Today, when I was reading my HelloMornings devotion, thinking it through and having some discussion with some of my friends online about what tongue can do and can cause in and through our lives, we came to the point where we realized that often we said things that hurt our loved ones’ hearts. We were just spilled it out words from our mouth because we were angry, or frustrate, or tired.
Honestly, I did that MANY TIMES to all the people I love. The results my heart was broken, sad & devastated. I asked myself, “What have I done?”, “Why did I say it?” But I could not take back my words out of anger. I had to deal with the consequences after saying it. I need to repent and asking for forgiveness. I need to have self-control and thinking through what I wanna say before I say it out loud. I need God to help me in this area. I am weak but He is strong and his grace is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Our tongue is a small part of our body but it has great power. In Indonesian, we have a proverbs that describes a person who quick to say things, to critisize or to judge others without thinking it through whether they speech would hurt others’ feeling or cause damage in their own lives and relationships. It literally translated like this “As a tongue that doesn’t have a bone.” Tongue cannot be controlled.
We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. (James 3-5, NLT)
Isn’t that amazing that God created tongue that can make big speech, that can effect the one who hears it?
Later in the same chapter, James explains what our little tongue can do:
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! (James 3:6-10 NLT)
Like a horse needs a small bit in his mouth so that it can be controlled, we need a controller for our tongue. We cannot control our tongue, that’s the truth. The only one who can control our tongue is God and His word. God is the ultimate controller in every aspect of our lives.
My friend, Lauren, wrote a good remidner on her post yesterday related to guarding our tongue. She shared the truth that we need God to guard our lips and take control of every single word we want to say.
Set a guard, O Lord , over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalms 141:3 ESV)
Take control of what I say, O Lord , and guard my lips. (Psalms 141:3 NLT)
My friends, this can be a long post talking about our tongue and controlling it. But today, please allow me to share a reminder from God’s word for all of us today:
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)
I pray that God’s word will fill our hearts and minds every moment, and whenever we open our mouth, we will speak out the truth and out of God’s grace and love to our spouse, children, relatives, friends, co-workers, fellow ministers, and even to strangers. So that they may come to know God from our speech today and forward.
