Hello Everyone, This is Chaplain Sung Kim. I am Deputy CMD CH in the 63d Readiness Division. I pray you are well.
In James 3:8-9, James says, “No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness”
When we speak words of love and encouragement to each other, they are healing. When we speak words of kindness and appreciation, we speak the words of God.
But when we speak evil, we do the devil’s work. People’s reputations and lives have been shattered by someone who attacked with their tongue. Marriages have been ruined and careers have been destroyed by half-truths and lies. It is the spark that sets a forest on fire.
It was the evening of October 8, 1871, and Mrs. O’Leary took a match and lit a small oil lantern. She walked to the barn to milk the cow, but the cow kicked the lantern. The fuel and flame kindled a bit of hay, and then it spread until the barn was engulfed in flames. The barn caught another building on fire, and caught the main part of Chicago on fire. Half of the Chicago city was gone. 17,500 buildings were destroyed. 300 people died and 125,000 were homeless. All because of a spark destroyed a big city.
The destruction a tongue can cause is no less catastrophic when it is set on fire by hell itself.
Bruce Barton said, “For good or ill, your conversation is your advertisement. Every time you open your mouth you let people look into your mind.”
It is just so tempting to share that bit of gossip we have just heard. We use our tongues share a secret that could damage someone’s life. We call people names as we drive in our cars because they make us angry. We curse and yell because life makes us angry. We curse at every little irritation. We put someone down in order to feel better about ourselves. We boast and make something sound a little better than it really was.
What you say is what you think. Your thoughts are a product of your heart. The way you talk is a measure of who you are.
Dr. Hyder Zahed says, “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.”
I hope that you practice good talking today. I hope that you are full of grace and humor. A wealth of evidence has found that funny people tend to be smarter, healthier, and less stressed about their lives.
I hope that your lips speak words that heal rather than harm. I hope that your words express joy, faith and optimism. I hope that you express love to those around you. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Blood and Fire!
Here is the direct email and phone number for anyone requesting support from the 63d RD Chaplain office,
usarmy.usarc.63-rsc.list.chaplain-all-users@mail.mil
650-526-9668