02/23/2025
Guarding Our Mouths
James describes the tongue as “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (Jas. 3:18). Indeed, the tongue can do a great deal of harm and cause much unhappiness. James tells us earlier, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is useless” (Jas. 1:26). Proverbs 21:23 also tells us, “Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Without a doubt, we see that keeping our tongue is imperative if we are to please God. Now, let us notice some ways that we should keep our tongue.
Guard Our Mouths Against Tattling and Gossip
Paul told Timothy that the young widows, if they did not marry, must especially become watchful of becoming idle, gossips and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not (1 Tim. 5:13). Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, described busybodies as “walking disorderly” (2 Thess. 3:11). Peter stated that a Christian should not “suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters” (1 Pet. 4:15). Guarding our mouths will help us not to be guilty of being busybodies and talebearers. In Proverbs 11:13, we learn that those of a faithful spirit will not reveal secrets of other men’s matters, as a talebearer does.
Keep Our Speech Pure
Paul writes to Titus, reminding him to encourage the young men to have sound speech that no one may find a reason to find fault with us due to our speech. (Tit. 2:8). Paul told the Ephesians to “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29), so here is a must in keeping a guard on our tongue. The Greek word (sapros) translated here as “corrupt” is defined by Vines as “rotten, unfit for use, or putrid.” From this definition, we learn that we should keep our tongues from using any language that is filthy and useless. Vulgar, profane, and “replacement words” have no place coming from the mouth of the child of God, not even during times of persecution (Rom. 12:14). James tells us that with the tongue, we bless God, and with the same tongue, we curse men who are made in the image of God (Jas. 3:9). In verse 10, he continues, “out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” Profanity is not a mark of toughness or intelligence. Instead, it shows the weakness of those that profane God’s name to gain acceptance by those in the world. It actually indicates ignorance rather than intelligence by the lacking of an adequate vocabulary. There is nothing good about profanity, it is sinful, and as Christians, we should hate it! May we join David as he said, “Let the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer” (Psa. 19:14).
Keep Our Tongue from Contentious Speech
There is corrective and disciplinary speech, and we must understand that this is not the kind of speech under consideration here. There are times that corrections need to be made, but we do not want our words and speech to be contentious in those times. It would help if everyone remembered the admonition to “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jas. 1:19). The key to this is to think before you speak. If one thinks before he speaks, it will help them give an answer that is tender and not provoke and stir up anger. Solomon said, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11). So, in our lives, may our speech will “always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6).
The tongue can cause misery, ruin influence, cause strife, division, and many other hurtful circumstances in life. As we guard our tongues, may we have the conviction that David had as he said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me” (Psa. 39:1).
2-23-2025 Bulletin for the Tallmadge Church of Christ
