Mixed Messages

Today’s Truth  “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters [and girlfriends] this should not be” (James 3:9 TNIV and girlfriends added).

Friend To Friend  Catherine and I set out for a lazy summer stroll through the neighborhood just before the fireflies emerged to celebrate the setting of the sun.  We chatted about raising boys, working husbands, and decorating dilemmas.  When we arrived back at her house, she invited me to come in and look at some fabric swatches for a new sofa.  Before I knew it, a few minutes turned into a couple of hours.

“Oh, my!” I exclaimed.  “It’s ten o’clock. I’ve been gone for over two hours!  I bet Steve’s worried sick.  He doesn’t even know where I am.  I’d better give him a call before I start back home.”

When I dialed the number, the answering machine picked up.  After I listened to my sweet Southern greeting, I left a bitter message.

“Steve, I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s.  I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t even pick up the phone!”  Click.   I said my goodbyes to Catherine and left feeling somewhat dejected.  I’m wandering around in the dark all alone and he doesn’t even care, I mumbled to no one in particular.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed someone coming toward me.  It was Sir Galahad riding on his steed…his bicycle!

“Where have you been?” Steve desperately asked.  “I’ve been riding all over the neighborhood looking for you! Do you know what time it is?”

“Oh, you do care,” I said with a grin, giving him a big hug.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Nothing.  Let’s go home.” I answered.

When we got back home, I quickly erased the message on the machine before Steve could hear my reprimanding words. “Whew,” I thought, “That was close.”

A few days later, Steve called me from work.

“Sharon, have you listened to the answering machine lately?”

“No. Why?”

“Well, I think there’s something on there you need to hear.”

We hung up and I reached for my cell phone to call my home phone. The message on the answering machine went something like this.

(The voice of a Sweet Southern Belle)  “Hello, you’ve reached the Jaynes’ residence.  We’re unable to answer the phone right now… (Enter the voice of Corella Deville) “I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s.  I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t pick up the phone! (Return of Sweet Southern Bell) At the sound of the beep, leave your number and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.” Beep.

“Oh, my goodness!” I screamed.  “How did this happen!  How many people have heard this over the past three days?”

I called the phone company and they explained that sometimes during a thunderstorm (which had occurred three days prior), lightening strikes the wires and answering machine messages get scrambled.  The old message somehow got attached to the greeting.

I was mortified.  It sounded like Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde reincarnate.

“Lord,” I prayed.  “This is so embarrassing.”

“Yes, it is,” He replied.

Well, He didn’t really say that in so many words.  It was more like this. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water” James 3:9-12 TNIV).

“OK Lord, I get the message.” I prayed.  But unfortunately, so did a lot of other people.

Let’s Pray  Dear Heavenly Father, oh how I have a difficult time controlling my tongue!  I pray that you will put a guard over my mouth.  Help me to think before I speak. I pray the Holy Spirit will take control of my words and use me as an instrument of encouragement.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn  A word has been described as the smallest unit of meaningful linguistic communication.  But that little tiny entity has great potential.

Read James 3:2-6 and answer the following questions.

How is the tongue like the rudder of a ship?

Who is the ship? (There is not necessarily a right answer.)

On any given day, there are many travelers on our ship (our families and friends) or people we pass on the waterways of life.  How do our words carry people along the same route we are traveling?  How do our words maneuver or bump into those that are passing by?  I’d love to hear your answer!  Click on and share your thoughts.

More From The Girlfriends  Today’s devotion is taken from Sharon’s book, The Power of a Woman’s Words.  There is great power in the words we speak.  Our words have the power to speak life or death into the souls of those we love.  If you would like to learn more about how to harness this powerful force and use your words in positive ways, this book is for you!  Why not get a group of girlfriends together and learn about The Power of a Woman’s Words together!