Disciplining the Mouth and the Soul

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment.
​For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 
Mat 12:36-37

Idle words may, in a very general way, be defined as words that issue out of a condition of idleness—fruitless, useless hours. The care of speech is eminently a fit training which the Gospel ordains.
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There are a great many words that are like dust-cloths. They remove grime; they drive away unpleasant thought and feeling; they change the temperament. There are a great many things in conversation that tend to make men cheerful, that tend to put springs under the waggon of life to make it go easier along in the rough road. All these things are edifying in their own way. They polish, they brighten, they comfort, they cheer; they keep people above melancholy and gloom, and that itself is very desirable.

One kind of idle words is tattling. It is a kind of gay frivolity upon a line of things which require sobriety and charity. It proceeds neither from wit nor from humour, nor from rectitude; but it is amusing ourselves with the thousand little scraps that relate to men and their affairs. Not only is it of no benefit to them, but it is bad for us and bad for them.

Boasting is another form of idle speech. There is a vast amount of it which springs up in youth and does not die out in manhood. It is a sort of bidding one’s self up in the market. It indicates the want of any high self-measuring, and is very foolish and idle.

Profane swearing is an utterance of sacred names or of sacred things in a light, trifling, and, worse still, in a malicious and angry mood. Swearing is some men’s idea of boldness. But God forbid that any man who values aught that is noble and sweet and pure in men, in angels, and in God should indulge in this most demoralizing habit! There is the best reason in the world, in philosophy, in politeness, in neighbourly charity, why one’s mouth should be kept free and clean from all profanity. It is the violation of decency and honour; it is the violation of every noble instinct.
(H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxi., p. 268)

Note: In posting this, I am looking into myself, and confessing my own battles with this evil conduct. Perhaps like me, you live in a situation, and find that in society today, that these poisons of the mouth have invaded your life, and corrupted you in ways you don't want to admit to yourself. People in every area of life today use sarcasm, talebearing, and swearing as everyday language, it flows like an open overflowing sewer from their mouths. In recent years, I've allowed it to contaminate my own life, and what comes out of my mouth. I don't condone myself, I battle it, and go to God and confess it, and once again ask for the Lord's strength to stop this behavior, to forgive me, and once again wash me in the blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin. Living in this world today is an ongoing battle, and beleiver's not exempt from the contamination that's rampant in the world today. If it were not for Jesus in us, and the Holy Spirit within, none of us would have a chance. For Him, I'm eternally thankful. If we confess our sins, and failures, He's faithful to forgive, and the Holy Spirit comes, and strengthens us again to stand against the evil forces that come at us from every direction. But, we must also be mindful of the company we keep, those who we allow in our lives, and what we spend our time doing.

There are some Christians who do not examine themselves, and don't want to allow the Holy Spirit to convict them if they begin to stray into ways of the world, and use their mouths for evil. They are delusional, and walking in pride. If they continue, they will fall. God's hand of protection and blessing will remove, and He will leave them to themselves. I do not want this to ever happen in my life.
​Lorna Couillard

SLANDER FROM EVIL HEARTS

Spite and hatred absolutely blind the eyes and distort the judgment. They reached their climax in this effort of the Pharisees to discredit Christ. They could not deny His miracles, so they imputed them to a collusion between Him and Satan. On the face of it, this charge was absurd. But our Lord showed clearly that in making the allegation, His enemies were violating their spiritual sense and deliberately blinding their eyes and dulling their ears to God’s Spirit. This is the sin that hath never forgiveness, because the soul that acts thus ceases to wish for or seek it.

What a glimpse is given of our Savior’s sore temptations and glorious victory in Mat_12:29! He had already bound the strong man, and for this reason was able to spoil his house and deliver his captives. Let Jesus into your heart, and no foe, though he may batter the door, shall break in to destroy.
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The one test that Jesus proposes is fruit. The nature of a man or doctrine or movement can be rightly estimated only when the results have had time to develop. How splendidly Christianity has stood this test.  (F.B. Meyer)