This is an important blog. The tongue is a little member but can either bring life to someone or death. It may sound dramatic but you can go on social media and see the effects of the tongue on people every day. When I was in University one of my favorite classes was sociology. It is the study of human behavior. People often confuse it with psychology which is the study of the human mind. I was fascinated that human behavior hasn't changed all through history. That is why when Solomon says there is nothing new under the sun it was a true statement then and it is still a true statement today. The tongue is one topic that is heavily talked about in the Bible. James 3: 6 " And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell." Jesus said, "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth this defiles a person." In Proverbs there are so many verses that talk about the tongue how you can use it to build someone up or tear someone down. The Bible talks about how in the later days men's hearts will be cold. We are seeing that. For a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ it should move our hearts as it did our Savior's heart when He wept. He wept not because Lazarus died but because of the unbelief of the people and how lost they were.
What are the sins of the tongue? Let's list some of them. There is gossip, which is a favorite among people and the most excused in the world even the church. There is lying which is a best friend of gossip. Gossip and lying often go hand in hand. Why do people gossip? I think when it is opposite genders it is because they are vindictive that they can't have what they wanted. It can also be to save oneself from getting in trouble with someone else so he spreads a lie about an innocent person, so that person looks like the villain. When it is the same gender it is jealousy in its many shades. They put someone down to lift oneself up. The lying in the gossip is so deadly. It can destroy families, friends, cause people to loose their jobs. One lie a man told to save himself because he broke a tribal's rule cost 5 missionaries their lives. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and the other 3 just wanted to get to know the people and become friends and the man to save himself told a lie that their intentions were not good but evil. The 5 men died and didn't understand why the tribe was attacking them.
Lying about people is just hideous. The only motive is one of utter selfishness and self serving. The other sins of the tongue are using the tongue for abusing others. Tearing them down and making people feel worthless. We have all been at the hands of the evilness of the tongue. In todays world I believe there are more introverts than extraverts. You go in any church you find very few people that go out of their way to welcome people they don't know. They usually stay with who they know. Very few are interested in really getting to know new people. The majority of the people are not born reserved. People become somewhat introverted because of people's tongues have hurt them so much they pull away from people. Church should be the one place people feel safe to love one another and encourage one another an yet it is not. The tongue is not just praising God in the Church but also in the same breath tearing down through gossip. This shouldn't be. You know when it happens because people begin to pull away and not want anything to do with you. More people have left the church because they didn't feel they belonged. I have read comments on social media. There are so many people hurting. Some just plain say they hate people. Some say they have built their wall so high to not let people in to hurt them again. Some don't even spend time with friends because they don't want the pain. I get it because the pain can be deep. I don't even have the precise enough words to describe the pain. I do know I have experience 10+ pain physically many times and for me I prefer physical over the deep emotional pain. The feeling is like someone is physically ripping your heart out and the cry is raw and from the depths of your soul. No matter what pain you feel if it is from someone gossiping/lying about you or betraying you or verbally abusing you, you can allow yourself to feel the pain for a day or two but then you have to get up. You have to focus on Christ our Savior. You can't stay in the prison of despair. Find the keys of promise like Christian did in Pilgrims Progress. Two of mine is in Hebrews "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Spurgeon said in the Greek it is so emphasized that it would be like, I will never never never leave you nor never never never forsake you. Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." You have to get up and brush yourself off and keep moving forward. When you drive you look out of the windshield. You don't drive looking in the rear view mirror or you would crash. You do quick glances in the rear view mirror but your focus is the windshield. That is life. You glance at the past. You focus on the future. Sometimes you can't get up. the Lord Jesus is there to help you get up and when you can't stand on your feet the Lord will carry you until you can stand on your feet again. The point is move forward and don't build the walls. Building walls not only blocks out people that could hurt you but it also blocks blessings God would give you through people. It blocks people that would be the greatest joy in your life. Forgive those that hurt you even though they don't ask. Use your experience to use your tongue to bring healing to others. Keep your heart open to others. Remember I said in a blog if we focus on keeping the two commandments it would take a life time. The sins of the tongue breaks loving others as Christ loved us. Sometimes we just don't have the love for others. We can ask God to give us the love to love others. You are not on your own. Jesus is right there. Run to him often. He loves you more than any human can ever love you. More than a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or friend. Let your words bring life and refreshment to others. There are so many people that wish that someone would truly care them. Pray and ask the Lord who it is He wants you to encourage, befriend, and help and tell of the One who loves them more than they know. Ephesians 3:16-19 " that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge , that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. " Let us be salt and light for Christ.
What are the sins of the tongue? Let's list some of them. There is gossip, which is a favorite among people and the most excused in the world even the church. There is lying which is a best friend of gossip. Gossip and lying often go hand in hand. Why do people gossip? I think when it is opposite genders it is because they are vindictive that they can't have what they wanted. It can also be to save oneself from getting in trouble with someone else so he spreads a lie about an innocent person, so that person looks like the villain. When it is the same gender it is jealousy in its many shades. They put someone down to lift oneself up. The lying in the gossip is so deadly. It can destroy families, friends, cause people to loose their jobs. One lie a man told to save himself because he broke a tribal's rule cost 5 missionaries their lives. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and the other 3 just wanted to get to know the people and become friends and the man to save himself told a lie that their intentions were not good but evil. The 5 men died and didn't understand why the tribe was attacking them.
Lying about people is just hideous. The only motive is one of utter selfishness and self serving. The other sins of the tongue are using the tongue for abusing others. Tearing them down and making people feel worthless. We have all been at the hands of the evilness of the tongue. In todays world I believe there are more introverts than extraverts. You go in any church you find very few people that go out of their way to welcome people they don't know. They usually stay with who they know. Very few are interested in really getting to know new people. The majority of the people are not born reserved. People become somewhat introverted because of people's tongues have hurt them so much they pull away from people. Church should be the one place people feel safe to love one another and encourage one another an yet it is not. The tongue is not just praising God in the Church but also in the same breath tearing down through gossip. This shouldn't be. You know when it happens because people begin to pull away and not want anything to do with you. More people have left the church because they didn't feel they belonged. I have read comments on social media. There are so many people hurting. Some just plain say they hate people. Some say they have built their wall so high to not let people in to hurt them again. Some don't even spend time with friends because they don't want the pain. I get it because the pain can be deep. I don't even have the precise enough words to describe the pain. I do know I have experience 10+ pain physically many times and for me I prefer physical over the deep emotional pain. The feeling is like someone is physically ripping your heart out and the cry is raw and from the depths of your soul. No matter what pain you feel if it is from someone gossiping/lying about you or betraying you or verbally abusing you, you can allow yourself to feel the pain for a day or two but then you have to get up. You have to focus on Christ our Savior. You can't stay in the prison of despair. Find the keys of promise like Christian did in Pilgrims Progress. Two of mine is in Hebrews "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Spurgeon said in the Greek it is so emphasized that it would be like, I will never never never leave you nor never never never forsake you. Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." You have to get up and brush yourself off and keep moving forward. When you drive you look out of the windshield. You don't drive looking in the rear view mirror or you would crash. You do quick glances in the rear view mirror but your focus is the windshield. That is life. You glance at the past. You focus on the future. Sometimes you can't get up. the Lord Jesus is there to help you get up and when you can't stand on your feet the Lord will carry you until you can stand on your feet again. The point is move forward and don't build the walls. Building walls not only blocks out people that could hurt you but it also blocks blessings God would give you through people. It blocks people that would be the greatest joy in your life. Forgive those that hurt you even though they don't ask. Use your experience to use your tongue to bring healing to others. Keep your heart open to others. Remember I said in a blog if we focus on keeping the two commandments it would take a life time. The sins of the tongue breaks loving others as Christ loved us. Sometimes we just don't have the love for others. We can ask God to give us the love to love others. You are not on your own. Jesus is right there. Run to him often. He loves you more than any human can ever love you. More than a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or friend. Let your words bring life and refreshment to others. There are so many people that wish that someone would truly care them. Pray and ask the Lord who it is He wants you to encourage, befriend, and help and tell of the One who loves them more than they know. Ephesians 3:16-19 " that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge , that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. " Let us be salt and light for Christ.
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