Devotional 9-7-18

Summer vacation has come to a close, so three weeks ago, my husband and I picked up 4 of our grandchildren after the first day of school in our van. You cannot believe the excitement that day.  The noise level was unbelievably loud.  All four of them wanted to tell us about their first day back to school at the same time.  They had so much to tell us and they all wanted to be the first to tell us because they were so excited and so energetic.  Each one tried to talk over the others, so they had to be the loudest, so we could hear them first.  Whew!!! It was crazy in that van!!

But isn’t this commonplace today, when we want to share a story with someone.  Whether we are in an office or a restaurant or at home, we find ourselves getting louder so we can be heard over everyone else and everything else that is going on around us.  We just want to be heard, so we can tell our important story.

In James 3:1-12, we hear about “taming the tongue”. “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.”  You see, it really is difficult to control our tongue.  We have something important to say and we do not want to wait. Our tongue can get us into so much trouble so quickly.  So often it controls us, not us controlling it.

The author of James explains that with God’s help we can slow down and think first, so we can control what we are about to say. The words we speak can harm and hurt or they can encourage.  The words we speak can destroy or build up.  If we love God, we must love all of God’s children as well.  What are we going to tell others and what tone are we going to use to tell them?

Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” What a responsibility for us to carry every minute of every day. Can you, with God’s help, stop before you speak? How will you use your tongue today?


Blessings,
Rev. Suzanne Ellis