During this time of shelter-in-place I have really struggled to recognize what my purpose should be. I have always been an extremely active person. Even though I was shy, I wasn’t really a wallflower. I would always volunteer and work behind the scenes of anything that was going on. Soooo. now they told me I had to stay at home….basically alone. What is it that you want me to do, Lord???
I have bounced around quite a bit from day-to-day, but in the midst I joined a writer’s conference called : She Writes for Him. Wow, what an incredible three days. It was actually much more like a shelter-in-place ladies’ retreat, but it was such a blessing. My top take away? I don’t have to write a book to be considered a writer. In fact, I’m a writer even if all I do is write letters or cards. Honestly, I never thought about it that way before. It makes perfect sense. Every word you write or speak has such possibility and power.
To cement my thought process I have been taking an instagram course in which the instructor asked us to define our “soul essence.” Or, what is the main thing you want people to know about you–what makes you uniquely you? That was difficult, but I came up with this: “Encouraging others to have a voice-either, spoken, written or performed and the confidence to use it.”
In light of those two ideas I decided to repost this from the past.
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.–
James 3:5-8
During my sophomore year in college my roommate decided we should all memorize the Book of James together. I’m sorry to say that in all my years before the verses I had committed to memory did not include the wonderful truths in the book of James. Looking back on it, I don’t even really remember studying it much before that time. All of a sudden that book changed my life. I often tell people it was written just for me. The picture of all the wickedness of the tongue burns in my memory.
- The tongue is a fire
- It is full of deadly poison
- It is a small member of the body but makes great boasts
- We have tamed every kind of creature, but cannot tame the tongue
To summarize our tongues are powerful, uncontrollable, evil and hurtful. Wow. Think about that for a moment. As much as we may try we often say things that we regret. Things that hurt others. And things that we cannot take back.
I have a vivid memory of someone that got angry at me and wrote me a note and then asked for it back. They wanted to change what they had written because they had regrets. I said no. Now you are probably thinking I am a cruel person, but it wasn’t because I didn’t forgive them. It was because a word spoken or written can never be taken back. That alone should cause us to think twice before we open our mouths.
So if the tongue can do that much damage can it do that much good as well?
Proverbs 16:24 “Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Proverbs 18:4 “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.”
Proverbs 18:20 “Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person’s lips bring satisfaction.”
The words tongue, lips, mouth and words are used over 170 times in the Bible. Our words have such power. Many of us speak hundreds of words a minute and thousands over an hour. How are you going to use yours today?
Please take a moment to share your words! I’d love to hear them!
Until next time!
Reba
From the Wings 
Thank you for this post, Reba! What a wonderful way to start the day.
Every relationship we have, personal and professional, is touched for good or ill by our words. Our lives would be transformed if we were always swift to hear and slow to speak.
Consistently living this way is impossible apart from God’s grace. But praise Him for His enablement! “I can do all things through Christ.”
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Great post. A wonderful reminder for us all.
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I hope I use my words to bless people, but sometimes, I use them in frustration to cut others down or gossip. I’m tryIng with God’s help to have wisdom!
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