I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!

Psalm 120:7

I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!

I’ve heard people say, “There is power in the tongue.” Words have a way of wounding others to the core. How often have I said something that had offended someone deeply? Too many times to count. It is often the case that I said something I never intended to mean. People don’t seem to know what I mean but rather take it as a threat. It would have been better had I kept my mouth shut than spoken what had the potential to offend another. By the grace of God I’ve been forgiven of my sins.

As the verse, Psalm 120:7, says so well,

“I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”

Sometimes I say something I don’t mean, but what I do mean I don’t say. Something my Mom used to tell me as a kid was, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” She knew I meant well but I miscommunicated. It was always my words getting me into trouble. So many arguments and fights began because I said something passively offensive with no intention of causing what followed those comments. I realized that if I’m ever going to conquer the power the power of my tongue, I need to know how to communicate correctly.

Conquering these sins in my life calls for me to be depended on God. In Matthew 26:40-41 it is written about Jesus,

“And He came to His disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

In a similar way I need to be in the spirit if I am going to have victory over the temptation to speak words that aggravate others. Psalm 120:1-2 says,

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”

The Lord is faithful. He will answer those who are in distress. As I’ve been calling to the Lord, He’s been faithful to give me a spirit that is willing. I’ve heard it said that you cannot fix a problem with the same mind that created it. My flesh cannot fix a problem with the same flesh that created it. Instead, as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 26:41, I need a spirit that is willing, and that spirit only comes from the Lord. The Holy Spirit has the power to deliver me and tame my tongue. He has the power to change me and make my words build up rather than tear down others.

Application: Seek the Lord and ask Him to continue giving me power over my tongue. I will ask the Lord for a spirit of love and peace when I speak and that I would build up others with my words.