Friday, September 18, 2009

what's in a word

I've been thinking about writing something on this for a little while now.

Our tongue is such a powerful thing. The words we choose, and the way we say them are so important!!

As worshippers - whether leaders, teachers, lovers of Jesus - we spend our lives giving our all to Him. We've become good at making sure our actions match our hearts, and yet sometimes we've forgotten that how we use our tongue is a massive part of the same offering.

I just wanted to use this moment to get us thinking again about how we speak. Do we use it to bless and spur on? Do we use it to lift up and encourage. Do the words we choose to use reflect the honor and respect with which we treasure Jesus, or have we slipped into a way of talking that reflects only the culture empty of Him?

As James so beautifully put it in chapter 3 of his letter 'With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it?'

Sometimes the 'trend' can be to talk like everyone else - to choose words that are crass or crude, to use the Lord's name as a throw away comment, when in actual fact He is everything to us. Sometimes we've just slipped into it because we really haven't thought about what we're doing. But it honors God when we allow the challenge to come, and we have a look again - almost like getting our car serviced - making sure that things are 'running' as they should.

I know you'll be the same as me in this - that I want what I offer in worship on a Sunday morning to be as fresh water, and I long for the way I talk and think and act to be exactly the same the rest of the time too...

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this too

5 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Yes, I agree. Since our tongue is a weighty sword, we must use it with focus instead of wobbling it as if it could do no damage.

18 September, 2009 15:05  
Anonymous Mike, Oxford said...

You are so right Kathryn - and your timing is God-inspired! Last Thursday night I was at a secular concert with some non-Christian friends. All was not well with the sound - not good for me as a soundman! In expressing my concerns I too-easily used the somewhat rough-and-ready language with which they were accustomed. No swearing or anything, but afterwards it gave me a lot of pause for thought about how easily I can take on the mantle of the world. The salt definitely lost its saltiness! I'd been continuing to pray about this when I read your blog - spot-on! How easily we can let "the world around us squeeze us into its own mould" as J B Phillips paraphrased the start of Romans 12.

21 September, 2009 15:17  
Blogger Ashley said...

Kathryn,
I am so pleased to have discovered your blog! I live in Wheaton, Illinois, and have been so encouraged by your latest CD for a while now, that I have bought it and given it to many friends and family. Your music is touching and it draws me to the feet of Jesus every time I listen to it. Now your blog, it appears, will have the same effect! Thank you for your ministry. This evening on my way home from bible study in which we are studying Hebrews, I was listening to "Love Rescue Me" in my car. I felt the Spirit nudging me to make a phone call and extend grace where I had not extended it before. It brought healing to my heart and I think those involved were able to see Christ in me where they had not before (I am ashamed to say). So thank you for allowing the Lord to work through your music - He most definitely IS touching our hearts through your songs and thoughtful lyrics.

I apologize that this is not directly related to your post about the use of our tongue and the words we speak (I suppose it is, though in a roundabout way!). I could not find another way to contact you and let you know what an encouragement you are.

Sincerely,
Ashley

23 September, 2009 03:34  
Blogger Unknown said...

oh... I just sighed when I read this. I just spoke at a ladies meeting at church the other night and shared how the desire of my heart is to be so excited about Jesus in my speech that my enthusiasm will warm others and make them desire more of Him. I'm tired of a church culture where we express more enthusiasm over our latest work out regime or shopping spree than we do over our time with the Lord and the way He is breathing into our lives.

You are beautiful. This message is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your heart and blessing mine.

01 October, 2009 14:57  
Blogger R. Bailey Allen said...

I totally agree...and if someone has nothing nice to say...as it says in the book of Job, "if only you'd be altogether silent, for you that would be wisdom."

13 November, 2009 07:57  

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