WORDSofWisdom

Which Tongues Are You Using?

When you open your mouth, what comes out of it? When you begin to talk, who controls your words? Have you ever thought about how damaging your words can be? Think about how dictators use their words to mobilize people to destroy others. You can see it evident in churches, homes and your jobs today. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Unfortunately, this cliché is untrue. The evilness that people speak about men and women of God is absolutely wrong. Satan uses these people with nasty tongues to divide people and pit them against each other. Do you fall into his family? Do you know that idle words are damaging and can quickly fuel gossip? People will do what ever they can to spread lies and deceit about you if you do not give into their satanic tactics.

Verbal abuse in the home can destroy the very person and character of our spouses and children. We should not be careless with our words, thinking that we can apologize later. The words have been spoken and it is not that easy to forget as it is to forgive. I am not surprised anymore about what church folk tell me. Luke 6:45 (NIV) states, “The 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.” Often times, the words we hear are the words we speak.

If we are serious about our Christian walk, we need to be wise enough to say, “I choose not to hear or say that.” Whatever comes into our minds will be what we meditate on and those things will eventually enter our hearts. And, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak. A few words spoken in anger can ruin a relationship. What's in your heart that allows the mouth to speak?

The Betraying Tongue
Slandering Tongue
Cynical Tongue
Know it all Tongue
Manipulating Tongue
Boasting Tongue
Intimidating Tongue
Complaining Tongue
Lying Tongue
Harsh Tongue
Tactless Tongue
Rude Tongue

As I begin to listen more than I talk, I learned to listen to my tongue as well as other people's tongue. Upon doing so, I found myself taking a trip on the road to “30 Days to Taming the Tongue” by Deborah Smith Pegue. (I encourage you to do the same.) Listed below are some of the tongues that I noticed that brought embarrassment to the body of Christ. Which ones do you have?

This book was awesome. When I found myself getting ready to talk or speak, I would pause to verify if I was using one of the destructive tongues mentioned in the book. It reminds me of my readings in James 3:7-10 (The Message) where the Word says, “This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongue we bless God our father; with the same tongue we curse the very men and women He made in His image. Cursing and blessing out of the same mouth.” How do we speak so spiritual to God and yet talk so unruly to our brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and sons and daughters? We should be mortified to play with God and not live in His image.

The reason we can speak, act and do what we want is because we have no shame in our game. Our tongues are full of wickedness and deceitfulness. We can only hide for a moment the evilness in our hearts until the real you is exposed. We are out to get one another instead of helping one another. We still have the crab-barrel mentality in 2009. We should have the same attitude of respect for our fellow brothers and sisters as we have for God, because they too are created in His image. We should not speak in a way that will give Satan a way to control or have power to operate. We can choose how to respond to what people say or what we hear.

So, when you open your mouth, what tongue will you be using?

Much love, Minister Monica Y. Johnson

To inquire about speaking engagements for Minister Monica Johnson,
Write or Call Monica Johnson Ministries 1-888-705-7733
or email requestmonicajohnson@epitomemagazine.org

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