Misusing the tongue is one of the oldest sins committed, and it is not going anywhere.  It is a sin committed by every group and category of people—rich, poor, good, bad, saint, sinner, male, and female alike.  The truth is, we all sometimes misuse the tongue.

Do not confuse something being common as being acceptable to God.  Misusing the tongue, regardless of its form, is sinful.  Jesus reminds us that our words will be judged by God.

Matthew 12:36 (ESV)
³⁶  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

The biggest reason for misusing the tongue is speaking without thinking.  We all tend to talk without meaningful thought about how our words will be received, leading us to speak carelessly.  This is why James admonishes us to be quick to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19).  We need to slow down and consider our choice of words, or even if what we are going to say needs to be said.  I ran across the word “think” being used acronymically as follows:

True – The first thing we ought to consider as Christians when we talk to others, or about others, is whether or not want we are saying is true.  One thing God hates is lying.

Proverbs 12:22 (ESV)
²²  Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Helpful – The second thing a Christian should always ask before he or she speaks is, “is what I am about to say helpful or hurtful?”  In Ephesians 4:29, Paul said, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good.  Mothers are known to tell their children, “if you don’t have anything  good to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Inspiring – Do our words tear people down or build people up?  Listen to the rest of what Paul said in Eph. 4:29:

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)
²⁹  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Necessary – The word idle as used by Jesus denotes uselessness.  Some things just do not need to be said.  Calvin Coolidge said, “I have never been hurt by anything I did not say.”

Kind – There is never a justifiable reason for speaking unkindly to anyone.  Yes, sometimes people need to be rebuked, and yes, sometimes error needs to be exposed, but controlling the tongue is not only about watching what we say, it is also about watching how we say it.  Whether we are talking to a waitress at a restaurant who got our order wrong, or a spouse that we are not seeing eye to eye with at the moment, speaking kindly is what God expects of us.  ALWAYS!  Why?  Because kindness is a fundamental trait of a Christian (Galatians 5:22).

Let us all think before we talk and avoid the sin of misusing the tongue.  Our souls depend on it.   

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.