When I was growing up, my mother said to me several times, "Sylvia, don't let people use your ears as a garbage can." It was some of the most useful advice I have ever received.
During this Christmas season, we will be reading and hearing Luke 2:10 recited: "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Good tidings. Good news. A good report. Words that bring joy to people's hearts.
Words have the power to maim or heal, destroy or edify, tear down or lift up, destroy hope or plant hope, discourage or encourage, curse or bless. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
As a direct result of my mother's advice, I have purposely chosen as my closest friends people that are not gossipers or bad-news-carriers. Certainly, from time to time unpleasant things have to be discussed; this is life, after all. But there is a difference between a true necessity to discuss things that are sometimes negative and having a built-in affinity with bad news and gossip.
One thing I have noticed is that when I speak negatively I'm not as happy and peaceful as when I speak kind words and words of faith. Just because I hear something does not mean that I need to repeat it. I sometimes unwillingly hear things about people that I don't repeat, even to my husband. Why fill his mind with garbage too? When I choose to speak good words, I am behaving like the "new creature" that I am. When I choose to speak negative, demeaning, faithless words, I am behaving like the "old man" that is supposed to be dead (I Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24-25).
There have been times in my life when I have focused more on my problems than the Problem-Solver. This magnifies the problem greater than the Solution. The problem then looms larger in my mind than Jesus. This always produces a downward spiral of hopelessness and despair. I much prefer thinking and speaking God's language! It is a language of hope, faith, encouragement, love, and peace. It is the language that God understands, so he replies and responds to it. Negative words are foreign to Him; He cannot minister when words of fear and unbelief are spoken because that is not His language.
Good ole James used a horse to illustrate the power of our words. He said that if we place a bit in a horse's mouth, we can then direct the horse and it will go where we want it to go (James 3:2-13). We are not horses, of course, but the illustration is excellent. If we will routinely ask God to tame our tongues, so that when we open our mouths, wisdom and kindness will come out, He will help us!
Christmastime can be filled with unnecessary hullabaloo and drama. To say that America's celebration of Jesus' birth is off-focus would be an understatement. It is easy to be negative and contentious about ridiculously unimportant things during the Christmas season. This year, my goal is to keep my focus on Jesus - not people, presents, or programs. I encourage you to do the same. As we stay focused on Him and speak "glad tidings of great joy," Christmas will come and go and we will still be content, peaceful, and most important...still walking with Jesus!
During this Christmas season, we will be reading and hearing Luke 2:10 recited: "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Good tidings. Good news. A good report. Words that bring joy to people's hearts.
Words have the power to maim or heal, destroy or edify, tear down or lift up, destroy hope or plant hope, discourage or encourage, curse or bless. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
As a direct result of my mother's advice, I have purposely chosen as my closest friends people that are not gossipers or bad-news-carriers. Certainly, from time to time unpleasant things have to be discussed; this is life, after all. But there is a difference between a true necessity to discuss things that are sometimes negative and having a built-in affinity with bad news and gossip.
One thing I have noticed is that when I speak negatively I'm not as happy and peaceful as when I speak kind words and words of faith. Just because I hear something does not mean that I need to repeat it. I sometimes unwillingly hear things about people that I don't repeat, even to my husband. Why fill his mind with garbage too? When I choose to speak good words, I am behaving like the "new creature" that I am. When I choose to speak negative, demeaning, faithless words, I am behaving like the "old man" that is supposed to be dead (I Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24-25).
There have been times in my life when I have focused more on my problems than the Problem-Solver. This magnifies the problem greater than the Solution. The problem then looms larger in my mind than Jesus. This always produces a downward spiral of hopelessness and despair. I much prefer thinking and speaking God's language! It is a language of hope, faith, encouragement, love, and peace. It is the language that God understands, so he replies and responds to it. Negative words are foreign to Him; He cannot minister when words of fear and unbelief are spoken because that is not His language.
Good ole James used a horse to illustrate the power of our words. He said that if we place a bit in a horse's mouth, we can then direct the horse and it will go where we want it to go (James 3:2-13). We are not horses, of course, but the illustration is excellent. If we will routinely ask God to tame our tongues, so that when we open our mouths, wisdom and kindness will come out, He will help us!
Christmastime can be filled with unnecessary hullabaloo and drama. To say that America's celebration of Jesus' birth is off-focus would be an understatement. It is easy to be negative and contentious about ridiculously unimportant things during the Christmas season. This year, my goal is to keep my focus on Jesus - not people, presents, or programs. I encourage you to do the same. As we stay focused on Him and speak "glad tidings of great joy," Christmas will come and go and we will still be content, peaceful, and most important...still walking with Jesus!
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