Have you ever been eating a wonderful lunch and then suddenly, you bite your tongue?
If the answer is “yes” then welcome to the club! That little part of us that so often is ignored becomes the most noticed organ for a brief moment.
The tongue, though it is small, is a powerful thing. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing…” James 3:9-10.
We have to treat the tongue with special care. We have to keep it silent at times and listen to the hearts of others. “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19.
Just because we know something, does not mean we have to say it. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” 1 Corinthians 8:1.
We are to use the tongue to build up and not tear down. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11. God commands us to build them up, to help them in their despair, and to forgive them as Christ forgives us.
And most of all our words of faith must be sincere and come from a heart filled with the spirit of Christ. May God never say of us as Jeremiah proclaimed of the people of Israel: “You are always on their lips, but far from their hearts.” Jeremiah 12:2.
I pray that we can show our love of God by loving those around us. I pray that we will never find ourselves worshipping on Sunday and defaming His name on Monday by hurting another.
Love your neighbor as yourself— This is second only to loving Almighty God.
Have a blessed day!
In Christian love,
Diane