I think I've been asleep most of my life.

...Seriously, now! I mean, everything seems to be such a surprise to me. I always end up pondering about things that happen in a day -- everyday. Like... how gossip can result to tremendous injury to relationships and yet people won't give it up. Rumors do break up friendships. Haven't we realised this yet?

Gossip, it kills trust and faith. We injure our own souls by it. The yentas just don't realise how much trouble they are causing their own reputes more than the inconvenience they're causing the persons they're tattling about. Can't help but to tut-tut about it. *glaring eyes*

Don't we have anything more sensible to talk about? Like how we can live life to the full, maybe?

*sigh* Well, enough of my babbling... better if I just share this with you. Makes better sense.

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WHO’S GOT YOUR TONGUE

It’s been estimated that a talkative person may speak 30,000 words a day! But the important question is, how do our words, whether many or few, affect others?

A Greek philosopher asked his servant to cook the best dish possible. The servant, who was very wise, prepared a dish of tongue, saying, “It’s the best of all dishes, for it reminds us that we may use our tongue to bless and express happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, and spread cheer.”

Later the servant was asked to cook the worst dish possible. Again, he prepared a dish of tongue, saying, “It’s the worst dish, for it reminds us that we may use our tongue to curse and break hearts, destroy reputations, create strife, and set families and nations at war.”

We don’t have to eat tongue to grasp that servant’s point. But we may have to “eat our own words” quite often before we learn to avoid saying things we’d like to retract.

Solomon wrote: “The tongue of the wise promotes health” (Proverbs 12:18). It affirms and encourages others. The key word in that verse isn’t tongue but WISE. The tongue is not in control, but the person behind it is.

If you want your tongue to build people up and not tear them down, ask God to make you wise.

- Joanie Yoder

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