One of the most outward indicators that God had really begun a work in my life was in my speech. You wouldn't believe the things that came out of my mouth when I was in the world. A.MESS! Sometimes I look back at old Facebook or Twitter post and I literally get sick to my stomach. I cursed like a sailor, gossiped, was very negative, lied, argued, tore people down, and so on. As God began to transform my heart, without effort the things that came from my mouth were different. This was evidence to me that our heart is visible in what we allow to exit our mouths. Jesus said that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34)
My study of God's word further revealed how important it was that we are careful about what comes out of our mouths. James 3:10 really opened my eyes when the writer called me out in scripture. "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing, my brother this should not be." OMG! It hit home for me there... think about it, it is detestable that the same mouth we use to give God praise, is also the same mouth we use to do the very things He despises. Very hypocritical.
Society has made it okay to tear people down, to talk behind people's backs, to use profanity, and to even lie. But for the Christian, this is not okay. According to Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." In James 3:6, the Bible says that the tongue is "a fire, a world of iniquity", and James 3:8 calls the tongue a "deadly poison." 1 Peter 2:1 tells us to rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. The matters of the mouth appear in great number throughout the bible, showing us the importance of it's proper use in our Christianity. You very well may not think you have a problem with your tongue. Well let's review some of the ways God says we misuse it...
Lying
None of us can stand to be lied to but all of us can admit that we've lied before. If you say you've never lied...you're a liar. Proverbs 25:18 says, "Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who give false testimony against a neighbor." The thing about a lying tongue is that it has no restriction. It will lie about anyone, anywhere, or anything and is not easily detected. A lying tongue is indicative of one that is not of God. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), and God said that he hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17, Psalm 5:9). According to Revelation 21:8, all liars will join other sinners in the lake of fire. Seriously... a lie is not worth your salvation.
I certainly had no idea that over complementing someone/something or "flattery" was considered a sin of the tongue. However Romans 16:28 is one place in the bible that we see that it is deemed that such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. "By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." We see in Psalm 12:3 "May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue." The word tells us that whoever corrects a person will gain favor rather than one who flatters a person. (Proverbs 28:23) Just to be clear, flattery is just a form of lying, and it has no place in the life of a Christian.
Proud Tongue
We all know someone that is very boastful, overly confident, and has no problem letting you know exactly how great they are. Someone with a proud tongue will typically only talk about themselves and does not listen very well. A proud-tongued Christian will talk much of his knowledge and service, but very little about the Lord. You can't tell folks with a proud tongue anything because they know everything. Sis, I hope this isn't you! God doesn't like that. 1 Corinthians 1:31 said that if we are to boast we should only boast in the Lord. We know that without Him we would have not, be not, or do not.. so give the credit where the credit is due. Be humble and show humility in your speech. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you because it really ain't about you.
With Love,
- Kimyatta
Overuse
Yes, it is a sin to talk too much. Shut up sometimes, girlfriend! Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 says "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares and many words mark the speech of a fool" That pretty much sums it up, sweetie. The more we talk, the more likely we are to sin: to lie, to brag, to gossip. In addition, it is practically impossible to listen if you are busy talking.
Let these matters sink in and ask God to help you correct your speech. Seek Him to cleanse your heart and soften your tone if necessary. Delivery of speech is just as important as what is being said. As a Christian, the easiest way to show who you belong to is by speaking to people in grace. It is often not what we say, it's how we say it.
Let these matters sink in and ask God to help you correct your speech. Seek Him to cleanse your heart and soften your tone if necessary. Delivery of speech is just as important as what is being said. As a Christian, the easiest way to show who you belong to is by speaking to people in grace. It is often not what we say, it's how we say it.
With Love,
- Kimyatta
Daily Prayer: Lord please help me to control my mouth. I now know how important it is for me to speak in a godly manner and I am a representative of your kingdom. You have given clear instructions in your word how I am to use my tongue. It is my prayer that the words from my mouth are edifying and build up others.
Scripture to Study: Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Gossip, cursing, speaking negatively, blaspheming God!
2 Timothy 2:16
Great message. My Favorite scripture dealing with the tongue; Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man."
ReplyDeleteSometimes is not what you say, but how you say it that can make the difference. Too much salt can cause your words to be hard to swallow, but too little may not get your point or your message across. Sometimes its easier to put a little too much attitude into what we say, but it's hard for others to receive it.
P.S. I'm working on the overuse....it may come across as nagging (if you let my fiance tell it)
Bless you for commenting! I agree completely and really like the analogy that "too much salt can cause the words to be hard to swallow but too little may not get your point across." Displaying our Christianity in everyday life, effective and efficient communication is necessary in all interactons. The ability to answer every man in an appropriate manner, as the verse explains is important especially on the job.
DeleteAnd yes, I need to work on overuse as well. I think I've been sinning my entire life and didn't know it. lol