Blessings, Not Curses
“But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we
bless our Lord and Father; and
with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same
mouth come both blessing and
cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain
send out from the same opening both
fresh and bitter water? Can a
fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.” James
3:8-12 (NASB).
“You’ll never amount to anything.”
“You’re fat.”
“You’ll never find a husband the way
you are.”
“You can’t keep your room clean.”
“You’re a liar.”
“You never listen.”
“You’re stupid!”
They’re words. But they do much more
than communicate frustration and anger from the sender to the receiver. They
curse.
It’s easy in moments of anger to
spew out words like those. They reflect the frustration of the sender of the
message. The sender might not even mean them. But no matter how you look at
them, the receiver of such a message feels those words deeply. Especially, when
communicated by a parent, spouse, or sibling.
Think about this: If every time a
person spewed a negative word (a curse) on you, a sign was suddenly hung on you
saying that word, how would you feel? Stupid.
Liar. Dumb. Fat. Messy…. Often times when curses, like the ones listed
above, are thrown at a person, they wear that curse like a sign. Sometimes they
believe it deep in their hearts. Long after the sender forgot they even sent
it, the person is allowing the curse to sink into their hearts.
You’ve probably heard it many times.
“My dad said I’m dumb.” - “My husband said I’m fat.” - “My wife said I never do
anything nice for her like her friend’s husbands do.”
The Bible tells us to bless and not
curse. “From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”
We are encouraged in the word of
God to be a blessing. Bless those who
persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14 (NASB).
As James 3 says, the tongue is not
always easy to tame, but as followers of Christ, we can look to Him to help us
guard it. He tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law.” As He develops those fruits in
us, our tongue can be tamed. Not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.
We are to encourage one another and
build one another up. “Therefore encourage
one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 1
Thess. 5:11 (NASB).
As
a writer, I take my words seriously. I want my words to honor God—both what I
write and what I speak.
What are some ways we can bless others with our words?
·
Kind
words: “You did a lovely job on this.” “You look very nice today.”
·
Words
of affirmation and encouragement: “I’m impressed!” “I’m proud of you!” “Great
job!”
· Words
of thanks or a thank you card – even for the little things.
· Praying
for one another: Pray that they would be saved, pray for their families, pray
for healing.
· Forgiving
those who have hurt you – and letting them know that you’ve forgiven them.
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only
such a word as is good for
edification according to the need of
the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (NASB).
Let
your words encourage. Let your words bring hope. Let your words edify. Let your
words reflect the grace and love God has shown you. Let your words bless.
Carol Kinsey lives with her husband and their
two daughters on a farm in rural Ohio. She and her husband have been involved
in youth ministry for over twenty years and currently serve at a small country
church, which inspired her first published novel, Under the Shadow of a Steeple in 2013. She has also published Witness Protection (2017), Greater Love
(2015), and Until Proven Innocent
(2014). Carol is also a member of American Christian Fiction
Writers (ACFW). Along
with her fiction, Carol is published in several nonfiction venues. In 2016, she
launched a homeschool writing curriculum, Creative
Writing Through Literature. She is also a contributing author for Relationships Under Construction, an
internationally used abstinence curriculum, and has written for Heartbeats. She
has a passion for writing exciting, Christ-centered literature that uplifts,
encourages, and gives glory to God. For more information, visit
carolkinsey.net.
Social Media Links
Witness
Protection back cover:
“There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed.” Ty Westgate is an
ex-lawyer living under witness protection. Brooke Dunbar is a young nurse,
struggling to find hope and healing from her past. After four years in hiding,
Ty puts his faith in Christ and realizes his moral duty to tell his unsaved
parents about Jesus. While this step of faith holds eternal significance for
Ty’s parents, it also puts Ty’s life in jeopardy. Together, in this fast paced
novel, Ty and Brooke work to unravel the truth behind Ty’s adversaries. Will
Ty’s decision to share his faith cost him his life? Will Brooke learn to trust
the One Who can heal her past? The price of freedom may be too high.
Carol
Kinsey
Buy
Link for Witness Protection:
About the Giveaway:
Carol is offering a free copy of Witness Protection to one of the readers of this blog post. To enter, just leave a comment below with your contact information. Easy-peasy. Giveaway ends: One in one week, on Thursday, November 30, 2017, at Midnight CST.
·
Forced to rent out her childhood home
next door to make ends meet, Holly Ewing finds herself battling an aggravating
new renter. 
Elle
E. Kay lives on a farmette in the Back Mountain region of Pennsylvania. She
lives with her husband, son, dog, and farm animals. She enjoys playing with
goats and sheep. She can also frequently be seen with chickens landing on her
head. A comical sight to be sure.
