Tongue: April 6, 2011

APRIL 6. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2011.

TONGUE

DEFINITION:

A moveable organ in the mouth; the principle organ of taste; speech or talk; a language or dialect.

SCRIPTURE:

“No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father and with it we curse men.” James 3:8-9.

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Proverbs 15:4.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Psalm 34:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Today is a very special day for especially Ken. My father would have been 100 years old today. God chose to take him home in the prime of his life at the young age of 46. But he accomplished so much for the Lord in the years God allowed him to serve Him on this earth.

As we think of our parents today and especially as they relate to the word we have chosen for today --- “tongue”--- we both can remember as children that when we said something “bad” our parents would remark strongly to us that if we repeated that comment or word that they would wash out our mouth with soap.

Now if you have ever had your mouth washed out with soap you will think twice about using your “tongue” that way again. The point that our parents made to us and the point we made to our children in the same situation is that we always need to be careful about choosing the words we use in our conversations. We need to think before we talk. We need to be sensitive to the feelings of those we talk to at all times.

The tongue is a very small part of our body, but a most important one, as without it we could neither be able to taste or be able to speak. While the tongue is small it is mighty. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue and that it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

The tongue has the power to do great damage. Once words come out of the mouth they cannot be taken back. In James 3:6 we are told that the damage the tongue can do is compared to a raging fire. Like a fire you cannot control the damage words can do nor can you reverse the damage. In a matter of minutes a few words spoken in anger or with the intent to be hurtful can destroy the strongest of relationships.

In order to control our tongue we must think before we speak and consider whether our words have merit and are pleasing to God or whether the words we use are hurtful and destructive to the person we are speaking to.

Our society has changed so much even over the last few years that the words we hear today in the work place, on the street, in the movies, on the television and even among the mouths of teenagers and children are appalling. Words that we hear today were never used in public even ten years ago.

We ask the question: “Why do we see this happening?” Think about the changes we have seen in our society here in America in such things as the forbidding of prayers being said in our schools, not allowing the posting of the Ten Commandments in our schools and in our public buildings, and the proliferation of pornography under the guise of free speech. We have taken God out of our society. The media also has shown no restraints in the language used in movies and television. Unfortunately the same is happening in every country of the world no matter what the culture or beliefs are.

James tells us what comes out of our mouth shows what motivates us and our words reveal what and who we are. Without God’s help it is impossible to control the tongue. If we claim to be Christians and have faith in Jesus we must submit our tongue to His control.

When we allow God to have control of our life and we let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with God’s love then our tongue can be used for God’s glory. As James says in James 3:8-9, it is with the tongue that we praise and bless God.

Standards may have changed but God’s standards have not changed. What the Bible teaches about the tongue is still applicable today. James tells us that no man can contain the tongue and that it is an unruly evil and full of deadly poison. We cannot control our tongue in own strength. We must seek God’s help and through His Holy Spirit working in us, we will be able to keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking deceit.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 11:30.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

PRAYER:

Help me today to control my tongue. May my words today honor You in all that I do.