The Tongue

If anyone thinks himself to be religious and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless. ~ James 1:26

The original Greek word for worthless in this text is mataios (mat'-ah-yos) and means; empty, profitless, an idol, vain, vanity.

We all know that the tongue is a dangerous weapon. It can cause the same kind of destruction that a catastrophic category five hurricane can...and worse. The words we speak are either life or death. They cannot be taken back, and they are more powerful than you or I could ever imagine.

As Christian Mothers we can destroy our children's self esteem, courage, performance, happiness, stability, and future. We can do all this with the words we speak to them day after day. When we take our frustrations out on them, when we expect more than they can give, anytime we speak negative words to our children we are harming them. We are creating scars that a lifetime will not heal.

I know this from personal experience. Throughout my entire childhood my Mother blamed me for everything, and spoke very cruel things to me. She continues to use her words to this day to cause me pain. As an adult I now know that she has many issues, and only when she makes the choice to submit her mouth to God will she change. However, the words spoken to me as a child and teenager, and young adult still ring in my ears. I must call out to God, and quote Scriptures with my mouth in order to get through those dark moments.

I share this with you because we must be very careful how we speak, and what we speak to our children, as well as others. We must not be foolish and let our tongues run rampant. We must learn and train ourselves to be slow to speak and quick to submit our mouths to Jesus Christ.

There is another harmful consequence to letting our tongues run wild. That is what James is trying to tell us. He makes it clear that when we allow our tongues to be used as a destructive force we are no longer effective in our ministry or service for the Lord.

And trust me that does not mean you must be working in a church. As wives our ministry is our husbands. As Mothers our ministry is our children. As Christian women our ministry is to the Lord and being an example for Jesus to a very dark world.

Letting our tongues run amuck will destroy anything we are trying to do as a wife, Mother, and Christian woman. It is very important that we be very careful and choose our words with wisdom. I know that I want to train my daughters up to be well balanced women, who love the Lord, have a great self-esteem, confidence, are strong, and know how to use their tongues to speak life. I'm sure that you want the same thing for your children.

The only way we can do this is to model it before them. To show respect to our husbands with our actions and words. To discipline them with love and not verbal abuse. Finally, we must walk the narrow road in front of them and show them how it's done.

The tongue is an issue I can just keep going and going on like the Energizer Bunny. LOL...I will stop here though. We will talk more about the tongue another time....

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for giving me a tongue. Thank You for entrusting me with a very powerful weapon. Forgive me for the times that I have abused that trust. Forgive me for the selfish, unkind, hurtful, and destructive words that I have spoken to my husband, children, and others. Help me to learn and train myself to use my words to produce life in the lives of others. Convict me strongly when I even begin to use my words in a way that displeases You. Thank You, Daddy God. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,

Lara ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez

Be Doers of the Word, part two

For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his own natural face in a mirror.

For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the law of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer who obeys, he shall be blessed in his life of obedience. ~ James 1:23-25

The word blessed is the same as from verse 12.

Blessed - makarious (mak-ar'-ee-os): supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy

Again we can see that God never asks us to do something that will not benefit us in some way. In this case we can hold onto the promise that when we live out loud and become active doers of the Word we will be supremely blessed. Notice how it doesn't just say blessed. It says SUPREMELY blessed.

When we live our lives as "closet Christians," and never stand up for the Truth, we are hindering what God wants to give us. What could we possibly gain by being fleshly people pleasers? We will gain nothing but sorrow and disappointment. We will train our children to be fleshly people pleasers too, and never have all that Jesus died to give us.

Instead let's stand together right now as a force. As Moms on a mission for Christ and not only become SUPREMELY blessed, but raise God pleasers. Won't you join me?

Let's pray,

Daddy God, Precious Daddy, thank You so much for always having benefits to a life of obedience. I want this promise. I want to be SUPREMELY blessed. I will not settle for less. I want my children to be SUPREMELY blessed. I will train them up so they can be equipped to be a You pleaser and not a man pleaser. Thank You so much for sending Your Son to die for me, and for Your Life giving Word. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,

Lara ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez