Guard Your Tongue!

Are you praying and trusting God for a miracle, then complaining and grumbling to others about your situation or the person you've entrusted to Him? 

I've been guilty of that and the Holy Spirit convicted me about the poison of my words.  Grumbling, complaining, and cutting sarcasm is a sin.  How can I expect God to work miraculously when, in one breath, I tell Him I trust Him and then when I get together with girlfriends, say, "Ugh!  He's never going to change" or "With this economy so bad, I'll never get a good job!"  Out of one's heart, the mouth speaks!

For the past two weeks in my blog, I've focused on the question, "What is a Godly woman to do when joy is gone and bitterness of soul has come?" (See "Bitterness of Soul" and "Keep Out, God!")  Today, we'll learn that we must guard our tongue!  Ugh!  That's another hard one!

First Peter 3:8-10 (The Message)instructs us that if we want to live the abundant life and inherit a blessing in our hardship, we must, "say nothing evil or hurtful."  Instead, we are to "run after peace...be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.  That goes for all of you, no exceptions.  No retaliation.  No sharp-tongued sarcasm.  Instead, bless -- that's your job, to bless."  It concludes by saying, "to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing!" 

We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, instead of our hardship and determine to be a blessing.  Even if we suffer for it, it says in 1 Peter 3:17, "that it's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad." 

That's what Jesus did for us.

And, when we are obedient in this, God, in His great love and pleasure, will be faithful to His word and pour out His blessing on you.  His chosen blessing may be something different than you expected, but He never goes back on His word.

In your hardship, fix your eyes on Jesus.  Pray.  Trust.  Guard your tongue.  Be a blessing.  In God's sovereignty, He will provide for you everything you need.  Don't give up!

God desires that your life would glorify Him in all things.  May His presence and power overwhelm you today so that your light may shine bright and your joy may be made full.  Love you, my dear sisters in Christ.