I cannot tell you how many times my tongue has got me into trouble. Things I have said that I might later regret, have to rethink or were misunderstood. As the master of dad jokes, there are times when even joking I may have stepped over the edge and the comment has been more snide than funny.
Whilst in most cases this has not been too serious there are many ways our tongue can get us into more serious trouble. We can use it to lie, betray, grumble, tear someone down, kill dreams and vent our temper.
But of course that same tongue can encourage, strengthen, bless, fuel dreams and give meaningful direction. The tongue can be the difference between our relationships being healthy or unhealthy, our bodies being healthy or unhealthy our condition of our mind and spirit being healthy or unhealthy.
Therefore, I have come to the realisation there are few things more powerful, and therefore few things more important to give attention to, than how I speak.
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
The tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. Yet it is so small! Just think about it. It just hangs around in your mouth all day; the equivalent to doing an all-day plank! She’s been working out, speaking between 7000 and 20000 words every day. Try doing that many press-ups every day!
You do not want to be hit by a fist that is on the end of an arm that does over 7000 push-ups every day! But you might want to be held up by, supported, or rescued by those same hands.
The tongue has the power to bring dead things to life. So I have decided I will not let the culture define me but the word I confess define me. I will not let my past define me but what Jesus speaks about me. I will not let fear define me but faith, and the confession of faith.
Our speech can reframe our world, our future, our lives and our culture.
A few thoughts then on how to learn the art of speaking gold.
You don’t have to say everything you feel. Learning the art of self-control is essential. Silence will often make us look better than speaking. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues (Proverbs 17:28).
2. Practice the choice of your words
I make daily declarations which condition my speech to be all of the above.
My God has not given me a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
I am not my past, I am a brand new person in Christ and the world will be different and better because I served Him today.
What we say is who we become, what we say is where we will go… So SPEAK GOLD
There is a tendency to call any sparkling wine now a days ‘Champagne’. However, no sparkling wine is really a genuine Champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region of France or at least follows the production ‘Methode champenoise’. The source matters!
It is out of the overflow of our hearts that often our mouth speaks. If our heart is the source of the tone, attitude and types of our speech then the heart matters.
Remember, your tongue has the power to bring life or death. Let’s use it well!
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