Guarding Your Mouth

As Christ followers, our speech should reflect Him and His ways and be seasoned with grace, humility, and love. If we confess our faith in Christ, there should be evidence of our changed speech as well as our changed life and behavior. When people meet us, they should hear and see something different than the rest of the world who does not follow the Lord. 

I admit, I struggle with taming my tongue, especially if I am caught up in my emotions and/or sleep deprived or hungry. My flesh wants to rule, and one way that happens in my life is how I am wielding my words. 

If there was one verse from the Bible that I should have tattooed under my eyelids, it would be from Psalm 141:

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3, NKJV).

This has become a constant prayer for me, especially as I am seeing how my speech is influencing my children. Children are little sponges, and they pick up on everything we say and do. My oldest is becoming a master of sarcasm thanks to me. I see my sinful speech tendencies in my children, and I don’t want these habits to form into consistent behavior. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34), so our words are a reflection of what is going on in our heart. We should take pause when we see ungodly speech become consistent in our life, repent, and ask God to help us guard our mouth and choose our words wisely or know when to be silent. 

Even in disagreements, we should continue to speak with a heart of love for others and not use profanity or offensive remarks that would hurt or cause pain. We should also be careful to not grumble or complain or speak ungraciously about someone, but to use our tongue to proclaim our thankfulness unto the Lord as well as speak good and edifying things of others. Taming the tongue is something we must grow in each day as the Lord sanctifies us. The good news is that we are never left on our own to walk in that type of self-control regarding our words. It is not something we can do apart from the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The temptation to use our tongue for our own benefit and reputation is strong but let us be quick to ask the Lord for His help daily as we continue to grow in the likeness of Him, especially in our speech.

Dear Lord,

I repent for using my tongue to puff myself up above others, complain about my circumstances, or hurt others with painful words that cut deep to the heart. I need Your help to control my tongue in times of strife or disagreement with others. I want my words to glorify You and share Your truth and gospel. I pray that my actions would also reflect my speech. I long for my walk with You to match my profession of faith. Help me to guard my mouth and to choose my words wisely or know when it’s best not to say anything at all. When my flesh wants to rule, I trust that You provide a way out every time I am tempted to use my words in a foolish way. Thank You for continually working in me and through me, so that I may look more and more like Jesus in word and deed. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Lovesick Scribe Podcast | “The Standard of Truth: A Conversation Between Former Wayward Sheep” (Ep. 125)

This past weekend, I had the joy of spending time with a dear friend of mine, Dawn Hill. Dawn and I first got introduced to each other a couple years ago through our involvement in the American Gospel 3 docuseries project that is set to release in the Fall of 2023. Dawn was a false prophetess in the NAR for almost 20 years, and I learned that we experienced so much of the same spiritual abuses and deception when my husband Paul and I were involved in the Word of Faith movement many years ago.

While I was visiting Dawn, we sat down for an impromptu podcast episode trying to answer the question: What is our standard of truth? Below is some more reflection from Dawn on what we discussed in the podcast:

Have you ever heard someone say, “It is not the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible?” If you have ever rebutted a practice or belief with Scripture, pointing to the context and the importance of rightly dividing the Word of God properly, you likely have heard this statement. It is an interesting statement when I think about it because there seems to be an issue with having a high standard based upon a proper understanding of Scripture, though those who would make such a statement would profess to having a high view of Scripture. I think it is worth noting that the author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, cannot be divorced from His own Word. Yet, statements like this are made to draw a distinction between those who place value on the move of the Holy Spirit and those who would be deemed as void of the Holy Spirit. 

Having a high view or high standard of truth as a believer in Christ is vital. What does it mean to have a high standard of truth? It means having a firm foundation upon the final authority as Christians, and that is the Word of God. It is not enough to simply quote a Bible verse or to say the name of Jesus in a message. We know that false religions profess a Jesus of sorts, and we know that false teachers can quote Bible verses. This is why it is important for us to abide in His Word and to know what God has spoken. 

Many are looking for answers to questions and difficulties in life, and many want to know the Lord in a greater way. Unfortunately, there can be a tendency to lower the standard in order to achieve these desired answers and results. in 2 Timothy 3, we read Paul’s words to Timothy regarding what the last days and what to expect from false teachers in their character and conduct. These false teachers would have a form of godliness but deny its power. They would creep into homes and captivate weak women who were weighted with guilt from sin, women who would not come to the truth of saving faith in Christ Jesus. Some of these women may have even gone from one false teacher to another, wandering further and further away from the truth of the gospel. 

It is not hard to see this in our time with the rise of popular teachings about health, wealth, and prosperity. We see many flocking to alleged Holy Spirit infused gatherings where the fire of God is claimed to have fallen. People are seeking to hear God for themselves while receiving a prophetic word from their favorite minister. We hear of people perpetually seeking out deliverance from indwelling demons while professing to be Christians. There are countless conferences, webinars, and online courses to spiritually fatten the masses. You can allegedly learn how to interpret your dreams and visions. Books abound with the next one claiming to fully equip others in the area of prophecy and spiritual warfare. People are told to receive impartations and activations of spiritual gifts from anointed leaders. Let’s not forget the music, the bait that lures people into specific teaching from specific teachers. 

While there is nothing inherently wrong with attending a conference or in reading a solid and helpful book, the concern lies in the content and the low standard of truth being perpetuated. The concern is that personal experience and emotional hype begin to set the standard and are used to interpret Scripture. There is great concern that many are not hearing the true gospel of Jesus Christ and are accepting a low standard of truth, or trust is being placed in an individual’s personal revelations rather than what God has already revealed in His Word. 

I think of these women in 2 Timothy 3, and I recognize it is not isolated to the first century church. It is alive and leading others astray. Paul told Timothy what these false teachers would do; they would be lovers of self and of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness yet denying its power (2 Timothy 3:2-5). The instruction was simple: avoid them. These false teachers will go from bad to worse in their deception personally and among those they influence. Paul later goes on to encourage Timothy in the way he should walk and conduct himself, pointing him to the “sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) The Word of God was the high standard in Paul’s time, and it has become timeless in that truth for us today. 

When our standard of truth is low and swapped for another, we will overlook teaching and conduct contrary to Scripture. We will set subpar standards for ourselves and others. We will ascribe God’s name to things completely negating His instruction and ushering in rebellion against God Himself. We may even tolerate another gospel without even realizing it. To be loving yet frank, we will make statements such as the one I noted earlier, not realizing that such a statement attempts to undermine the foundation of our faith. It denigrates the Word that is God breathed. But the standard of truth matters. The gospel of Jesus Christ matters. We must have a high standard with the foundation being His written Word rightly understood. This is not demanding perfection from fallible people or idolizing the Bible, but it proclaims the perfection of God revealed in His Word by His Spirit and through His Son. Holding to a high standard of the Word of God agrees with God’s own view of His Word. 

Listen to this conversation with Dawn Hill and I as we discuss the hyper-charismatic movement and the importance of holding to a high standard of truth: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: The Standard of Truth- A Conversation Between Former Wayward Sheep on Apple Podcasts

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Connected to the Vine

Anxiety (and depression) has been plaguing my life on and off since I was a child, and it is still something that I wrestle with to this day. I used to think that my struggle with anxiety and depression made me a very weak Christian that lacked faith in God. But that, my dear friends, is absolutely not true. 

Because sin exists in the world, so does sickness and brokenness and no one is exempt from any of it. Although we have been redeemed and our eternal salvation is secure in Christ, as believers, we still are subject to suffering in this fallen world that we live in. God may not cause pain, mental illness, disease, or traumatic experiences, but in His great sovereignty, He does allow it.  

For me, there came a point in time where I stopped rebuking the devil for all the anxiety and depression I was experiencing and shifted my focus on God Almighty, the only One who could help me through my pain and give me wisdom on what was going on with my body. Through it all, whether the anxiety was caused by overwhelming thoughts that I chose to fearfully dwell upon or a hormonal imbalance occurring in my body, God has always remained faithful and near to me in the midst of my suffering. My faith in Him has not waivered, even if my emotions and thoughts did. 

Although prayer may not conquer every moment of panic or worry, it is my lifeline to stay connected to the source of peace and life, to abide in the Vine (John 15) so I don’t dry up. I also remember to arm myself with the truth of God’s Word that helps me renew my mind day by day and strengthens my faith and gives me hope. We need to stay connected to Jesus, for just as verse 5 in John 15 tells us, apart from Christ, we can do nothing:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5, ESV).

Intersecting Faith and Life:

We will all experience some type of suffering and face “winter” seasons in our lives. Difficult seasons in life can actually be a time of growth and maturity in the Lord. In the natural, trees’ roots actually grow down deeper into the earth in the wintertime. Your suffering can actually be what allows your roots in the Lord to grow deeper. Instead of yielding ourselves to complete defeat and despair when we are suffering, we need to allow our roots in Jesus to grow deeper and deeper. During these dark times, the enemy wants you to dry up and rot- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, and will even tempt you to run to other things or people to take away your pain, but we must use those times of trial to draw closer to the Lord and drink deep of His goodness and faithfulness. Remember, we must remain connected to our life-source, Jesus, the Vine. He alone sustains us through every time of difficulty. No other thing or person will be able to bring you true life, peace, and wholeness, friend. 

Staying connected to other believers is also extremely important to our spiritual health as well, especially when we are in the midst of a trial or storm. Their root systems in God can get “nutrients” to us and their spiritual fruit can “feed” us when we are struggling to hang onto the Vine. If we isolate ourselves during these times and are not taking in the proper nutrients from God’s Word, we become very vulnerable to the enemy’s lies and fear tactics. Isolation is the breeding ground for hopelessness, doubt, and fear. Don’t allow shame or embarrassment keep you from reaching out for help when you are struggling to find hope. Call, text, or visit a friend and open up about what you are going through. What a beautiful picture of what the Body of Christ is supposed to do when a brother or sister is discouraged and walking through a valley!  

Remember, Jesus knows first-hand the depths of pain and suffering here on earth, but the good news is that because of His life given as a sacrifice for our sin, we will one day be with Him for eternity, and He will finally put an end to all suffering and sorrow. Abide in Him and hold onto the hope that He brings, dear friend, mountain high or valley low. 

 Further Reading:

Luke 13:6-9

 2 Peter 1:2-18

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Knit Together: Speaking the Truth in Love

In a recent research survey, 61% of people ages 18-25 reported miserable loneliness in our post-pandemic world and felt as if no one cared for them. No matter if you are single or married, experiencing isolation and loneliness can often lead to depression that can be crippling. People in the world are looking to belong. In Christ, as His followers, we have the answer.

The Church is a family, and we should seek out those who are isolated because they may be truly suffering. We enlarge our heart and become vulnerable with each other, by God’s grace, to enjoy meaningful and fruitful friendships that are soul-quality and one-souled, knit closely together with one another. Do you struggle with being vulnerable with others? What is causing you to hold back with being transparent and open with someone? Perhaps you have been hurt in previous relationships- rejection or betrayal may have wounded your soul and you are scared to become vulnerable with others again. We must trust that Christ will heal that hurt and will bring you into healthy Christian friendships for His glory. 

To be able to build intimate Christian friendship, we must also learn how to go beyond surface level conversations and move into heart-to-heart type of conversations. It’s easy in our society to be self-isolated and guarded in the name of privacy. Sadly, consumerism in our culture has infiltrated our relationships too. If friendships don’t enhance value in our life, we see them as disposable and easily replaceable, or even ditch friendships altogether. As members of the Body of Christ and brothers and sisters in the family of God, He has called us to be joined together as Ephesians 4 tells us: 

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (15-16, ESV).

Intersecting Faith and Life: 

To be able to speak the truth in love to one another, we must cultivate trust in our friendships. True Christian friendships are rare and costly because they require a lot of work, selfless commitment, and intentional engagement. Our self-centered heart or past hurt can get in the way and can lead us to isolate and choose selfishness over investing in meaningful Christian friendships. We must press past these temptations to build up walls around our heart or seek only things that satisfy self. The foundation of good friendships must begin with Christ (vertical then horizontal) to be able to sustain loyal, sacrificial, intentional, caring, and committed relationships. We must also remember that friendship with the things of this world is to make one an enemy of God (James 4:4) and will keep you from growing in love- love for Christ and love for others. What worldly pursuits have become a stumbling block to your friendship with Jesus that may be keeping you from getting to know Him in a deeper way? Remember, the nearness of God is our good (Psalm 73:28). The more we grow in our relationship with Christ, the more we will grow in our friendships as well. The Lord wants us to flourish in both areas. To flourish in Christ means we must become fluent in friendship. Jesus is the ultimate friend and wants to have a friendship with us so that we can participate with His mission, which is discipleship. The consistent pattern in our life should be to draw near to Him to then draw near to others and grow in Christ together- for our good and for His glory.

Further Reading:

  • Colossians 3:12-13
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11
  • Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
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