So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do…. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
James 3:5-6 (NLT)
This week, I want you to put on your imagination cap. Close your eyes for a moment and visualize a lion tamer cracking his whip as he tries to control a snarling, hungry lion. The lion advances, the tamer cracks his whip. Next, the lion crouches down preparing to pounce. Once again, the tamer cracks his whip; however, this time he also holds up a chair. Confused by the chair, the lion becomes distracted and retreats.
Now visualize that the snarling, hungry lion represents your tongue and the ugly words that try to escape through your lips. Your snarling tongue advances dripping deadly venom. Like the lion tamer, you crack a whip of control. Then your tongue looks around for a target, preparing to pounce on its prey. You hold up a chair of distraction, the Word of God. Subdued, your tongue becomes tamed and controlled.
That little member of your body, your tongue, can quickly cause mass destruction. If left uncontrolled, it can destroy your church, your job, and even your family. It often drips deadly venom in the form of lies, rumors, sarcasms, and obscenities. It can sting like a snake (Psalm 140:3). It can even spew forth putrid stench like an open grave (Romans 3:13). It must be subdued!
But how in the world can you control your tongue? How can you keep it from shooting forth missiles of fiery destruction?
God’s Word, the Bible, can answer those questions. Jesus says in Matthew 12:34-35 that your words are determined by the condition of your heart. If your heart is evil, then your words will be evil. On the other hand, if your heart is good, then your words will be good. In order to clean up and tame your tongue, you must first clean up your heart.
Jesus went on to say in Matthew 12:36-37 that you will be held accountable for every idle word that you speak. On judgment day, “The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37, NLT).
That could be a terrible thought! Your little tongue and the words that it spews reflect your fate on judgment day. With that in mind, you have to learn to take control over your ravaging, fiery tongue. In order to do this, you must surrender yourself to God and let Him clean up your heart through your faith in Jesus Christ.
After you have surrendered yourself to God, begin reading His Word. Open up your Bible and search for Scriptures that talk about your tongue, your words, or your lips. You will learn that a deceitful tongue will be cut off (Proverbs 10:31), a sharp reply can wreck havoc (Proverb 13:3, NLT), “…grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1), and “…the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble” (Proverbs 17:20, NLT). You will also learn that, “the lips of the righteous feed many…” (Proverbs 10:21), “a wholesome tongue is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 15:4), and “those who control their tongue will have a long life…” (Proverbs 13:3, NLT).
Just as a lion tamer can control a ferocious lion, you can control your ravaging tongue. You can whip your tongue into submission and choose to speak either words of life or words of death (Proverbs 18:21). Which do you choose—life or death?
Take control of what I say, O Lord, and keep my lips sealed.
Psalm 141:3 (NLT)
Three Key Concepts:
1. It is out of the heart that your mouth speaks.
2. The words that you say reflect your fate at judgment day.
3. You can choose to speak words of life or words of death. The choice is yours.
