Building a Strong Godly LifeНамуна

THE WORDS OF BLESSING

INTRODUCTION 

“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3:2

It is written in the Bible that no human being is perfect and that all of us are guilty of many things. James does not say this to denigrate Christians; he uses the word "we" to refer to himself and all of us. James realizes this, and we should be aware of the same thing today. James' sentence does not stop there; he continues with one option so that all of us do not fall into error; which we can avoid by mastering our words.

We are not perfect, but we are on the way to that perfection. If this perfection is based on words, then we are being processed to be innocent in our words. We are constantly trying to say the right words. This includes refraining from saying things that could hurt others, be harsh, selfish, arrogant, or manipulating words. Rather than saying those words, let us say things that build faith: the words of love and the words that bless others.

Once we have mastered our WORDS, we will also be able to master our entire bodies. Lord Jesus said that the words we speak are the expression of our inner man or our heart. 

(Read Matthew 12: 34-37)

SHARING

Let us learn few things that the Bible says about the Power of Words.

1. The right and positive words (James 3:3-4)

A horse is a strong animal, but we can control it with a bridle. A large ship that is driven by strong wind can be controlled by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.

The bridle and rudder are images of our tongue. The bridle and rudder have to be controlled so the strong horses and the large ship can be controlled well. 

For example, what will we say when there is a brother who is sick or has a problem? One positive sentence will be able to revive our brother’s enthusiasm and hope.

Another example, what will we say when we are dealing with an angry person? Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

The horse will be useful for us when we can master the horse’s bridle. The horse will run wild and harm us when we cannot master its bridle. The ship will function properly and we can reach our destination safely when we can control the rudder of that large ship. 

Thus, when we can control our tongue by speaking positive words, these words will have an impact, not only on us but also on other people who hear our words. Positive words that come out of our mouths can change someone, circumstances, and situations, and bring healing (Proverbs 12: 18b), which will certainly glorify the name of the Lord. 

2. Wrong and negative words (James 3:5-6)

Every fire is started by a small fire. A small fire can burn a large forest. Even a very small fire, such as a small cigarette butt, can cause a large fire.

James says that the tongue is a fire; the tongue is a world of evil that takes place between the members of our body which can defile the whole body and ignite the wheel of our life. Negative words that come out of our mouths can cause a big problem; they can even destroy or kill (Matthew 5: 21-23).

ILLUSTRATION:

A group of frogs was walking through the forest when two of them fell into a well. The other frogs gathered around the well and when they saw how deep the well was, they started shouting, "There's no way you can go up here! This well is too deep. " The two frogs that were mired tried to jump up and kept trying their best. Seeing that, the frogs around the well shouted even more to the two frogs: "It won't work, you better just give up! It won't work, you will die!" Finally, one of the mired frogs gave up, fell, and died. But the other frog kept trying to jump out of the well and finally succeeded. The other frogs were surprised and asked, "You didn't hear our screams earlier?” The frog said: "I am deaf, I did not hear what you were saying but I saw you screaming and cheering me on."

One frog died because it heard negative words from its friends. Our negative words can kill ourselves or others: the words may not kill physically, but they could kill our souls and spirits or other people. 

3. Our struggle to tame our tongue (James 3:7-8)

Of course, we always want to say positive and constructive words in all situations, such as the words of healing and restoration. We also want to always say words of blessing, however, our flesh encourages us to say wrong words. 

(James 3: 9-12).

We have to fight, and the key to our success is in Luke 6:45. Lord Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart our mouths speak. Therefore, we need to take care of our hearts so the words that come out of our mouths are words that are true, useful, and constructive.

How do we keep our hearts? Drawing closer to God in intimacy, experiencing His presence and holiness, and living His Word will change our hearts. Other than that, let's start praying with references to Bible verses for our tongues: Psalm 19:14, Psalm 34:13, Psalm 141: 3, Proverbs 10:11, Proverbs 15: 1, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 31:26.

CLOSING

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Colossians 4:6

As God's family, let us remind and encourage each other to always speak words that can be a blessing, both for ourselves and other people.