Probably Proverbs - Answers to life's questions

He who guards his lips guards his life,

but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 13:3 NIV

Do you ever have difficulty because of your words?

Have you ever experienced that moment when the words are right on your tongue and Holy Spirit sends out the instant spell check to your brain, but you purposely (in the emotion of the moment) disregard His warning, and let the words fly?

Do you ever wonder how you can feel so justified one moment and 30 seconds later grieve the depravity of your soul?

Well, maybe you have better self-control.  Or maybe you are more obedient to Holy Spirit in the heat of the moment.  I can honestly say this is an area of great growth for me.  Jesus revealed my tongue as an area of weakness early in my walk with Him.  It was a humbling and difficult realization because this issue with my tongue doesn't have anything to do with using profanity.  It has to do with the words of my tongue having the power of life and death, blessing and cursing.

I am so grateful; one of the first books of the Bible I studied in depth was James.

These words from James 3:3-6 struck at the heart of my weakness.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot want to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

I have no power within myself to control my tongue.  As Holy Spirit has made this small, but lethal aspect of my human body an object of priority, I have chosen to surrender.  I am grateful to Father for His loving discipline in asking that I place my tongue in submission to His will.

I am grateful because I know my Father wants best for me.  He wants my heart and soul to be full of the fruit of His Holy Spirit so that my words which flow from my tongue will be full of grace and love and joy and hope.

The rest of His words in James 3 are true.  

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be so.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Oh, Father, again today, I surrender my tongue to Your will.  I ask like Isaiah that You cleanse my lips with Your Holy fire.  I ask You Holy Spirit to bring loving conviction and highlight areas in which I need to confess the sin in my heart which pours forth sin from my mouth.  I confess.  I surrender.

And, I thank You Jesus for taking all my sin upon Yourself on the cross.  I thank You for Your cleansing blood and for the Robe of Righteousness You have given me to wear for all eternity!  I thank You Jesus for taking my sinful words from within and replacing them with words of righteousness; words tasting of the fruits of Holy Spirit.

For Your Glory Father...For Your Glory and my growth as a child of Your Kingdom.

Amen.