In this last installment of the series, I would like to share with you the beauty of having a simple tongue.
• A simple tongue uses a “Yes,” or “No.” Matthew 2:34-37 – “But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” God loves simple answers.
• A simple tongue doesn’t try to impress others. A simple tongue doesn’t purchase name-brand clothes, or try to keep up with the latest fashions in order to be “in style”. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the clothes and fashions themselves (unless they are immodest, or in some other way displeasing to God). Your motives, rather, determine the right- or wrong-ness of these things. 1 Corinthians 13:4 – “…love does not parade itself, is not puffed up…” Are you like the Pharisees, desiring the praise of men more than the praise of God? (John 12:43) Don’t worry about what other people think. Only worry about what God thinks. That’s all that matters in the end.
• A simple tongue avoids exaggeration. Once again, this is a form of trying to impress people. Exaggeration is lying, because it is not the absolute truth. Enough said.
• A simple tongue sets us free. We don’t have to act like something we are not. Be yourself, live for the glory of God, and don’t try to be like other people. (This is not to say you shouldn’t have role models. These are all well and good in their proper place, if they are demonstrating lives that are pleasing to the Lord and in accordance with His will for them.) God made you exactly as you are for a special role in His plan. (Psalm 139:14) Imagine His grief if you try to be someone else.
• A simple tongue uses simple language with God. God wants us to pray to Him the way we think and speak. He doesn’t want us to use big, impressive, sophisticated words. You can’t succeed in “faking it” to God. He knows the real you. When you talk to God, He wants you to respect Him, but most of all He wants you to share your heart with Him – not the heart of someone else. (Matthew 6:5-8)
I hope this series has shown you, as it did me, the importance of guarding your tongue carefully, and really thinking about what you say. I pray that you will commit your tongue to God. Psalm 37:5 – “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Ask Him to help you use your tongue to make a difference for His glory.