In Part One of The Tongue of Man, we saw that the misuse of our tongue can, in some cases, be fatal if not controlled. In Part Two we will look at some of the common ways of misusing the tongue.
Excessive Talking-“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19 NIV If you say too much, you are bound to say something wrong. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 NIV says, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty with your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” KJV Verse 3 says, “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.” Have you ever been with someone who made your head swim by their excessive talking? James refers to the tongue as a restless evil. A heart that is not at rest with their God could show that fruit by the restlessness of their tongue.
Idle or Careless Words-Matthew 12:36 NIV says, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word that they have spoken.” Matthew 5:37 NIV says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Exaggeration and unnecessary emphasis or overdoing in our speech could come from the evil one. If you don’t mean it, don’t say it.
Gossip-Leviticus 19:16 NIV says, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people.” Idle, untrue, exaggerated, malicious talk equals gossip. One of the names given to Satan is ‘devil’ or ‘slanderer’. Satan goes about accusing mankind before God and he slanders God continually. We do not want to be part of anything that has Satan’s signature on it.
Proverbs 18:8 NIV says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” When we hear something about someone that is bad or shows them in a bad light, there is something about human nature that rejoices. We need to be careful when these choice morsels are placed in front of us, that we refuse to swallow them. They taste sweet, but they will poison us and others. Proverbs 20:19 NIV says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” By listening to gossip, you become an ‘accessory to the fact’, just like you would be by receiving stolen goods. It is a legal means to harm yourself and others. Psalm 15:1-3 NAS says, “O Lord, who may abide in thy tent? Who may dwell on thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend.”
Lying-Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV says, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” A lying tongue, a false witness, and a man that stirs up dissension are all associated with the tongue. Proverbs 12:22 NIV says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You belong to your father, the devil and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 NIV. Revelation 21:8 NIV says, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars; their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 22:15 NIV says, “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Lying can be very fatal, as it can open doors to the dark spirit world.
Flattery-“Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.” Psalm 12:1-4 NIV. David is speaking about moral decline in the human race, just like the world today. As morals decline, the result is that everyone lies to his neighbor, deceiving one another. Who can you trust today? Deception is in every level of society, including the church. Everyone is doing what is right in his own eyes, and the end result is distrust, violence and insecurity. Proverbs 26:28 NIV says, “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” Proverbs 29:5 NIV says, “Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.” Flattery always has another motive behind it and it usually involves manipulation and control of others for personal gain.
Hastiness of Speech-Proverbs 29:20 NAS says, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” David was waiting for news as to the welfare of his son Absalom, who was in a war. Two messengers ran to tell David news on how the war was going. One messenger had official news for David, but another messenger, Ahimazz, wanted to run to David too. Ahimazz outran the Cushite, reaching David first. When David asked him about his son, he said he saw confusion and wasn’t sure what had happened to his son. David told Ahimazz to stand aside. Then the Cushite arrives informing David that his son Absalom is dead. Two messengers but only one authorized to give official news. Sometimes men get ahead of themselves desiring personal attention instead of making sure they have all the facts before speaking. (II Samuel 18) There is a poem about Fools rushing in where angels fear to tread. (Alexander Pope)
Excessive talking, idle or careless words, gossip, lying, flattery, and hastiness of speech all tend to bring harm to either one’s self or to others. The Pharisees thought they would be heard for their much speaking, but Jesus said not to use vain repetitions, but to speak to our Heavenly Father with purpose and sincerity. We can’t impress God with words, because He knows the thoughts afar off and the intentions or motives of the heart before we speak. It is best to guard our words being aware that not only God hears us, but the enemy does too.
Click here for The Tongue of Man-Part Three