The Ear, the Heart, the Tongue
I think we would all agree that technology has changed our world and our lives. I think it's incredible the kinds of things you can do today from your phone or device no matter where you are: watch a movie, chat with your friends, get news updates, listen to a podcast, etc. And you can do it all very discreetly. I regularly see people going about their business with AirPods or Bluetooth listening devices in their ears. Half the time when my daughters walk into the kitchen and I start talking to them, they don't hear me because they've got their listening devices on listening to something else (or maybe they're just pretending to listen to something else 🙂). If it's not hard enough to communicate already, technology has enabled our kids to not listen or hear us even when they're standing right in front of us.
In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Kory spoke about the power of our words. One of the things that I took away from the message was that in order to speak words of life and encouragement, to have a well-instructed tongue, we first need to have a listening ear. And that makes sense, doesn't it? It's been said that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. The prophet says in Isaiah 50:4-5a, "The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears." In order to develop a well-instructed tongue, we first need to come before the Lord and listen to Him. We need Him to fill our hearts. Sometimes I don't think we have words of life for others unless we've spent time before the Lord allowing Him to shape us. James 1:19 says everyone should be "quick to listen and slow to speak."
It says the prophet attuned his ear to the Lord morning by morning in order that his heart could be shaped by Him. Pastor Kory noted that a well-instructed tongue requires forethought and formation. So there's a process by which we develop our tongues to speak words of life. It starts with listening to the Lord, allowing Him to shape our hearts, and then as Jesus said in Luke 6:45 "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Then may our words to others be His words of life and hope.
God bless,
Pastor Darren
P.S. On a personal note, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to you the church family for the pastor appreciation gifts. Your generosity and support are a blessing to me and my family. We love and appreciate each of you!
