O Be Careful Little Mouth

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the childrens Sunday School chorus "O Be Careful Little Hands What You Do."  One of the verses goes like this.

 

O be careful little mouth what you say,

O be careful little mouth what you say.

There's a Father up above, who is looking down in love,

So be careful little mouth what you say.

 

 

Did you know that you can kill someone with your words?  There is deadly power in the tongue.  We are warned in the Bible many times about the dangers of a tongue that is out of control.

 

James 3:5 & 6  "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.  Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  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.

 

We are all well aware of how fast a fire can spread.  One little spark can set off a massive inferno that can devastate homes and lands within minutes.  God likens our tongues to a fire with the potential to devastate others.  Those affected by domestic violence have first hand experience in this kind of destruction.  Verbal abuse is sometimes thought of as not being as bad as physical abuse.  Wow, what wrong thinking this is!  Constantly being beaten with words leaves scars on ones very soul.  There is much talk lately about bullying, on playgrounds, schools and even on line.  There have been cases here in Canada in the past few years of teenagers committing suicide because of bullying, being beaten down with words until it severs their very heart.

 

James 3:8  "But the tongue can no man tame:  it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

 

I've mentioned in previous devotions that what comes out of your mouth is an indication of what is in your heart, they are directly related.  If one harbours bitter and unkind thoughts it is going to manifest itself verbally. 

 

When words leaves your mouth, they are gone.  There is much on the news lately about people "Twittering" unkind or obnoxious things.  Over and over we are hearing it reported that once something is out in cyberspace it can never be undone.  It's the same with the tongue, once you say something, no matter how much you try to take it back it can't be undone.  You can try to make amends, but the damage is there.  A forest ravaged with fire will always bear the scars of what destroyed it.  Gossip is a deadly poison.  When something is said about another, over time it gets changed.  There is a childrens game that we used to play when I was little.  A group of kids would sit in a circle.  The first child would whisper something to the next, they in turn would pass it on in a whisper to the next child.  When it got around to the one who started it and was repeated out loud, it was never the same!  The whispering changed the original statement.  The Bible warns against talking about your neighbor...the tongue can cause irreparable damage.

 

Proverbs 6:16 & 19  "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him.  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren."

 

The Lord takes what comes out of our mouths very seriously!  It is so important to start each day in prayer, asking our Heavenly Father to control our tongues.  How much better it is to edify someone then to tear them down.  Our mouths when under the control of the Lord can be an instrument of encouragement and good to others. 

 

Proverbs 8:6 - 8  "Hear;  for I will speak of excellent things;  and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  For my mouth shall speak truth;  and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;  there is nothing forward or perverse in them."

 

A tongue consecrated to the Lord belongs to a person whom the Lord will be pleased with.  Every day should start with the words that the Psalmist David penned.

 

Psalms 19:14  "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer."

 

Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee;

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move, at the impulse of Thy love,

Take my feet and let them be, swift and beautiful for Thee.

 

Take my voice and let me sing, always, only for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be, filled with praises, Lord, to Thee.

Take my silver and my gold. Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my talents, Lord, and use, every one as Thou shalt choose.

 

                            Frances R. Havergal