Do You Have Control of Your Tongue?

Do you have control of what comes out of your mouth? My father and I were putting a new roof on our house one day when I hit my thumb with the hammer. The first words out of my mouth were not ones that could be used in church. My mother heard what I said, and she made me come off the roof and I got my mouth washed out with soap. I remember telling her I was only using words that Dad said when he hit his thumb.

When I worked for Kelly Springfield Tire Company, I was a chemist. I would ask someone to “Please move that skid,” and they wouldn’t pay any attention to me. If I used some words that I knew were bad, they would do what I asked. The world today is like that. We’re too often accustomed to language that just is not necessary. My grandmother used to say, “Cursing is a feeble mind trying to express itself.”

How can we win the battle over the tongue? The Apostle Paul offers tongue-taming advice. Ephesians 4:25 says the first thing to do is to speak only the truth. Paul then says in verse 29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.” Verse 31 tells us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Controlling the tongue is not easy. Relying on God and asking the Holy Spirit to help us is the only way to gain control. When we build others up and get rid of bitterness and rage, we can “Control our tongue!”

Prayer – Lord, I need your help in controlling my tongue. Guide me to build others up. Amen.

Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.”

Author: Tommy Herndon
Photo: Kraken Images, courtesy of Unsplash