This morning I read in James regarding the tongue, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?”
I thought of my words over the last week…let’s not even reflect on the last month, for that might be a bit much for me to take. I can see some “old habits” creeping back into my daily life. Things like self-pity–all those “Woe is me” statements that come so easily out of my mouth. And then there are the harsh statements I send in my kids direction–“What are you thinking?????” or “You are making me CRAZY!” or “Do you see how much work you are causing me by your sillyness???” Don’t even make me talk about my tone.
BIG SIGH. (It’s right here that I might want to just go back to bed and pull the covers up over my head and stay there in my failure.)
I asked myself– What kind of water is flowing from the fountain of my heart? It takes a direct route through my tongue.
Just like in Exodus when Moses was shown by the Lord a tree to throw into the bitter waters of Marah to make them sweet, the Lord wants to show me my bitter words so that He can fill me and make them sweet. Left to myself, there’s no telling what might come out of my mouth! But filled with the Holy Spirit of God and keeping in step with Him, my heart will be in a place that only sweet water can flow. I’m praying that today what I hear coming out of my mouth today will be a result of a heart change, a heart healing by my Redeemer. I’ll be grateful. And so will my kids.
