By Pastor Christian House

“…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” James 3:8-10 ESV

Oh how wonderful our words can be when we use them to bless God and to encourage others, yet how deceitful and damaging our words can be when we use them to gossip and tear others down. God created our tongues to worship and glorify Him, but when we gossip and slander others we belie the root of sin that lies deep within our hearts.

My challenge to you is to carefully watch every single word that proceeds from your mouth this week. See how often you are tempted to speak negative, destructive words about others. Try to ask yourself if Jesus and the person you were speaking about were both standing physically right there with you, would you be speaking those same words. If you cannot answer in the affirmative, then you may want to consider this verse: Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”

Think about Jesus holding us accountable for EVERY careless word we’ve ever spoken! That is a sobering thought indeed. Imagine having to face Jesus while a screen displays every word you’ve ever spoken. This thought makes me want to only speak “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise…” as Philippians 4:8 so eloquently says it.

Brothers and sisters, let us become a people and a church known for using our words to edify and build one another up rather than for division and destruction. Allow the Holy Spirit to control your tongue rather than your flesh or the enemy. I challenge you to speak life and truth this week in accordance with the Word of God.