“Every Christian should so live that he or she would not be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”
~ Dr. J. Harold Smith
If we’ve lived any length of time on this earth, we’ve either heard gossip about others, spread some ourselves, or actually been the victims. The pain inflicted by wagging tongues of insensitive people is of the most hurtful kind.
The Bible has some “sharp” words of its own about this subject:
“Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully” (Psalm 52:2).
“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health” (Proverbs 12:19).
Powerful stuff! The words we speak can build barriers or bridge gaps, tear down or encourage, inflict pain or aid in healing. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Therefore, all of us should think before engaging our mouths so we won’t be guilty of hurting others.
Below are some additional scriptures to ponder on this subject:
Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 37:30 “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.”
Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.”
Matthew 12:36-37 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Persevering Through Life's Challenges 
Ann Holbrook
Jul 23, 2012 @ 11:56:19
AMEN!
As always, thanks for your comments.
I sure appreciate you!
Betty Sharp
Jul 22, 2012 @ 21:46:49
This one talks to us all I have never known a person who didnt struggle with control of their tongue The Bible rightly calls it the most unruly member of our body How appropriate for the day we live in where whoever has the juiciest gossip about their neighbor or co-worker wins the worlds respect. Whereas those who mind their own business and try to control their tongue are looked down on as unfriendly or anti-social. No wonder this world is in such a mess when everything is upside down. God help us to do what’s right and not care what the crowd wants. It’s God’s opinion of us that matters most in the end!