The Tongue
The tongue is a small organ but a very powerful one that controls the fate of the whole body. In the letter of James, he clearly defines its role and how it can turn around fortunes for the best or worst. He likens the tongue to a rudder that controls the direction of a big ship. It is a very significant organ that must be tamed should we want to control our destinies.
We bless and curse with our tongues. We also soothe and rebuke with the same tongue. Its uses conflict with each other every so often. A man who manages to tame his tongue has won half the battle against his enemies. It is ironic how a small boneless organ is responsible for the rise and fall of many people.
The Gate to Life and Death
King Solomon writes in Proverbs that death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits. One principle that God abides by is that He cannot overrule our choices. He can only teach us His law and let us decide on what we want for ourselves. From the days of Adam, God gave man the liberty to make choices in his life. He warned him not to eat from the tree of knowledge but it was up to man to choose to obey.
The decision to abide by God’s instructions lay with Adam. His wife was duped by the serpent and Adam ate the fruit after her. Was God unable to prevent them from eating from the tree by completely removing it from the garden? He was capable of that yet He left it upon them to their choice.
The bible in the new testament writes how sin entered the world through one man and salvation too through one man. When God asked Adan why he ate the fruit, he missed the chance to rectify the wrong he had done and repent his sin. He used his tongue to lay the blame on the woman.
Similarly, when Jesus came into the world, he introduced salvation in the same manner that sin entered the world. The tongue was the gate to sin but Jesus reversed it to be the gate of life. Salvation begins with the confession of our sins and acknowledging Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.
Confession plays a major role in sealing our salvation. Christians should be wary of their tongues lest the enemy plants death in their lives through it.
For The Glory of Christ
We should use our tongues for the glory of Christ. Victory begins with positive confession. Confession brings possession. It is unwise for a born-again Christian to confess defeat because it is tantamount to glorifying the devil. The devil is a loser from the beginning when he lost the war with Archangel Michael and he was kicked out of heaven.
The tongue is a weapon to defeat the devil. Apostle John writes in Revelation that believers defeated the enemy by the blood of the lamb and their testimony.
When we testify about the goodness of God, we give Him glory and shame the devil for the loser he is. Our speech should glorify God every time.
The Counsel of The Lord on Speech
The bible writes that error abounds in a multitude of words. The more one speaks, the more one is prone to sin. Christians should limit their talk and weigh their words before they speak because they have the potential to break hearts, ruin relationships or taint the image of salvation.
God wants us to use our mouths to mend broken relationships among ourselves and between Him and us. Through confession, He forgives our sins and accepts to pardon our iniquities.
Our mouths can damage good existing relationships when we misuse them. God wants us to be careful about it and restrain from careless talk. Our speech should distinguish us from the world and give glory to God. We can win souls to Christ by exemplary speech and kind words.
Fighting The Good Battle
We can use our tongues to fight the good battle of faith and defeat the devil. The bible writes that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in bringing down strongholds, principalities, and powers of darkness in high places.
When Arch Angel Michael came for the body of Moses and the devil was claiming it too, he rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord and he was defeated. Such powerful use of speech is an integral lesson in Christianity. The battle on our knees is either won or lost by how we pray.
Our tongues are powerful weapons in spiritual warfare and we should use them appropriately.
Lessons From Simon Peter
Simon Peter was one of the most active disciples of Jesus throughout His ministry. Jesus promised to build a church on Him that the gates of hades shall not prevail upon. Yet despite the great honor bestowed on him, his tongue betrayed him thrice after the arrest of Jesus.
He denied Jesus thrice before the cock crowed as Jesus had prophesied and remembered what He had told him. He regretted his actions upon realizing his mistake and wept bitterly.
However, his regret and repentance did not wipe out his denial of Jesus. It remained that he was the only disciple who publicly denied knowing Jesus. His actions would taint the image of the church that Jesus had promised to build on him.
After His resurrection, Jesus helped Peter reverse what he had done by leading him to publicly confess that he loved Him. He asked Peter thrice whether he loves Him to which he answered to the affirmative. Jesus asked him to take care of his sheep.
The disciples saw what was happening but none of them could understand the reason behind Jesus’ actions. He did not doubt Peter’s love for Him but wanted to remove the obstacle of denial that would haunt Peter after Jesus’ ascension to heaven.
In conclusion, we can also turn around like Simon Peter if we have ever spoken ill of Jesus by publicly acknowledging our love for Him. Our tongues can open or close doors to access the future. Let us guard our speech.
