Tame your tongue.
Key Scripture.
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Every time we open our mouths we either speak life or death.
2 Kings 20:2-3 (MSG)
Hezekiah turned from Isaiah and faced God, praying: Remember, O God, who I am, what I’ve done! I’ve lived an honest life before you, My heart’s been true and steady, I’ve lived to please you; lived for your approval. And then the tears flowed. Hezekiah wept
Look how much life Hezekiah spoke in his prayer vs. take me now, I guess it’s my end, I accept my death sentence
Hezekiah led with words of encouragement and life!
2 Kings 18:30 (NLT)
Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
2 Kings 18:32 (NLT)
At the end of verse 32, the king of Assyria says…Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’
Look at how the people of Judah responded to the enemy, verse 36
2 Kings 18:36
But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
Proverbs 17:28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
2
When we look at Hezekiah’s example, we see that he immediately prayed against his death sentence. He rebuked death off of his life.
2 Kings 2 (NIV)
…”This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.
Matthew chapter 18:18
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
3
James 3:2 (NLT)
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
James 3:6 (NLT)
And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
James 3:8
but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
Matthew 12:33-34 (NLT)
“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
Luke 6:45
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.