So.
Did you read it?
If you caught yesterday’s blog you know I discussed how difficult it can be to tame the tongue. In other words, we (translation: “I”) sometimes have a hard time knowing when to speak and when to say nothing. And sometimes we know we need to speak, but what we say or how we say it comes out all wrong. We know it the minute the words leave our mouths. It’s almost like we see the words in those little bubbles cartoon characters use. Only we can’t erase our words. They stick.
So…what’s a girl to do? Well, yestereday I suggested reading Luke 6:41 – 45. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, here it is:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.43“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
Do you know who said these words? Jesus did. And when Jesus says something I know I ought to listen. So, what can I learn about myself and my tongue, according to Jesus?
Well, to begin with, before I start “sharing” (cough, cough) how another person needs to change I need to examine where I need to change first. You know what that would make me do?
Think before I speak.
And you know what that would make me do?
Examine my own heart.
And you know what that would make me do?
Be humble.
And you know what that would make me do?
Have a pure heart.
And you know what that would make me do?
Speak good things stored up out of the good in my heart.
In other words, I would say only what needs to be said. And I would say it at the right time and in the right way. Why? Because my heart would be right.
Because “out of the overflow of the heart, a mouth speaks.”
The bottom line is this: When I say something mean or critical or judgemental or gossipy (is that a word??) or discouraging, the issue isn’t the person I am talking about. The issue is me. My heart. My mouth. My issue. My sin.
The only way to tame the tongue is to stop, examine my own heart and behave like Jesus wants me to behave.
