I hated myself for using such cruel words. I certainly said the wrong things. I told God how much I regretted causing my friend in high school so much pain and embarrassment.
As I look back, it is hard to imagine those words came out of my mouth on that regrettable day.
We hear in James 3 that the tongue has the power to bless and curse. But more importantly, our tongues reveal what is deep and hidden in our hearts. The unfiltered words, the very ones we do not edit before they come flying out, are the most revealing.
How many times have we put our feet in our mouths?
God wants us to make a conscious effort to control our words. But it will require us to dig deeper to find the root cause. What we say shows the condition of our hearts. Was it jealousy, greed, criticism, judgment, or something else in our hearts?
Mastering our tongues starts with the desire to change. And it also requires that we weed out sin in our lives that often originates from our attachment to the secular world, a world focused on power, prestige, and possessions instead of God.
God wants us to grow in grace, love, generosity, and encouragement. He wants our words to reveal a heart filled with these things from our loving Savior.
As we know God’s love for us more profoundly, our hearts start to resemble the heart of Jesus more and more, and the less and less we will put our feet in our mouths.
Lord, you know how much I need your wisdom to hold my tongue. Help me harness the words I choose to use, letting my words always reveal your kindness and goodness, even when I find myself in a tense situation. Amen.
Song of Reflection: May the Mind of Christ my Saviour by Arthur C. Barham-Gould