Words of Life
I'm over how flippantly we talk to each other.
I'm over the disrespect, the sarcasm, the mean jokes, the crude humor, the harsh language, the cutting tone of voice.
I'm over it.
I'm over us saying we love each other, then denying that a minute later because of our speech.
I'm over us sharing Jesus with our mouths, then using the same mouths to utter profanity. Do we really think we can walk in this every day and think Jesus doesn't see? Do we really think it somehow escapes Him? Do you really think you can get away with it? Do we really think we don't need to repent, seek forgiveness, and experience incredible beautiful grace?
Ephesians 4 always kicks me in the booty.vs. 17-18: This I say and testify in the Lord, that you must NO LONGER walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alientated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
vs. 27: Give NO opporunity to the devil!!
vs. 29-32: Let NO corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building others up, as it fits the occassion, that it may give grace to those who hear. DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption! Let ALL bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. BE KIND to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
You don't think when you gossip about each other, speak rudely to each other, make fun of each other...you don't think you aren't giving a foothold to the devil? You don't think you're giving him an opportunity? You don't think you're completely missing building a sister up? My roomate, Emily, said something to me tonight that just stuck out to me. She said "the world is going to tear us down already...why would we want to do its job for it?" Why? Why do we want to tear each other down, gossip, spread rumors, speak rudely, accept those who speak rudely, be awful to each other, accept sexual talk...why would we want to do this when its everywhere around us?
What about Matthew 5:13-16?You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden! Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light in the house. In the same way, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
If you profess to know Jesus Christ, He has CHOSEN YOU to represent Him. Are you taking this seriously? Are you living your life as a city set upon a hill, so that His light shines through you to the world. Can people tell you love Jesus by what comes out of your mouth? Proverbs says it's that which comes out of your mouth that defiles you. What is coming out of your mouth? Is it edifying and life-giving, or is it condescending and life-sucking? How are you characterized?
This is an on-going issue.
Check out James 3. If this chapter doesn't convict you then something isnt right. vs. 5-12 says,
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. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, THIS MUST NOT BE SO! Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
What fruit are you yielding?
What are you known for?
So, I say it again. I'm over it. I'm over it in my life. I'm over it in yours. I'm over us being lazy and ambivalent and pretending like this isn't an issue. I'M OVER IT. We cannot keep speaking so boldly about Jesus and using our mouths the way we use them.
How incredible and beautiful is it that Jesus has chosen us to represent Him.
How amazing is it that He gave us mouths and voices and speech.
How humbling is it that He continues to use us and be faithful to us when we're faithless!
How awesome is it that we can use those mouths to HONOR HIM!
We can use our mouths to GIVE LIFE. That we can use to them UPLIFT EACH OTHER when life is hard. Life is hard. Let's stick together in this; let's fight togther for Jesus. Let's represent His grace and love and kindness. Let's walk in obedience. Let's love others as He has loved us. Let's represent the body of Christ in a unity and peace and grace and love He calls us to.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Let's do this.
I'm over the disrespect, the sarcasm, the mean jokes, the crude humor, the harsh language, the cutting tone of voice.
I'm over it.
I'm over us saying we love each other, then denying that a minute later because of our speech.
I'm over us sharing Jesus with our mouths, then using the same mouths to utter profanity. Do we really think we can walk in this every day and think Jesus doesn't see? Do we really think it somehow escapes Him? Do you really think you can get away with it? Do we really think we don't need to repent, seek forgiveness, and experience incredible beautiful grace?
Ephesians 4 always kicks me in the booty.vs. 17-18: This I say and testify in the Lord, that you must NO LONGER walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alientated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
vs. 27: Give NO opporunity to the devil!!
vs. 29-32: Let NO corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building others up, as it fits the occassion, that it may give grace to those who hear. DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption! Let ALL bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. BE KIND to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
You don't think when you gossip about each other, speak rudely to each other, make fun of each other...you don't think you aren't giving a foothold to the devil? You don't think you're giving him an opportunity? You don't think you're completely missing building a sister up? My roomate, Emily, said something to me tonight that just stuck out to me. She said "the world is going to tear us down already...why would we want to do its job for it?" Why? Why do we want to tear each other down, gossip, spread rumors, speak rudely, accept those who speak rudely, be awful to each other, accept sexual talk...why would we want to do this when its everywhere around us?
What about Matthew 5:13-16?You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden! Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light in the house. In the same way, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
If you profess to know Jesus Christ, He has CHOSEN YOU to represent Him. Are you taking this seriously? Are you living your life as a city set upon a hill, so that His light shines through you to the world. Can people tell you love Jesus by what comes out of your mouth? Proverbs says it's that which comes out of your mouth that defiles you. What is coming out of your mouth? Is it edifying and life-giving, or is it condescending and life-sucking? How are you characterized?
This is an on-going issue.
Check out James 3. If this chapter doesn't convict you then something isnt right. vs. 5-12 says,
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. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, THIS MUST NOT BE SO! Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
What fruit are you yielding?
What are you known for?
So, I say it again. I'm over it. I'm over it in my life. I'm over it in yours. I'm over us being lazy and ambivalent and pretending like this isn't an issue. I'M OVER IT. We cannot keep speaking so boldly about Jesus and using our mouths the way we use them.
How incredible and beautiful is it that Jesus has chosen us to represent Him.
How amazing is it that He gave us mouths and voices and speech.
How humbling is it that He continues to use us and be faithful to us when we're faithless!
How awesome is it that we can use those mouths to HONOR HIM!
We can use our mouths to GIVE LIFE. That we can use to them UPLIFT EACH OTHER when life is hard. Life is hard. Let's stick together in this; let's fight togther for Jesus. Let's represent His grace and love and kindness. Let's walk in obedience. Let's love others as He has loved us. Let's represent the body of Christ in a unity and peace and grace and love He calls us to.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Let's do this.
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