Tongue Training

Reading: Jeremiah 9-10, Psalm 100, and Acts 22

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:5, Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Thoughts: “They have taught their tongues to speak lies,” When I first read this passage it blew my mind, I had never thought about my tongue being taught. Then James 3:3-5 draws the compassion between a horse and its bit, and the ship and its rudder, and how the tongue can spark a great blaze, for most of my life through example, and letting my emotions guide my tongue. I have taught my tongue to be harsh and cutting, even to the ones I love. Now in my forties with a wife and children I need to break the habits and retrain my tongue. I can also see that I have been training my children’s tongues, they have the same harsh cutting tongue that I have been showing them for years. When we train our tongue in the harsh cutting ways as James says it leads our body in the same way and can easily move to a place where we hurt someone. When we train our tongue to worship and praise; to have kind tones and words; to lift up and encourage we will shine God’s light and love brighter than we ever thought. What are we training our tongue to do?

Prayer: Lord God, you are so wonderful, you are worthy of all honor and praise. I confess my inadequacy, that I have trained my tongue to be harsh and cutting. I need your help to retrain my tongue so that I can speak life and love into my wife, my children, my coworkers, and the world around me. Take the coal of your refining fire and touch my mouth that it may burn away the evil I have taught it that you may rebuild it in your image.