Loose Tongue

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Mark 1:43-45

This man had been healed of leprosy. Think of it. He was under a death sentence. He was an outcast in society. He had no hope. Then Jesus came along and gave him his health and his life back. Can you imagine the excitement he felt, the utter relief, the complete amazement? I'm sure he wanted to run and tell everyone. That's what I would have wanted to do!

But his healing came with a stern warning from Jesus not to do what his feelings told him to do, but to do what the scriptures said to do. In his eagerness, the man followed his feelings and didn't obey the Lord. The result was that his words hindered Jesus and God's work.

Can you think of a time when your words hindered God's work? This morning I went to get my hair trimmed. I don't know what it is about beauty shops that makes them conducive to gossip. Maybe because they are full of women. Maybe because we're focusing on outward, fleshly, perhaps even vain things. Maybe because hairdressers are some of the best listeners and therapists around! Whatever the reason I found myself going down a trail of forbidden words. I heard the Lord tell me to stop. I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit that this wasn't the way I should be speaking. I did stop, but probably not soon enough. Words had spilled out, words that could never be retrieved.

I looked around me at the other women at other booths seemingly minding their own business, but how many had heard? How many had been affected? How might my words have hindered the kingdom of God in some way? Did they turn someone away from Christ? Did they make it more difficult for Him to reach into their hearts?

Okay, I'm sure we've all experienced this at some point, likely on many occasions, but the silver lining of it all is found in the last part of the verses in Mark 1. It says: Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Whether we let words slip out or whether we blatantly disobey God and say things we shouldn't, all is not lost. Hindered, but not lost.

If you've struggled with words recently, repent then get up and go on with life determined to listen more closely to God and to obey promptly, wholeheartedly, every time.