy to gossip. If you are hanging out with people who gossip or are always repeating stories, then you need to remove yourself from those people or try to convince them to stop (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

I hope these ideas can help you. They have definitely helped me when I have felt like I will never be able to control my mouth. I would ask you to take the time right now and ask yourself, “Am I magnifying God with my mouth or would I be ashamed if God heard me say the things I do?” Let me also tell you, He does hear everything you say and your thoughts (Psalm 34:12-14).

Alyssa Rasor

P.S. For those who did the twenty minute challenge last week, let me know down in the comment section how it went. I personally liked it. It showed how much I am on the go and how I am always thinking about the next thing.