Tag: the tongue

The Power of the Tongue

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
In 1899 four newspaper reporters in Denver, Colorado almost succeeded in tearing down the Great Wall of China with their words.  The reporters from four different newspapers were having drinks together at a local bar.  The men had been sent out to dig up any kind of story for the Sunday editions, since there was not much happening in the news cycle.  After bantering around some ideas for going after stories, one of them proposed that he was going to make up a story.  With more beer drinking, they began hatching a story together that would be a big whopper.  They would write about China.  It was on the other side of the world.  No one would know the story was a phony.  Nobody would verify the source.
 
            This is the story they came up with, in order to sell newspapers:  “Group of American engineers are bidding on a job to demolish the Great Wall.  Chinese are opening their borders to international trade and goodwill.”  The Denver newspapers carried the fake story.  But it did not end there.  Eastern newspapers like the New York Times picked up the story that China was opening up to the West by tearing down the Great Wall.  People took the story seriously to the point that the Chinese found out about it.  There were extreme patriotic groups within China that were suspicious of Western influence to begin with, and they ended up slaughtering hundreds of foreign missionaries.  Within two months of the story, 12,000 troops from six Western nations joined forces, invaded China with the purpose of protecting their own countrymen.  All the bloodshed that followed was originally sparked by a journalistic hoax invented in a bar in Denver by four men, and became the international crisis known as the Boxer Rebellion.
 
The tongue is so powerful that it determines the direction of a person’s life (James 3:3-5a).
 
            The horse is a strong animal; yet, even an eleven year old girl who knows what she is doing with a bridle and a bit can make the horse do whatever she wants him to do.  The power of the tongue is also like a large ship that is completely controlled in its direction by a very small piece of the ship, the rudder.
 
            Our words might seem small and insignificant, but they have incredible power to determine the course and destiny of human lives.  A rider who does not know how to handle a horse is in trouble.  An undisciplined pilot of a ship who is not careful puts the passengers at risk of a shipwreck.  Likewise, the loose undisciplined tongue is on a one way course of destruction.
 
The tongue is so powerful that it can destroy a person and those around him/her (James 3:5b-6).
 
            Just like fire, our words have an awesome potential for harm.  The Chicago fire of 1871 killed 250 people and destroyed 17,000 buildings.  It was all started by a cow kicking over a lantern in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn.  The Yellowstone National Park fire of 1988 torched 783,000 acres and took 13,000 firefighters at a cost of $120 million to contain.  It was all started by flash of lightning.
 
            The tongue has the same capacity for destruction.  Those who misuse it are guilty of negligent spiritual arson.  We take our God-given power of speech for granted when we allow stray words to fly off the tongue.  The power of the tongue destroys when it resorts to gossip (saying something behind somebody’s back that you would not dare say to their face); flattery (saying something to someone’s face that you would never say behind their back); negative criticism; sarcastic humor; boasting; and, a whole host of other sins of the tongue that all have as their end game the destruction of people’s lives.
 
We are never to take our words for granted in the church.  They have the power of speaking life and adding immense value to others’ lives.  Conversely, words have the ability to destroy both the speaker and the hearers.  The answer is not to keep our mouths shut, but to use the tongue as it is intended by God to be used: 
 
·         “The tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). 
·         “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4).
·         “My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long” (Psalm 71:24).
·         “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15).
·         “Do not repay evil for evil… every tongue will confess to God” (Romans 12:17, 14:11).
 

 

May the love and grace of Jesus direct your every word and guide your tongue so that the church is edified, the world blessed, and the lost are found.

Teaching and the Tongue

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
            The most important tool any teacher, preacher, or church member has in their box is the tongue.  It is the chief implement for speaking encouragement, catechizing students, preaching the Word, as well as in informal conversations when giving advice or counsel.  The tongue is powerful.  Since it carries so much might, the tongue is a tool which is to be holy and set apart for God’s use. 
 
            Untruthful, unproductive, negative, and sinful words are not meant for the Christian’s tongue any more than an electric razor is meant to shave one’s tongue.  Our words and our speech are meant to be used in such a way as to build up the Body of Christ and bless the world.  Therefore we need to be quite careful about what and why words come out of our mouths.
 
            In the Greek and Roman society of which the church was founded within, philosophers and persons adept at rhetoric and speech were the celebrities and mega-stars of the ancient world.  People didn’t watch TV, listen to talk radio, or go to movies.  For entertainment as well as education they went to the town square and listened to those trained to speak talk about the latest ideas and often debate with one another. 
 
            What is more, the early church grew out of a synagogue tradition in which rabbis (the Hebrew word for “teacher”) were highly respected figures.  In addition, the way early believers did church gatherings was an open discussion forum where people gave a word of encouragement, exposition, or exhortation.
 
            In our world, ambitious young people move to LA or New York and wait tables in order to work on getting their dream job in the theater or in the move business.  In the ancient world, young people dreamed of moving to cities like Athens or Rome in order to try and become a student of a great teacher and be a famous philosopher and rhetorician.  This is why the Apostle James gave a warning about not rushing into the role of becoming a teacher (James 3:1-2).  Teachers were highly respected individuals, wielding much power, and made the most money in the ancient world.
 
            The role of teacher tended to attract people with the desire to become wealthy and influential.  Pride and ambition were the twin sins always crouching at the door of the church teacher.  The danger with talking, no matter if it is in a formal setting or informal gathering, as fallen people we have a tendency to be slow to listen, and quick to give advice and counsel.  In other words, we too often run into a teaching role without considering what we are really doing.  A fool in the role of teacher is both dangerous and damaging because they delight in airing their own opinions and disdain listening to others.  The more that we listen to ourselves talk, the less we are able to be taught from someone else.
 
            A teacher who does not have a teachable-spirit has no business being a teacher and they must keep their mouths shut (at least for a while) and take a humble position of listening and learning.  Teachers need to teach for the right reasons – to provide sound instruction, offer wise counsel, and build up others.
 
Your tongue is a precious gift from God to be used with a great amount of discretion.  You have in your mouth the power of life and death – the power to promote life and influence others in a godly direction; to build up others according to their needs; and, to nurture others with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.  No one ought ever to walk away from our fellowships discouraged and beat down from rancorous tongues that lacked mercy.
 

 

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:15-17).  Amen, and amen.

Luke 6:43-45

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Jesus worked the crowds of people who followed him by letting them know what true religion is:  “For no good tree is known by its own fruit.  For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.  The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
 
            The greatest test of a person’s inward heart is their outward speech.  Our words betray what is truly in our hearts.  Superficial and surface conversations evidence a shallow relationship with Jesus.  Slander, gossip, and backbiting reflect a heart that is angry, bitter, and bigoted.  Conversely, a stream of encouraging and helpful words flow out of a heart close to Jesus.  Saying what people need to hear, rather than blurting-out what I want to say, comes from a heart which has been carefully tilled and cultivated in the soil of the gospel of God’s grace in Christ.
 
            Thus, just trying to change our speech itself will not do.  Instead, we must examine the heart and urgently attend to its state.  A loose tongue can only change by altering how we deal with the heart.  So, it is vital and necessary to regularly fill our inner selves with the truth and grace of God’s Holy Word; to praise and worship Jesus from a heart of devotion; to allow God to judge another’s heart; and, to monitor our heart’s condition.  For the spiritual fruit of loving words can only come from a heart rooted in Christ’s love.
 

 

            Heavenly Father, the words of your Son Jesus always came from a heart firmly established in relationship with you.  As I spend time with you may your Holy Spirit transform my heart to be more like Christ so that you are glorified and others are encouraged.  Amen.

Taming the Tongue

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
Words are powerful.  God created the entire world with speech.  Since people are created in God’s image and likeness, our words carry a great deal of weight.  Within the church, the tongue is the most powerful tool we have for building up the Body of Christ, giving praise and offering prayer to God, and for proclaiming the good news of forgiveness in Christ.  However, the bald truth is that there are far too many duplicitous tongues within the church which can say something good one minute and something hurtful the next.
 
Whatever comes out of our mouths reveals what is on the inside of our lives (James 3:0-12).  If we can grasp the truth of this, I believe it could transform the way we talk to one another.  Salt water and fresh water cannot both come from the same spring.  A fig tree cannot bear olives, and a grapevine is not going to produce figs.  Here is the biblical point:  Whatever comes out of the mouth reveals the source.  Evil words come from an evil source; and, good words come from a good source.  If a person has a pattern of negative condescending speech, then that person is drawing from a well pumping up words from the depths of Hell.  And if a person has a practice of continually saying helpful words that encourage others, that person is producing good fruit from roots that draw nourishment from God’s Word.
 
            Here are four ways to bring the tongue under control so that our speech and our words can reflect the God who created us for good:
 
  1. Train your tongue for good, just like you would train anything else.  When starting an exercise regimen, you are training your body for health.  When dieting, you are saying ‘yes’ to certain foods, and ‘no’ to others.  The tongue needs to be trained to express gratitude, gospel, and grace.  And one of the best ways to do it is through speaking Scripture out loud in a daily regular regimen.  Consider going on a fast from talking, and seek only to be silent and listen for a specified amount of time.  Paul said to Timothy:  Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7).  The writer of Hebrews said:  Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).
  2. Read a chapter of Proverbs each day for a month.  There are thirty one chapters in Proverbs, one for each day of the month.  Pay attention to the power of words.  Notice the difference between the speech of a wise person and the words of a fool – and take to heart the consequences of both approaches.  Here are just a few of Proverbs’ short pithy statements about the tongue:  When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise (10:19); Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18).
  3. Foster relationships and friendships with people that are positive and encouraging.  If a negative person keeps being negative, even after you have warned them more than once about it, you likely need a new relationship.  Paul was straightforward with his young protégé, Titus, by saying:  Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with him.  You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11).
  4. Listen and learn before speaking.  A judgmental spirit comes from an inability to rightly interpret another person’s words and/or actions.  We can too often jump to conclusions about something or someone with only partial information and a fact or two without the whole story.
When it comes to using our words, love is to be our guide, as the Apostle Paul so eloquently said in the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13:
 

 

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects (does not destroy or harm), always trusts (gives the person the benefit of the doubt), always hopes (that is, thinks the best of others), and always perseveres (never gives up on loving speech).  Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled….