ALIVE WORD: Watch your tongue

Ministers Wilbert and Jackie Richardson

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”  Psalm 34:13

Wrong use of our tongues can get us before the earthly judge but what is even more serious is when it gets us before God, the heavenly judge.  What goes around comes around and God is warning us to “Watch our tongue!”

Our tongues can be used as a source of blessing as well as a source of cursing.  How we use our tongues is a choice that we make and with the wrong use of our tongues comes many consequences.  “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”  – James 3:10. This scripture was written to Christians.  We ought to take heed.

There are a lot of things going on in the world, in our territory, in our government, in our families, in our churches, on our jobs and in our lives.  There is a time to talk and a time to be silent.  However, many times mixed with a lot of truth are a lot of lies that are expressed in gossip, slander and rumors.

It seems like for some people they have a full-time job to engage in and spread gossip, slander and rumors.  Sometimes when some people relate a story, you would think that they themselves were present.  When the truth is they got it from a friend who got it from his mother-in-law who got it from their brother who got it from his boss.  Do you remember the game of secret?  People who like to spread rumors do not stop to even try and find out if what they are about to pass on is truth or not and those who are very mischievous will add a little piece on to it to make it sound even more juicy.

God is not going to ask you or me to give account for anyone else but ourself.  What have you been saying with your tongue?  What has been proceeding out of your mouth?  Remember the words of Proverbs 18:21a “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”   Spreading lies, slandering the names of others and using the tongue to damage the character of others is a very low and degrading thing to do.  When something is spoken and it is not a blessing it is a curse.  Word curses have destroyed and is still destroying the lives of many people.

If your mouth is itching to talk and you want to say something, it might be wise to open your Bible and read the word of God aloud.  “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.”  Psalm 119:172  Give the telephones and cell phones a rest from gossip and spend that time praying.  Being express carriers of gossip and rumors and slandering the names of others will not give a good return and anyone who is guilty of this need to stop, for judgment is near.  “The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?”  Psalm 12:3-4

It is introspection time for anyone who is reading this devotional.  All of us need to search our hearts and be careful of what we allow to come out of our mouths.  The things that come out of our mouths come from our hearts. “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”  St. Matthew 12:34  Sometimes we cannot avoid hearing things but we can make a decision as to what to do with the things that we hear.

Wisdom comes from God and if we, especially as Christians allow Gods wisdom and His Holy Spirit to guide us, we will not be carriers of gossip, slander and rumors.  “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.”  – Psalm 37:30

Yes, it is hard at times to keep silent when your character is being assassinated or not to defend yourself when lies and slander is flying in the air but it is wise to only speak when God says to speak and only say what God says to say.  “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”  – Psalm 39:1

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8 Comments

  1. Lizavier4Jesus
    November 8, 2010

    The Richardsons have again reminded us of a good message of the Holy Bible. The tongue speaks words, and words are the formation of the idea in our minds–good or bad; blessings or cursing; sickness or good health; Life or death–I could go on and on.

    And so we have to be careful first, of the idea that is in our mind; to discern how to speak that idea, for the moment we speak that idea it will manifest into its distinctive form, in our lives or the lives on behalf of those we speak those words.

    For example, if I wake up one morning and I am not feeling well; then I start saying “I am not feeling well”, until my saying turns into “I am sick”, then I am going to feel sicker and sicker, until I decide that I must visit the doctor. I continue on the negative side of my existence.

    Why, because I have accepted a negative process of my mind; so I continue to experience the negative product–the feeling of sickness in me. But if I start to say I hate the way I feel and I want to feel better; I am fighting against the negative process in my mind, so my conscience will force my mind to process the positive, until the feeling of sickness goes away from me.

    Just as Pastor Richardson said: Satan is lying to us, and we are ignorantly accepting his lies. But he is just using those lies against us for our own destruction. Jesus said that “He came that we might have Life in abundance”. We have failed to accept this Life of abundance because so often, Satan causes us to speak against this Life of abundance through negative words of our tongue.

    We can rebuke negative ideas, when we are able to discern them from our minds (command them to get away from us), by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and by faith in the name of Jesus Christ. We can call for positive idea, those that are the Will of God for our lives, to come forth in the same manner.

    keep praying for the teaching and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit in your Life, and by the wisdom of faith, He will manifest understanding and knowlege of Eternal Spirit, God, and His Ways of Love in His Person, Jesus Christ, that you might learn how to use the tongue for the purpose of Life for yourself and your loved ones.

  2. mary B- United Kingdom
    November 3, 2010

    Good words, Dominicans need to take a page from this book, and not just praying but also do the right things and be hones and trust worthy to each other. Time is short, time to repent.

  3. happy
    November 1, 2010

    beth alone they like.good words about the tongue

  4. Watcher
    November 1, 2010

    Thank you Ministers Richardson for your inspiring words. Readers let us heed the word of the Lord and change ferom our wickeed ways so Blessings will abound the nation as he has promised.

  5. corncern Dominican living n America
    November 1, 2010

    Thank you Pastor for these good advise. God bless you

  6. oh plz
    November 1, 2010

    @yes!!!: After something so “good” that is your comment man? Do not cry down our people. As the ministers say what comes out of your mouth is in your heart :P Bless not curse that God-given and God-blessed land!! God bless Dominica and its people.

  7. Marian Jno-Finn
    November 1, 2010

    Much better photos. It means so much to be able to see your face. It means thta you are now more approachable. Ihope you take this comment for what it is meant.

  8. yes!!!
    November 1, 2010

    wen its good things like these; DOMINICANS NEVER LEAVE RESPONSES!! JUST WAIT FOR BETH ALONE!!

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