The Flow of Words

This morning I talked with my friend from Georgia. The language that flowed from the phone was an immediate give away of who the caller was. The tongue gives away who you are. Even if you are not from England or Texas if you spend enough time there your accent will change to sound like the land in which you live.
     In the same way the language that flows from our mouths sounds like the land in which we live spiritually. If we dwell in the place of criticism out hearts get critical and the sound of the words we speak is critical. If we dwell in the land of sarcasm or complaining then out of our mouths flows the language of sarcasm and complaining. We always speak our mother tongue with ease. The heart of the matter is what makes the difference. What flows out can only flow out if that is what is inside.
     If you spill a glass of water, water comes out. If you spill a cup of coffee, coffee comes out.  What would happen if our heart were so full of thankfulness that thankfulness spilled out everywhere we went? What if we learned to make thankfulness our mother tongue.  Can a mother tongue be changed?
    In Genesis 1 God gives mankind dominion to rule over everything on the earth. “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion ....” Man is given dominion (rule, power to control) over every creature, bird, animal, and over the earth, yet according to James 3:7-8 “Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no one can tame the tongue. (CSB)
James 1:26 "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives himself."
     So are we doomed? Must we live with a tongue we can't change? Look at the flowers of the field that God clothes in color, they can't change their color unless something supernatural takes place. If someone takes that flower and places it in colored water the color of the flower changes also.  The only way the petals of a flower can change color is if the food coloring travels up the stem and goes to the petals.
    In the same way the only way our mother tongue can change is if the Holy Spirit flows up from our heart to our tongue. Don't hold your tongue, you can't change that, but do hold your heart. Let your heart be filled with the Holy Spirit and the fruit of holiness will flow up into your mouth. Then love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control will come from the Holy Spirit filling your heart, moving up the stem and changing the color of your words.