The slanderer and the assassin

Tyron Edwards - “The slanderer and the assassin differ only in the weapon they use; with the one it is the dagger, with the other the tongue. The former is worse that the latter, for the last only kills the body, while the other murders the reputation.”

These words are really challenging for us to read, but they reveal the real damage that slander can do to someone's reputation. It is for this reason that James wrote:

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" -James 4:11-12

Jesus also knew that our hearts are dangerous organs - they can give us so much life, but they can also cause a lot of harm. He said: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” - Matthew 15:19. 

As much as it was a problem in the early church, it is still a problem today. How can we avoid slander happening in our circle of influence?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Controlling the whole horse

"A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." - James 3 (The Message)

I came across these words today and they reminded me of the power of the tongue amd how our words can "make or break" others.

May our words be few and our actions many! 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Cruel words

Words have the frightening ability to change people's lives - for better and for worse. The power of the tongue is great and we should all heed how we use our own words. As these words from Proverbs remind us:

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24

It seems that David's opponents were using the cruelty of their tongues to fearlessly attack him and his good name. It was as if he was coming under some form of physical attack. 

"They sharpen their tongues like swords,
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. 

They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
they shoot suddenly, without fear." - Psalm 64:3-4

How can we use our words to bring life and not death?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

21 - The right way

How sure are you that your way is the right way? It is easy to become convinced that our opinion is the best and no one else can know better. However, in the end, it is only the Lord who can test what our true motives are. 

"A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.

To do what is right and just    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." - Proverbs 21:2-3

 "Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy

Prayer: Lord, give me enough humility to say "sorry" if I am wrong and enough will power and strength to hold my tongue if I am right.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

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