Our words!

Do you ever wonder just how the language of non believers affects believers? First of all let me define what a "Believer" is according to the word of God"...if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10)..The definition of the non believer is as follows, One who does not believe or have faith, as in God or a philosophy, a person who does not believe, especially in God and religion. I think that the language of others around us has a profound affect on us. I think that it has a much greater effect on us than we even realize. A brother in Christ was telling me this morning that he had gotten up this morning and had some quality prayer time, a great devotional ,and he was in a pretty good mood, Praise God. Well after only a few minuets at work his happy mood started to fade. All the filth and foulness that surrounded him started to take its toll on him. The bad language ,the poor attitudes started to wear on him immediately. Proverbs 10:18-21 18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. We discussed how that type of language makes a person look, how UN professional it is. I don't think we have a clue how that type of foul language affects the believer. There are so many great scriptures that support why our language should be good and wholesome. This is what Proverbs 12:13-23 says,13) An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. 14) From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him. 15) The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. 16) A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. 17) A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies. 18) Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 19) Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. 20) There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. 21) No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. 22) The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. 23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly. James 3:3-6 reads: "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Wow, how powerful words can be! Think of a large horse, such a powerful, strong, sturdy, animal. Yet, a small bridle placed into the mouth of a horse allows a person to control the horse. In the same way, such a small word spoken unwisely controls the life of a human being, or worse yet, destroys the life of another. As human beings, we have managed to tame all sorts of wild animals, for example Zoo Keepers spend their lives inside the cages of lions, tigers, and all sort of animals that most of us would never approach in the wild. However, not one person has ever been able to tame the tongue. In the book of James we read this, starting with chapter 3 verse 9-12,"With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grape vine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” I like to take verse 9 and make it a little more personal, With MY tongue, I praise my Lord and Father, and with MY SAME TONGUE, I curse man. Think about it ,How many times have we sat in church and sang songs of praise and uttered words of prayer only to shatter the reputation of a brother or sister with our words on the way to the car after the service. this should not be, But what are we to do if the tongue cannot be tamed? We strengthen our relationship with our Father and strive to control such a destructive beast. We cannot do it alone, but He has given us instructions as to how to control our tongue in His Word. Proverbs 12:13 - An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. Proverbs 10:11 - The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. So my prayer is this ,that we strive to tame our to tongue on a daily basis, and that we continually put our pride aside and not be afraid to ask our heavenly Father above for strength in doing so. I truly believe that the way we talk around those that have a truly "Filthy" mouth affects them .Subconsciously i think they realize the absence of profanity and filth in our language, and I believe they take note of it. So may God always impress on your hearts to use language that will edify and bring glory to Him. You are a representative of God, and your behavior is part of demonstrating your relationship with Him. Romans 12: 2 - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Blessings