Power Of The Tongue

Have you been spoken evil of?  Or have you spoken evil of someone?  Maybe I shouldn't ask those questions, because it may bring up unpleasant memories.  Of course most of us have been spoken evil of, if we haven't we are very blessed.  And sad to say most of us have spoken evil of someone, some time in our life, and if we haven't, we are really blessed.  I've been spoken evil of and also spoken evil to someone and had to apologize and make it right or about someone.  The power of the tongue is hard to control sometimes but hard to control is not an excuse for sinning with our tongue.

Psalm 39:1  "I said, I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle." I had a friend for a short time that because we were new in the town and church where we live, she seem to think we needed to know all the bad things about everybody and some of it was terrible.  Had to discontinue the friendship for my own well being.

Leviticus 19:16  "You shall not go about as a tale bearer among your people:"

Psalm 52:2  "Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully."

Proverbs 13:3  "He who guards his mouth preserves his life."

Proverbs 15:28  "The mouth of the wicked pours out evil."

Proverbs 15:4  "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit."

Proverbs 11:9  "He who covers a transgression seeks love.  But he who repeats a matter separates friends."

Proverbs 18:21  "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Matthew 12:36,37  "But I say to you that for every idle word men shall speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

Ephesians 4:15  "Speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto him who is the head, -Christ."

James 1:19  "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

As it says in this last verse, let us be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.  Good counsel.
If you are a step parent, I pray that you are a good and kind one, full of love and not condemnation.
I bring that up because I was a step child and my step father was so very jealous of my mother's love for me, he just couldn't stand it.  I don't know what his plans were but I do know it was dangerous for me to be alone with him, and if my mother was gone for a few hours, I would have to hide out until I was safe again.  So I learned to hate him and told him so one day after I was married and was safe.  I never apologized to him, he died of a severe heart attack when he was 63 years old.  A few years down the road, God brought that up to me and I felt so bad that I did not apologize to him, and God showed me that he had a heart too and that I could forgive him and in my heart and that I actually could love him.  His daughter was dying and he came by to tell me and to weep and I put my arms around him and tried to comfort him, he was gone 3 months later.  So I guess I did forgive him to some degree and not knowing it.  I try very hard to let God control my tongue. James says the tongue is a world of fire.  I want my to be a world of blessing, don't you?  Grandma Joan