Is Your Tongue Your Sword?

God has given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God has set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue.  Thomas Watson

One of the biggest struggles in my life is taming my tongue.  I work on it every day but it still sometimes gets loose and wanders out on its own.  Those are the most dangerous times.  When I use my tongue to hurt others I choose it as my sword to break others down.  If I am using my tongue properly as God calls me to do, it becomes a sword of the Spirit. 

God gives us all the tools to conquer Satan, but if we don’t use the tools He provides wisely, we do more harm than good.  To be able to use the tongue to share the gospel, we must first exercise it.  By that I mean we must meditate on His Word and memorize it. The best sword we can have in our fight against Satan is God’s Word.  It is like getting in your car knowing you are low on fuel and then being surprised because you ran out of gas.  If we don’t fuel our mind with scripture we will not have God’s armor when we need it most.

It is also necessary to prepare our heart.  If we have hurt, bitterness or anger in our heart the only thing that will come out will be hurt, bitterness and anger.  If I am not prepared to be last instead of first, I will continue to walk over others to get what I want in life. Have you figured out that even God’s Word can come out wrong if it is spoken in hate or anger?

There are times in my life where it would have been better for me to have a zipper on my lip or maybe superglue because things have come out that never should have been spoken.  I think I will focus on my tongue because if I harm others who are made in God’s likeness then I have committed a grave sin.  The best thing I can do for myself is to learn to control it.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, my tongue has gotten me into trouble many times in my life.  Sometimes it was because I was hurt or angry so my heart was not prepared for my tongue to speak.  Other times I had not buried Your Word in my heart so I was not able to speak Your truth when I most needed it.  I ask for Your forgiveness for speaking to others in anger and using my tongue to harm others instead of lifting them up.  Thank you for loving me even when I am at my most unlovable.     

Scripture:  Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.  James 3:1-18