Your Tongue, the Strongest Muscle in Your Body

With Thanksgiving behind us, it is time for a little reflection. Two things happened for most people on Thanksgiving; eating and talking. Both of these require a tongue to be able to do that. But what is a tongue exactly? Here is the definition I found online:

"The fleshy, movable, muscular organ, attached in most vertebrates to the floor of the mouth, that is the principal organ of taste, an aid in chewing and swallowing, and, in humans, an important organ of speech."

We used our tongues to taste all of those wonderful comfort foods that we have come to associate with the holidays. A myriad of flavors and textures designed to be tasty and enjoyed. After all, how many bland diet foods did you see advertised for Thanksgiving? What a wonderful gift for God to have given us a muscle that not only aids in the eating ability, but makes it enjoyable at the same time. I love God for that!

Also most of us spent time with family and friends, and when people get together they talk. And boy do they talk! Conversations with family and friends can run the gambit from pleasant, to heated, from funny to sad, and with everything else in between. All of which is made possible by our tongues. (Now I know that those who use sign language use their hands, but for this blog I am specifically talking about those who use their tongues.)

In Proverbs 18:20 - 21 (MSG) the Bible says, "Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose." This Scripture is one of the foundational Scriptures for the believer to follow. It tells us that our words (which are formed by our tongues) can either kill, or they can give life, and that it us up to us to decide. Do you remember that little ditty that we said as kids? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." What a crock! One more lie made up by our enemy to negate what the Word of God says, and if our words mean anything, and they mean everything, then what we say with our tongue IS very important.

Thinking back to your holiday conversations; did they bring life to the hearers, or death? You might say, "But you don't understand my cousin Eddy, Dave, he's a doof!" That may be so, but there is another little Scripture that helps us with this type of relative or friend. It goes like this, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) We really aren't given the option of saying whatever we want to say, regardless of the person we are talking to, not if we are going to be true Christ followers.

It's interesting to me, (and understand I have not perfected this at all yet, I'm still growing) how people will spend hours and hours in a gym, take great care in how and what they eat to get their bodies into shape, and then just spew all manner of stupidity from their mouths. They take the one muscle in their body that can do the most damage to others and never exercise it. That one muscle is the strongest one in their body, and it doesn't get exercised very often, if even at all.

One other thing, that Scripture in Proverbs said that our words bring life, and our words also kill. That's not just talking about when we use them towards other people, that also works when we are talking to and about ourselves. We have the power in our mouths to make our lives better or make them worse, it is our choice. It is vitally important that we choose to say the right things about ourself each and every day. So what have you been saying about yourself? Have you been exercising the strongest muscle in your body? If not, then start today, put a reign on your lips, and force that tongue of yours to say the things that will bring life and not death.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!