Control Your Tongue

O! The tongue in its merest criticize,
Can, like the ice, bring the largest ship grief;
Make of truth the poorest far-fetched surmise;
Or harm the church more than tornado or thief!
See the path of disaster run amuck,
When whispered words do the false poison spread;
They speak, not knowing brothers it may pluck
From the bridge of the ship so bravely led!
O! Ship of Grace! May your flag fly high;
Let not crewmen detour, or treason slay;
Your mission is still souls to re-buy;
Nor let wayward crew the Kingdom delay!
Dear sailors, use your strength lifting the cross;
Hold your carping tongue, less lifters be lost!

In 1914 the 'unsinkable' Titanic was confidently racing through the iceberg-studded waters at night on its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York. Suddenly it struck a submerged island of ice that ripped through 3 of 14 watertight compartments in the ship's bottom. In two hours it was gone, taking 1500 people to the bottom with it.

The tongue is as dangerous to the work of Jesus Christ as an iceberg is to a ship. The natural tendency of an individual is to gossip; the more salacious the news a person has heard about another is, the more eagerly he or she wants to spread it. Soon it has traveled over the whole community, growing more salacious. Irreparable harm is done, If the community is a church, the work and witness of the whole congregation is harmed. The Bible is not silent in commanding the believer to control his tongue.

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" (James 3:9-11)

Ah, but you differ, saying 'gossip is not cursing'? I would agree, if the gossip in question is praiseworthy toward its object. But how much whispered reporting is of a worthy nature? We must exercise a ruthless control over our tongue, saying only words that uplift amother, either a Christian brother or not.