Years ago, I notice a need for taming my tongue. Even though I never intended to hurt anyone, it seemed my words continually did just that. I decided I needed a mouth makeover.
When I began my mouth makeover, my major motivation was to stop looking foolish with my foot stuck in my mouth. As I studied the subject more, another motivation became to touch the lives of people I care about–to inspire and encourage them. But I also discovered that a more important purpose of my mouth is to please the Lord and bring a smile to the One who gave His life to save mine!
Psalm 19:14
Psalm 19:14 was the first Scripture I used in my effort to tame my tongue. Each day I prayed David’s prayer and made it my own.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
I researched some of the original Hebrew meanings of the words in Psalm 19:14 and came up with and expanded version of the prayer. Here is Sharla’s amplified version.
May every utterance and every word that comes out of my mouth and every musing and thought of my heart bring You pleasure and delight, O LORD. Let me always speak as if I were in Your presence for truly You are always with me. Help me to remember You are my Redeemer–the One who saved me and who will continue to forgive me when I fail–and You are my Rock–the source of my strength.
Praying this prayer every day helped me become more aware of my words. Praying these words gave me the reassurance of forgiveness when I messed up once again. This prayer helped me focus on pleasing God with what came out of my mouth.
Matthew 12:34
The Bible contains many verses about our words. It seems taming your tongue is a God-given priority. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus said this:
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34b NIV
Jesus tells us that the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart. Picture an overflowing cup. What is running out of the cup? Whatever is being poured into it.
And what I am pouring into my heart will eventually come out. The Greek word translated as overflow means abundance, what one delights in and what fills the heart. What I delight in and what I am interested in will naturally be what I talk about. (Just ask all my friends who have patiently looked at dozens of pictures of my grandsons!)
In order to improve my speech, I need to examine my interests because they will direct what I put in my heart. And what I pour in my heart will eventually flow out.
So I ask myself:
Am I pouring good things into my heart so that what overflows will be positive, noble, holy, and God-pleasing?
Are the things I delight in the things God wants to fill my heart?
We all need to pay attention to what comes out of our mouths and determine the source of our words.
- Are angry words coming out because of what is going on in your heart? Do you need to speak to a counselor or sit down with a friend and work things out?
- Are you cutting others down because you don’t feel valuable? Read God’s Word (especially Song of Songs 4:7; Isaiah 43:4, 62:5; Zephaniah 3:17) to discover how precious you are to Him.
- Are complaining words escaping your lips? Maybe TV commercials and ladies’ magazines are breeding discontentment in your heart. It might be time to change what you watch or read.
When we want to change what comes out of our mouths, we need to change what goes into our hearts.
Proverbs 25:11
Another key to taming the tongue is realizing just how valuable our words are. Proverbs 25:11 says:
The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.
Proverbs 25:11
We’ve all experienced this. When the house looked like the aftermath of a tornado, you couldn’t calm the screaming baby, and your hair hadn’t been combed all day you wondered if your life made any difference. Then your three-year-old walked up to you, hugged your leg, and said, “I wuv you, Mom” and you no longer had any doubts. Or when you received a card from a long-lost friend who remembered the time you stayed up with her all night after her boyfriend dumped her. Or when a customer or client at your work sincerely thanked you for your kindness.
The right words are more precious than diamond pendants and Rolex watches.
When we remember this, we can look for opportunities to share the wealth with others around us. Does that store clerk look likes she’s having a bad day? Compliment her on her hairstyle. Does your husband look especially tired? Remind him of how much you appreciate how he helps to support the family. Has your friend’s smile disappeared? Tell her how much you appreciate her friendship.
Ways to Use These Scriptures
Here are a few ways to use these Scriptures every day.
- Write scriptures about your words or the mouth on sticky notes. Put them in conspicuous places where you will see them often during the day. Try your bathroom mirror, above the kitchen sink or on your car dashboard.
- Set an alarm for three times during the day to remind you to say a specific scripture about the mouth out loud (Psalm 19:14 anyone?). Perhaps pick times you know are difficult for you to keep a civil tongue, e.g. morning (drive to work), afternoon (most difficult time of the work day), and evening (the drive home)
- Turn these Scriptures into a prayer! The combination of scripture and prayer is sure to give us improved control over our lips.
These simple suggestions will not only help you in your efforts in taming your tongue–putting them into practice will transform the lives of the people you speak to.
Next step: Pray this prayer: Father in heaven, give me lips that speak knowledge. Help me to listen to You before I speak. Help me to remember that it is better to wait to speak if I don’t have any useful words to give.
Find your own verses! Use your concordance or do a search at BibleGateway.com, mouth or lips.