Powerful Words

I've been thinking a lot lately about the impact of my words. Not just on this blog, but in real life, day-to-day conversations. I don't think its any secret what my religious views are. I am a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. Without His saving grace, God only knows what kind of mess I would be. Since I started blogging, however, I've been asking myself, "Do my words reflect that?" When I speak are my words full of love or condemnation. Do I lift others up or tear them down? Do others hear the voice of Christ coming out of my mouth, or the voice of Hannah(God forbid)?

The book of James goes so far as to call our tongues "fire". they have the power to kill and destroy. The really remarkable thing though, is that they also have the power to lift up and heal. They have the power to share the joy of Salvation with others.

I knew I had a problem with my 'tongue' a few months ago when I started noticing that I was cursing all the time. I could accidently drop my pencil and out would pop a word I didn't even realize I had in me. I'm not sure what started the cursing, but I knew it had to stop. I didn't like the way those words sounded on my lips. I was reminded of a verse in John that talks about the fact that the words that come out of our mouths are a true reflection of our character. I was a little ashamed of the character I had developed.

Thankfully through prayer and God's mercy, I've toned the cursing down considerably. More importantly I've learned that when my heart is not right with God, my words reflect it. When I don't spend time in His presence, I'm short tempered, snappy, impatient, rude, ect... I'm not a reflection of Jesus Christ, which is what we as Believers are called to be here on earth. I pray that I will be able to say the words of King David, who as he was writing his final oracle before death said, "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue."

Hannah