As I went on my search for a new devotional to start the week, another devotional from UNCOMMEN came up. As I consider the power of words to build up and tear down, I considered what could this devotional have for us as men and as dads. The title got my attention and so I opened it up to check out what it was going to be about and found this:
In a world where communication is easier than ever, why does it seem that no one can communicate effectively? It’s hard enough to communicate the Gospel to someone based on opportunity, openness, and willingness. So let’s make the best of it and communicate with not only the Truth of God but also with the Love of God.
UNCOMMEN: Uncommen Words Of Husbands, Dads, & Leaders | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible
Scripture from Today’s Devotional:
‘With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. ‘
James 3:9
Remember how I talked about how words have the power to kick off this post? God’s Word is even more powerful! God’s Word is sharper than a double-edged sword and able to cut to the core the matter! God’s Word never returns void! God’s Word is active and alive! God’s Word is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart!
Ever read something and was like, “what?” or “what are they talking about?”? Notice in today’s verse they speak of “it”? That single verse made me have to go and check out what “it” is. Reading for context, we discover that the “it” of which they speak is the tongue!
‘But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], 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. Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts]. Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. ‘
James 3:8-12
We learn the power of words for good and for evil. We learn how when we don’t control our tongue and allow it to go undisciplined or unstable, it is a restless evil, and full of deadly poison! So let’s pause and reflect on the need to control it for the good of people and the glory of God! We need to do a heart check too because we know that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks!
Let’s be the dads who bless God! Let’s be the dads who choose and look for ways to bless people because they were created in God’s image! Let’s be the dads who choose to use our words to build up rather than tear down people! Let’s be the dads who use our words to tear down walls and strongholds while building up people!
Today’s devotional has been provided by UNCOMMEN.
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
For more information, please visit http://www.uncommen.org.
Takeaways from Today’s Devotionals:
“Day 1 – Uncommen Words“
- Let’s be the dads who choose to live our lives in ways that glorify God!
- I remember being on a school trip and there was a group of Americans at the same place who were being loud and obnoxious and I could only think to myself that they are living up to the stereotype that a lot of the world has about them.
- Years later I know that it’s not the truth and not the majority, however, the ones that seem to travel are able to make it stick!
- Today’s devotional speaks of this when it says:
- Let’s be the dads who choose to live our lives in ways that glorify God!
- Ever heard from others about “The Ugly Christian”?
- I remember joining a new team many years back and having the admin come up to me and say “you aren’t like that last Christian we had on the team”. I was surprised and shocked and curious how they had acted or behaved for someone to be emboldened to come and say this to me and so I asked what they meant. To my surprise that person was going around telling everyone that if they don’t repent and confess of their sins and receive Jesus now they would be going to hell. Wow, I was shocked and surprised.
- Today’s devotional speaks of this when it says:
- “I’m here to talk about “The Ugly Christian”. This is the person who has come to know Jesus as their savior but has now turned their attention to others. This is the person who is humble at church or maybe even in person but acts like a complete fool on social media toward everything and everyone they disagree with. They post one day about how much love they have toward the things God loves and then curse people the next ten posts.“
- “This person is just what James is talking about when he says, “We praise our Lord and curse human beings, WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN GOD’S LIKENESS”. The very people whom you and I curse are the very people God has made.“
- Let’s be the dads who control our tongues and are led by the Holy Spirit to speak the truth in love!
- Let’s be the dads who are able to share our testimony in a way that makes others want to know this Jesus we speak of!
- Let’s be the dads who aren’t sabotaging our own testimony by acting and speaking in ways that cause people to tune out!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that God created us all!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that God loves us all!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that God so loves the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish and would have everlasting life!
- Let’s be the dads who look at people through the eyes of God and how they are in need of God, just like us, and how we might be able to love on them for the glory of God!
- Let’s be the dads who are loving God’s created people rather than cursing them!
- Let’s be the dads who are blessing God’s created people rather than cursing them!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to raise up rather than tear down people!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to love others and raise them up rather than tearing them down in order to try and lift ourselves up!
- Let’s be the dads who speak the truth in love!
- Let’s be the dads who speak the truth in a “Godly manner that reflects the love and mercy of a God who loved you enough to die on a cross while we were all still sinners“!
- Let’s be the dads who watch our words!
- Let’s be the dads who are true to God!
- Let’s be the dads who love people!
- Today’s devotional closes with the following questions:
- Today’s devotional closes with this challenge:
- Today’s devotional we read UNCOMMEN: Uncommen Words Of Husbands, Dads, & Leaders – In a world where communication is easier than ever, why does it seem that no one can communicate effectively? It’s hard enough to communicate the Gospel to someone based on opportunity, openness, and willingness. So let’s make the best of it and communicate with not only the Truth of God but also with the Love of God. (bible.com) was authored and designed by “Tj Todd is the CEO / Creative Director at Studio490 based in Charlotte, NC and the Creative Director and Web Designer for Uncommen.org“
