-
A harsh tongue reveals an angry heart.
-
A negative tongue reveals a fearful heart.
-
A boasting tongue reveals an insecure heart.
-
An overactive tongue reveals an unsettled heart.
-
A judgmental tongue reveals a guilty heart.
-
A critical tongue reveals a bitter heart.” Rick Warren
“And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:4-8)
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (Proverbs 18:21)
We don’t have to look too far to see how much damage the tongue can do. Maybe you experienced it growing up. Maybe you dealt with it on the playground at school. As an adult, I see vicious attacks almost everyday on social media because someone has a different opinion or world-view.
I love the way Rick Warren breaks down why many people choose to attack others. Anger, fear, insecurity, unsettledness, guilt, and bitterness can lead someone to use their tongue as a weapon. The reality is that I have no control over others. The only person that I can control is myself and the only tongue I can tame is mine.
Proverbs reminds us that our tongues can bring life or death. There is enough death being spewed. As followers of Christ, what would happen if we began to speak more life and encouragement to those around us? Let’s pray together that God would allow us to use our tongues to bring healing into every situation.
David and Annie are serving the Lord in the US, Africa, India, and South America. Would you consider joining their team? Just click here to get involved. Thanks so much!
