Written by Helene Ste Croix
Ontario, Canada

It's hard for people to comprehend the harmful use of the tongue. The tongue can be used in two separate ways. It can be used to uplift and edify or to hurt and abuse someone else. It often speaks without thought or consideration for others.

I too, without thought before i spoke have hurt others. I fell into the same trap as everyone else. I never thought words I assumed to be so innocent could hurt so many people. There is only one way I could learn the difference between right speech and wrong speech and one way I could learn to hold my tongue when necessary. The Bible teaches that our tongue is evil and can not be tamed by man. If we look in the Bible in the book of James Chapter 3, verse 8, we could be discouraged. We would want to ask ourselves, if man can't tame his own tongue, then who can?

The verse says " but the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is restless ( undisciplined, irreconcilable ) evil, full of poison."

Sounds pretty harsh dosen't it ? I found through my own experience, that the more I tried to tame my tongue, the more I failed. There is only one way to tame my tongue. That is allowing God to do His work in me.

You See: When God started to work in me, He started with the thoughts and intents of my heart through His Word. I learned that I had to repent, not forgetting that repent means to turn from a former way. The only true way to repent is by reading and then living God's Word. To do this, I must read and live God's Word in order to do His Will. For example the Bible teaches that our hearts, thoughts and speech can improve by reading and studying the scriptures. IN Hebrews 4:12, the Bible teaches "For the Word of God speaks, is alive and full of power [ making it active, operative, energizing, and effective] ; it is sharper than any two- edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [ the immortal] spirit, and of the joints and marrow [ of the deepest part of our nature ], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heartThe whiles of the tongue are how it gossips, it judges, it condemns,it sentenses, it curses, it speaks in anger and hostility, it speaks foul and discusting language, etc, and it pierces and inflicts the hearts of men. The tongue can also speak love, encouragment and kindness if we allow God to guide us prayerfully.

In Mathew 12 :35, it says, " The good man from his inner good treasure, flings forth good things, and the evil man from his evil store house flings forth evil things." A Pastor of a church once told me, "Our minds are like a computer chip taking in everything we see, here, read and do. If we are not careful in what we feed our minds, we will eventually reap from our mouths." The Bible teaches in Isaiah 64:6 that our own righteousness is but filthy fags. We need to clothe ourselves in Gods own righteousness through faith, putting on the whole Armor of God pleading the blood of Christ over our minds constantly, in order to keep flinging forth good things from our mouths.

Some People think that swearing or saying a harmless dirty joke is ok and not taking the Lords name in vain at all. Well the Bible teaches otherwise. It teaches against unwholesome language or speach. Some might give an excuse like, " oh come on " a bitch is a female dog, meanwhile they use the word in an unwholesome way or even against someone in anger.

In Mathew 12:36,37 it says : "But I tell you, on the day of judgement men will give account for every idle ( inoperative, non working ) word they speak," For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.' Also in Ephesians 4:29,31 it says : "Let no foul or polluting language nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ ever ] come out of your mouth, but only such [ speach ] as is good and beneficial to the progress of others, as it is fitting the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace ( God's favor ) to those who here it." Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath ( passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment or contention and slander ( evil-speaking; abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you. with all malice ( spite, ill will or baseness of

Note : All scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible

Special Thanks to God, Pastor Cris Nype and Pastor Paul Douglas for inspiration and guidance.

Father I pray for forgiveness and ask for your mercy and grace in this area of my walk with you, I plead your blood Lord Jesus over my heart and my mind that i will fling forth good thing s only for now on. I also pray for this community that you will bless it and surround your Guardian angels arround it that this community will bring glory to your name. I pray a hedge around it oh Lord in Jesus Name Amen.

All my Love Whitetigerluv