Words......

What do wars, speeches, fights, proposals, and prayers all have in common?  All of them were conceptualized and created in a large part by someone, somewhere, letting words escape their mouth.  Early in my marriage to my beautiful wife I thought it would be a great idea to embrace her with my idea of what was involved with babysitting or watching children.  I told her that watching children was easy because you just sit there and let them play.  Let's just say I still have not lived that one down!

It's amazing what words from our tongues have the ability to do.  Words have started wars, and words have also saved thousands.  Even now I get caught up letting my tongue loose and taking my chances at work and at home.  Let's just say that I have struck out more than a few times.  I have talked my way to the couch at night, and I have also talked my way into awards and promotions.  We are our own worst enemies.  God gives us that free will to say what we will.  Though most of us choose poorly more times than not.  This is why it is so important to lean on God for our inspiration and not the ways of the world.  Imagine all the times you have ever spoken out of anger or let emotions dictate the words that roll off your tongue.  How many people have we hurt to fulfill our own selfish ambitions and feelings?  The book of James gives us a good idea how our words can determine who we are.
James 3: versus 3-6
³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.