Skip to main content

“No one should make the mistake of thinking that Christians suddenly have it all together in the words arena.”

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (p. 39). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

We even as Christians need to grow in this area, don’t we?

Nelson says, “If you are a Christian or if you know any Christians, you can attest to this fact. Golden apples don’t start falling from your mouth simply because you choose to follow Jesus. Yes, once you become a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:17), but on this side of heaven, there is and always will be an ongoing, daily struggle with the flesh. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to believers in the Galatian church, ‘The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other.’ (Gal. 5:17)”

He goes on, “Even as a follower of Jesus, part of you will still want to control the driver’s seat in your heart. Sometimes you may find yourself just trying to perch on the edge of the seat. Other times, convinced you know what’s best, you may start trying to nudge God over so you can get your hands on the wheel. If you take control back completely, you’ll probably end up facing some form of destruction and pain—which will just make you want to turn things back over to him, that is, until you feel the need to perch on the edge of the seat again. As long as you and I are alive, we will be engaged in an ongoing battle with our human nature.

“Think of your words as a gauge that lets you know where you are in the ongoing battle. When you hear your words becoming harsh, coarse, and negative, you are edging God out of the driver’s seat, focusing on yourself and your needs. But when your words are full of love, encouragement, and praise, it’s a good sign that God is in his rightful position, steering you toward his purposes.”

Later Nelson says, “The battle over your words—and your life—rages on every day. Every time you speak, you choose a side. Judging by the kind of words you’ve used in the last few days, which side are you allowing to win?

As we live in a close relationship with Christ through His Spirit, we have the desire to chose His side but the Tempter is still there who pushes us to choose the other side.  I’m sure you find it a daily battle.  I know I do.  Let’s strive today to choose our words that come from God in His rightful position in our lives.  Would you do that?


Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...
Post a Comment
Read more