Proverbs 25:11 A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray.
Our tongue can be a stress reliever or a stress creator. Proverbs 10:19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. There are conversations, phone calls and communications that makes us worried, stressed and anxious. Yet, there are others that bring confidence, hope and encouragement. Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The words of the wise and righteous will help us to see a situation clearly, transparently and candidly. It will not be camouflaged with fake, flowery or false frills. It will not be mere information, but will bring correction, reflection and wisdom to our soul. Wise words reveal truth. Truth is nothing but speaking God’s perspective in any issue in the light of God’s Word.
To tame our emotions, desires and carnal passions, we don’t have to inflict pain on our physical body as the pagans do; we just have to learn to tame the tongue. James 3:2 Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. If we practice to speak only what we mean and train our tongue to be honest, integrous and truthful we will be able to keep the whole body and sensual desires under control. A person with a perverse tongue has a perverse mind and corrupt heart. Perversion is conceived in the heart, hatched in the mind before it touches the tongue as ugly and unwholesome talk. Hence if our tongue is tamed, the mind is bridled and the heart is cosseted.
Three simple ways to tame the tongue:
1. Gossiper: If you are not part of a problem and not a solution to the problem, don’t speak about it. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Never share secrets and sensitive information as “prayer points”. Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Gossipers can cause separation, and strife among friends and family. Keep away from gossip and gossipers.
2. Slanderers: Slanderer is a person who is bubbling with foul smelling information and spitting secrets to their contacts. Slander is partial, twisted or spiced truth. Slanderers who spread malign, are carriers of personal information to insult others and elevate themselves. Proverbs 10:18b he who spreads slander is a fool. Putting others down puffs up the ego of slanderers. Entertaining slanderers is sinful and destructive.
3. Encouragers: Our tongue can be tamed to become a encouraging, rebuilding and refreshing instrument. Acts 4:36 Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation). After the conversation of bloodthirsty Saul into martyr Paul the apostles were hesitant to accept Paul. They thought it was a devious trap to destroy them. It was Barnabas, the encourager who introduced Paul into the family of the newly formed church. Our words will become like golden apples on a silver platter if we dedicate our tongue to build and not break, construct and not destruct and bless and not curse.
If our tongue is tamed, cleansed and sanctified our whole being will become pristine and purified.
James 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,3 these things ought not to be so.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to tame my tongue to be an instrument of light and not a soiled instrument of darkness. Amen
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