This week’s reflections are written by Rev. Brian Johnson, one of our Associate Pastors here at St. Matthew’s Rooted 2019 – Week Thirteen Day Four Today’s reading is Psalm 5 Even the righteous are not immune to slander and attacks. We see … Continue reading
Ever felt like there was something that you needed to say for Jesus, but didn’t have the words? Like you didn’t know what you should say? Or how you should say it? I’ve been there. I think we’ve all been … Continue reading
As I was reading today’s text, I thought of the old children’s song, O Be Careful, Little Eyes. I know that you’ve heart it before, but the last verse of that song goes like this.
O be careful little mouth what you say
O be careful little mouth what you say
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little mouth what you say
I thought of that when I read the words that Jesus spoke in Luke 12: 1-3:
In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
There is that great truth that we see in both the children’s song, but more importantly in God’s Word, for us to be careful what it is that we say. For our words matter. The way that we talk about people matters.
How we live, it really does matter. The little song reminds us to be careful about what it is that we say. Jesus reminds us to be careful about what it is that we do. And what we do, even in secret, is seen by God.
That’s not a scare tactic by Jesus. It’s not there to beat us up. But it is there to remind us that our lives matter. How we live matters.
And we we engage or talk that is hurtful, it isn’t just hurtful to them, it’s hurtful to us. What we do in the dark, it causes us hurt. It causes us pain. It causes us destruction. It hurts us too.
So, be careful today. Live loved, because you are.
And love each other. Because we all need that love.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
You have at your disposal today one of the greatest weapons known to mankind. Today, you have the ability to use a weapon that can cause great harm today, and that can reverberate through many years to come.
This weapon is so powerful, so dangerous, and each of us use it each day without really even thinking about it.
What is this weapon? Listen to the words of James 3: 7-10 this morning.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Our tongue is full of deadly poison. With it, today, we can tear down. We can destroy. We can devastate. We can do such great harm. With our tongue we can harm those we don’t know. And those that we do know.
And here’s the sad part, at least to me. I found in my own life, the folks that I sometimes speak the harshest too are the folks that I love the most.
James tell us today, out of the same mouth we bless our God and we tear down our brothers and sisters. This should not be so.
We have to use our tongue, our word, to build up today. To be a blessing not a curse. To be a help, not a hinderance. To be a way to encourage, not to destroy.
You have at your disposal today something that can do great harm. Or bring great life. Your tongue. Your words.
How will you use it today?
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones
Today, seek peace. It could be very easy to seek trouble. To respond in anger. To respond in hurt. To respond in pain. To give back for what we’ve been given. To strike first. To lash out.
Don’t do it.
That doesn’t make things better. That doesn’t help. That doesn’t bring life or joy or peace. It only brings hurt. Listen to the words of Psalm 34: 11-14 today:
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Keep your tongue from evil. Turn away from evil. Do good. Seek peace.
Today, when you are tempted to respond from a place of hurt or pain or anger.
Don’t.
Today, when you want to give back to them for what they’ve given to you.
Don’t.
Today, when you want to strike back or lash out.
Don’t.
Seek peace. Do the right thing. Even it’s hard or it hurt or it is not easy. Seeking peace is the right thing. It will bring life. Even when it’s hard. Striking back is easy. But it will bring pain. Seeking peace is hard, but it will bring life.
Today, do the right thing. Seek peace.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones
Today, you have a choice to make with your words. You can use them to build others up, or you can use them to tear others down.
Each of us, today, we have that choice.
Listen to what Paul writes to us today in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11:
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
For those of us that believe, God’s desire for us is not wrath, but to obtain the joy, rest, and peace of salvation. That’s God’s call and God’s plan for you today.
That what is what He longs for you today, to build you and let you know that life.
And, that’s not just His plan for you, it’s His plan for all that believe today. For every Christian, for every believer, He longs to have them to know that peace and joy of full salvation.
Today, each of us get to play a part in that plan. With how we treat each other. Do we help others know God better?
Do we build them up?
Do we encourage them?
Do we point them to Christ?
Today’s let’s do that. God will place before us today someone who needs encouragement. Someone that needs someone to believe in them. Someone that just needs some love and some hope.
You can do that! You have that chance today. You can do that!
Today, we can tear down, or we can build up. Today, through His grace, may we build up!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
James in his letter writes about the power of the tongue. He says that it’s a restless evil, that no one can control it. With the same mouth be bless God and curse our neighbor. He goes on to say that this should not be so.
I’ve often compared the book of James in the New Testament to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. They are both incredibly practical books of wisdom for the living of each day.
And both books are really concerned about our mouths and what we say.
James talked about the tongue being a restless evil, listen to what Proverbs 17: 27-28 says today:
Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Restrain your words, have a cool spirit. Even a fool that keep silent is considered wise.
So, today, keep this simple advice from both James and from Proverbs.
Be careful what you say. Before you say it, take a moment to think about it. Pray about it. Consider what your words will do.
Once you say them, you can’t get them back. Once they are out, they are out, and theirs nothing that can be done about it.
Be calm, cool, and discerning today. Pray about your words. Think about your words. Speak your words carefully. Use them for building up, not for tearing down. Use them for good, not for ill.
Use them to glorify God and help others.
Today, before you say it, think about it. And may we use all that we are, mouth and words included, for God’s glory!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
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