James 3:7-10...Words Mean A Lot...

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

It does not take long each day to find someone whose tongue you are sure needs to be tamed. James reminds us of how hurtful and wrong our words may be at times and how powerful our words may be in affecting others. “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” Words mean something and we must be careful how we apply them. Although we are unable to tame our tongues we are able to use them to ask the Lord to help us. Our speech reflects our thoughts and the attitude of our hearts and if we allow evil to prevail through our words we are not serving God in the way that we should. We live in a world where everyone wants to have their voice heard and not everything that is said is fruitful or worthwhile. Be careful what you say as the words you pronounce may well change the course of someone's life. Ask God to help you say what others need to hear.

Blessings,

Alan B Conner