Patrick J van Rensburg
Wear your mask
Why wear a face mask?
Wearing a face mask will help prevent the spread of infection and prevent the individual from contracting any airborne infectious germs. When someone coughs, talks, sneezes they could release germs into the air that may infect others nearby. Face masks are part of an infection control strategy to eliminate cross-contamination.
James 3:2-9 (NLT) Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
When to close your mouth?
1. In the heat of anger.
Proverbs 14:17 (RSV) “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, but a man of discretion is patient.”
Proverbs 25:28(TEV) If you cannot control your anger, you are as helpless as a city without walls, open to attack.
2. Speaking Negative Words
Proverbs 18:21(NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21 (TEV) What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.
3. If your words will damage someone else’s reputation.
Proverbs 16:27(TEV) Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil.
4. If your words will be a poor reflection of others
Proverbs 21:23 (MSG) Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.
5. If it is all talk but no work
Proverbs 14:23 (MSG) Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.
6. When you don’t have all the facts.
Proverbs 18:13(TEV) Listen before you answer. If you don’t, you are being stupid and insulting.
Fill Your Mouth with Life, Not Death
Proverbs 18:21 (ESV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Fill Your Mouth with Life, Not Death. People die because of something said. Tongues can be weapons of mass destruction. Tongues can also be the death of marriages, families, friendships, churches, careers, hopes, understanding, and reputations.
Proverbs 15:4 (ESV) A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 12:18 (ESV) There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Check your words
Luke 6:45 (ESV) 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.
Psalm 141:3 (ESV) Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
Proverbs 10:11 (ESV) 11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The words that come out of our mouth go into our own ears as well as other people’s, and then they drop down into our soul where they give us either joy or sadness, peace or unrest, depending on the types of words we have spoken.
Think before you speak
Before they received their miracle child, God changed the names of a childless couple, Abram and Sarai, to Abraham (meaning “father of many nations”) and Sarah (meaning “princess”).
He told Abraham that from them would come a multitude of nations. But how could this happen when Sarah was barren? It happened with this change of name.
From then on, Father of many was how Abraham introduced himself, and Sarah would say the same every time she called out to Abraham and spoke about him. Likewise, Abraham would call out “Princess!” every time he called her name.
Proverbs 13:3 (NLT) Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.