Get a Grip - May 5, 2011

Point of View:
So on Tuesday we talked about being quick to listen. Well today we are going to dig into being slow to speak. I’m sure that you can all remember a time when somebody has offended you and you probably said some things that you know you shouldn’t have said, right? We normally say hurtful things to people to bring them down to our level, but Ephesians 4:29 tells us to do otherwise. Verse 29 reads: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”. You see, the keyword in that verse is “any”: “do not let ANY unwholesome (rude or hurtful) talk come out of your mouths”. Now that doesn’t sound like a request to me, it sounds like a demand! We have to get a grip on our tongues! Instead of yelling and tearing people down, we need to be listening and building people up. So with that in mind…

The Challenge:
I challenge you to get a grip on your tongue! We have to be slow to speak, remembering that being quick to listen is much wiser than shouting out mean and hurtful words. Remember that when we are talking, it should be “building others up according to their needs” and “benefiting those who listen”. If we can learn to be quick to listen and slow to speak, getting angry will be something that happens very rarely. Knowing that it is very hard to avoid getting angry, next Tuesday’s devotional will touch on being slow to become angry and what to do when we are.

Prayer Points:
• Thank God for giving Paul the wisdom recorded in Ephesians 4:29, For though this verse we find out what we should really be talking about.
• Ask that we will be able to get a grip on our tongues.
• Pray that you will be able to give God the glory and righteousness that He desires.

The Word:
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak… - James 1:19

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29