LIFE & WORK:
Tongue should be used
for blessing, not cursing
___
Colossians 3:8-9; James 3:3-12; 1 Peter 3:8-10
___By Doug Riggs
___Woodland Heights Baptist Church, Bedford
___"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." No proverbial saying strays farther from the truth. On the contrary, words can hurt terribly. Anyone who has suffered the disloyalty of a friend, the harsh criticism of a father or the jeer of a classmate knows language-induced pain. Speech possesses the power to bless or curse, to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage.
___The community of faith often suffers from unbridled, harsh expressions. Numerous people have dropped out of church because of the words spoken by another Christian. Some have shunned Jesus himself. They reason that they are just as "good" as the 
Christian who used speech detrimentally. Certainly, we need to exercise a purified tongue as we serve God and build relationships with others.
___ Controlled speech (James 3:3-8). The Bible uses controlled speech as a leading indicator of Christian maturity (James 3:2). The tongue certainly exercises disproportionate influence over our entire bodies. A mere two-ounce slab of mucous membrane enclosing a complex system of muscles and nerves can direct our entire course (v. 6). James used three illustrations to drive home his point: a bit in a horse's mouth (v. 3), the rudder of a huge ship (v. 4) and a small spark (v. 5). In each case, a very small item controlled something large. In its natural state the tongue is uncontrolled and filled with deadly poison (v. 8), corrupting us and setting our course on fire (v. 6). The believer should be different.
___ Consistent speech (James 3:9-12). Nothing else in creation is as duplicitous as the tongue. Only one kind of water flows from a certain spring (v. 11), and only one type of fruit grows from a specific tree (v. 12). However, the tongue sends forth both blessing and cursing (vv. 9-10). This act stands against God's created order of unity. God calls his followers to be single-hearted and sincere. Therefore, one's control of the tongue puts consistency to the test.
___ Corrected speech (Colossians 3:8-9). Paul instructed his readers to put to death whatever belongs to one's earthly nature (v. 5). His listing of specific examples begins with matters of the heart and then it moves to outward expressions. Anger, rage and malice fuel slander, filthy language and lying. We must lay aside those destructive forces because they contradict our calling and destroy community. The tongue's deadliest qualities must die.
___ Compassionate speech (1 Peter 3:8-10). Peter spoke about a person who wanted to love life and see good days (v. 10). Many are seeking after just such a life. His practical teaching necessitated the harnessing of an evil, deceptive tongue that seeks retaliation and provides insult (v. 9). In its place, we need to exercise sympathy, compassion and humility (v. 8). We should employ the tongue for blessing instead of cursing (v. 9).
___When people build each other up, those words of blessing strengthen community. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11).
Frontpage / Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!