Today I had somebody say something very mean about another individual I know. Even though I would never repeat what was said, I will always remember the person who said it. Sadly, my view of this person has been significantly changed…
The tongue is mentioned eighteen times in proverbs. One verse that makes a lot of sense is Proverbs 21:23 — Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles (KJV). Trouble follows a sharp tongue!
Most of us have said things in anger or in a moment of haste that displayed our out-of-control tongue. Once said, these hurtful things can never be unspoken. We can ask for forgiveness but they still linger in the memory of those hurt. Some relationships never recover from an attack by a sharp tongue.
This will probably be the case of the comments I heard today. Our relationship has fundamentally changed, probably for the worse.
This give me reason to pause and think of hurtful things I’ve said in the past. The damage has been done. The verbal scars last forever. I should have been wiser in my choice of words and tone of voice. I hope I can find the wisdom to show restraint before letting my tongue move faster than my brain.
Have you ever felt harsh words and said, ‘Man, that thing was sharp!’?
Sadly, we are all guilty of a sharp tonque. This is when we truly need to think of our “enemy’s” needs before attacking with our tongue. In the end we only hurt ourselves. Read James chapter 3. Taming the Tonque.