Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
– Proverbs 6:16-19
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
– Luke 6:45
If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
– James 3:3-5
Devotion
In the Bible, when we encounter a list of things that we should avoid or should be doing, we often try to see ourselves in the best light: We judge ourselves based on our intentions, and not our actions, while we usually will judge others based on their actions, not their intentions.
The list above shows things that are hated by the Lord. According to this list, prideful eyes and a lying tongue are in the same league of abomination as murdering an innocent person! People who deviously scheme wicked plans, and who hurry to accomplish evil are on the same level as one who provides false accusations towards others or gossips among friends!
Remarkably, three of the abominations before the Lord are related to our speech. Our words are just as important as our actions because they reflect the attitude of our heart towards others. Both Jesus and James taught that words come from the inner heart attitude, and they steer the course of our lives. Words that we may feel are trivial such as lies or gossip reveal the deeper sin and corruption in our lives.
The Big Question
How do you rationalize your sins? Are some sins worse than others? Have you been guilty of doing any of the things that the Lord hates in the above passage? Ask God to forgive you of these sins and seek to make restoration with those who may have been hurt by your careless tongue.
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned.