A talkative woman said to her pastor following the morning service: “Pastor, I am laying my tongue on the altar.” The preacher replied, “I don’t believe that will be possible since our altar is only 32 feet long.” That was a bit unkind coming from the pastor, but it does indicate that he had firsthand knowledge of her ability and willingness to thoughtlessly damage others with her words.
The tongue is a little member of the body, but it is powerful for good or evil. Words can bless or curse. The power of life and death is in the tongue. James chapter 3 goes into great detail concerning the tongue. It is described as “a world of iniquity” and “set on fire of Hell.” It also says no man can tame the tongue. Cursing and taking God’s name in vain violates one of the 10 commandments. Gossip destroys reputation, splits churches, causes divorce, and does irreparable damage.
One man suggested a T-I-D club – a Trace It Down club. When you hear a rumor, trace it down before passing it on. Before passing on hearsay, we should ask ourselves:
- Is this true?
- Is it kind?
- Would I want someone to say this about me or my family?
One man came to another to apologize for passing on an untrue rumor about him. He said “I forgive you, but I want to ask you to do something for me. Take a bag of feathers and open the bag on a windy day. Then go find them and put them back in the bag.” The first man said, “You know I cannot do that. It is impossible.” “You can apologize and I can forgive you, but you cannot undo all the damage that was done by your loose talk.”
One of the most serious and thought provoking things Jesus ever said was that on the Day of Judgement we shall give account for every idle word. Perhaps we should also lay our tongues on the altar – even if the altar is only 32 feet long!
J.T. Parish is the Founding Pastor of Christian Fellowship Church. He further serves on the Church Leadership Council, as Chairman of the Board of World Missions and Evangelism, and as President of the School of Ministry.