Religion is vain, empty, profitless...IF I do not bridle my tongue. James 1:26, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren)."
How can I bridle my tongue? What is the bridle for my tongue? The Holy Spirit! James 3 says that no man can tame the tongue. However, the Holy Spirit can! Jesus Christ proved this truth when He said,"I only say what I hear the Father say." The Holy Spirit, upon Christ, enabled Him to do that. The Holy Spirit does the same for us. Just like Christ, I have to choose WHO I will listen to and WHO I will obey...either my flesh, my enemy or my Savior. I will know WHOM I have listened to and WHOM I have believed by what comes out of my mouth. What comes out of my mouth is my report. My report influences ALL of my life - my words, my actions, my emotions, my whole world.
Keith Moore says it best - "You frame your world with your words."
I can use my mouth to "report" (tell myself and others) how I feel, what I think and even speak what the enemy has tricked me into believing - this is an evil report. This report causes me to un-believe, doubt, fear, worry, etc. OR I can use my mouth to "report"(tell myself and others) what Christ has already done on my behalf. I get to "encourage myself in the Lord" just like David did by remembering and speaking what He has done to free me from the enemy's devices. My mouth is a powerful weapon against the enemy's tactics. The moment I begin to focus my attention and use my mouth to speak the goodness of God: praising Him, giving Him thanks, praying in the Spirit, rejoicing, singing, blessing and loving - I begin winning, triumphing, overcoming, getting courage and strength!
These 5 smooth stones (1. Praising God, 2. Thanking God, 3. Praying in the Spirit, 4. Having a Merry Heart, 5. Loving) are weapons of my warfare to slay the giants in my land. My mouth is the sling that gives each of these stones the force, direction, power and velocity to destroy my enemy's plans. God says that you can control your whole body by your tongue OR you can defile your body with your tongue. Before I let a word fly out of my mouth, I give control of my tongue to the Holy Spirit who will say the right thing. Psalms 141:3 says, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." That guard is the Holy Spirit. Father has given Him to us as our Helper and this is one of the vital ways He helps us.
My job in all this is two-fold. First, I get to choose, moment by moment, what I am going to allow myself to think on in my mind and what I will entertain in my heart. This is the greatest factor in determining what will come out of my mouth. Out of the abundance of the heart (what I have been thinking about), my mouth will speak. I choose to think on the things that are true, honest, lovely and of a good report. As I choose to think on these things, they shove out the unprofitable thoughts or "thought bombs" the enemy is trying to get me to take so that he can do his destructive work. Proverbs 13:3, "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." The second part of my job involves a choice as well. I get to choose to yield to my flesh, my enemy or my Savior. I let (choose, permit, allow) the Holy Spirit guard my mouth by yielding my tongue to Him. "To Whomever you yield your members(tongue), his slaves you become." Whether I yield my tongue to unrighteousness (i.e. the enemy - flesh) or righteousness (Christ - Holy Spirit) determines what fruit I'm going to be eating. Fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) or the fruit of my own way.
Thank God He has given me free will to choose AND the power of the Holy Spirit to choose well!
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