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TONGUE TROUBLE
By Don Gossett
"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance" Proverbs 15:13
FIRST: "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles" Proverbs 21:23. Most of my troubles have been tongue troubles; that is, troubles caused by careless speech.
SECOND: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain" James 1:26. Regardless how spiritual I may be, if I have not learned how to master and control my tongue, my spirituality is vain - worthless, does not stand the test.
THIRD: "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile" 1st Peter 3:10. If I am to enjoy good days, I must "speak evil of no man" Titus 3:2. My words determine whether or not life will be lovely, filled with good days.
FOURTH: "He that has knowledge spares his words" Proverbs 17:27. An evidence of my God-given knowledge is that I "spare my words" for I know that "in the multitude of words there wants not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise" Proverbs . J: 19.
FIFTH: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" Colossians 4:6. Most important is that I watch my words for "a man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Proverbs 15:23.
SIXTH: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" Ephesians 4:29. Nothing corrupt - criticizing, fault-finding, nor judging others - shall proceed out of my mouth, but that which is good, that by my words others may be built up!
SEVENTH: This is my daily fervent prayer: "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips" Psalm 141:3.
EIGHTH: A smile is the style of the triumphant in Christ! I dare you to live by this "power poem." It will improve your efficiency at least 33%.
BOLD
LIVING CARD No. 42
Gossip Can Kill
By Don Gossett
If there's any universal hobby, it is gossip. It is so easy to sugar-coat it with some mumbo rationalization and fail to see the sinister qualities. Gossip can be murder! It is obvious that we hurt the people about whom we gossip. And some might be honest enough to admit that we hurt the one to whom we gossip. Actually, though, we tend to overlook the fact that, when we gossip, we destroy ourselves.
Gossip also hurts us in God's sight. It always indicates that we are breaking the law of Jesus which says we shall give account of every idle word. It indicates that we do not have that love which is the hallmark of the Christian: "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another" John 13:34. Really, don't you feel pretty mean after you get alone by yourself after gossiping?
Here are reasons you shouldn't gossip:
- I wouldn't put arsenic in their coffee, would I? But gossip can kill. The Bible classifies "busybodies" with murders (I Peter 4:15).
- I want people to think well of me; yet they always think ill of me when I gossip about others.
- Try Robert Butler's idea. Mr. Butler is president of Walter Butler's Shipbuilders Incorporated of Superior, Wisconsin, and he has a motto, "if you can't write it down and sign your name to it, don't say it!"
Sometimes we get trapped into gossiping because others in the group are doing it. Avoid gossip as you avoid a rattlesnake! Remember that it always takes two to gossip; and if you won't listen, the other person won't have a chance to say it. Try saying to him, "Say, here's a piece of paper, just write those things down and we'll take the paper over to our pastor." It will stop him like a ten ton truck! Remember you must stop gossiping because it will hurt you more than anyone else. Nothing so effectively destroys your personality as gossip. And conversely, nothing makes your company so desirable as when you say good things about others. If you must talk, say something good about someone.