The Tongue is a Snitch!

Slips of the tongue. Freudian slips, the psychologists and psychiatrists say. They call these occasional slips a parapraxis. These so-called slips are verbal or memory mistakes that are believed to be associated with a person's unconscious mind.

These errors or misdeeds in speech of mine have raised the ire of my friends and loved ones. Ten years ago, I dropped the F bomb to a preacher. I also called my girlfriend by my ex-wife's name. Yikes! Talk about a wild tongue. Ever done something similar? We all say something wrong from time to time.

Examples from memories

I can remember several instances concerning myself and/or others who have unleashed their tongues and got into a load of hot water or experienced embarrassment.

Once when I worked in promotions for a top five radio station in the US, one of our popular DJ's was high on weed and casually dropped the F bomb while live on the air.

Multiple thousands upon thousands of people heard it. He was fired soon after being reprimanded for the mistake, but for missing his Sunday shift because he called in to miss work and let it slip that the reason he couldn't make it was because he was drunk.

When I was around 12 and living in San Diego, California, my Mom let out an outburst I have not forgotten all these years later. She had bought a nice, new blouse, washed it, and had put it in the clothes dryer. We were sitting at the dining room table talking (she was drinking coffee) when she suddenly jumped up and ran to the dryer. She screamed the F bomb when she saw the dryer had shrunk and ruined her blouse.

I once heard a pastor who admitted he had a way of saying things that rubbed people the wrong way. He thought it might be best to teach rather than preach, lest something vile come from his mouth. He soon figured out that controlling his tongue was possible when he got his heart right lined up with God's word.

Not a mistake

The humanists (as mentioned above) like to remind us that these mistakes are normal and a part of one's life. They are right in a sense, but where they err is stating that the mistakes emanate from our unconscious or subconscious mind. This is based on Freud's model of psychoanalysis, where the tripartite nature of man is expressed as superego, ego and id.

It is expressed as matter, energy, and antimatter when it comes to quantum physics.

But the so called subconscious or unconscious mind according to the Bible is expressed as the real you. This is to say that our will controls our tongue. Put another way, it is what lives in our heart that eventually comes out in words.

With many words

Our tongue is a snitch. It is powerful. In order to control it we have to become the right kind of person to say the right kind of words.

James calls it making an effort to bridle the tongue. He writes: "Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go" (James 3:4, NIV). The pilot is us, and our will charts our course.

Oh, but look what we do to rationalize speaking so much that which is harmful. We tell ourselves that what we speak is true. Yes, it may be true, but even if something is true, we should refrain from saying it if it is meant to harm others or we have an improper motive.

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness" (James 3:9. NIV).

We also believe that if a person harms us that it is also okay to speak our mind to them. But Peter says: "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2:1, NIV).

At other times we may feign piety. We say something like, "Oh, she or he is a dreadful person, but I'll continue to pray for her." But this is often arrogance or misguided naivety that is the opposite of the virtue of piety.

None of these rationalizations are acceptable, friends. Not a single one. In fact, Jesus had something to say about this:

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:16-20, NIV).

Application

If we're going to learn to bridle the tongue, we need to know when to speak and when to hold our tongue. Our tongue will give our hearts away. Our hearts are best expressed in love, the love that Jesus and the Father have for us.

This love does not mean we should not speak up, however. It is important to speak the truth about God's word, even with others forbid you to do so. And yet there are times when we simply walk away and shake the dust from our feet.

As we grow in Christ and become more like Him, we apply his teachings and gain wisdom. Do you lack wisdom? I do in some things. But James also gives us the solution when he is close to ending his book.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord" (James 5:5-7, NIV).

Let's deny ourselves, gain wisdom and bridle our tongue.