Let’s Tame Our Tongues BEFORE the Holidays!
Friends! Are Thanksgiving and Christmas really right around the corner? HOW can this be?
I’ve got just the ticket to prepare us for future encounters with friends and relatives who may potentially drive us crazy during the holidays. Thinking of anyone in particular???
Recently a friend showed me a book she was reading, the title of which jumped out at me. I knew at once I needed to order this. See what you think:
I like this book for 4 reasons:
1 - The author, Jeff Robinson is a preacher right here in Louisville, serving as lead pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church. He was the senior editor for The Gospel Coalition and is an adjunct professor at Southern Seminary.
2 - He received thirteen superb endorsements from some of my favorite authors, most of whom I bet you know as well. Here are just 3 of them: Thomas Schreiner, an excellent author and preacher also from our city, Nancy Guthrie—a gifted author from Nashville, and Randy Alcorn, another fabulous author.
3 - Author Paul David Tripp wrote the Foreword. That, folks, is huge. Paul has written several books, my favorite of which is New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional. Don’t miss the endorsements or the Foreword!
4 - Taming the Tongue is very thought-provoking, encouraging, and at times—convicting, oh, but in an inspirational way—inspiring transformation. Guys and gals will enjoy this book.
Jeff begins by telling on himself. In a very honest rendition of a meeting he had with one of his elders, the elder shared he felt Jeff was talking too much, not listening, and barely letting others talk. He predicted Jeff would soon lose his congregation if he didn’t change his ways. The entire discussion is eye-opening. I immediately found myself feeling sorry for Jeff.
To make matters worse, he returned home a bit crestfallen, only to relay the message of the meeting to his wife. Then he very bravely asked her if she believed this to be true, to which she answered in the affirmative! Ouch!
Now friends, Jeff is very vulnerable, basically taking us with him, gently holding our hand, on his journey of metamorphosis. He tells us at the end of the Introduction his book has 3 main goals:
“1 - to convince readers words are one of the most important aspects of a life lived before God—one of the best indicators as to our maturation and growth in Christ-likeness.
2 - to show how the fall has turned words into potential nuclear warheads, so we must handle them as such, and
3 - to show how the Gospel beats those swords into plowshares and transforms them into conduits of God’s grace.”
We learn we humans utter 10,000-20,000 words a day. (I’ve heard women can say as many as 50,000! LOL). So think about that for a minute and then consider this from Jeff: “Each word,” whether 10,000 or 20,000 or whatever the number, “is an opportunity to sin.” Ouch again!
My favorite chapter is Chaper 3, Words as Weapons. It’s chock-full of eye-opening, tuck-your-toes-under-the-tables-lest-they-get-stepped-on, information. As each chapter begins with a Scripture and a quote, this one begins with one of my favorite verses, Ephesians 4:29 which says,
Let’s also look at it in The Message,
Sidebar: Florence Littauer wrote an entire book on Ephesians 4:29 called Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragment. It is a special read and, like Jeff’s book, will cause you to pause and ponder, before you speak.
Also in Chapter 3, Jeff covers sinful ways we talk, fitting them into nine, count ‘em nine, categories. (To say this book is comprehensive is an understatement!)
I’ll share tidbits from three of these. I predict you’ll flip over all of them as you’ll see these “charmers” in a different light.
The first is “Gossip.” He quotes the Eagles’ singer and songwriter Don Henley from his hit song, “Dirty Laundry,” from 1982. Take a gander at these lyrics:
While these lyrics make us laugh, aren’t they the truth?
From the section on “Sarcasm: Build me up, tear you down,” Jeff reminds us, “We want our words to give off the oxygen of God’s grace, or edifying and building up others…We must do that without flattering them.”
The section on “Grumbling” really grabbed me. Jeff talks about expressing “discontentment thru’ grousing and complaining.” He reminds us of Philippians 2:14 which says,
This section really hit home because I was reading it while healing from a not-so-fun foot surgery. (Is that grumbling?!). I had to wear a “walking shoe” (total oxymoron) for 6 weeks and, because it was my right foot, I could not drive for 6 weeks (Yes, that’s 2 more grumbles….). God bless my sweet husband who chauffeured me all over the city.
So when I read this,
“Grumbling or complaining is a capital offense for the very reason Paul gave: it puts God to the test.”
Yikes….Busted!!!
The good news is that if we go past verse 14 on to verse 15 in Philippians 2, we learn these verses “tell us what happens when we STOP complaining; we SHINE with the reflected beauty of Jesus.”
Watch:
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (ESV)
Don’t miss the beginning of the section on grumbling—it has one of the funniest stories I’ve read. It will really make you think. I’ve shared it with several friends and we all cracked up and admitted to its’ truth…
I pray these few tidbits have caused you to want to read Taming the Tongue: How the Gospel Transforms Our Talk. I believe it’s just in time for us before the holidays hit.
Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab Taming the Tongue. It’s a resource you’ll want to share with others, perhaps ever so gently. LOL…
May our lights shine for our Good and Gracious God and may we be ever so thankful this Thanksgiving and Christmas with transformed tongues to work for His Glory…
‘Til next time!
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