Victory Over My Mouth Begins with a Battle for My Mind

If you know me at all, you are probably aware of my tendency to talk. Sometimes I use this for good, but I often get myself into trouble. The Bible tells us that the tongue will cause us problems. James tells us that the tongue defileth the whole body! This is a scary prospect for me and one I must work on. I don’t want my tongue to be a poison. So for the chatty among us, getting this under control is vital to put this gift to good use.

While I’ve been meditating and studying what Scripture says about the tongue, I read the verse“a fool uttereth all His mind.” It is foolish to say everything we think. James tells us to put a bridle on our tongue. We need to control it. This is where I think my attention has broadened from simply my tongue to my mind as well. A fool often has foolish thoughts. Yes, it is foolish to say everything we think, yet what we think shapes what we say.

So I’ve been focusing on a few areas of my mind. One, I am trying to think with love. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love thinketh no evil. I am trying to conscientiously focus my thoughts on goodness of the evil of another person. This can be so hard to do sometimes. Sometimes it’s hard to think of something positive, yet love should override our thinking. I’ve been asking the Lord to show me the good in others and to make that my focus. Obviously, I would not want someone to focus on all my negatives (and there are plenty) so I should not be focusing my attention on someone else’s problems. Our Love for God and love for others is the basic commandment from Scripture. If I am acting in obedience to Christ, I will show love to my fellow man by thinking good.

Another action I am focusing on is renewing my mind. Romans 12 says we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It seems an impossible task, but it is not. We have a powerful gift in the Holy Spirit. When we are Spirit-filled, the transformation of our minds is possible. When our minds are transformed then our lives and actions are changed as well. It starts with our mind! We must ask for the Spirit’s help. Without His help how could I ever think the kinds of thoughts that would make for good conversation?

And so it becomes a battle. My spirit is willing and my flesh is weak. I want to focus my mind on things above but it is a struggle without the work of the Holy Spirit. Negative thoughts easily slip into my mind without any effort and replacing that negativity with positive thought takes a purposeful decision. It takes true love that comes from the Lord.

A prayer for today:

Lord, please change my thoughts to your thoughts and ways. Allow the Spirit to transform my thinking to Godly ideals. Will you protect my mind from negative thoughts about my family, friends and acquaintances and change them to hopeful positive thoughts. Help me to think on goodness of others.

Take the work of goodness You do in my mind and allow that to control my tongue. Let your thoughts and direction keep my mouth from harming the Body of Christ. Let your Spirit guide my mind and words to love. Let my words be used for good and not for evil.

Change my mind to hopeful thinking. Let my focus be on the grace and mercy You have shown in my own life.