It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day five in the twelfth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Purity Of Speech

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.“
Psalm 141:3-4 (NIV)

How well do you guard what comes out of your mouth?  How about the words that you post on social media?  Are there conversations that you have in person or online that you would be embarrassed about if your parents or preacher were to hear them?  Do you ever begin a conversation or social media post with the phrase, “pardon the language”?  Why?  What does the words that you are comfortable using and hearing say about you?  What influence does the purity of your speech have on the effectiveness of your service to others?

I believe it is important to have purity of speech both in the content and in the intent of the words we use.  Many people think I’m old-fashioned when I cringe at the language that Christians use freely or when they feel a disclaimer is adequate to allow for foul language.  We like to say they’re just words but Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.  When our speech is impure, it is a sign that our heart needs some cleaning too.  As you pray, ask God to help you examine the words you use in both spoken and written forms.  Pray that you would put a guard over your speech so that you may serve others with complete purity.

In prayer,

Tom