Why Christians need to be careful of the tongue

Every day we speak countless words, often paying very little attention to the words themselves. The words we speak are not mere sounds that are formed from our vocal cords; we ought to realize that we create our world by the words that we speak. God created the universe by mere speech and we are created in His image, with dominion over everything on earth (Genesis 1:26). This explains why our tongue can create a big impact more than we think. There is great power in the words that we speak. According to Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life [are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” They expose our inner qualities – or the lack of them. Jesus taught, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). People live because of something said because the tongue can be “a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). What we say can bring a smile on someone’s face or tears to another’s eyes. God through His word encourages us to speak words that are full of life, good for building up and give grace to those who hear. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” Ephesians 4:29 What our tongue produces has eternal implications, for it reveals what is in our heart. Jesus said that “the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” Reverend Erisa Mutabazi, of St. Etienne Cathedral advises that what we say can sometimes have a long lasting impact on someone’s life which is why we need to be careful with every word we utter. This however goes hand in hand with what one believes. “People may be careless with the way they talk sometimes intended and sometimes unintended. They need to be careful with the way they pronounce on themselves or others.” “It however cannot prevail if one does not believe what is being pronounced to them. However it is important that we are careful with what we pronounce because some people are hurt all their lives because of something said to them,” he says. Wise King Solomon understood that our words reflect our hearts. In his proverbs he included the following, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” (Proverbs 4:23-24). Perhaps we should heed to the advice in the old saying, “If you do not have anything good to say do not say anything”. Instead of saying the first thing that comes to our minds and everything that follows we should choose our words wisely and carefully. One is known by wisdom and foolishness by his word. “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips he is considered perceptive” (Proverbs 17.28). Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “. . . out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks”. It all depends on what’s filling your heart. A self-righteous heart produces a judgmental tongue; an ungrateful heart produces a grumbling tongue. But a loving heart produces a gracious tongue, a peaceful heart produces a reconciling tongue, a trusting heart produces an encouraging tongue. “He who guards his mouth keeps his life. He who opens wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13.3). However, because of the sinful nature in our flesh, it is difficult to tame the tongue. This is seen in James 3:8; ”but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.” The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” Bearing in mind that all men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36), our words need to be governed by the Holy Spirit. He should teach us to control our tongue, lest we bring destruction to ourselves.

Lifestyle

Why Christians need to be careful of the tongue