Trouble Making Tongue

Posted by David Whitten on August 21, 2011 under Staff |

When I was 9 years old, I used to walk home from school since it was only a few blocks away from my home. My instructions were to always come directly home from school.
One day I was walking home with my friend Carlos, and he suggested we stop by his house and play for a while before I went home. We devised a lie to tell my parents. Then we went to Carlos’ house and played. His parents weren’t home so we could do anything we wanted. We watched TV but that got boring. Then we went in the back yard to find something to do. We sat there for a while and then Carlos went over to the grill and opened it up.

“Have you ever seen Ohio Blue Tips?” He said.
“No.” I replied.
“You can strike them about anywhere!” he said.

I was amazed. He lit them on the ground, on his zipper and even on the side of the house. So I tried it. I even struck one on my tooth. It wasn’t long until we got bored with just striking them. We had to build a fire. We stacked up the used matches in a Tee-Pee. And lit it. We added paper, bigger sticks, grass and leaves. We eventually had a pretty good fire going. Then Carlos went to the grill once again and said, “Watch this!”

He took out the charcoal lighter fluid and squirted it on our blaze.
Boof!
I was amazed. Then he did it again. Wow! I had to try it. So I did. Squirt!! Boof!! Cool!! I thought, “If a little squirt could make such a blaze, I wonder what a bigger squirt could do?” So I tried it.

I squirted a stream like you wouldn’t believe. The flame was enormous. But then something happened that I hadn’t counted on. The stream leading from the fire to the can ignited and even before I could think, the can blew up in my face!
My face caught on fire. I dropped the can and began running. I can still hear Carlos pleading, “Stop. Drop. And Roll”
Fine time for him to think of fire safety!. Eventually the fire went out. My skin was not burned thankfully-just the hair on my face--all the hair on my face. And the hair on my head was burned all the way to my forehead.
It looked like I had a receding hair-line. Ash was where my eyebrows were supposed to be. I didn’t know what I would tell my Mom and Dad.
I told them the first thing that I could think of “I fell down in sawdust and it stuck to my face” They weren’t buying that. I wasn’t allowed to play with Carlos anymore.
And I always came straight home from school

It all started with a small spark and that fire got out of control real fast.

This is the picture that James paints when he speaks of the trouble we have controlling our tongue

James 3:5 -6 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole

person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James is teaching us a very important truth here. We would do good to learn from his instruction.

The first thing we learn from James’ instruction is

1. Words Hurt

Do you remember that rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me”

Well it’s a lie!

Whoever first made that statement clearly never has been the  butt of someone’s bad joke of has never been on the receiving end of a person’s uncontrolled angry words

Words hurt. It probably goes without saying but our words can seriously hurt people.

How many of us have been hurt by someone’s name-calling or gossip. We know the sting of an unkind word or a harsh criticism aimed to take us down a notch or two.

Proverbs 12:18 says “A reckless word is like a piercing sword”

Let’s take a moment and highlight some of these reckless weapons we often allow to flow out of our mouths

Gossip-

The most common reckless use of out tongue is gossip. It is one of those sins that everyone does. Ironically, this is a sin that most of us would readily admit because it is so common. But the truth of the matter is, It’s wrong. And it is a very destructive tool of division

Prov. 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Friendships are built on trust and When we gossip we destroy the trust that we have earned and turn a friend into an enemy.

1tim 5:13 they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.

It is detrimental for a church I have seen gossip go through a church and destroy friendships decades old. Few things can destroy a church like gossip. I believe it is the devil’s choice weapon to bring division in our congregations. The best way to keep gossip is not to participate in it.

Prov. 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

It is very hard to have a one sided conversation. Do yourself a favor and refuse to entertain gossip. When you hear someone strike up a conversation about someone change the subject, question the would be gossip about his or her motives in this conversations or just simply walk away.

A lot of times you hear gossip start with a comment like this “so and so is a bum and I’d tell them that to their face” as if telling someone that they are a bum is as long as you tell it to their face. Gossip is never okay it is a sin that needs to be repented of.

Þ    Name calling

Þ    Cut downs or snide comments

If we know that words hurt us when we have been hurt by them why do we use our words to hurt others?

James 3:9-10
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

My challenge is that we ought to watch our words carefully.

Stop yourself when you are tempted to say something about someone.

Watch your words when you are talking to people and be careful when you bring up another person. Decide not to say anything that would unflattering of that person no matter who they are.

Not only can our word hurt others they can hurt us

ILL Cont. : When I got home that day my mom and dad were already home it was very apparent when I walked in that I looked quite a bit different then when I walked out of the house that morning. They asked where my eyebrows were an I explained the events of the day and as a result my mom and dad punished me and as part of that punishment was that I wasn’t allowed to play with carols any more.

That’s just what happens with reckless words they get out of control and ruin relationships.

Lets look at how reckless words hurt not only others but our relationships too

• Lying about others can earn you a reputation where no one will trust you

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native

language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

when we lie we are practicing deception. There may be many reasons we lie but none of them are good and the result is the designation of trust we have from people. I have always heard that sin grows best in the dark. The reason is that it is shielded from the truth. when sin is brought to light it can stop growing and dealt with.

john 8:31-32 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Þ    Cussing

ILL: A Little boy selling a push lawnmower. a preacher come along and wanted to buy it and asked did it run. "Yes sir", said the boy. The preacher pulled and pulled on the rope and said, "Son, this thing won’t start." The boy said, "That’s ‘cause you ‘gotta’ cuss it." The preacher said, "Son, I’m a preacher, and I haven’t cussed in 18 years." Boy said, "Keep pulling; it’ll come back to you."

the problem with cussing is that it comes back to you

• Cussing is evidence of an impure heart, these filthy words spew out of our mouths and ruin our witness of the Christ we professed as our Lord and master. for the new Christian it is a matter of training the tongue but for the seasoned Christian there ought not to be such profanity.

As James points out. “out of the same mouth come praise and cursing my brothers this should not be

cussing, just like lying and gossip will not only hurt others but it will also hurt us if we exercise it

Words not only can hurt, but if we choose words can heal and help

1. Words can heal and help

Fire is a priceless resource. We use it to cook our food, to keep warm we even use it in industry and to make energy to power our houses and businesses.

Our words are equally priceless in helping spread the gospel and instruct the church

Instead of using our words as weapons lets use them to encourage inspire teach Praise and glorify God.

Prov 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Þ    Encourage

a powerful use of our words is to use them in the encouragement of others. a life path can possibly be changed at the encouragement of a person who stops to notice the admirable qualities in another.

when someone encourages us we are motivated to do good.

Ill kieth buttermire

in Acts 4we meet a man named Joseph who was nicked named for the quality of encouraging others. they named him Barnabas which means “son of encouragement”

it is much better to have the reputation of building people up rather than having the reputation of tearing people down.

let’s strive to be a Barnabas

Þ    Inspire to action

our words can inspire others to action. we have all heard motivating speakers who have really challenged us and have called to change our ways.

Þ    Teach

there is quite possibly no better use for our words then instruction. and the instruction of God’s word.

Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”