T-H-I-N-K!
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. - (Philippians 4:8)
A recent survey revealed that America’s teenagers are now spending an average of seven-and-a-half hours per day involved in multiple forms of electronic media, including, TV, video games, listening to music, surfing the Web, texting, and e-mailing.
Those things are not bad. But we can be so current on culture yet so out of touch with Scripture. So let’s make sure that our minds and hearts are filled with the truths of God.
Romans 12:1 tells us to “give [our] bodies to God because of all he has done for [us]. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.” Giving our bodies to God also includes our tongues—our words and what we say to others. As James 3:5 points out, “The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
I would suggest that you T-H-I-N-K before you speak. The next time you have one of those things you are about to say and are not sure if you really ought to say it, run through the T-H-I-N-K acronym: T—is it true? H—is it helpful? I—is it inspiring? N—is it necessary? K—is it kind?
Maybe you’re thinking, If I lived by that principle, I wouldn’t say anything. Ever. So be it. Present your tongue to God.
Not only that, we need to present our hands and feet to Him as well. Proverbs 6:17–19 says there are seven things that God detests: “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.”
So present your hands and your feet and your tongue to God.
Summary sentence: Will you present your tongue to God today?
Tags: tongue, true, helpful, inspire, necessary, kind
Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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SPECIAL OFFER
In appreciation for your gift this month to Harvest Outreach Ministries, we want to send you Power in Prayer.
I want you to connect with what I believe is one of the best prayer resources ever written. It is a book by Andrew Murray that I refer to as the ‘greatest hits’ on the topic of prayer.
You can receive a copy of Power in Prayer by Andrew Murray, in appreciation for your gift to Harvest this month. It is my prayer that it will help you learn how to pray more effectively…and that you will commit to praying for Harvest America.” —Greg