I'm often shocked what comes out of my mouth and the mouths of others.
Jeremiah 9:3
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:8
Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him.
These words from Jeremiah weren't for the enemies of God...
they were for his people...
His chosen people.
Jeremiah describes that God's chosen people were using their speech...not for truth...but for lies, evil and deceit. They speak nicely when they're in a person's presence...but as soon as they turn their back...they ambush them with their tongues filled with lies, deceit and evil inbetween.
Wow!
That could be 2009.
Correction.
That is 2009.
We all know folks, maybe even ourselves...who's speech is as deadly arrows. Taking folks out with critical and evil words left and right. Sometimes we have a hidden agenda and we're determined to get our agenda across. Sometimes the agenda isn't even hidden...it's out in the open and we're going to do what we want...and we're going to say what we want... but of course we usually wrap it up in jokes or..."I don't like"..."Can you believe she..."
I'm not speaking of the lost...(we expect them to be evil, so if you're hanging with the lost...don't expect much...) and neither was Jeremiah but...
Christians.
or professing Christians...
who are accustom to malice, evil and bitter speech...might not be Christians at all.
The end of verse 3 says..."they don't know the Lord."
Wow!
So if a person continually has malice, evil and bitter speech on their tongue...about others...they don't really know God.
What!
You can't say that.
You can't say someone doesn't know the Lord if they continually have bitter speech.
I didn't.
God did! (through Jeremiah)
But Lord? I'm trying to reform my tongue and I slip every now and then.
Well that's not what Jeremiah is saying...He's saying if that's your hallmark...that's what people think when they think of you. That's what makes up every conversation you have.
Several folks names entered my head just then. (You did the same thing too.)
But that's not who I need to focusing on...I need to focus on me...and you should focus on you. (But I'm sure some of those folks have GOT to NOT be of God...they're just negative and mean...and we'll let God deal with them...even though we want to ourselves.)
OK back to us... stop thinking about others.
So say you are a believer...but you're struggling in this area.
Ummm...You're not getting off so easy.
Verse 7 of chapter 9 says..."Therefore thus says the LORD of host: "Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?"
Our God is a just God. If we are one of His own...he will have to "punish them for these things? declares the LORD (verse 9).
Another WOW!
I'm starting to find that many problems that happen in people's lives can be traced back to what they say, how they say things, and who they talk about. Not all problems come from this...but a whole bunch can be traced back to our mouths. Think about it!
Very heavy words coming from Jeremiah...
If we don't clean up our speech, our tongue...we're either
not of God's or we're gonna get a whipping!
OK so let's not end of a downer.
I was with some women tonight who aren't getting whipped for their tongues anytime soon. Several times I have to admit I was starting to think negatively (usually about something one of my kids were doing.) and they were so positive...it was rubbing off. I'm not talking about the icky sweet type of talk that's fake, but they were real and down to earth...a genuine sense of building up others while they talked...and quite natural. I really didn't want to leave.
I know many others who do the same...these ladies are on my mind since I just left them. While we sat there...watching children play and move about I thought about this verse...and came home found it...
"Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief." Proverbs 21:23
So ladies...don't let your tongues be like arrows...spewing poison in the air...watch your words and hold that tongue
...and God will be faithful to tame it!
Plus you'll save yourself some stress and grief to boot!
Blessings!
5 comments:
Great post. Makes me think for sure; now I have to act! A friend of mine "went off on me" the other day. What a complete mess. There's such power in the tongue; it can truly get us in trouble! It's now to the point where I really don't want to talk to her anymore after that conversation. I'm definitely praying on it!
Great and wise post! I have much to say on this subject...for now, I'm nodding along with what you wrote.
You're not kidding about people going off on folks.
It happens all the time. I have to say I've only been going to church for a year and it's the most hostile place to be. I sometime don't think it's worth it.
Hmmm...what a thought provoking post. I was just discussing (with my husband - not other women!) a woman we both know who is so negative that it disturbs me to spend time with her. I feel guilty for feeling that she isn't who she says she is, that her actions speak far louder than her stated intent and beliefs. No one's life is perfect, but I truly think we should choose to focus on the positive, each and every day. We are all so blessed and need to be grateful.
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