The power of words

Just a few day ago an unknown homeless man has been shot to fame through a youtube video that went viral.  I was brought to tears when I saw a news article on channel 7 about this man Ted Williams.  , Ted Williams, who after several hours of this utube video going viral was offered a job at a radio station.  He was overwhelmed, numbed and truly thankful, but how his life changed in just a few hours.

I know that there is alot of bad and dangerous issues surrounding such sites as facebook, myspace and utube but the story of Ted Williams made me think about the opportunity for positive outcomes using social networking sites.    Going more locally, a mum has set up a scheme through facebook to ask for help to  families ravaged by the Queensland floods get essential school supplies for children starting school in a few weeks see Adopt a Family Flood Victims .

The power of speech is phenomenal.  In the bible, James speaks very clearly and plainly about the danger of the tongue.  "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (James 3:5-6).  Very strong words but for a good reason.  We all know what if feels like to be stung by some careless words spoken at an inappropriate time.  Such words and feelings can haunt us for years.

In her book, Disciplines of a Godly Woman, Barbara Hughes writes about how propriety, our behavior, is not just about the way we dress and modesty but also about our words and attitudes.  Quoting 1 Timothy 3:11 "  In the same way, their wives are to be women  of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything", Barbara demonstrates how scriptures define godly women as being respectable because their words are not malicious but temperate (restrained) and trustworthy (true). 

Author Jerry Bridges, in his book Respectable Sins, lays it on the table when he has a go at how easily as Christians we accept gossip, slander and other forms of negative speech.  We know the bible says not to do it but it's a sin that is often 'allowed' or tolerated  in many circles.  But the bible says " 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, emphasis  mine).

Jesus was just as clear and direct when he accused the Pharisees of their hypocrisy!
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?   For out of the  overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil  things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matthew 12:33-37).


Jesus is saying that it is all about the state of our hearts and our words are constantly revealing what is there.  We can try really hard to show others how good or righteous or perfect we are but the time will come when our guard is down and what we say will truly reveal what our heart is actually about.

I found these 2 chapters from the books I mentioned as quite sobering.  I admit, I've been guilty of all of these things but how do I change?  I think it goes back to what I had mentioned previously, a matter of consistency.  I know circumstances always change but my response shouldn't be dictated by circumstances, it should be determined by God's word living in me.  I'm realizing that my heart needs to be consistently in God and submitted to him in all things then what comes out of my mouth, actions and attitudes will be consistent with the will of God and with his word.  So perhaps the real issue for me is learning to be before God which simply means daily reading his word and spending more time in prayer.  There's no magic  formula or bible study or special committee.  So I have decided to read through the whole bible in 2011.  Does anyone want to join me and spent this year traveling through the bible and rediscovering the simplicity of hearing God through his word?