Controlling the Tongue

     The content of your conversation reflects what is happening in your heart, which is a good indentifying mark of a Christian.  Simply put, you can't rightfully claim to be a Christian if every other word coming out of your mouth is a curse.  If your conversations involve gossip, slander, lewdness, profanity, abusive overtones, lying, deception, or deceit, to name a few, then you are not promoting Christianity or the works of The Lord.  James 3:2 says, "Indeed, we all make many mistakes.  For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way"!  I know this to be truth not just because it's in the Bible but also because I've seen the fruit of my words, good and bad.

     Words are so powerful that it is imperative you think before you speak.  Words have the power to build up persons or situations, but they can also tear down and destroy people.  Obeying God's commandments includes loving one another as you would yourself.  If you have love in your heart, then it will come out of your mouth.  If you have hate in your heart, that too will come out of your mouth.

     Now I will be the first to say that I haven't always been able to control the things that come out of my mouth.  I'm human and not perfect.  However, I consciously think about the things I say, before and after I say them.  I have a lot of success biting my tongue before saying something damaging.  This would be a sign of the love I have for others as I am able to consider what may or may not hurt someone.  Sometimes I'm not successful, but I never intentionally try to hurt anybody.  To me, it's much more rewarding to say something positive to the people I interact with than to engage in negative conversations.

      Scripture points out that if we are able to control our tongues we will be able to control every other aspect of our lives.  That's huge.  If you can control your tongue, you can control your anger, your lusts, your behavior, your perspectives, everything that is within your personal control.  I know this is also truth because I've been able to control all types of un-godly desires as I've been able to control my tongue.  I'm able to resist temptations like adultery, stealing, lying, drug use and more.  I'm still a work in progress and everyday presents it's own obstacles but they are lessened by the control of my tongue.