Accepting Guidance 接受指引
Dexu Xia
No human being can tame the tongue. James 3:8
The air smelled of leather and oats as we stood in the barn where my friend Michelle was teaching my daughter to ride a horse. Michelle’s white pony opened its mouth as she demonstrated how to place the bit behind its teeth. As she pulled the bridle over its ears, Michelle explained that the bit was important because it allowed the rider to slow the horse and steer it to the left or right.
A horse’s bit, like the human tongue, is small but important. Both have great influence over something big and powerful—for the bit, it’s the horse. For the tongue, it’s our words (James 3:3, 5).
Our words can run in different directions. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings” (v. 9). Unfortunately, the Bible warns that it’s very hard to control our speech because words spring from our hearts (Luke 6:45). Thankfully, God’s Spirit, who indwells every believer, helps us grow in patience, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). As we cooperate with the Spirit, our hearts change and so do our words. Profanity turns to praise. Lying gives way to truth. Criticism transforms into encouragement.
Taming the tongue isn’t just about training ourselves to say the right things. It’s about accepting the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that our words generate the kindness and encouragement our world needs.
What inner attitudes come out through your words? How might cooperation with the Spirit influence your speech?
Dear God, please change my heart so that my words encourage others and honor You.
惟独舌头没有人能制伏。—雅各书3章8节
我们站在马房里，空气中弥漫着皮革跟燕麦的气味，朋友蜜雪正在教我女儿骑马。蜜雪让她的小白马张开嘴，向我们示范如何将嚼环放在马齿后方。当她将辔头拉到马耳上方时，她告诉我们那个嚼环非常重要，因为靠着这嚼环，骑马的人才能让马慢下来，或是要它向左走或向右走。
马口中的嚼环有如人的舌头一样，虽然小却很重要。两者同样能对巨大而有力的事物，产生极大的影响。对嚼环来说，它影响的是马，而对舌头来说，则是我们口中所说出的话（雅各书3章3、5节）。
我们所说的话可以为善，也可为恶，就如圣经所说，“我们用舌头颂赞那为主、为父的，又用舌头咒诅那照着上帝形象被造的人”（9节）。圣经告诫我们，话语是很难控制的，因为人心里所充满的，口里就说出来（路加福音6章45节）。但值得庆幸的是，内住在每一位信徒心中的圣灵，会帮助我们生出忍耐、良善以及节制（加拉太书5章22-23节）。当我们顺服圣灵，我们的心思意念和话语都会随之改变：亵渎转为颂赞；不说谎话只说实话；批评化为鼓励。
驯服舌头并非只是训练自己说当说的话，而是接受圣灵的指引，好让我们的话语产生世人所需的恩慈与鼓励。
作者： 史珍妮
你的话语会显露你的哪些心态？
顺服圣灵会如何影响你所说的话？
亲爱的上帝，请改变我的心，
好叫我的言语能鼓励他人，并能荣耀祢。