The Tongue

Earlier today a precious friend and I were catching up on each others life and the dreaded subject of "the tongue" came up.  We didn't really call it that........I think we called it "hurtful things people say"!!  The old childhood taunt of "Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is such a lie!!!  We all know it, but sometimes we feed into that mentality when we inadvertently( and even sometimes intentionally) say things to people, and about people, that we should have never said.  Notice I said "we"......there are precious few who have mastered the ability to just "keep thy mouth shut, when thou should be listening!!"  How many times did I say to my kids......if you can't say something good about somebody, just don't say anything at all!! And how many times has God whispered in my ear or tapped me on the shoulder and said the same thing to me?!?  If I had a dollar for all those times, I would be a rich woman indeed(financially anyway). Why is it so hard for us to keep our mouth shut? Why do we think that we have the right to voice an opinion about everything and anybody? What is the need in us to point out the short comings in others?  Does it make us feel better about our self?  Does it make us feel important......or smarter......or better liked?
Sometimes I think that is exactly why we do it...........if we can point out someones weakness, maybe ours won't be so visible.  Why don't we feel secure enough in our own skin to avoid the pitfalls of pointing out the ugly in someone else.  How many people do you know that haven't been hurt in someway by something someone else said.........true or not!?!  Sometimes I think we just say things carelessly without regard to what the consequence of those words can mean to someone. Sometimes these things are said without thinking, but sometimes that are said with much thought. Which is worse?  The pain for the "talked about" is still the same.  Maybe I need to do some sweeping around my own backdoor, huh?  Words have the power to bring life and death.  We have to be careful of what we say and how we say it.  I've heard people say, "well that's just how I am, I can't help it."  Oh yes you can.  The book of James speaks very boldly about our "tongue."  It is a small instrument , but it can cause great harm.  God doesn't just throw us to the wolves, He is right there with us every step of the way.  The Holy Spirit can and will give us the power to rein in that tongue.....He wants to do that for us!!  Do I think I have this figured out.......ahh no!!  I know the theory and I know the power........I just choose to ignore it sometimes.  For a talker as myself, I find myself in over my head more times than not.  Proverbs 10:19 says "When words are many sin is not absent."  I think that might have been written about me.  But back up to Psalm 141:3 and it says "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."  A modern day rendition of this is "Oh Lord, keep your arm around my shoulders, and your hand over my mouth!!!"  Words aptly spoken!!!!  Let's be bearers of light and healing, not hurt and heartache.

I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.  Psalm 17:3b