CAREFULLY CHOOSE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
James 3:2-6 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
These four verses of scripture that are the most overlooked and ignored by many Christians. We don’t hear many sermons on the power of the tongue to destroy the work of God. However, James pulls no punches. He is quick to tell us the tongue is a powerful force that “can set the whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” In our present culture we can go an entire day without having a verbal conversation. With text, emails, direct messages, and social media we can communicate with hundreds of people without using our tongue. But I believe the truth spoken here applies to our thumbs as well as our tongue. When we use our thumbs to post on social media, we are either releasing life or death. We are allowing the words we post to be a spark that can set “your whole life on fire.” We should never type words that we would not say face-to-face with someone.
I can only imagine the evil that could be rooted out of our present society if we practiced James 3 with our thumbs as well as our tongues. What if we asked the Holy Spirit to check our tongues and our thumbs? What if we asked for anointed thumbs that only release life?
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to carefully choose the words I speak and the words I type. Forgive me for starting fires that destroy and harm.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
Guard my tongue and my thumb!
Anointed thumbs…please, God!!!
Lord help me be slow to speak, help me tell the full truth and never disrespect your name. Help me not make other think bad about you
Lord, help me to always guard my tongue and thumbs to bring glory to you. That others around me may see the amazing God I follow