WHO CONTROLS MY TONGUE

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“With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 14:21

The Apostle James teaches, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 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” (James 3:6-10). The aspects that the Apostle James highlights about tongue are quite interesting:

• It is a fire.

• It is a world of evil.

• It is a part of our bodies.

• It corrupts the whole body.

• It sets the whole course of one’s life on fire.

• It is set on fire by hell.

• It can’t be tamed by men.

• It is double-minded. It blesses God, but at the same time curses men who bear the likeness of God.

• It is sweet and bitter at the same time.

We must know that the only person who can tame the human tongue is the Holy Spirit. James says, “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 wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts…” (James 3:4,5). The Lord Jesus Christ said, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). If our words are pure, our whole body will remain pure. If our words are malicious, filled with complaint and bitterness, our whole body will be contaminated. The wise man Solomon said that a man is ensnared by the words that come out of his mouth. A person that is controlled by the words of their mouth will grow more and more familiar with bitterness, negativity, complaint, and slander. They will become a person that inevitably confesses failure over their life and the lives of their loved ones.

On the other hand, a person filled with the Holy Spirit will always speak words of life. They are people who will find it easy to perceive the presence of God wherever they go, and they will find it natural to express worship, praise and rejoicing to Him at all times. With their words they change the atmosphere of their home, because they are not guided by circumstances. Instead, they always trust that God will do what He has promised.

A person who wants to use words that edify must allow the Holy Spirit to take control of their tongue. The Holy Spirit will become the captain of the ship of their life and will be the One who uses that small rudder to steer their life into a safe harbor.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“When I was a child someone told me that overhead electric cables carry a tremendous amount of energy, capable of moving machines and entire trains. But I was amazed to see birds sitting on them without being harmed. One day, an electrician came to fix some stuff around my house, so I asked him why this was. He answered, ‘It is because a bird sits only on one cable at a time. If a bird was to sit on a cable and that cable was to touch another one, the bird would fall dead to the ground immediately.’

“In the same way, our tongue has the extraordinary power of moving the spiritual world in our favor, – so we need to treat it with that level of respect. It can help by speaking only of the blessings and promises of God for our lives; or, it can do away with our future by harming our loved ones and destroying dreams.”

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I speak words of life, hope and faith by the power of the Spirit of God.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Three.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

    • Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 12-14; Psalms 129
    • New Testament: Luke 8:26-39; Colossians 3:1-14

WHO CONTROLS MY TONGUE