"OH, BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE!"

"OH, BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE!"

Ivie Powell

 

A favorite song of children teaches the importance

of

realizing that God sees everything we do, 

and

hears everything we say. 

 

Parents and friends look

with great joy

as the little folks enthusiastically sing:

 

Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

Oh be careful little ears what you hear.

Oh be careful little mouth what you say.

Oh be careful little hands what you do.

Oh be careful little feet where you go.

 

There's a God up above looking down in tender

love so be careful. ..

 

In all my years of preaching, I don't recall that s

one ever being sung during a regular worship

assembly. Why? 

 

Could it be we have the idea this is

a song only for

children? 

 

Do we as adults need to

take heed to the lyrics

of that particular song as well?

 

The Bible addresses all needs of man (2 Pet. 1:3)

including the use of the tongue. 

 

As a matter of

fact, the Holy Spirit had James to write eighteen

soul-penetrating passages concerning the tongue

(James 3).

 

 When is the last time you read those verses? 

 

Since sins of the tongue are so easily

committed, all of us need to be reminded of

taking heed to:

 

What we say!

What we hear!

What we repeat!

 

Sins of the tongue are numerous, and have far, far,

reaching consequences both in this life, and

eternity! Solomon wrote, "Death and life are in the

power of the

tongue..."(Prov.18:21). 

 

One of the ways

Satan has of

disrupting and destroying a congregation as well as

the brotherhood is through the improper

use of the tongue! 

 

Concerning this matter James writes:

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity;

so is the tongue among our members, that

it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire

the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

.(James 3:6)

 

Because of a deadly tongue, friendships have been

destroyed, marriages ended, reputations

tarnished, businesses shut down, jobs lost, fights,

killings, wars, law

suits, church splits and civil wars

have erupted within the brotherhood! 

 

The following

should cause all to take a

serious look at the use of the

tongue.

 

THE TONGUE IS GUILTY!

 

When it curses (James 3:10)

When it speaks evil (Eph.4:31)

When its speech is crooked (Prov.4:24)

When it harshly criticizes (Matt.5:22)

When it is backbiting (Rom.1:30)

When it is deceitful (Rom.3:13)

When it talks foolishly (Eph.5:4)

When it teaches falsely (Titus 1:10-1)

When it speaks idle words (Mat. 12:36)

When it sows discord (Prov.6:19)

When it flatters (Psa. 12:3)

When it lies (Rev.21:8)