Do you know how powerful your tongue is? Many of us don't.... we just think the function of our tongue is to taste and process food. Yes, basically you are right those are major functions of your tongue. However, that 'little' tongue of yours is a VERY powerful instrument. There are so many things your tongue is capable of doing....
Your tongue can kill, the bible says in Proverbs 18:21 ''Death and life are in the power of the tongue'', yes it is that powerful. Also, in Proverbs 12:18 the bible says ''The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise bring healing''. Believe it or not, the words from your mouth can do a whole lot to people and even YOU. Your words can either cause 'damage' or bring joy. Your words can kill in ways you might not even realise, always expressing that so called 'opinion' of yours may sometimes cause damage.
For instance, a little boy who didn't seem so bright from a tender age, and rather than getting the encouragement/ help he should, he was always referred to as 'a fool', 'idiot', 'dunce', 'daft' etc. Such a child is not likely to feel smart EVER, he would begin to believe ''just maybe they're right, maybe I'm not smart enough, well we can't all be smart...'' All of these words have killed a part of this boy. Let me give a personal example too, when I was way younger, there was this one boy who never stop saying how UGLY i was, and I believed him. It affected so many areas of my life, contributed to my lack of confidence, i didn't believe in myself.... (i'm not going to go into so much details lol). It took me leaving that school where the boy was to stop hearing him constantly reminding me of my ugly status :( however, soon after I started getting compliments like 'you're so pretty' 'you have nice eyes' etc at that time it was so amazing to hear that, was like I had won a medal or something, started feeling good about myself. Anyway, enough about me... it's just to show how a tongue can either make or break a person. Even to yourself, what you utter with your tongue concerning yourself always has a massive effect.
Your tongue can end your marriage, well, if not end it can lead to other marital problems draining out the peace in a household, it can affect friendship, it can affect the church etc. We just need to WATCH IT, control your tongue. Proverbs 17:28 says 'Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues' that is, when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Its not everything you think of in your head that must come out of your mouth. Let us stop using the law of ''freedom of speech'' to hurt/kill people, we can't take words back once said so don't think an apology would completely heal the bruises caused by your tongue. Yes the constitution says you have the ''freedom of speech''. However, we all as humans not Just Christians should put a self restriction on this freedom, because no matter how nice you think you are, you are in this world not by yourself but with various different individuals whose words or actions might make you feel the need to utter words you shouldn't. I understand that people can be annoying, if someone is trying to get you to speak in such times stay silent. You may choose to come back later when you're no longer angry to speak to such person with love, ask God for wisdom and come back to talk. HOWEVER, if you still feel the need to say 'nasty' things/words that would cause damage, then KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Let us think before we talk, don't use your tongue to cause death but give life. Don't use it for both.
James 1:19-20 ''know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God''
Ecclesiastes 3:7b ''...a time to keep silence and a time to speak''
Proverbs 10:18 ''The one who conceals hatred is a lying lips, and whoever litters slander is a fool''
Psalm 52:2 ''your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit''
James 3:10 ''From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so''
