WHAT DID YOU SAY?
There is an old story told about the Greek philosopher who told his servant to prepare the best dish possible. The servant prepared a dish of tongue saying, "It is the best of all dishes, because with it we may bless and communicate happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, cheer the fainthearted, inspire the discouraged, and say scores of other things to uplift mankind.
Later the philosopher asked his servant to provide the worst dish possible. A dish of tongue appeared on the table again. The servant said, "It is the worst, because with it we may break and curse human hearts, destroy reputations, promote discord and strife, and divide families.
The Bible says, Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles (Proverbs 21:23). How true this is! Some of us are able to grapple with mammoth problems and master them. But we have never been able to master our tongue. So often we are guilty of speaking twice while thinking only once.
We need to realize how serious the problem of the tongue really is. God says, But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8). This being the case, the tongue can be a dangerous instrument, if not kept under control.
I have heard people say on occasion, "Well, I tell the truth, I say what I think." Maybe these people should think more and keep what they say to themselves. Saying what one thinks often reveals little thought. We are told in James 1:19 that we are to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. It seems that most of us are swift to speak, swift to wrath, but slow to think. Scores of people have brought grief into their lives by what they said. The trite saying, "Silence is golden," has a world of meaning.
It would be well for all of us to remind ourselves frequently of the experience of our Lord when He was falsely accused. His persecutors had been telling lies about Him. The result of those lies was that He was condemned to be crucified. In spite of all that was said, Jesus answered nothing (Mark 15:3). What an example for us.
Possibly you have heard it said that "man is what he eats." To a large degree, this is true. Thousands are in poor health because of incorrect dietary habits. Yet, it could also be said that "man is what he says." Nothing reveals the inner life and character of a person more than his speech. If you keep your ears open, you can find out very quickly what your friends are like on the inside.
In a home for boys, a ventilating system was installed. It was discovered afterward that anyone standing in the recreation room could hear very plainly through the ducts what the boys were saying in the dorm. One day the director could not believe his ears when he stood in the recreation room and heard some of the boys talking. Quickly, he went to the dorm. The moment the door was opened, the big fellow who was doing most of the talking stopped in the middle of a sentence. His listeners looked confused and embarrassed. By themselves, these fellows were talking without hesitation and embarrassment. But when the third party entered the room, this changed the whole scene.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, surely you realize that whenever you converse with anyone, a third party is listening. Our Lord's ears are always open. He never sleeps. He hears everything that is said. If we were to keep this in mind, probably we would not be as careless in our speech as we frequently are.
When we live in a harmonious relationship to Christ, our speech evidences this fact. Spiritual depth has a bearing on how we talk. The Lord Jesus expressed this idea in Matthew 12:34 saying, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. If our experience with Christ is shallow and superficial, our speech will be the same. But if we have spiritual depth, and if we walk in fellowship with our Lord, seeking to please Him by doing His will, our speech will reveal this. What we say will glorify God. It will not tear down and malign the character of others. It will honor Christ and all who belong to Him.
While speaking at a Bible Conference, I noticed in the audience a friend whom I had not seen for many years. We had been classmates in Bible School about 30 years before. She had been reared in one of the Northern states. Following graduation, she went as a missionary to work in the mountains in the South. When I conversed with her, I was surprised to discover that after working in the South all those years, she had acquired a southern accent. After spending three decades with southern people, she talked like them. This is understandable!
As you and I spend time with the Lord, studying his Word, communing with Him in prayer, and living for Him, it will not be a secret. Our speech will manifest this. But on the other hand, if we are thoughtless and caustic in our speech, it will be a dead giveaway that we haven't spent much time with Jesus. He is the only one who can control our speech. We must depend upon Him moment by moment to give us victory over unkind words that hurt and destroy.
Have you ever considered the treasure God has given us in speech? No inferior creature such as an animal or fowl can communicate its thoughts by intelligent words. This is a special privilege God has provided for humans only. Don't abuse it. Use it for God's glory.
How forcible are right words! (Job 6:25).
Perverted words are deadly, loaded with dynamite, and produce mass destruction. We need to pray many times throughout the day,
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips
Someone has said very wisely, "The tongue is in a wet place. Because of this, it can easily slip." We need the Lord to help to keep it from slipping. He can do it. We are not sufficient in ourselves. Let's ask the Lord to take control of our tongue that we might let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).
If you are not a Christian, yours is not so much a problem of the tongue as the heart. Receive Christ into your life, and after your heart is brought under control, you will be in a position to master your tongue. To you, God says
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9, 10).
Ask Christ to come into your life.
J. Allen Blair
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God has some favorite words He repeatedly uses in the Bible. One is the simple four-letter word come which is used over 600 times. To me, this reveals the unselfish and loving nature of God, for it is meant to be an invitation to everyone in the whole wide world to come to Him and find refuge in His Son, Jesus Christ.
No matter who we are or what we have done, God's grace is sufficient and He says, Come. When Christ died on the cross, He made
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Have you come to Christ? You may answer, "Yes, praise God, I have come to Him and I know I'm saved." If you have not come, my suggestion is, delay no longer. Come now and receive the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as your Savior and Lord. Then, you'll know the blessedness of life eternal in Christ.
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