What the Tongue Says

1 Peter 3:9-10 KJV

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

The Bible is such a plain and easy to get hold of book, it is a wonder that so many struggle with it. There is no question here; we ought not to speak evil or guile concerning others.

And it is not that we couldn’t find those things to speak. People do harm and people can be deceitful. The lesson has little to do with what people are doing around us and everything to do with how we respond. As Christians our place is to remove ourselves from the voices of those who gossip and spread the evil and deceit.

There is a much better use for our tongues. God teaches us to speak about things that are honest and praiseworthy.

This does not mean that we would not turn in a thief or report a crime. Paul was not afraid to call out sin and name names in doing so. It’s a point of

·         Giving the information to the proper authorities

·         Letting go of it after we have done so and then

·         Refusing to hold on to any sort of grudge or bitterness afterwards.

Doing so will be its own blessing.