Hung By The Tongue

How many of you have ever had foot in mouth disease? While at the hospital I was teasing the anesthesiologist when he came in to see Brother Crider, I told him I had foot in mouth disease, every time I opened my mouth, my foot seemed to end up in it.

Have you ever been hung by the tongue? Have you ever opened your mouth and said something that you knew was going to get you in trouble, or going to come back and haunt you?

Husbands are bad about doing that, we’ll get into an argument with our wife, and this thought pops into our heads, we know if we say it, it’s going to get us in trouble.

We tell our selves, I’m not going to say, I’m not going to go there, but wouldn’t you know it, the moment you open your mouth, out pops those words that you knew you wasn’t going to say, and you’re in the dog- house.

One lady was just a gossiping about someone in the church to the pastor, and he stopped and asked her a question and she told him, “I’ve already told you more than I know.”

Our Words can bless, encourage, strengthen someone, and bring the power of God on the scene. But words can also hurt, destroy, kill someone’s reputation, curse and damage people.

Touch someone and tell them “There’s power in what you say.”

That’s why we need to be careful of what we say. Our mouth can be one of the most dangerous weapons that we have.

There are many times we have brought things on our self because of what we’ve said. Every time you open your mouth and confess that the enemy has really got you down, you’ve given him information that he wouldn’t have known unless you told him.

What you say really does have a lot to do with what happens in your life.

I want to share with you today about the power of our words. Our scripture text tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

As I was praying this morning the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart and said that some of you are about to fall into a trap set by Satan.

It’s difficult when people come against us. We have a couple of situations going on right now where the enemy is attacking people by using their work place.

But here’s what the Lord was showing me this morning that we need to be careful of…

First, be careful when you speak judgment on someone…

Luke 6:37-38 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

When we get critical, and judgmental, we bring that same level of judgment back on ourselves. So if you criticize someone for not doing something and you turn around and you’re not doing what you’re complaining about either, that same judgment is coming back on you.

The second thing the Lord spoke to my heart was concerning those who abuse us or take advantage of us. What we say in response to that will determine what results you get in your life.

This is a critical area because we can fall into offence and we learned several months ago, that it can turn into a trap of Satan. So what do we do when we’re being miss used?

First, be careful little mouth what you say. No matter what someone does to you it does not excuse you to operate outside of the scriptures in your reaction to the situation. Remember, bring every thought into obedience of Christ.

1 Peter 3:9

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

This goes back to Luke 6:38 – We’re not to render evil for evil, railing for railing. We’re not to escalate the fight, but when someone’s attacking us, we’re to bless them.

That’s God’s way of answering an attack.

Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: