A recent popular toothpaste advertisement states: “If you brush with this toothpaste, all your words from your mouth would be good.” How can toothpaste transform a person’s mind, heart, tongue, and mouth to speak only good words? Sadly, the world is deceiving people by all false promises. Yes, all of us know: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Unless a person surrenders to the Lord, lives according to Scripture, can never tame his/her tongue.
1) Thoughts: A Christian mind must be renewed and filled with thoughts that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8) When thoughts are good, actions including words would be good.
2) Heart: Hardened, stubborn, rebellious, and vile heart cannot produce good words. It could produce words of curses, evil intent, grumbling, and blasphemy. Lord Jesus Christ taught: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) When a disciple’s heart is filled with the love and joy of the Lord, it would be expressed in beautiful words.
3) Tongue: “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8) Without divine help and wisdom it is not possible to control or tame the tongue. James writes that divine wisdom is essential to control the tongue. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)
4) Mouth: David prays: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalms 141:3) The preacher states: Let not your mouth lead you to sin. (Ecclesiastes 5:6) Disciples should not be foolish like frogs, by their croaking during monsoon invite predators like snakes who kill them.
Am I submitted to the Lord that I can keep my tongue under control?