July 16: Controlling Your Tongue

 

Terryann Harrison-Dillon
Creek Seventh Day Adventist

Theme:  Using Words Wisely

Scripture: “Even so as the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell” James 3: 5-6 (KJV).

Often, we are judged by our words because our utterances inform people’s perception of us-good or bad. The tongue, although small, wields incredible power. In the scripture of focus, the tongue of fire signifies the power of our speech. Just as the tongue can be a tell-tale sign of your physical health, it also serves as a barometer that provides insight into the status of your spiritual health. This means the power of the tongue transcends the mere physical functions in the body. It is a symbol of life and death.

The Tamed Tongue

Make it a habit to speak life and blessings over our lives and the lives of others. You are blessed! God favours you! These are positive words we can use as affirmation and motivation for us, our family, and our friends. Being prudent with our words can be an effort in futility without a personal relationship with God. Speaking words that align with God’s truth requires us to be intentional because the tongue can easily revert to evil.

Using your tongue wisely does not automatically become second nature. In fact, it is harder to control our tongues when temptations seem to permeate our lives now more than ever in our homes, workplace or other places. We can train our tongue to speak with wisdom and humility by storing and saturating our hearts with God’s words. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee” Psalm 119:11 (KJV). This text reminds me that controlling my tongue is possible if I feast on God’s words. As the word of God is an embodiment of His character, so too each word from our tongue is a manifestation of our character.

When I feel a sense of despair, my upliftment usually comes from people who just know the right words to say in that moment. Countless times, those kind words have lifted me from ruts on my spiritual journey. Also, there are days when I cross paths with people who simply cannot control their tongues. When I do not respond with harsh words in such encounters, I manage to control my tongue.

Being conscious of the incredible power my tongue possesses has helped me to be intentional with my spoken words and to be prudent in considering the impact on others. Take a moment to think back on a time when you received what you thought was harsh feedback. A softer tone would have conveyed the hard feedback in a more digestible way; notwithstanding, it was the truth. These experiences are lessons that teach me the value of weighing my words before I speak. Poignantly, you cannot control people’s tongues, but you can practice prudence with your own. By taming our tongues, our speech can be devoid of evil and save us from the perils of destructive fire. Today, I encourage us to start with thoughts that are in alignment with God’s words and pray incessantly for wisdom to control our tongues.

The Untamed Tongue

You cannot! You will never! These words are all too familiar. Even as I got older, the remnants of failure lingered in my subconscious because of negative pronouncements made over my life. Every now and then, these negative words affect our self-esteem and confidence. Words spoken in jest or casual conversation can inadvertently cause serious damage to relationships and friendships. The tongue also deliberately spews disparaging and hurtful words. We all know that one person who seems to have the propensity for saying hurtful and harsh words to others.

We might have heard the saying sticks and stones will break our bones, but words won’t hurt you. I have had enough experience to debunk that myth. The hurt you suffer from negative words impales you deeper than a sword. When you grow up hearing disparaging words hurled at you, especially from those whom you hold dear, you carry that heavy burden into adulthood, and sadly, we sometimes make these words our reality. Not only are we burdened by the negative words, but they also become part of our own utterances. Our experiences reaffirm that an untamed tongue can poison our whole body and wreak havoc in our lives and the lives of others. Like many of us, my effort to keep my tongue under control waxed and waned, but by constantly seeking God’s wisdom and choosing to be intentional about my speech, I was able to tighten the reins on my tongue. It is inherent that the fleeting power of an untamed tongue that spews poison will soon come to its expected demise, but the tame tongue that speaks wise words of God’s truth will taste of His goodness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for control over our tongues to speak words of wisdom. Be the bridle for our tongues when our words will defile and set us ablaze. Lord, we understand that an untamed tongue brings our relationship with You under scrutiny as representatives of Your truth. So, in our daily conversations, help us to weigh our words and consider their impact. Even when we bask in our accomplishments, help us count our blessings by expressing words of gratitude to you. Remind us that highfalutin words to elevate self and one’s achievement and to put down others relegate Your blessings in our lives. Lord, drench us with wisdom to use our tongue to freely testify of Your truth and goodness. We choose this day to use our tongue as a tool for truth and not as a repository for poison. Amen.