The Tongue

Are you encouraging or discouraging hearts by the things that you do or the way that you live?  As the world falls into more chaos and sin, are you a living testimony or a hindrance to the gospel?  

There seems to be so much pressure to conform to the world and get caught up in worldly things.  We hear this statement at times, “Everybody else is doing it,” and sometimes we buy into that lie.  There is a kid’s song that, I think, is called, “Be Careful Little Eyes What You See,” and it goes on to say, “Be careful little eyes what you see because the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful little eyes what you see.”  Then it goes on to “little ears what you hear” and “little mouth what you say,” and so on.

We call this a kid’s song, but we adults could learn from this song also.  Think about what you listen to, what you allow your eyes to see or your tongue to say, where you go and what you allow your hands to touch.  One of these things I have had a very strong conviction over lately is in the realm of what I say and how I say it, whether it be true or not.  

Today I want to concentrate on the tongue.  Let me start out with this, you may be telling the truth, but if you tell the truth in a negative way about anyone that can influence the people that are listening to see that person in a bad light, then you dishonor and sin against that person.  Your words can bring curses or blessings, life or death.  This was a hard lesson for me to learn, and I think most of us have a struggle with this at times.  I always thought that if I spoke the truth about someone it was ok, it wasn’t like I was lying and I didn’t look at it as gossip.  Now I realize that not everything you perceive as truth is really true, and the way you present the truth to others can be taken very negatively, especially to new believers.  We may not only sin against the person we talk about but also against the new believer, causing them to stumble and we also sin against God because we represent Him here on earth.  

I am very sorry for this sin and have had to repent and ask God to forgive me.  When we do these things we cause separation and division in the body of Christ and we also cause separation between God and us, as well as consequences.  

When the Bible talks about the tongue in the book of James it shows we need to take it very seriously.  James says this in James 3:1-12, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.  See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”

No one can control the tongue perfectly but we can try to control the damage the tongue can do.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us, if we are believers, to help us control the tongue.  We need to seek His power and resist the power of the tongue to try our best to overcome this sin.  If you are struggling with this sin, repent and confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you; then do your part with the Lord’s help to control what you say and how you use your tongue.  

Something to think about, may God have mercy on you and bless you as you humble yourself before Him. Have a great day!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord.