Unruly Tongues

Unruly Tongues

No one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

The waitress, overhearing part of the conversation at our table, piped up as she brought our meals, “Oh, I heard about that event from people at my church!” We smiled and engaged her in small talk about the event but grew quiet after she left.

We were each thinking the same thoughts: What part did she overhear? Did she hear us gushing about the myriad of positive things that took place? Or did she hear us lapse into complaining as we recounted a few of the negative remarks made to us by a tiny percentage of people in the midst of an otherwise wonderful experience?

I lay awake that night praying about my unruly tongue. I asked the Lord to forgive me for letting it flap in a way and in a place that was not only unbecoming to myself but, more importantly, was unbecoming as a representative of him.

It is so easy to shift into gossip, into complaints, into words that tear apart instead of build up. After all, it’s what we see and hear on TV, read online, and witness in our general culture. In the face of these cultural norms, it takes constant guarding, constant thought before we open our mouths and let the words spill out. James reminds us that our tongues are full of poison—and that we are just as apt to curse those God loves as we are to lift our voices in praise of God, sometimes in the same conversation.

We are called to consistency with our words—to be women who speak praises and blessings over others, and who zip our lips when we are tempted to engage in conversations that dishonor God and curse those he loves.

— Julie

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Ask yourself if the words you are about to speak are: (1) kind, (2) helpful, and (3) necessary. If they don’t meet at least one of these criteria, zip your lips.