Controlling the Things We Say
3 My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can control their whole bodies. 4 Also a ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship, making it go wherever the pilot wants. 5 It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it starts a fire that influences all of life. 7 People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil and full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. 10 Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good and bad water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives, or can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water cannot give good water.
How do these powerful words affect you? How might you need to adjust your approach to making disciples?
I feel like you have to not change your content, but change how you word what t is that you are saying.
ReplyDeleteThey affect me in the sense that in all things I must live out the true meaning of the gospel. I must be careful in my speech, being watchful that I don't mislead people trying to be clever with the gospel. I must be careful in what I do, because the reality is that people will follow what I do before they hear what I say.
ReplyDeleteMy approach needs to change by doing life with those I disciple up close and personal daily and not from a far. Those i disciple need to see how i live my life and not just hear what I tell them to do.