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Tongue in Cheek<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n By Kerry Johnson<\/span><\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you hold that thing down?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 In my Novocain and fear-induced state, the words sounded surreal.\u00c2\u00a0 The entire left side of my face was numb, and drool was dripping out of the corner of my mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 The dentist looming over me was concentrating deeply on his task when he muttered the sarcastic words to the hygienist suctioning out my mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153thing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d getting in his way was my tongue.<\/p>\n I have a personal confession to make.\u00c2\u00a0 My tongue is on the big side.\u00c2\u00a0 Okay, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very big.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve frustrated dentists, grossed out elementary school friends, and even won a contest with this tongue\u00e2\u20ac\u201da who-can-touch-their-tongue-to-their-nose contest.<\/p>\n I can<\/em>.<\/p>\n What exactly is the tongue, and what is its purpose?\u00c2\u00a0 The tongue is a powerful muscle on the bottom of our mouths.\u00c2\u00a0 Its main function as an organ is tasting food since much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in taste buds.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made up of groups of muscles and, like the heart, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always working.\u00c2\u00a0 The tongue is also able to expertly bind and contort itself to form letters when we speak.\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the kicker. The tongue is absolutely necessary for speech.<\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to realize the amazing power and deadly influence my tongue can have.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the bridge between my heart and thoughts directly to the people around me.\u00c2\u00a0 The tongue can be a tool to inflict pain or make someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s day.\u00c2\u00a0 It can bless and it can curse.<\/p>\n As God laid this on my heart to write, a\u00c2\u00a0fearful uncertainty settled in my chest.\u00c2\u00a0 Not me, Lord.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 The excuses came fast and furious.\u00c2\u00a0 Lord, I am the LAST person who should write about taming the tongue!<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Hypocrite is spelled M-E.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Lord, I have diarrhea of the mouth!\u00c2\u00a0 Please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ask me to do this!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n Still, I felt God pressing on my heart to write about my tongue.\u00c2\u00a0 And when I read Proverbs 21:23\u00c2\u00a0one morning, the words washed over me like a holy fire: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Was I guarding my tongue for Jesus?\u00c2\u00a0 I want to guard my tongue in order to protect my soul \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for You, Lord.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n What kind of words do I say?\u00c2\u00a0 Or, for the writers out there, type?\u00c2\u00a0 Words that bless or words that curse? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 15:2, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Am I wise or a fool? \u00c2\u00a0Gossip, slander, and lying are foolish and self-serving.\u00c2\u00a0 They cause harm to the speaker and the hearer, and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re welcome ammunition for the devil.<\/p>\n Words spoken in love, praise of others, expressions of gratitude, and encouragement build others up.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 16:24, NKJV).<\/p>\n Many verses talk about the tendency of our tongues to be perverse.\u00c2\u00a0 The word perverse means something \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or someone \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that has turned away from what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good or right and has become corrupt.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 17:20, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Our heart condition is evidenced\u00c2\u00a0by the words coming off our tongue.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 15:4, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 I pray my tongue will be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153tree of life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and not cause me to “fall into evil.”<\/p>\n When we criticize others, who are made in God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s image and whom He loves as much as He loves us, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re using our tongue for evil.\u00c2\u00a0 How can I use my tongue for God? How do we learn to have a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wholesome tongue\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and keep it from causing harm?<\/p>\n There are three important exercises we can do with our tongues to glorify God:<\/strong><\/p>\n The first exercise I recommend is\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>not using your tongue<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 How I struggle with this!\u00c2\u00a0 Remember as a child when your mom told you to, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bite your tongue?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Though I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recommend that, I do recommend keeping your tongue still and giving your ears a workout instead.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.\u00c2\u00a0 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 17:27-28, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Go on a word diet and listen instead of speaking.<\/p>\n Words are compared to arrows shot out of a bow because they fly fast and furious, especially when they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re emotionally driven.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 10:19, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Generally, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found the higher quantity of words, the lower quality they become.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m learning to be more like my quiet, thoughtful husband \u00e2\u20ac\u201c talk less, listen carefully, and consider more before speaking.\u00c2\u00a0 The result is less complaining and criticizing…less \u00e2\u20ac\u0153word garbage.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The second exercise I recommend for the tongue is using it for good\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor God<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 In the words of Peter Parker (aka Spiderman), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With great power comes great responsibility.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 We house power in our tongues.\u00c2\u00a0 Using that power for the encouragement and edification of others is God-glorifying and\u00c2\u00a0trains our hearts for selflessness.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Ephesians 4:29, NKJV).<\/p>\n Allow the Holy Spirit to add a measure of joy to someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life through your words.\u00c2\u00a0 Encourage\u00c2\u00a0a friend\u00c2\u00a0by complimenting their family or children, praise their parenting or homeschooling success, or pray together.\u00c2\u00a0 Edification can also be a word of encouragement in the Lord or a Bible verse that was\u00c2\u00a0helpful\u00c2\u00a0for you in a similar situation.<\/p>\n As a wife and mother, I seek to\u00c2\u00a0align my life with Proverbs 31.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Proverbs 31:26, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 When we mix godly wisdom with edification and coat our words in love, God can accomplish much through us as mothers, wives, and friends.<\/p>\n Finally, the most important activity we are to do with our tongue is praise God<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Jude 1:24-25, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Only through Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 perfect sacrifice on the cross can I ever be considered \u00e2\u20ac\u0153faultless.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 He is the most precious gift ever given or received!<\/p>\n How can I not give Him constant praise as a result?\u00c2\u00a0 “Praise the Lord!\u00c2\u00a0 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!\u00c2\u00a0 For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1, NKJV).<\/p>\n Although God doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need our praise, His Word testifies that He wants to hear from His children. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Hebrews 13:15, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 Praise and thanksgiving offered to Jesus will lift our eyes off ourselves and our\u00c2\u00a0circumstances\u00c2\u00a0and onto Him where they\u00c2\u00a0belong.<\/p>\n I’ve learned that praising God has a wonderful purpose.\u00c2\u00a0 Our faith is strengthened and purified when we praise Him in the dark moments of our lives.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Psalm 66:17, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m speechless before God, whether through the trials or the blessings of this life, praise should never cease to roll off my tongue for Him and the wonders of His works.<\/p>\n After all, Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 actions were\u00c2\u00a0drenched in grace for me, and my life should be drenched in praise for Him.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately, my prayer is that my tongue will speak life-giving words from my Savior.\u00c2\u00a0 David said at the end of his life, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (2 Samuel 23:2, NKJV).\u00c2\u00a0 For if the Word of the Lord is always on our tongue, we won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to worry about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153holding that thing down.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kerry Johnson lives in sunny Tampa Bay with her loud and very ticklish family. Patient hubby Trevor and their two bouncing boys, Cole and Chase, give the best hugs ever. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been published in Sanctified Together<\/em>, Granola Bar Devotionals<\/em>, and Tampa Bay\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Overflow Magazine<\/em>, and recently completed her first novel. She has her Bachelor of Science in English Education and enjoyed 7 blessed years as a stay-at-home wife and mom. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s passionate about her family, exercising, chocolate, reading and writing, and especially sharing the love of Jesus through her writing at http:\/\/candidkerry.wordpress.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Thanks, Kerry, for this powerful and timely message on guarding our tongues! <\/em><\/p>\n If this message blessed you be sure to leave Kerry an encouraging comment below. \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the next few weeks, I have some wonderful guest bloggers lined up ready to share their inspiring messages. Today’s message is by my dear friend Kerry Johnson. She’s also featuring my article “God’s Unmerited Favor” on her blog tomorrow. Be sure to swing by there. Kerry is a phenomenal writer with a beautiful heart for the Lord. I pray her message on the power of the tongue blesses you as much as it’s blessed me. Tongue in Cheek By Kerry Johnson \u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you hold that thing down?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 In my Novocain and fear-induced state, the words sounded surreal.\u00c2\u00a0 The entire left side of my face was numb, and drool was dripping out of the corner of my mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 The dentist looming over me was concentrating deeply on his task when he muttered the sarcastic words to the hygienist suctioning out my mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153thing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d getting in his way was my tongue. I have a personal confession to make.\u00c2\u00a0 My tongue is on the big side.\u00c2\u00a0 Okay, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very big.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve frustrated dentists, grossed out elementary school friends, and even won a contest with this tongue\u00e2\u20ac\u201da who-can-touch-their-tongue-to-their-nose contest. I can. What exactly is the tongue, and what is its purpose?\u00c2\u00a0 The tongue is a powerful muscle on the bottom of our mouths.\u00c2\u00a0 Its main function as an organ is tasting food since much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in taste buds.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made up of groups of muscles and, like the heart, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[48],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sharingtruths.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/kry-226x300.gif\" "\\"kry\\"")
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