Tag: words

Defense Against the Tongue-Waggers

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“And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn,” Isaiah 54:17

Where to begin!  The Bible covers so much about the tongue, its power, and its effect that you would think we wouldn’t have to keep teaching about it and relearning these lessons over and over again.

Yet, here we are.  Why?  Because the tongue can be so hard to control (Ja. 3:8).  Which of us is not guilty of having loose lips at one point or another?  Which of us has not felt the sting of a sharp tongue?

God guards His word, but He also hears our words and how they are used.  More than that, He sees how words are used against His people.

The hurt that tongues let loose on others can be described as lashing or scourging (Jb. 5:21) in the pain they cause.  The psalmist recognized that the “strife of tongues” is something we need to be protected against (Ps. 31:20) because of the damage wrong words, especially words of accusations, can cause.

While it is easy to remember that God is mindful of us (Ps. 8:3-4), we must also remember that there is not a foul word spoken against us that gets passed Him.  God is the protector of not only your life but your integrity.

When David experienced the wicked schemes of others against himself, one thing he prayed about was the hurtful way they used their tongue like a serpent’s bite, full of poison (Ps. 140:3).  Demonstrating faith in God, he prayed, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor,” (Ps. 140:12). 

Yes, dear friend, the same God who knows even the very hairs of your head is the same God who is aware of every word spoken against you, and God will defend.

In the meantime, let us be mindful to choose wisely our own words with wisdom from above (Ja. 3:8-17).   

“For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.  But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.” Psalm 31:13-14

“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Proverbs 11:13

“A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.” Proverbs 12:23

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

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Wholesome Words, Wholesome Life

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“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life . . .” Proverbs 15:4

Oh, my friend, how careful are we to put good things into our bodies? Wholesome foods, filled with nutrition, that will nourish us from the inside out. There is no doubt for us that making good choices concerning the foods we eat affects our overall health and well-being.

To be strong, to be the best version of ourselves, we work diligently to supply this life with the things that are beneficial to us, things that are good, and things that promote health.

What of the words we speak from our mouths and the words we take into our souls?

The words we speak have power. Proverbs 18:21 plainly tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” What we are speaking impacts our lives. How and where we direct our words will affect what is produced from them. The things we speak from us will determine what will be filled within us: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Proverbs 18:20).

What we speak not only impacts others who hear our words, they impact ourselves when we hear what we say. What we speak feeds us. What we say comes back into our own hearing and seeps its way into our innermost being. If we are wondering why this or that keeps happening, start monitoring the words you are speaking into your own environment, into your own life. “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” (Proverbs 12:18).

So, too, do the words we allow to come into our space, into our hearing, affect us. When the Bible teaches “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21), that mindfulness to guard words is not limited to what comes out of our mouths, but we are to be aware of what is coming from the mouth of others, from their tongues, that we are allowing to infiltrate our world.

Constantly opening ourselves to words of negativity and unwholesome speech can influence how we live and how we think. Unwholesome speech can be poisonous to the life that is trying to live holy and healthy, to the life that wants to produce good fruits.

This is why Paul encourages us: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). To have a wholesome and spiritually healthy life, these are the things you want to hear. These are the things you give permission to enter the space of your hearing and thinking.

Wholesome words make a difference to a wholesome life. Guard your space and satisfy yourself with the good things that are developed and produced from good words. Good words are healthy. Good words build up. Good words restore. Invest in yourself, your space, and your life with the benefits of good words.

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