Happy Summer, I pray you all are doing wonderful and enjoying the nice evenings we’ve had recently. Well, let me ask a question: Has your tongue ever gotten you in trouble? I bet it has. My tongue has gotten me in plenty of trouble. Especially when I was younger. Occasionally, I say things I instantly wish I could take back, but it’s like toothpaste, once it’s out, it’s not going back in the tube. It’s impossible to undo words which can cause great damage.
In fact, James 3:5-6 says, “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
Those are some strong words of truth. So, what do we do about our tongues? Well, let me encourage you with two things: #1: T-H-I-N-K before you speak. The next time you’re unsure if you should say something, run through the T-H-I-N-K acronym: T—is it true? H—is it helpful? I—is it inspiring? N—is it necessary? K—is it kind? If it doesn’t meet any of those qualifications don’t say it.
And #2 GUARD YOUR HEART. We all need warning signs in our lives and one of the most noticeable alarms of our Spiritual health, is our tongue. It reveals what’s in the heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I pray that you guard your heart.
On another note, I pray that you can connect with a great church. There are many great congregations in Lamb County and if you need help getting connected to one, don’t hesitate to reach out. I really hope you have a great day and be careful with those tongues!
Love you all, Pastor Tanner
(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)