Our theme for this year is “Glorify God in Everything.” This is the criteria by which we should judge all of our actions: Is what I am doing right now bringing glory to Him? And there is not a more obvious area in our lives in which we need to be constantly guarding for His glory than that of how we speak to others.
A horse controlled by a bit can be of great service. With nothing more than a bit and a bridle, a rider can gallop down the road on this big animal. But uncontrolled, it can do much harm. In the same way, a tongue controlled by Jesus Christ can be a great blessing. But uncontrolled, it can do much damage. Just as a horse is controlled by a bit, we are controlled by our words.
“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” Jms.3:7-9
Slander and gossip are sins that, unfortunately, are far too common in the church today. How many times have rumors been spread that are based on information that simply is not factual because a person did not take the time to look into it?
James says “the tongue is a small member” (vs.5), which simply means that it is a small part of our body, but it can do so much damage. We may see someone with huge biceps and muscular legs and feel intimidated. But what we ought to be worried about is that little two ounce slab of mucus membrane in his mouth — the tongue. That can do more damage than anything else.
- Vernon McGee used to say that the only exercise some Christians get is running down others and jumping to conclusions. Has someone ever gossiped about you? Has something ever been said about you that simply wasn’t true? Gossip and slander are far easier to dish out than they are to take, aren’t they?
Prov.18:8 “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.”
Gossip is like that. “Did you hear about this?” someone might whisper. So we take that tasty delicious morsel of information. We may swallow it easily, but in the end, it is like a wound. It hurts other people, and it can hurt us.
So when we hear gossip or slander, what should we do? Here is a little acronym that we need to remember: T-H-I-N-K. Is it true? If it is not true, then don’t repeat it. Will it help? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?
You might be thinking, “If I applied that principle all the time, there would be a lot of things I wouldn’t say.” Good. Then don’t say them. You will be better for it and so will many other people. So as we think about glorifying God this year in all that we do let’s start with glorifying Him with our words.