Your tongue

[Rosie]

In Bible class today we talked about controlling the tongue and it is someplace in the Bible only right now I forget were it was. In James maybe. I wrote it down but I left my book in my locker.
This whole entire week we are supposed to work on controlling our tongue and to journal about ways that we police our tongue.
This is going to be very hard.  It is my mouth that likes to get me in trouble I'm afraid. Stuff comes out of it that I wish I could stuff right back in. 
My question is how do you police your own tongues?

[Tatiana]

Do you mean backchat or language?
My mouth works far quicker than my brain does. If God really wants us to control our tongues, he should have given us quicker brains. 

[Trudy]

I do some deep breathing.
Tatiana, it will become easier to control as you get older.  Practice helps the brain to catch up with your mouth. 

[Libby]

Count to ten.

[Addy]

I know for me it's out before I remember to count to ten. 

[Rosie]

Today we talked about how the tongue shows our heart.  That kind of worries me some you know how I mean?  Some of the stuff that has come from my mouth isn't good and is pretty awful.  We are supposed to talk nice to people even them who hurt us or make us mad.  Then today after school I had to go talk to that lady person about that private stuff you know and she says it is good to say what I think even if it is a cuss word. So who is more right really?  I wish my tongue would mind itself.
I could count to ten but like Addy allready said is its out of my mouth before I can even remember to say one. 
I will put count to 10 in my journal cause I got to write something you know. But lying is bad but what can you do if you don't got a honest answer? You know the truth is I just got to hope whoever will forgive me when I say I am sorry. 
I hope it does get easier when I get older cause my heart isn't looking so good by my tongue.

[charity]

I don't think what we say occasionally reveals our heart.  Everyone gets upset sometimes and will say something they regret but that doesn't mean they have a bad heart.
My mom tells us to politely say excuse me, walk away, pray the Lord's prayer and then return.  I try to do that but I'm not great at it and when I walk away from one of my sisters it seems to make her angrier.  
I think it's true we will get better at this when we get older because my parents don't have this problem. 

[Jennifer]

Your tongue doesn't show your heart. I've known plenty of sweet talkers who were downright evil.

[Tatiana]

I agree. My tongue doesn't show my heart. It shows my mood at that time. We aren't perfect. Jesus didn't die for the perfect, he died for the sinner. We're going to screw up and all that really matters is that we are sorry and try to do better.

[Libby]

Are you sure you understood what was being said? Everyone has said something they regret at some time in their lives but that doesn't mean they have a bad heart.

[Kim]

Part of growing up is learning to temper what comes out of your mouth.  Teens are notorious for their poorly thought out responses.  This doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your hearts.  It simply means you are still growing and learning.  
I suspect the wrong message was sent with this lesson because even adults get it wrong sometimes.

[Addy]

The Bible is pretty hard on the tongue.  I don't believe it reveals our heart but I can understand how someone comes to that conclusion.  Before something comes out of your mouth, it was first in your thoughts and thoughts do show who we are.  At least that's what I've been taught in my bible class.  I get some random thoughts that are really stupid so I'm pretty sure it doesn't reveal my heart.

[Rosie]

Today with the tongue we talked about ways we use our tongue to lift people up or tear them down and how words are powerful. We talked about how people use words to inspire others like people like Martin Luther King you know. I got to add in my journal ways that people have built me up and ways I can build other people up. Nothing like what Martin Luther King did but when we tell somebody we believe in them or there doing a good job or something then we build them up. This is lots easier than writing about how to police my tongue.  Maybe it is just easier to start something positive then to change something that is negative right?

[Rosie]

A positive from my tongue that I hope will build somebody up is to say to you in our community that you honest have made me feel better about the world and like maybe I'm not as bad as other people made me feel in different groups of people. You are my good place. You encourage my heart.

[charity]

Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.   Proverbs 16:24
My mom has a sign in our living room with that proverb on it.