The Ultimate Controller of Our Tongue

Today, when I was reading my HelloMornings devotion, thinking it through and having some discussion with some of my friends online about what tongue can do and can cause in and through our lives, we came to the point where we realized that often we said things that hurt our loved ones’ hearts. We were just spilled it out words from our mouth because we were angry, or frustrate, or tired.

Honestly, I did that MANY TIMES to all the people I love. The results my heart was broken, sad & devastated. I asked myself, “What have I done?”, “Why did I say it?” But I could not take back my words out of anger. I had to deal with the consequences after saying it. I need to repent and asking for forgiveness. I need to have self-control and thinking through what I wanna say before I say it out loud. I need God to help me in this area. I am weak but He is strong and his grace is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Our tongue is a small part of our body but it has great power. In Indonesian, we have a proverbs that describes a person who quick to say things, to critisize or to judge others without thinking it through whether they speech would hurt others’ feeling or cause damage in their own lives and relationships. It literally translated like this “As a tongue that doesn’t have a bone.” Tongue cannot be controlled.

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.  And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.  In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. (James 3-5, NLT)

Isn’t that amazing that God created tongue that can make big speech, that can effect the one who hears it?

Later in the same chapter, James explains what our little tongue can do:

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,  but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.  Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! (James 3:6-10 NLT)

Like a horse needs a small bit in his mouth so that it can be controlled, we need a controller for our tongue. We cannot control our tongue, that’s the truth. The only one who can control our tongue is God and His word. God is the ultimate controller in every aspect of our lives.

My friend, Lauren, wrote a good remidner on her post yesterday related to guarding our tongue. She shared the truth that we need God to guard our lips and take control of every single word we want to say.

Set a guard, O  Lord , over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalms 141:3 ESV)

Take control of what I say, O Lord , and guard my lips. (Psalms 141:3 NLT)

My friends, this can be a long post talking about our tongue and controlling it. But today, please allow me to share a reminder from God’s word for all of us today:

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

I pray that God’s word will fill our hearts and minds every moment, and whenever we open our mouth, we will speak out the truth and out of God’s grace and love to our spouse, children, relatives, friends, co-workers, fellow ministers, and even to strangers. So that they may come to know God from our speech today and forward.

Have you blessed others with your word coming of your mouth?

In Our Sufferings

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! 

(Job 19:25-27 NLT)

My sufferings are nothing compare to Job’s at all. But often I thought that I have suffered bad and long enough. I want it to end now. My heart and mind are troubled by them, instead of staying still in God’s presence and knowing who God is.

Today’s reading is teaching me that I have to keep my mouth close and stop complaining about what I don’t have or wha I had enough to make me suffer or be in the hard time. Like Job, thought he would dying in his suffering, he knew that he would go to see his Redeemer, when we know our God lives, we will have hope to go through it all. That is comforting and encouraging to go through all our difficult times and sufferings.

God’s word speak to me loud and clear what I should do and that is His command to me and you. He knows what he is doing in and through our lives. Has He ever forsaken or forgotten you a single moment?
Let’s us today only open our mouth and praise Him, bring Him the glory and declare His greatness to the world around us so that we know that our Redeemer lives and the whole world knows that, too.

God is good.

Our Redeemer lives.

God is great.

I want to praise His name forever!

What Makes You A Great Friend

To be a great friend may mean we stop advising and just sit. It may mean we stop trying to give all the answers, and rather intercede for God’s perfect wisdom. It most definitely means we remember who God is and who we’re not. His ways are not our own, but He can be fully trusted.

– HelloMornings {Abounding Hope: week 4}

This quote opens my eyes. For a while I was wonderind if I was being a good for my friends or not. Then after reading this week post from HelloMornings, I am not yet a good friend. I often offered my own suggestions or ideas to my friends after lisnted to their stories. I often said what I “thought” what God wanted or will in their lives, rather pray for and with them first.

Today I pray and ask God to change me inside outside to be a friend He wants me to be for others. Today I pray that I would be a friend who will pray and intercede for God’s perfect wisdom, rather than keep giving advising and trying to give all the answers from my own wisdom to all my friends.

Today, I pray also the same prayer for you all, my friends that may our God in Jesus Christ will give you His wisdom to be great friends to your friends. When we ask for godly wisdom and believe that God will give it to us graciously, then we will have that wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5)

I am so thankful for all of you, my friends, God has brought into my life. You are a treasure, friend!

Your Vital Role

Jesus Brings Freedom ButtonPray is the fuel for any ministries and our lives. Pray is what we’re saying that we need God and it is only can be done by God and His’ power. Pray is the only way to reach His throne and receive His grace in time we need help. Pray is where we stand in the gap for those who are in needs of God and His love.

Through pray we come to God and plead for our loved ones. But also…

We are called to pray for others who have not heard nor known about Jesus Christ. We pray is to reach out the over 209 million people in this world to come to know God, for God to open doors for them to have His word in the languages (over 1,900 languages!) that they can understand best in their hearts, for God to touch them and change their hearts, for God to lead them in the way of truth and life.

You have a vital role in God’s mission in this world. You can pray today.

The Seed Company, a Wycliffe Bible Translators affiliates, have released 40-days Devotional e-Book, that you can get it for FREE here. During this Lent, you can read God’s word, meditate and pray for Jesus to bring freedom to over 209 million people who speak about 1,967 languages. They have been waiting too long!

Would you join us to pray today?