Guarding Our Tongues And Their Hearts

Yes, there is plenty to complain about these days.  The economy is struggling and the political environment is a breeding ground for criticism and grumbling.  Rarely can you spend much time in a conversation with someone without a discussion about energy, healthcare, or a sundry of other contentious topics.  This has become so common that we easily move into such dialogs almost by habit.

I want to take a moment and direct our hearts back to scripture where we are exhorted to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25), to love one another (John 13:35), and to edify one another (Ephesians 4:29).  Ephesians 4:29 is clear that, when we are with others, we are to guard our speech so that it builds others up in Christ.   When we talk negatively or focus on the problems of life, we move ourselves and others away from seeing God’s sufficiency and focusing only on man’s inability to handle these issues.  Unintentionally, we rob ourselves of experiencing God’s joy and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

When we look at today’s political scene, no matter who is in office, it is good to remember that man, on his best day, does not have the ability to deal with the issues facing us apart from the empowerment of God.  I’m sure that this is why God calls us to pray for these men and women.  It is important, too, for us to step back and remind ourselves that none of us can see the future. So, we shouldn’t put our confidence in either politicians or political pundits.  Only God has the final word.  We don’t always know what the Lord is trying to do at a particular point because we can’t see the big picture as God does.  Our trust must be in the Lord and Him alone.  Therefore, as we think on these things, let us commit ourselves to trusting in God’s sovereignty and being obedient to those things to which He has called us, especially prayer.

In addition to Paul’s calling us to prayer, James calls on us to guard our tongues.  He may not have had politics in mind, but the principle he puts forth applies to all situations.  We need to control what comes out of our mouths, since our words are a reflection of what is in our hearts. Our words affect those who hear them.   Do our words build people up or do they pull people down?  What great power there is in our words!  James says the tongue is a “fire” capable of great destruction.  Maybe the next time we are part of a conversation that we see heading down a negative road, we might take it in a positive direction by simply interjecting, “Yes, we need to pray for that” or “for him.”

I want to especially challenge adults who are around children to be careful of their words and attitudes.  Our kids pick up so much from listening to us, even when we think that they are in the background playing.  Their two little ears never turn off.  What they hear from us will help them form their attitudes about God, the church, and life in general.  If, as adults, we are too frequently negative and critical, the chances are that our kids are going reflect that attitude in their view of life as they grow up.  I know that none of us would want to be even partially responsible for harming one of our little ones this way.  However, when they hear us speak of God’s goodness and provision, they are drawn through our words to see God for who He is – a good God.  Think about it.

Pastor Doug Dennee