The Instructed Tongue

I love to talk. Always have. I talk to whomever is listening. My husband, the girls, the dog, the flowers. When there isn't another living thing around yes, I talk to myself. I would love to know just how many words I say during the day. To make it worse, I talk fast. Combine that with my southern accent and you've got quite a show. :)

Unfortunately that combination can be quite deadly. When I'm "on a roll" and the words are flying out of my mouth, I don't always think through what I'm saying. God taught me the hard way several years ago to be more mindful of what I say. There are always consequences to our words.

Yesterday I read Isaiah 50 during my quiet time. Verse 4 became my verse of the day. It says: "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."

There were 2 parts to this verse that I feel led to write about, but for today it's the instructed tongue. A tongue that speaks what God would have it to say. That hit me hard. Of all the conversation I have during the day, how much of it is instructed by God? How about my thoughts? Are they instructed by God? They have to be if my tongue is to speak as one that is instructed by God!

We find over and over in the Proverbs verses that relate to the tongue/mouth. Here are just a few.

Prov.4:24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips.

Prov.12:18-19 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Prov.15:1 & 4 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Prov.16:23-24 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Prov.20:15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

Prov.26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

I'm guilty of forgetting how powerful my words are. Just as important, the tone of my voice. God showed me that my gift of gab was okay, I just needed to make sure that what I was gabbing about was pleasing to him. To make sure I had a purpose for saying what I was saying. (And that purpose better be related to HIM)

To be honest, I thought, how in the world can I function like this. But, I've started to pray that God would give me an instructed tongue and only allow me to speak what He would have me to. It is changing my conversation with my children, my husband, my friends..everyone. It's making a deliberate, conscience effort to THINK and PRAY before I speak. For some of you this will probably seem a little weird, and for others you probably got this lesson a long time ago! (IF so, please comment on what God showed you, any verses and what you learned during that time.)

Isaiah 55:11 is a well known verse: "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

I don't know about you, but I don't want to use empty purposeless (is that a word?!) words anymore. I want more than ever for the words coming out of my mouth to have godly consequences. I want them to achieve the purpose God sent them for. I want an instructed tongue.