If you watch or listen to the news, you will be constantly questioning what is truth and what is untruth. The news is certainly not the place to find encouragement. It promotes fear and distrust, criticism and even hatred. “If it wasn’t for bad news there would be no news at all.” Truly the Bible gets it right in Proverbs 18:21 where it says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” It goes without saying that we need to know the truth! “Thy word is truth.” John 17:17. We are told in the Scriptures to “speak the truth in love”. What a blessing! But we can also use truth to hurt and not to help. What a shame! God desires us to use our words to encourage, comfort, guide and instruct. He “speaks peace”.

God has given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God has set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue.
Thomas Watson

Five, or six, ten people shall be made temporarily wretched because one person, unconsciously perhaps, yet supremely, egotistic and selfish, has never learned to control his disposition and bridle his tongue.
James Aughay

The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, as we are apt to think, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue.
R. Kent Hughes

God tells us in His Word that the tongue has incredible power. We can use our tongue to bring blessings and life or curses and death. The saying “sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me” is simply not true. Our tongues can be the most difficult thing to control and leave us with great regret if we use our words to hurt. There is hope! The Bible tells us that with the help of the Holy Spirit we can have power and control over our tongue.

I Peter 3:10, “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”

Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.”

Titus 3:2, “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

There are many more verses, but the principle is the same. You can be or blessing or a curse. A help or a hindrance.

“When men speak ill of you, live so that nobody will believe them.”
— Selected .

“A sharp tongue is the only edge-tool that grows sharper with constant use.”
— Irving .

“By examining the tongue of a patient, physicians find out the diseases of the body and philosophers the diseases of the mind.”
— Justin .

“The most ferocious monster in the world has his den just behind the teeth.”
— Unknown .

“Give not thy tongue too great liberty, lest it take thee prisoner.”
— Quaries .

“Never throw mud. You may miss your mark, but you must have dirty hands.”
— Parker .

YOU DON’T FIX THE TONGUE UNTIL YOU FIX THE HEART.

“My son, give me thine heart.”