The Weekly Encourager – March 26, 2013 – The Trouble with the Tongue

I had a victory last week. Having often had trouble with my tongue, I was apprehensive about conversing with a certain challenging person. I prepared for the encounter with forethought and prayer; I asked others to pray as well. I knew I would have to depend on God at every moment to get through it. Afterward, my husband, who knows my struggle, complimented my handling of the situation “with grace and aplomb.” Dave's praise was a huge affirmation that God had answered my prayer. All glory to God, for He alone could enable me to be patient and kind in that particular situation! God was very good to me.

This past weekend I went on a quilt retreat to sew and visit with 43 other women. While many parts of the weekend were enjoyable, I was under the Holy Spirit's conviction about how we women talk with one another. I saw that, despite my apparent success last week, I easily slipped into other sins of the tongue just a few days later. I found that when women get together, there can be a tendency toward negativity, gossip, complaining, worry, and judging others. I was able to shift the focus of the conversation to more edifying topics three or four times, but I fell into sin at other times. The failures seem to overshadow the successes, and I arrived home very low in spirit. One surprising thing was that the Christian ladies weren't that much different from the non-Christian ones. At one point, when one talker said she had “better not reveal any more details,” a very quiet lady urged, “Oh, do tell.” I realized that even those who do not talk can be complicit in the same sin by their eagerness to listen. To top it off, the weekend ended with my judging a friend for being judgmental!

The trouble with the tongue is that it keeps on talking. What pours forth from my mouth is what is in my heart. The trouble with the heart is that it is desperately wicked! Maybe it's appropriate to feel such shame for sin during a time of reflection on our Lord Jesus' death on the cross. Thanks be to God, the cross ends in Easter! Although I feel sorrow over how I behaved during the weekend, I also know that Scripture promises salvation from every sin, even mine. God is gracious and compassionate, full of lovingkindness and mercy. In Christ I am forgiven. I can trust in Jesus to help me pray and prepare for the next time of challenge. I can be more aware of the typical temptations I face and look for strategies to resist them.

“Be of sound judgment and sober spirit....keep fervent in your love for one another....Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God;...so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. “ - 1 Peter 4:7-11

“Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” - James 4:11-12

“To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead....Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. “ - 1 Peter 3:8-12

Lord, give me the heart that loves, the heart that is humble, the thoughts and desires that please You. Give me sound judgment in my speech, with words that glorify Christ and build up others. I can't do this alone – I need You.

God is faithful,
j