What is More Lethal Than Cancer?

Us ladies are known for liking to talk. I don't think most of us ever quite live up to the reputation that precedes us, but we do have a need to process our thoughts and our tongue is usually our handiest and most used tool!

The need for conversation is God given, but the flow of our conversation is our responsibility. I've been giving a lot of thought recently to the spirit that my words carry along with them. Every time I join in a conversation with somebody it carries a spirit along with it, which is often then spread to those around me.

Filtering my words is not only a God-given responsibility, but a command!

"... Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer... if you keep yourself pure, you will be like a special vessel for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. {2 Timothy 2:16,17 & 21}

Girls, we simply cannot afford to let our speech spread evil, because once it starts, it is so hard to stop. It does to our soul what cancer does to a body: it ravages and destroys. And it will take drastic measures to stop it, once it gets started.

In fact, our words are even more lethal than cancer.

Because they are contagious. The words we speak and the attitude we carry with our conversation can jump from our mouth and into the hearts of those around us, sucking the radiant life of Jesus right out of them. And our spiritual life will last beyond this earth and into eternity. We cannot afford to lose the life of Jesus!

Now we live in an evil and fallen world. We are going to hear and see evil things that bother us and burden us. We are going to see our friends make wrong choices and do things that are not right. We may be tempted to respond in disgust or anger.

And, sadly, the first impulse many of us have is to spread the word.

We feel an overwhelming "need" to share the story, talk about the sin, deride the fallen. And we have become so good at doing it in such a "holy" way. But we must be careful, because too often this results in "foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior."

Let us not given in to that false "need" any longer! Let us rise up and be the stopping point. Let's be a rock and when the gossip comes our way let it come against us and shatter into a million little pieces of nothingness.

Do not pass it on.

So then, what do we do when we do need to process information and talking is what's going to do it? Take it to God. Talk to Jesus about it and then be still and let Him calm your heart. Turn those gossipy thoughts into prayer requests, shared only between you and God, and maybe your husband.

This is such a huge undertaking. It can feel like an impossible mountain to tackle. But it's not! God does not demand perfection in a day, or even a week or year.

​Even the Apostle Paul says "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me." 

 If a man who wrote a good part of the New Testament has not attained, there is hope for us! But the key is to "press on" .

I can't expect God to someday magically make me perfect when I have not even tried. It's an uphill battle. It's a daily battle. But the victory is there for the taking! Let's press forward to the high calling!

If you liked this post you might like these:

How to Quiet Your Heart When Your Mind Keeps Yelling

When You Want To Run Away From Who You Are

When Our Resolutions Meet Amazing Grace