The Tongue
The tongue is a messenger, delivering the dictates of the heart. Whether for good or for harm we have the choice to use our tongues to build others up or tear them down.
The tongue is a messenger, delivering the dictates of the heart. Whether for good or for harm we have the choice to use our tongues to build others up or tear them down.
Honesty is the quality of being genuine and uncorrupted. And from that core, like the trunk of a tree, it branches three ways.
Be honest—do you talk too much? Do you find yourself saying, “I shouldn’t say anything...” and then spill it out? If these habits sound like yours then you’re like the majority. Verbal restraint is rare.
Do you know that feeling when you've said the wrong thing and desperately want to take it back? Our words can be poisonous…and once spoke, they're impossible to erase.
If God promised to give you anything you asked for…what would you choose? Chuck Swindoll explains why we ought to desire wisdom above anything else.
It is virtually impossible to separate truth from the one who teaches it to us. That's why James begins the third chapter with a warning—don't swell the ranks of teachers!
James encouraged us to prevent verbal fires from burning the forest around us. And yet, he gave no checklist, no tear-out sheet, and no three-step solution. Thankfully, the Bible isn’t silent about what we should and should not say.
Honestly, do you talk too much? Do you find yourself saying, “I shouldn’t say this…” and then going right ahead and spilling it out? Do you promise to keep information shared in confidence, only to leak it a few days (or even a few hours) later? Do you spend too much time filling the air with words yet saying very little worth hearing?
How do you know when you’ve grown up? One sure sign is your ability to control your tongue.