ICS Daily Devotions
Possessing Self-control over Your Words
We need to remind ourselves that we are no longer the “old person” who used to speak negatively, condescendingly, pessimistically or even divisively! Once we confessed with our mouths and believe in our hearts that we are a new creation, we have the nature of God and the Holy Spirit living in us. We have the fruit of the Holy Spirit that consists of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in us. We are able to have self-control over our tongues! There is a spiritual growth process after someone receives Christ. We will grow from carnality to spiritual maturity. When someone is a carnal Christian , it means he is saved but still possesses the thinking of the world, speaks like a worldly person, his mind is not renewed with the word of God regarding who he is and what he is able to do in Christ. He hasn’t learned to yield to the Holy Spirit. As we constantly renew our minds with the word of God and the longer we yield to the Holy Spirit, the more we will grow spiritually. We are new creations in Christ.
If our words have been destroying our lives, relationships around us and our work, then we need to believe in the redeemed personality! We need to believe that we can be different through the new creation even when we belong to the category of those who have sharp tongues and are known to hurt people with our words.
We need to begin to speak forth of what we can do and start saying things differently! The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” (Psalm 107:2 NKJV). Therefore, say what you believe you have been REDEEMED of!
Start believing that you are saved and connected to the great vine of Jesus Christ, therefore you are able to produce good fruits. Say and act on the truth! Believe that you can do ALL THINGS including speaking words that edify, comfort and build up others. Believe that the “old person” who used to speak harsh, condescending and hurtful words to others is now crucified with Christ, died and buried with Christ. You are a new creation with a redeemed personality. You are able to walk in the newness of life. The fountain that is flowing out of your heart is life-giving, pure and refreshing to the hearers!
Luke 6:45 (NKJV) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Our words reveal what fills our hearts. The fruit (ie. the words) reveals to us what is in our hearts. As Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”) (Luke 6:45 NKJV). This has to do with what we think about because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. He is a product of his thought life that affects his heart. You might be someone who knows you are destroying relationships with your words and you are struggling in this area, but I would like to encourage all of us that we can change with the Holy Spirit’s enablement as we are new creations in Christ.
Sermon Series – Ouch! It Hurts!
