Before You can control your money, you have to control your reactions to your moods, what you allow to come out of your mouth and what take up space in your mind.
So with that being said I have entitled this message,
Your MOUTH , your MOODS, then Your MONEY
OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN JAMES 3;1-12 WHICH STATES
3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a [a]perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 [b]Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of [c]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [d]nature; and it is set on fire by [e]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the [f]similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? [g]Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
And Pro 18:21 which states Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Before you ever start to think about becoming wealthy and sustaining your wealth for any length of time,
You have to change the way that you react to your moods? and your mindset about the way you speak that is ,concerning how much authority and responsibility that you have over the words that come out of your month.
Neurosciences have concluded that your mouth is not just a tool for communication But rather it is a psychological instrument. What you say repeatedly becomes what you believe, and what you believe becomes how you behave, that is not motivation talk that is Cognitive science. as(PRO 23/7) AND (MATT 12/34) remind us of.
For example, when life gets uncomfortable and you say I can't, this always happens to me ,I'm just not built for this, you think you are describing reality, but really you are shaping your brain by the repetition of every sentence you speak about yourself, for these are small instruction that you are giving to your nervous system about who you are.
You are Actually programming your brain by the Consistent way in which you speak.
At this point you may be wondering what does that have to do with my money?
I am glad you asked, allow me to explain, the mind does not argue with the mouth it records it. If you keep telling yourself you are to tired, weak, unlucky or to far behind Financially to catch up now, your brain starts organizing your behavior around that story and the reticular activating system in your brain begins to looks for evidence to prove your words right.
Please note that over time the story hardens into Your reality and your identity.
This is how language turns into lifestyle. Now please understand I am not saying that controlling your mouth is about pretending that everything is fine when it’s not,
but what you say about your Situation is something that you can control. This is when you Refuse to let your emotion speak for you as if they know the end of your story, and there Interpretation of what is occurring in your life is always true. When you do this Consistently, you set your self-up for
true emotional Maturity and self-control. ( Gal 5:22-23)
Emotions are real, but they are not always true, you can feel fear and still be capable Acting in the direction of what you believe is good, right and true with courage.
You can feel discouraged and still be disciplined, Faithful and dependable, but if you let fear talk Consistently it will exaggerate danger, and if you let frustration talk it will justify quitting.
Self-control begins when you decide that your feelings do not get the microphone without your permission.
There is a deep philosophical idea here for the ancient thinkers, of Jesus day believe that your speech was an extension of thought and thought was an extension of your character, in other words the way you talk reveals who you are .
. For example a person who speaks in blame is becoming a dependent person.
A person who speaks in excuses and procrastination is becoming a passive person, who allows people places and things, or worse than that, they’re moods to control the path of their lives seen by the absence of their actions.
On the other hand, one who speaks in a way that Says that they are Responsible for every choice in their life whether good or bad, this person has chosen to become powerful, and unstoppable in the Direction of a goal that they truly believe is in the will of God for their life.
This is why discipline and speech are Inseparable not Simply cosmetic, but rather moral, for you are training yourself to relate to reality in a certain way either as a victim ,or as a victor that is a participant in shaping what your life looks in your reality ,and in your world.
Please note that the Absence of this responsibility is how conflict grows, to the degree of blame, Division, chaos and ultimately violence.
Wounds Caused by words strike back with disrespect.
Disrespect becomes resentment.
Resentment becomes distance, and distance becomes division.
Which is the very absence of the one thing that gives us at living word our super power… being United.( Unity)
All of this happens when one doesn’t learn how to control one’s mouth (Internally and externally) at the moment when their emotion is at the highest. Please note that the strongest people are not the loudest in the room, but rather they are the most restrained.
Silence when chosen intentionally is not weakness it is strategy it is you refusing to let a temporary feeling create a permanent consequence.
There is also a social dimension to this , your words just don't just shape you, they shape the environment around you, for a household or a community takes on the emotional tone of the dominant language inside it.
If complaint is normal, mediocrity and Excuse making becomes acceptable.
If you are always talking about, what you don't have, what you can’t afford and statements like, it must be nice to be someone that you are not, Mental poverty will saturate you are environment.
On the other hand, if Conversations about being responsible, discipline, courageous resourceful, and never giving up permeate your environment, faith and Consistency become normal and growth becomes expected.
For people rise or fall to the level of the conversation they live in. That means every time you speak you are either raising your standard and the standers around you, or lowering them, and here is the uncomfortable part about this fact, most people talk too much about what they can’t
control, and too little about what they can control.
Which is
1. your Attention
2. your perception
3. your attitude
4. the words that come out of your mouth about A. B. and C.
5. your motives behind your actions
6.and Ultimately your actions.
They talk about the problem instead of talking about the solution,
They rehearse the pain instead of rehearsing the plan,
but your language can be used in a different way, if you choose to Discipline yourself to direct your attention on that Which feeds your mind and soul, and moves the needle in the direction of your goals so that your attitude motives and actions can fall in line with that which is found in for( Phil 4:8-9).
You can speak in commitments instead of moods and Complaints, you could say this is hard, but I am Committed to stay with it, until it become a habit and becomes easy.
You can say I don't like where I am, but I'm responsible for where I'm going.
Please note that kind of speech doesn't deny struggle, it gives struggle direction and Purpose to move you in the direction of your goals. Psychologically this is how you stabilize yourself when life is chaotic. Discipline speech becomes an anchor it keeps your mind from spiraling and keeps your emotions under Guard.
It creates a pause between stimulus and response, and in that pause is your freedom.
You may not control what happens to you, Or even how you feel about what has happen to you, but you are always in control what you say about it, and what you say about it determines how you pray, what you Focus on and what you will do next.
Notice how this connects to the other areas of life, if you can't control your mouth, you won't control your mood because your words will inflame your feelings.
If you can't control your mouth, you won't control your money, because impulse talking leads to impulse spending.
If you can't control your mouth, you won't control your mind because your mind will be filled with undisciplined narratives that you allow to come out of your month.
The mouth is the gateway for what comes out of it reveals what is running your inner world, so the question is not whether words matter the question is whether you are using them consciously or letting them run on instinct( the flesh) or with Intention(Guided by the Spirit of God living in you).
Discipline begins when you stop speaking as a Reactor and start speaking as a decision maker.
Self-control begins, when your words match your values, instead of your impulses
When you begin to Practice this type of behavior, you begin to feel a different kind of strength, not loud strength, but rather the quiet strength, the kind that doesn't need to announce itself because, it shows up in consistency, Discipline and self-control.
If you want to change your life, it doesn’t start with your circumstances or the amount of money you have, but rather starts with your Language, and that’s free.
For the person who learns how to control their mouth, has learned how to control the story that lives inside of their Reality, and the story that you allow to live inside of you, determines the future you walk into. Having a lot of money just helps you get their faster, Weather good or bad.
Unfortunately, most people believe their moods are who they are in the moment, if they feel tired they act tired ,
If they feel angry, they speak angry,
If they feel unmotivated, they stop moving in the Direction of what they said they wanted to accomplish. Please be Aware that, this way of thinking is one of the most dangerous Belief systems that a disciple of Christ can Embrace simply because it is the opposite of faith.(Hebrews 11 :6)
The idea that emotions deserve authority is not only Destructive But will ultimately rob a disciple of Christ from their birthright of being more than a conqueror in every area of their life.
Emotions are signals not commanders they report conditions Internally.
They are not qualified to make decisions because when you allow your mood to dictate your behavior you turn temporary chemistry into permanent outcomes.
From a psychological point of view mood is largely biological it is influenced by sleep, food, stress, memory and Realistic or unrealistic expectations.
They rise, fall and change like weather. Yet for many people if they feel low then something must be wrong with them.
If they feel angry then someone must deserve it, but feelings are not the proof of something, they are impressions ,they are interpretations made by a nervous system that evolved to protect you , excite you, but definitely not to perfect you.
Unfortunately, the fallen human brain is designed for survival first.
What that means is that it will exaggerate discomfort and minimize long term reward. If you don't understand that, you will keep mistaking the mood of resistance for danger, and discomfort for a reason to feel defeated..
There is a philosophical idea that says freedom is not the absence of emotion, but the mastery of response.
You cannot stop emotions from arising, which simply means that you cannot stop them from occurring, but you can decide whether they get to steer the wheel, for this is the difference between a reactive life and a deliberate and Intentional one.
If a Disciple of Christ lives a reactive life the outside world controls their inside world a bad conversation ruins the whole day, a small failure becomes a reason to quit, a moment of frustration turns into a week of excuses, and months of Procrastination, but if we choose to live a deliberate and Intentional life, emotions are observed not obeyed.
You notice them, you respect them, but you do not surrender to them.
Think about how many decisions are made purely because of mood. People quit when they feel tired. They spend when they feel empty or Bored,
They lash out when they feel threatened, and they delay when they feel unsure.
In each case their emotions are treated as a command, but being Spirit lead requires something different which is the ability to act according to the principles of the Scriptures even when feeling Discouraged,or angry.
Discipline is not the absence of emotion it is the presence of direction. It is choosing behavior based on values, Intentions and goals, rather than vibrations.
Please believe
If your mouth is undisciplined your mood will be amplified by your own words, and you will talk yourself into worse emotions.
If your mood is undisciplined your money will suffer because emotional spending replaces rational planning, and Calculated spending and investing.
If your mood, and emotions are undisciplined your mind will be crowded with narratives that justify inconsistency, for your emotions are the bridge between thought, words ,and action. If they are unstable and are allowed to Consistently speak, everything downstream becomes unstable Including your money.
On the other hand a person who learns to regulate mood gains a rare advantage.
They do not need perfect conditions to perform, they do not wait for inspiration to show up, they do not confuse how they feel with what they are responsible to do today,how they are Supposed to manage their money, and ultimately to make their lives better,. they show up when Conditions are boring, Such as filling out their excel spending sheet on a daily basis.
They stay steady when it is uncomfortable, and they keep standards when their emotions try to negotiate them away.
I'm not saying that this will Eliminate negative emotion, no while we are in this fallen body and Wrestling with this fall in mind, that will never happen, but with the power of the holy Spirit we can Drastically reduce the authority , and overcome them so that we can live as a overcomer in every area of our lives, that is if we are willing to put in the hard work Required to experience it.
When you are mindful and acknowledge your negative emotions, you listen to sadness without letting it define you. You notice anger without giving it control of your tongue or your actions. Over time this practice builds something deeper than motivation it builds emotional Maturity.
Most people think money is a math problem but it is really a emotional and desires problem.(James 1-13:15) income matters but habits matter more, two people can earn the same amount and live completely different financial lives because money does not respond to numbers alone it responds to discipline, and emotional maturity. The Emotional maturity that you apply to small purchases you would apply to large ones, every purchase whether conscious or not, is a psychological decision before it is a financial one. It is a statement about what you value in the moment versus what you want in the future. From a psychological perspective spending is often emotional regulation. People do not just buy things they buy relief from stress, boredom, loneliness, or insecurity.
The brain associates spending with a brief sense of control and pleasure which is why impulse purchased this feel good for a moment, until then quietly turn into regret.
The problem is not that pleasure exists the problem is when pleasure becomes the goal alone without Rational thinking. When money is used to soothe feelings instead of serve goals, it stops being a tool that starts becoming a trap.
From a philosophical Perspective many times the difference between freedom and impulse feels like limits, and restrictions, but real freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want right now Financially ,but rather it is the ability to do what matters most over time delayed gratification is not punishment it is Emotional and financial intelligence applied to desire.
When you learn to say no to what is easy, you gain the power to say yes to what is meaningful. That is not about being cheap it is about being intentional And purposeful. Notice how closely money is tied to identity people spend to prove something to themselves or to others, they spend to look successful before they are stable, they spend to avoid the discomfort of patience, but financial control requires a shift in self concept you stop asking what can I buy today to make me feel better, and start asking the question have I been financially responsible enough to make this purchase. One protects comfort the other protects direction, and direction always outlives comfort.
There is also the issue of attention money Evaporates where awareness is absent. When people say they do not know where their money goes, what they are really saying is they were not present when they made their financial decisions. Unconscious and automatic spending creates unconscious outcomes ,but when spending becomes conscious it becomes Purposeful, you are forced to confront what you truly prioritize not what you say you value. Please note When you are consciously aware, your transactions prove what you value, your bank statement and Credit card statements become a psychological document. For they show you your beliefs in action. Financial control is not about perfection it is about Deliberate consciousness and consistency concerning your spending.
You do not need to master every investment strategy to gain financial stability, on the other hand you need to master repetition, repetition of saving, repetition of restraint repetition of planning, and repetition of investing. in the same way fitness is built through small daily behaviors financial strength is built through boring regular disciplines, not celebrating big wins. Money grows through quiet patterns and Unspoken disciplines.
On the other hand if you Neglect practicing financial Stability, your choice are narrow and you tolerate Conversations and purchases you should Question and challenge, you accept Financial conditions you should be Determine to improve.
When this begins to happen, stress begins to shape your personality, and anxiety becomes your advisor, but when you gain control of your mouth, moods, and money, you gain control of your time and decisions. You can think more clearly because survival is not screaming in your ear.
Financial discipline creates psychological space and psychological space is where better choices are born. Notice how this connects to your mouth, if your mouth is undisciplined you will justify reckless spending with language that excuses it.
If your mood is undisciplined, you will spend to manage emotions instead of managing behavior, And if your mind is undisciplined, you will chase appearances instead of building Lasting financial stability.
IN Conclusion
Wealth building and having more than enough money for financial stability, is not a isolated Issue, but rather it is downstream from speech, emotion, and thought that is why financial chaos is rarely just about dollars, it is about self-regulation. With that being said , there is a deeper lesson here about patience for controlled spending teaches you how to relate to time.
Every financial decision is a negotiation between present desire and future security when you always choose the present the future becomes fragile ,when you respect the future the present becomes more stable. That balance is not learned through theory it is learned through practice. Each time you choose to plan instead of Impulse spend you strengthen a muscle that reaches beyond finance into character. Here is the uncomfortable truth wealth is less about accumulation ,and more about alignment when you're spending aligns with your values money stops feeling chaotic and start feeling purposeful it becomes an extension of your goals instead of an escape from your stress. You stop chasing status and start protecting stability, you stop reacting and start designing how to take control of your money. At this point what you are really learning how to control desire.
You are learning that every desire doesn’t deserves a transaction, and learning that Although your Emotions deserves a vote in your present decisions, They are not the determining factor about what you say and do in your future.
That is not restriction that is maturity, because the person who can master money without being mastered by their Emotions gain more than financial security, they gain dignity direction and choice and in a world where most people are driven by impulse, the one who is driven by Direction, values ,delayed gratification, and ultimately faith In honoring God with their mouth and money in spite of their moods, is the one that has obtained the real wealth.
May the lord add a blessing to this message in your life if you apply it.
Minister G. 2/22/2026