CAN YOU TAME YOUR TONGUE? Some people are like Billy goats. Why? Because they go

around "but-ing" everyone! They will say, "But," every time they hear something that they don't want to accept. Even when you tell them the TRUTH, they start to BUT, BUT, BUT!--just like a Billy goat. "I like what you are doing, but...", "He's a nice man but...", "Yes, I know you are right, but..."

There once was a very "but-ing" woman who did not like what a certain Godly old pastor would say to her. One day the old man's words were more than she could bear. It

was the truth "BUT" it made her so angry that she really began to "butt". She went everywhere telling lies and evil stories about him. She tried very hard to turn all of the people against him with her terrible talk and gossip. But the more she talked the sadder she became. At last she was very very unhappy, and began to feel sorry for all the lies she had told.

Finally, in tears, the woman went to the pastor's house to ask him to forgive her, "I have told so many lies about you," she said, "please forgive me."

The old man did not answer her for a long time. He seemed to be deep in thought and prayer. At last he said, "Yes, I will forgive you, but FIRST you must do something for ME."

"What do you want me to DO?" she said, a little surprised.

"Come with me up to the bell tower and I will show you," he said, looking straight into her eyes, "but first I need to get something from my room."

The Pastor’s

Pillow!

When the pastor returned from his room, he carried a big feather pillow under his arm. The poor woman could hardly hide her surprise and growing curiosity.

The flustered woman could hardly keep from asking what the pillow was for, and why they were going up to the bell tower. However, she kept silent, and a little out of breath they finally reached the church bell tower.

The wind blew softly through the big open windows of the bell tower. From the tower, they could see far out into the countryside that stretched out beyond the village.

Suddenly, without saying anything, the pastor ripped open the pillow and dumped all of the feathers out of the window.

The wind and the little breezes caught the feathers and carried them everywhere: Out onto the rooftops, into the streets, under cars, up into trees, out into the backyards where the children were playing, and even out to the big highway, and on and on farther still into the distance.

The pastor and the woman watched the feathers flutter away for some time. At last the old man turned to the woman and said, "Now I want you to go and pick up all of those feathers for me."

"Pick up all of those feathers?" she gasped. "But that is impossible!"

"Yes, I know." said the pastor. "Those feathers are like your lies about me. What you have started, you cannot stop, even if you are sorry. You may be able to tell a few people that you lied about me, but the winds of gossip have carried your lies EVERYWHERE. You can

blow out a MATCH, but you cannot blow out the great forest fire that one match can START! "Even so the tongue is a little member. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth." (James 3:5)

Have you ever thought much about your tongue? It's really an amazing little member! It's such a wee,

small thing, only about three or four inches long and a couple of inches wide, yet it can cause complete havoc and wreck your whole day and your relationships with others if it gets loose! Of all the weapons of warfare, the tongue has been the most destructive!--That is, a tongue out of control, an unkind tongue, a bitter tongue, a tongue that says harsh critical things and lashes out at others. When a bad tongue is turned loose, EVERYBODY suffers! As the Bible says,

James 3:5, 6 "The tongue is a small part of the body, but what great damage it can do! Consider how a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a flame of fire, full of wickedness among the parts of the body! It can corrupt the whole person, set the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Hell!"

But on the other hand, "A WHOLESOME tongue is a tree of LIFE."--Proverbs 15:4.

Your tongue can be inspired by HEAVEN instead of being set afire by Hell! You can comfort, strengthen, encourage, inspire and uplift others with your tongue by speaking words of love, wisdom and encouragement!--GOD'S Words!

PRO.15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

PRO.12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

PRO.15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Thank you, honey! I love you too!

Solomon said, "The tongue has the power of LIFE and DEATH."--Proverbs 18:21. Think of that! The words formed by your tongue are REAL THINGS! They can BLESS or CURSE, they can

lift up or knock down, they can save or damn! The old saying "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me", is not true at all! Some time ago a girl named Jesse Pepper, 18 years of age, was convicted of manslaughter because through her malicious gossip about a girl by the name of Mary Ellen, Mary Ellen was so hurt and discouraged that she committed suicide! It was called a "gossip slaying" because Mary took her life as a result of the gossip.

A sharp, malicious tongue can inflict deep wounds:

Pro.12:18a There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword.

Pro.25:18 Man that beareth false witness...is a maul, & a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Pro. 15:4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Pro.26:22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, & they go down into the innermost parts. (deep)

A malicious tongue destroys & kills:

Pro.11:9a An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour.

Pro.18:21 Death & life are in the power of the tongue.

Pro.26:28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; A flattering mouth worketh ruin.

JAM.3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

PSA.140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips.

That's an extreme example, of course, but honestly now, is it THAT extreme? Have there ever been times

when you've felt so LOW and DISCOURAGED that you felt like DYING because of someone's cruel, unkind words?-Or maybe YOU have wounded someone ELSE that way! Let's face it, we've all been guilty at some time or another of dealing blows with our words, and there's been many a time when we have wounded

someone with our tongue.-Maybe unintentionally, maybe intended in fun, but unkind just the same, leaving a wound in someone's heart.

The Lord forbids you to gossip:

Lev.19:16 Thou shalt not go up & down as a talebearer (gossip or slanderer) among thy people.

Ex.23:1a Thou shalt not raise a false report.

Eph.4:31 Let all...evil speaking, be put away...with all malice.

Titus 3:2a Speak evil of no man.

Jam.4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren.

1 Pet.2:1 (Lay) aside all malice, & guile...& all evil speaking.

What a pity that we should ever wound a heart that may already be close to breaking, that may already be

carrying a heavy burden that we don't know anything about! Maybe at that very moment they were longing for some kind word of encouragement, but instead our cutting words wounded deeply and left an ugly scar. As the words to this old poem say:

"If I knew that a word of mine, A word not kind and true, Might leave its trace On a loved one's face, I don't think I'd speak it, Would YOU?

If I knew the sting of a word Might linger and leave its mark, With a deep dark scar On a loved one's heart, I don't think I'd speak that word, Would YOU?"

But sadly, we often DO, and it only takes one sentence hastily spoken to start things going wrong, doesn't it?--So how can we guard against that thoughtless unkind word that can leap so quickly from the lips? What can we do to tame our tongues? Well, try as we may, there's often nothing much that we can do!

Listen carefully & think about what you say:

Pro.15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer.

Pro.18:13 He that answers a matter before he heareth it, it is folly & shame unto him.

JAM.1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

ECC.5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

It is often wise not to speak at all:

Pro.10:19b He that refraineth his lips is wise.

Pro.11:12b A man of understanding holdeth his peace.

Pro.17:27-28 He that hath knowledge spareth his words…Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: & he that shutteth lips is...a man of understanding.

Pro.21:23 Who keepeth...his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

Job.6:24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue.

Watch your words:

Psa.39:1b To...sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Psa.141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep...my lips.

Pro.13:3a He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life.

Mat.12:36 Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

The Bible says, "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man. But NO man can tame the TONGUE!"--James 3:8.--Only GOD can tame it! For "with MAN it is IMPOSSIBLE, but with GOD, ALL things are POSSIBLE" (Matthew 19:26), even the control of our tongues! That's the ONLY way to tame the tongue, by allowing GOD to change our HEARTS, "for out of the abundance of the HEART the MOUTH SPEAKS."--Matthew 12:34.

If your heart is overflowing with God's Love, then the words of your mouth will be filled with love and tender compassion, because "God IS Love!"--1John 4:8.

There's only one way to change the untamed tongue, and that is to change the SPIRIT that CONTROLS it! You can never control it yourself. JESUS is the only true source of love, kindness, goodness and sweetness, and as you allow Jesus to take control of your life, He also takes control of your tongue. His Spirit in you will inspire you and even speak through you His wonderful words of love, light and life!

Do you faithfully read and study God's Word? His Words can't very well abide in you unless you read them, can they? Do you take time for prayer, spending time loving Jesus and waiting

in His presence? If you don't do this, then your words will lack the power, inspiration and life that only HE can give! "There is a spirit in Man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding."--Job 32:8. But if you neglect to spend time with Him, your words will come out as insincere, powerless and spiritually dead. Or even worse, they'll be sharp, cutting, unkind and cold, because they don't come from a surrendered heart that's overflowing with God's LOVE!

Your tone of voice can't have love or sweetness in it if there's no sweetness or love in your HEART. There'll be an emptiness, a hollowness, and people will be able to sense it. Jesus teaches that our words reveal the characters of our hearts.--How TRUE that is! WHATEVER the quality of your heart, it will be reflected in your words. If your SOUL is shallow, superficial, egotistical and mean, all those qualities are going to permeate your WORDS as they flow from your lips.

Mary, I am so thankful for all the work you

have done! You have been such a big help. God

bless you!

But if the HOLY SPIRIT has possession of your heart, the words spoken will be clear, kind and filled with love and light! There will be no deceit, sham or double meaning. Your words will have a magnetic drawing quality, and a rare warmth that will draw others to them. And when your heart is on fire with Jesus' Love, you don't need to TRY to put tenderness or sympathy into your voice. It will just BE there naturally! Your words will have a divine spark of life and power in them that can only come from the inner depths of the Holy Spirit living within you! The Bible says,

Proverbs 15:23 A man has joy in giving an apt reply, and a word spoken in due season (just at the right time), how GOOD it is!

Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver! Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to spontaneously speak words of love and encouragement and

helpfulness to those who need them at just the right moment and just the right way, with lasting effect? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to speak words of faith and comfort that will be eternally written in others' memories and bear an abundance of good fruit in their lives?--Then just open your heart to JESUS, yield yourself completely to Him, and ask Him to come in and fill you with His Holy Spirit!

Then read His WORD, the BIBLE, and bury the most beautiful, loving and profound Words in the World deep into your heart so that they will be able to flow forth upon others! Then you're BOUND to speak with love because

"God IS Love!"--1John 4:8. "He who believes in Me, out from his innermost being, streams and rivers of LIVING WATER shall flow continuously!"--John 7:38.

Read & obey God's Word, & let it change

you:

Psa.119:9 (How) shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed...to Thy Word.

Jn.15:3 Now ye are clean through the Word.

Eph.5:26 That He might sanctify & cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

1Pe. 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.

Such wonderful words of life and love flow from the tongue of the one who has surrendered his heart to Jesus!--Have YOU?

Excerpts taken from the books, “Treasures”, “Word Basics” & “Word Topics”, the last two by John Lee & Keith Phillips. Compiled and edited by Gaetan Goyer gaetan.goye@gmail.com