WEDNESDAY WISDOM (#8)

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!

Perhaps you've heard, "Hold your tongue young lady (or young man)!!" Can the tongue truly be tamed? It's not really the tongue itself that gets us in trouble. In fact, the ever-accused (and accursed) organ can't do anything without the mind willing it to speak...BUT, most people don't want to get into a science lesson about thoughts leading to sent messages to an organ that does the physical work. Everyone can readily and easily identify with the tongue (and voice box) either wreaking much havoc or building someone up, instead of tearing them down. The "tongue" has the great potential to do both. Let's first talk about the negative. I'll tell you a personal story first.

Anybody that knows me knows that I talk...A LOT!! I ended up marrying a man that talks more than I do though, and that's a really hard thing to do. Why do I talk a lot? I don't know. I guess I'm a social person, I like to share information, maybe it's hereditary, I'm a mother so I have to (and my kids can't get away from me--haaa!!!), maybe it's a gift (yeah, right!!), maybe it's all of these and more...I don't know. I'm even thinking just now, maybe that's the reason I blog. I talk to my girls, and when I'm finished, I talk to my computer! And here I thought all this time that I was just blogging as an outlet (and small hobby) to share with my readers and to use my skills (now this IS funny! I only have two skills apparently, and those are to talk a lot to people and talk a lot to computers when there are no people! this is a sad existence!) Anyhooty, I even once had an elementary school teacher tell me that if I kept talking so much, I would use up all of the oxygen I was given, and I would die early; so I should talk less or just shut up so that I could live to be a grown-up. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT!! Now apparently I didn't heed that for long, and at some point, I figured out this wouldn't really happen, but by George I believed her at the time and I was afraid! Don't ask me how long I stayed...QUIETER until I figured it out. I don't know, but I know for a short period, this woman traumatized me!! She did not understand how to tame that tongue of hers:)!

Seriously though folks, there is a lot to be said about the tongue: politicians (even Presidents) have purjured themselves with it, people have gotten killed because of it, people have gotten abused by it, people have lost dignity over it, children have been belittled by it, bad deals have been made because of it, vows have been made and broken because of its thoughtlessness and cruelty; the list can go on and on.

While the tongue is a really useful instrument, it needs to be bridled for sure. We need to spend more time training our brains to stop and think than allow that same brain to send those messages to that organ without giving much thought at all, lest we let the wild beast loose. It's hard to tame a shrew! Want some wisdom and knowledge about the tongue? I can only refer you to the source I know that tells it like it is. It tells the truth. The Word. Look at this...

Psalm 5:9b - "Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue." This was King David talking to the Lord about his enemies. The intent of the enemy was to plot against the king and tell lies to discredit him and bring him down.

Psalm 57:4 - "My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword." Again, David is talking about his enemies. He compares them to ferocious beasts and again, their tongue was used against him, to discredit or harm him. Are you around any ferocious beasts or lions who use their tongue to hurt you or others? Are you the beast?

Proverbs 6:16-17 - "There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,..." Okay folks, need I say more?! It doesn't say that the Lord simply dislikes these things; He hates them. It looks like lying is right up there with murder, no different in His eyes; sin is sin and He hates it all. Hmmm!

Proverbs 12:18 - "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." There are contrasts here. I like this because you know what a tongue can do on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Jeremiah 9:8 - "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit; with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, but inwardly he sets an ambush for him." How many of us know what we call "two-faced" people like that or "phonies"? Again, is this you, or has it been?

Finally James 3:8,10- "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." "From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way." Folks, James said it all. Nothing more for me to add.

Be wise this Wednesday!