Let’s start off with a little riddle. Can you guess what we’re going to talk about?
I can hide or show myself. I am made up of many muscles. I am usually wet and pink. I can hurt or help people. I can be curled or flat. What am I?
That’s right, we’re talking about our tongues!
God created our tongues. We use them to taste and eat our food all without really thinking. We also use our tongues to form our words when we speak. In God’s Word, we are taught that our tongues, and the words we form with them, are very important.
Look back at our riddle: I can hurt or help people. How are you using your tongue? Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of tongue:” What we say and even how we say it can hurt people and can hurt or even kill our reputation. Our words can also help those around us, building them up, encouraging them and earning us a good reputation.
Proverbs 21:23, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble.” We need to always think before we speak. Being swift to hear and slow to speak, as James 1:19 teaches us, will help us be kind to others, use our manners and avoid trouble.
What are good ways to use our tongue? Psalm 71:15 says, “My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day;” We can use our tongues to tell others about what God has done for us! Now, go use your tongue for good, boys and girls!