That Old Tongue...

There are so many things on my mind right now that I tried to take a nap & couldn't! (This could be a modern-day miracle!)

I have many friends, for which I am most thankful, especially since I've never married or had children. The only family I have is the Body of Christ, and I don't say that in a complaining way. Many of my friends have only known me for five years or less, so they don't know 'the old me.' (Good for them!) But, in younger years, yes, even as a Christian, I used my tongue in very hurtful ways. Some of it was because I was insensitive to others. Much of this was due to my self-absorption which was due to emotional and spiritual immaturity which was due to unresolved pain in my life. I don't say this as justification for my actions, but partly as an intro to what I'm going to say next. As members of the Body of Christ, we are exhorted to build each other up in Christ, not decimate each other with our tongues. Right? If you don't know even one verse that purports this, let me know and I'll get some for you. There are many.

Have you ever stopped long enough to consider how many people you've hurt, damaged or even destroyed with your tongue? sigh...I have and it's brought me much grief. It has also brought me to repentance. For several years now, I have tried to think BEFORE I speak, rather than afterwards. It's not usually hard for me to apologize to someone, but even if an apology is well-received, there may still be a scar left behind on the soul. How many scars on the souls of others have my name on them? sigh...Lord, please heal them and forgive me...

Why do we do this to each other? Are we afraid of silence, so we say something, anything, to fill up that space? Are we immature? In younger years, I would make snide comments about or to others, then say I was joking so I could make my point. groan...or are we trying to impress another/others with how wise we are? There's a very old saying I love (yet still probably don't heed yet often enough) that goes like this: It's better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.

You've probably heard plenty of sermons on the tongue, so I should probably quit while I'm ahead. But have we taken those sermons to heart? Have we let them pierce our hearts as needed or as deeply as needed? How often do we hear something, feel a slight sting, then walk away and forget it, rather than take it before Him and let Him do that deep work in our soul(s)? For well over a year now, my prayer has been: Lord, if that ugly thing I said wasn't first in my heart, it couldn't have rolled off my tongue. So, Lord, please cleanse my heart so there are no things that will come out of my mouth that offend You. I say a lot less things that are hurtful these days...Praise His glorious Name!