If you haven’t read through the Song of Songs, take a coffee break and do so, and for fun, read it aloud! Make a special note of Chapter 1:2. The New Living Translation reads, "Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine." How romantic! I challenge you to tell your husband this and watch the expression on his face.
I love Solomon’s expression of the fire that intimacy and marital love ignites. I teach young girls to not engaging in kissing a boy who isn’t going to be your husband. I like to tell them the meaning of this word and then let them know that it’s possible that it would "light a fire" with boys before it’s time.
The Bible addresses another kind of fire; the kind of fire that the tongue ignites (James 3: 5-6). That scripture actually reads that the tongue is "like a flame of fire."
Living in Arizona, we hear about the summer fires. They’ve been known to destroy the national forests and the communities that surround them. Such destruction is a stark reminder of the destructive force of a fire when not restrained or controlled. Fire destroys everything in its path, and if you think about it, the tongue, as a "flame of fire" has the potential to do the same. The tongue can actually ruin lives.
Words can destroy. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese made a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. They disabled most of the U.S. Pacific naval fleet. The U.S. government feared that enemy spies would find out other key locations of naval vessels, so they felt it necessary to warn the soldiers against unguarded talk that might give useful information to the enemy. In addition, so many civilians volunteered for the government, and it was thought that they wouldn’t know how to conduct themselves when they wrote letters home, or in general conversations or even if they were captured. The government feared they would inadvertently disclose information. So, to help remind the soldiers and the civilians they came up with the phrase that was even printed on posters: Loose Lips Sink Ships.
Words and how we use them are very important, because they have the potential to give life or death. Pause and grab your Bible and read James 3, making note that this chapter is mostly about the importance of controlling the tongue. If you were to read every chapter in the book of James, you would find that in every one there is admonishment about our speech. Read James 3, making verses 1 – 2 your focal point.
Think about what your conduct looks like. Are you loud and bossy, lazy, stable, proud, humble, meek, demanding, a perfectionist, kind, loving, generous, other-centered, me-centered, pushy, faithful, rude, un-controlled, or________________????
Prayerfully review the list and think about the ones that apply to your life. Ask God to help you resolve undealt with heart issues from your past that is possibly be the root of ungodly conduct.
Both Psalms and Proverbs are full of scriptures that address our tongues and the words we speak. The heart is revealed by a woman’s words.
1 comments:
Beautifully written!
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