lingua

"I Cant Be Tamed!"

¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. ³If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.⁴Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ⁷For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,these things ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

james3:1-12

Today, our guest speaker at Doxa talked about taming our tongue and how hard it is. How it is the one beast in the world that humans cannot tame. I completely agree. Insults, threats, foul language, it all comes out of our mouths. Sometimes it slips, and we lose control, but we have to learn and try to fight it. But tonight, i want to focus on the good we can do with this marvelous, one muscled creature.

Three A's.

Appreciation. Affection. Affirmation.

We have to learn to APPRECIATE with our tongue. Just today, my computer was breaking down, and a lovely great man came in, sacrificed his precious time to work on my virus and computer. Unfortunately, i didnt know what to say. I was really in awe. in shock. i was so grateful, yet all that came out of my mouth was "thank you" or "thank you so much". We have to learn to show our appreciation for others. Dont make it hidden, make it evident and obvious.

Speak your AFFECTION for others. Tell someone you love them today. Tell someone you like them. I feel like i need to do this more, i feel like the world needs to do this more. Whether if its simply giving a hug, or saying i love you. You dont need to be in a relationship, say it because you mean it. There are many many many people i love in this world, and yet i cant even say it to them in person. I dont know. Some i can, but some.. its awkward? Gotta build on that.

AFFIRM others. Encourage them and support them. I was watching the Oprah finale, and one thing that struck was validation. She said that EVERYONE in this world is looking and seeking for it. And i totally agree. I am one of those people. Everyone wants to know that someone cares for them, everyone wants to know that they are loved and they mean something to someone. I always feel like that and sadly, i doubt my friends too. Sometimes i think to myself "do they REALLY love me, or is it all an act". As she said,

Do you see me?

Do you hear me?

Does what i say matter to you?

Know that i see you. i hear you. and whatever you say matters to me. Give that validation to someone else today. Everyday. Everyone and i mean EVERYONE is waiting in hopes that someone will care. I want to mean something to someone. I want to be a piece in their life they dont want to lose. Affirm them. Show them. Tell them.

Appreciation. Affection. and Affirmation.

These are THREE KEY FACTORS i believe are ESSENTIAL in community and family and relationships. I signed up for AGAPE GRADE REP this upcoming year, and i've brainstormed so many ideas in my mind about how to improve our grade. Through communication, unity, tasks, focusing, all this. But these three things, i've learnt from another sermon as well is KEY. We are one. We are a unified body of Christ. We must and have to support each other. Encourage each other daily. This is what gets us through the rough times. This is how we truck through life. We HAVE to have someone supporting me, we HAVE to have someone caring for us. This is how we were designed. Encourage. Support. Unify.

TELL them.

verse of the day: Hebrews 3:13

¹³But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.