Taming the Tongue

Step 1: Realize the damage of the tongue

Fires caused by the tongue start small.

The flame of gossip

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.Leviticus 19:16

The flame of lies

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.Exodus 20:16

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;Colossians 3:9

The flame of foolish talk

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

The flame of anger

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:Ephesians 4:31

Fire caused by the tongue can spread farther than we think.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.James 3:6

Our tongue can influence, direct, and control every area of our life.

Fire caused by the tongue has a satanic beginning.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.John 8:44

When we lie, deceive, gossip, slander, backbite, we are doing the devil’s work for him.

Step 2: Surrender your members

Surrender your tongue to the Lord because only He can tame it.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.Romans 6:13

This must be a daily surrender.

Step 3: Renew your heart

Whatever comes out of my mouth is a byproduct of what is inside my heart.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.Matthew 12:34-35

Not only do we need God to control what comes out, but we also need Him to cleanse what is on the inside.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Psalm 51:10

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.John 15:3

Step 4: Replace your speech

The Bible tells me what I shouldn’t say, and what I should say.

Step 5: Remember that we will give an account of every word

We take note of people’s last words, but God takes note of every word.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.Matthew 12:36

Our words can bring life or death. Which one is your tongue bringing?