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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for March 15, 2010
“Change the Course of Your Life”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Your tongue is a rudder.
It steers your ship, by which I mean your life.
What you say steers your life.
What direction is the ship preparing to go? You can tell by looking at the rudder.
And by looking at your words, you can tell where your life is going.
What you say affects so many things. It affects your attitude and your motivation. It affects your mood, your feelings and your emotions. It affects your faith and your hope.
How well will you get along with people today? Just look at the rudder of your words – that is where you are headed.
James 3:4 says that our tongue is like a rudder that, even though it is small, steers the whole ship.
I know that here in America we are all about freedom of speech. But we must keep in mind that everything we say gives a little tug on that rudder. And when you add up the sum total of all the speech in America, that is the direction our nation is headed.
See how that works? Get everyone talking one way, and that is the way you will go.
Now this isn’t like magic. You can’t get everyone to sit in a circle and chant and expect something to happen. That’s like turning the rudder on a boat that isn’t moving.
But how are you doing as a parent? Which direction is your parenting headed? Just look at the rudder of your words.
Which direction is your marriage headed? Look at the rudder of your words.
Which direction is your spiritual life headed? Or your professional life? Check the rudder of your words.
The good news is, it can be changed. You can change your direction by changing your words.
Now the change may not be instantly obvious, but if you keep that rudder turned in one direction long enough, the change will become apparent.
Change your life by changing your words.
I’m not saying it’s easy. James 3:8 says “no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” And yet the Bible tells us many times to get our words under control.
One of the most common pieces of advice about the tongue is “hold it.” For example, James 1:19 exhorts us to be “slow to speak.” For you quiet types, that’s no big deal. But for you chatterboxes – and you know who you are! – you need to work on being slow to speak.
Proverbs 10:19 says that the more you say, the more likely you are to sin.
Proverbs 29:20 says, “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.”
Proverbs 17:27 says, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint…”
Proverbs 21:23 says, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
So step one is to restrain yourself. Just say less. It’s easier to keep your tongue under control when you keep your mouth shut.
And here is what that does. It buys you some time. It gives you a chance to think of something wise to say.
Proverbs 10:11 says our mouth should be a fountain of life.
Ephesians 4:29 says we should say things that are good and helpful.
Proverbs 12:18 says our words should bring healing.
Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace…”
Proverbs 16:24 says we should speak pleasant words.
Pleasant words lead to a pleasant life.
Ephesians 5:19 sounds very pleasant. It says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs…”
The words we speak, the things we say, affect the course of our life.
Proverbs 18:20 says, “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled…”
So is there something you want to change in your life today; your relationship with someone perhaps? Or maybe your career, or your spiritual life?
To move that ship in a different direction, remember that your tongue is the rudder.
So make the effort to change what you say.
To change your words is to turn the rudder, which will change the course of your life.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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