The Power of Words
Raising teenagers — not for the weary, right?
Recently, my girls and I have had some discussions about the destruction of gossip. They have watched rumors and gossip leave a trail of destruction. It has torn apart someone we love dearly.
Tonight, we sat down and talked about how that felt. She has seen how negativity becomes the spark to burn down reputations. We recognize the wrong of it all when someone we love is on the other end of it, but does that stop us from doing the same to someone else?
Gossip destroys ministries.
Gossip ruins reputations.
Gossip divides hearts.
Gossip ends friendships and families.
Gossip is never productive.
Proverbs 16:28 (CSB)
A contrary person spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 26:20 (CSB)
Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
Christians should be about grace, mercy and healing. It’s like we forget the power of our words.
It only takes a spark to start a blaze. There is a reason we are commanded not to gossip. We have to decide, “Am I going to use my tongue to praise the Lord or lash people?” Are you going to edify or divide? Do you want to show people the change that Jesus can make in your life? Or do you want to blend in with the world? And sometimes, the church is worse than the world on this one.
James 3:1-10 (CSB) 1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body. 3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
Only the Holy Spirit can tame the tongue, but we have to yield to it. The words we use will always show the condition of our hearts.
Be the good. Be like Jesus.
Rays of Sunshine inc 