11/22/23 BEWARE THE TOXIC TONGUE

11/22/23 BEWARE THE TOXIC TONGUE

My friend, Jay Neal, posted a couple of photos of Prince William telling the crowd that he had become the proud father of three children. However, this innocent hand gesture did not look innocent from a side view.

The point my friend was making is that we need to know the whole story before we make decisions.

Many lives, relationships and ministries have been ruined because someone repeated something they heard, though the information was either wrong or misinterpreted. A lie, especially a demeaning report about a good person, is more appealing to the carnally minded than the truth.

Sometimes the slander, the blasphemy is spoken in ignorance and sometimes it is spoken with the intent to discredit someone.

It hurts when anyone misrepresents us or presents us in a demeaning fashion, whether strangers, acquaintances, friends or family. The closer the person is to us, the more it hurts. After all, they actually know the truth and therefore they are deliberately seeking to ruin our reputation. Remember too, God said that our enemies would be those of our own families.

The Bible warns about listening to one side of an accusation. I am amazed that so many "Christian" people (some of whom are in ministry) listen to, accept, form opinions and even propagate lies about other people, including Christians who are being lied about.

Here are a few passages that address this problem. I hope you take the time to read them, meditate on them and apply these truths to your own life.

GOSSIP, SLANDER AND BLASPHEMY

Exodus 23:1
1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Leviticus 19:16
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Psalms 34:13-14
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalms 41:7-9
7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Psalms 141:3
3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Proverbs 10:18-19
18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Proverbs 11:9
9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

Proverbs 11:13
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Proverbs 16:27-28
27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Proverbs 17:9
9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 18:6-8
6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Proverbs 18:21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 20:19-20
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

Proverbs 26:18-19
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

Proverbs 26:20-22
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Romans 1:28-32
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

2 Corinthians 12:20
20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

Ephesians 4:29
29 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.

1 Timothy 5:14-15
14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.

Titus 2:1-5
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

James 1:26
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

James 4:11
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.