Blessing and Cursing
Who will commit for the next 7 days to only allow blessing out of their mouth and no cursing? My hand shot up as did many around the room. We were all moved and motivated to live in a way pleasing to God. I don’t usually use swear words so I was expecting to be able to keep my promise pretty easily.
My first realization occurred that evening. I was about to pass on some gossip I heard when I realized that the news I was going to share wasn’t neutral, such as ‘Jim Smith needs prayer because he hurt his back yesterday.’ Nor was it positive like ‘Mrs. Jones had her baby last week.’ I thought about what I was going to say and realized it was not a blessing and I didn’t need to share it.
As the week continued I found myself talking less. Well, not actually talking less, but ‘sharing’ less. Other than my own personal stuff I just didn’t have as many outside stories to tell. It was an eye-opener for me to realize just how much ‘cursing’ I did in the form of ‘sharing.’ We don’t call it gossiping anymore, that’s old school.
James 3:9-11
New Living Translation (NLT)
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those
who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing
come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters,
this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with
both fresh water and bitter water?
Proverbs 18: 8, 20-21
The Message (MSG)
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
do you really want junk like that in your belly?
Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.
Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
Dear Lord, please forgive me for using my mouth to complain, spread worry or fear, or pull apart someone else. Thank You for shining Your truth in my own life so that I will no longer be deceived. In Your precious name, amen.
Written by Mary M. Wilkins
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