One day as my 7 year old granddaughter began to grumble it made me think about how for such a young thing her life didn’t seem to be so good at the time. Hoping to apply a little lesson on gratitude and having the right attitude or outlook on life I tried to help her assess what the problem may be.
“Perhaps your belly button is too tight,” I told her. Or perhaps her knees were on the wrong legs or her ears were loose or maybe it was because she had an extra rib. Upon checking out each spot I found that wasn’t the problem. She was extremely ticklish in those areas but everything appeared to be in place.
Perhaps it’s your tongue,” I questioned her. That’s it, when you were born they gave you the wrong tongue in the hospital. Your tongue must have been switched at birth.” The solution sounded like such a logical one as I asked her to stick out her tongue so we could see. Probably to her the logical solution was Grandma was a little on the goofy side as she read the note Grandma wrote to her dentist just before her appointment:
"Dear Mrs. Dentist, while you are fixing our granddaughter's teeth could you fix her tongue too. She got the wrong tongue when she was born. She needs the correct magnetic pull of positive speaking instead of negative talking. Thank you very much, signed Grandma. P.S. She’s a doll so please go easy on her.”
We’d like to blame our tongue for being all wrong, too loose, too tight, or too long. But the real issue is the magnetic pull of our heart. We are the ones who should be in control of our tongue instead of the other way around. It’s an instrument we are responsible for training just like we had to learn how to speak, whistle, walk, jump rope, or ride a bike.
The tongue can say things that are hurtful. It can say things that are helpful. Once again we are the ones responsible for its training. The place to start is in your heart. Often what’s in our hearts (bitterness, anger, rudeness, selfishness, love, joy, peace, forgiveness) shows up in our tongue in the things we say and how we say them.
Read what God has to say about how to handle your tongue and mouth. Practice the tips He gives you and take control instead of giving over control to your tongue:
Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 34:1 (NKJV) I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 39:1 (NKJV) I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me.”
Psalm 71:8 (NKJV) Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with Your glory all the day
Psalm 78:36 (NKJV) Nevertheless they flattered Him (God) with their mouth; and lied to Him (God) with their tongue.
Proverbs 21:23 (NKJV) says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”
Summary: You need to make the decision that the words of your mouth and the things you are thinking are going to be acceptable to God. Man’s approval of them doesn’t count. It’s what God approves of. Learn to bless the Lord at all times with your mouth. Too often we are quick to complain and slow on praise, we need to reverse that process.
Each person is responsible for guarding their own tongue. Even though someone else doesn’t do their part it doesn’t give you the right to join them. Know in your heart there are a lot of sins that can be committed with your tongue, the sin of bitterness, anger, revenge, rudeness, hatred, and so much more.
We hold the power to restrain. We are without excuse if we don’t. Flattering God with our mouths yet lying to Him with our tongues doesn’t work. He sees right through it. Bottom-line, if we guard our mouth and tongue we will keep our soul from trouble.
“Perhaps your belly button is too tight,” I told her. Or perhaps her knees were on the wrong legs or her ears were loose or maybe it was because she had an extra rib. Upon checking out each spot I found that wasn’t the problem. She was extremely ticklish in those areas but everything appeared to be in place.
Perhaps it’s your tongue,” I questioned her. That’s it, when you were born they gave you the wrong tongue in the hospital. Your tongue must have been switched at birth.” The solution sounded like such a logical one as I asked her to stick out her tongue so we could see. Probably to her the logical solution was Grandma was a little on the goofy side as she read the note Grandma wrote to her dentist just before her appointment:
"Dear Mrs. Dentist, while you are fixing our granddaughter's teeth could you fix her tongue too. She got the wrong tongue when she was born. She needs the correct magnetic pull of positive speaking instead of negative talking. Thank you very much, signed Grandma. P.S. She’s a doll so please go easy on her.”
We’d like to blame our tongue for being all wrong, too loose, too tight, or too long. But the real issue is the magnetic pull of our heart. We are the ones who should be in control of our tongue instead of the other way around. It’s an instrument we are responsible for training just like we had to learn how to speak, whistle, walk, jump rope, or ride a bike.
The tongue can say things that are hurtful. It can say things that are helpful. Once again we are the ones responsible for its training. The place to start is in your heart. Often what’s in our hearts (bitterness, anger, rudeness, selfishness, love, joy, peace, forgiveness) shows up in our tongue in the things we say and how we say them.
Read what God has to say about how to handle your tongue and mouth. Practice the tips He gives you and take control instead of giving over control to your tongue:
Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 34:1 (NKJV) I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 39:1 (NKJV) I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me.”
Psalm 71:8 (NKJV) Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with Your glory all the day
Psalm 78:36 (NKJV) Nevertheless they flattered Him (God) with their mouth; and lied to Him (God) with their tongue.
Proverbs 21:23 (NKJV) says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”
Summary: You need to make the decision that the words of your mouth and the things you are thinking are going to be acceptable to God. Man’s approval of them doesn’t count. It’s what God approves of. Learn to bless the Lord at all times with your mouth. Too often we are quick to complain and slow on praise, we need to reverse that process.
Each person is responsible for guarding their own tongue. Even though someone else doesn’t do their part it doesn’t give you the right to join them. Know in your heart there are a lot of sins that can be committed with your tongue, the sin of bitterness, anger, revenge, rudeness, hatred, and so much more.
We hold the power to restrain. We are without excuse if we don’t. Flattering God with our mouths yet lying to Him with our tongues doesn’t work. He sees right through it. Bottom-line, if we guard our mouth and tongue we will keep our soul from trouble.
It’s not our tongue that is wrong. It’s our heart and our willingness to discipline our tongue where discipline is needed. Look to the good, dwell on the positive, praise the Lord, and be thankful at all times and you’ll have the right tongue installed.
Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
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