The Tongue

Learning to control the tongue is an important step in self-control. Have you ever said something without thinking that was hurtful or hateful to someone? Have you ever said things without thinking? Or have you ever used language that was just beyond awful? Well, I have. More times than I care to count. I have had things come out of my mouth that even shocked me when I took the time to think about them afterwards. I never thought anything about what I said because I'm grown. And being grown means that I can say whatever I want right? It means I don't have to worry about the consequences of my words right? WRONG! The Bible tells us that our mouth is the dirtiest part of our body. Not because of what we put into it, but because of what we allow to come out of it. James 3:6-10 says: And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it starts a fire that influences all of life. People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them, but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil and full of deadly poison. We use our tongues to praise out Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. We use our tongue to give compliments as well as to tell lies. Psalm 34: 13 says: You must not say evil things, and you must not tell lies. In Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 19 we are given some true wisdom. The Scripture says: If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin; if you are wise, you will keep quiet. Why does the Bible warn us about talking too much? It's because God already knows what we fail to understand, and that is that our tongue is going to say something we should not say. It's inevitable. It also tells us in Proverbs 21:23 that Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble. Think about how many problems or arguments could have been avoided in your own life if you would just think before you speak. Think about it. When we speak, it should be to help our brothers and sisters not to hurt them. We should be giving encouragement not hatred. (James 1:26) says: People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their "religion" is worth nothing. If you are a true believer of God and want to follow Christ's example then you should live in the Spirit, not the flesh. The next time you catch yourself about to say something you know you should not say, think about this... Would you say that to God or Christ if they were in front of you? Would you allow those types of things to come out of your mouth in their presence? No, you wouldn't. So let's do our best to treat all of our brothers and sisters in the same manner.