Oh Be Careful Little Tongue…

“So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.” (James 3:5)

Washington Irving said, “The tongue is the only tool that grows sharper with constant use.”

I read recently that the average person has as many as 700 occasions to speak to someone each day. In the course of those conversations a talkative person uses 12,000 sentences and about 100,000 words. I have had the unfortunate misfortune to run into that 100,000 word person on more than one occasion!

Just stop and think about that…There are actually people out there who may speak in excess of 100,000 words a day!

James reminds us in our verse today that our tongue has great potential — both for good and evil. Think about the destruction that can come from someone who uses their 100,000 words to spread rumors and gossip.

I have an old cartoon that shows a line of pews and the same sentence is being passed verbally from one pew to the other. Here’s the result…

First pew: “My ear kind of hurts.”
Second pew: “The pastor has an earache.”
Third pew: “The pastor got a hearing aid.”
Fourth pew: “The pastor is having trouble hearing.”
Fifth pew: “The pastor got a double earring.”

The last frame shows an elderly lady walking out of the church and she says, “That does it, I’m outta here! The pastor’s got a double earring!”

But not only does the tongue have potential for spreading bad things — we also have the potential to spread blessings if we would speak words of praise and encouragement.

Here’s the question for the day. How are YOU going to use your tongue today? Are you going to speak words that bless the Lord and lift up Jesus and witness for Him? Or will you be involved in gossip and criticism. If during a 24-hour period everything we said were recorded and then play back for us to hear — would we be proud of what we had said, or we be embarrassed?

We all need to watch what we say. Maybe you are not a talkative person. Maybe you don’t use 100,000 words a day. Perhaps you are able to get by with only 10,000. We should make sure that all our words count for good.

William Norris said, “If your lips would keep from slips, five things observe with care: to whom you speak; of whom you speak; and how, and when, and where.”

Great advice.

Have a great day.

Ouch! That sure was sharp…

“So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6)

Washington Irving said, “The tongue is the only tool that grows sharper with constant use.”

William Norris wrote: 

If your lips would keep from slips,

Five things observe with care:

To whom you speak; of whom you speak;

And how, and when, and where.

I read this week that the average person has as many as 700 occasions to speak to someone every day. In the course of those conversations a talkative person uses 12,000 sentences and about 100,000 words. I have had the misfortune to run into that 100,000 word person on more than one occasion! Think about that…there are actually people out there who may speak in EXCESS of 100,000 words a day!!!!!

James reminds us that our tongue has great potential — both for good and for evil. Think about the destruction that comes from someone who uses their 100,000 words to spread rumors and gossip. 

By the way…here’s a simple little thing that will keep people from filling your ears with that trash! Whenever someone comes up and says, “I need to tell you about so-and-so;” respond with this — “Wait a minute. May I quote you?” There is usually a long pause and they will say, “Well, I’m not so sure that would be a good idea.” And you can then say, “Then I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say. If you are not interested in putting your name on it, if you are not interested in being there when we confront this individual, then I’m not interested in your gossip.”

James also tells us that our tongue CAN be used for good. Think about all the words of encouragement and praise that you could speak. When people see you coming or see your name pop up on their caller ID — do they roll their eyes and wish they didn’t have to hear whatever you are about to say? Or do they eagerly answer the call or join in the conversation because they know you are going to speak God-honoring, encouraging things to them?

Here’s the question for today. How are you going to use YOUR tongue? Are you going to speak words that bless the Lord and lift up the name of Jesus and witness for Him? Or will you be involved in gossip and criticism. Remember a critic does what critics do — they criticize! And I’m running into more and more of them every day as well. And while we are on the subject — may I just say that criticism is NOT a spiritual gift! 

Think about this. If during the next 24 hours — everything — and I mean EVERYTHING we said were recorded and then played back for us to hear — would you be proud of what you had said, or would you be embarrassed?

We all need to watch what we say. Maybe you aren’t a talkative person. Maybe you don’t use 100,000 words a day. Perhaps you are able to get by with only 10,000. Regardless of how many we use, we should all strive to make sure that our words are used for good.

I don’t know who said it, but it bears repeating…

“My diet is balanced. My food is the best. But it’s the words I have eaten that I cannot digest!”

Have a great day.

Speaking the Truth in Love

“A wise heart instructs its mouth and increases learning with its speech.” (Proverbs 16:23)

The poet, William Norris said:

If your lips would keep from slips,

Five things observe with care:

To whom you speak; of whom you speak;

And how, and when and where.

One of the biggest struggles I have as a Christian, and especially as a preacher is the need to be both loving and truthful at the same time. There have been plenty of times over the years that I needed to say something to someone that may be true, but in the process may hurt him or her as well. The Bible says that we should be honest even if what we have to say is hurtful — BUT to speak kindly and with compassion. In so doing, we offer the individual the support they need to face reality.

The book of James teaches that when we have wisdom from God, we will speak effectively. James 3:17 says that God’s wisdom is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” If we will follow that simple rule and let it govern our speech, we will not have to hide behind the things we have said in an attempt to cover our tracks.

Solomon said that if we are going to be truly wise, we need to speak with “learning.” That word literally means “eloquent.” As Christians, when we speak, our words must be full of God’s grace and love so that even when we must tell another person something that may be hard to hear, we can do it in a spirit of compassion.

As I understand Proverbs 16:23, this is more than simply applying ointment to a guilty conscience by an occasional good deed or word for those less fortunate. The instruction and eloquence that Solomon speaks of causes us to take a real trip down inside the broken heart of a friend. It is that ability to share in sorrow or joy and be able to speak words that truthful and encouraging even when they are words we don’t especially want to hear. It isn’t the number of words we use to make our point; it is the spirit with which we deliver them.

In the world that I live in today, we need more straight talk. But one of the greatest needs in the world today is for people who can deliver those words in a way that will positively impact lives for Jesus Christ. We don’t need more people who just rant and rave about the latest thing they are against. We need compassionate Christians who can tell the truth from God’s Word, who will not compromise that Truth, but who display God’s wisdom and understanding in the proclamation. Remember, gentle words fall lightly, but they carry great weight.

In our conversations, we should remember that it is never advantageous to wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig enjoys it. Pay attention to your words…

Have a great day.