[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Tuesday, May 27, 2014

[Paul via Faith-talk]

Hello and good day to you all out there.  I hope that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you are all doing well today.

Here in the mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. it is unseasonably warm, reminding me of the weather we most likely will get in July and August.  However by Thursday it's supposed to be more seasonal weatherwise, for which I and others will be grateful.

Here is another article from last year, but, as I stated previously, there are some who haven't read it yet, so for those readers and others who want a reminder, here it is again.  This piece was written by Ruth O'Neil and is entitled "Self-Control," rendered as follows:

Often when we think of self-control, we think of keeping our fiery tempers hidden.  I guess that is because that is the area where many of us lack self-control.  What I think of, however, is the tongue.  The Bible describes the tongue as uncontrollable.  "The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (Jas. 3:8).

James 1:26 says, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." Reins are used to control a horse.  Just like pulling back hard on the reins keeps a horse from running away, we sometimes have to pull back hard on our tongues to keep them under control and keep them from saying something that does not need to be said.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword."

Revelation 19:15 tells of Christ's return to earth after the tribulation and His thousand-year reign:  "Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations." It is then that He uses His words to literally strike people down; but He is God, and we are not.

Our words should be used only to lift people up.  "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Eph. 4:29).  Do we say only that which will edify and build others up?

Many times the words that roll off our tongues are sharper than they need to be.  We need to control our tongues so that we will not hurt others or harm the cause of Christ.

There are plenty of times I wield my double-edged sword, and all that I accomplish is anger and frustration.  Sometimes I need to stand back and keep my sword in its place--behind closed lips.  I have to admit that I am not always very good at that.  One time I was fussing about something that was happening to my family that was wrong.  As badly as the other people were treating us, it was not my place to address the problem; it was my husband's.

Now that I am more mature spiritually, there are more times when I can use my double-edged sword for good uses.  I must do so, however, with self-control.

And there you have Ruth's article which I hope ministered to you today, and perhaps showed you where you need to control your tongues on an individual basis.

For those who didn't know, the answer to last Sunday's weekly Bible game was Galatians 2.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul