Tongue Suppressor

I have a cold and cough.
It happens when the weather changes.
Hot tea and rest will help me feel like myself again.

I enjoy singing as I drive.
It sounds very different when I have a cold.
My speaking voice sounds different, too.
It’s not permanent, though while it lingers, it is annoying.

I got my hair trimmed today.
As I was sitting in the chair, I had to cough.
You know the feeling.

You have to cough, but you don’t want to cough.
You know that if you cough once, you will cough twice, and then three times.
And so on…and so on.

I tried; I really did.
I couldn’t do it!
I was sorry once I gave in.

All I could envision was lopsided hair.
I was trying to time my cough when the scissors were not near my head.
Finally, I gave in and grabbed a cough drop from my purse.

Success!
Temporarily.

It is hard to suppress something that is urgently waiting in the wings.
We have all tried to suppress a yawn at an inopportune time.
We have all tried to suppress a giggle when it would not be appropriate.

Anyone with children knows that certain urges cannot be suppressed.
Even on the highway.
Even when you just left a rest stop a few miles back.

Many agree that antisocial behaviors need to be suppressed.
We cannot take what we want when we want it.
We cannot settle our differences in any way that would break the law.

We cannot force ourselves or our affections on another person.
We must suppress the urge to jump ahead in line or cut someone off on the highway.
We suppress the urge to stay in bed all day and pull the covers up over our head.

One thing that is very difficult to suppress is our tongue.

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself, set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  (James 3:2-10)

A lion tamer can tame ferocious lions.
A ship can be steered by a small rudder.
A horse can be bridled with a small bit.

We have difficulty taming our tongue.
We have the natural urge to talk and are not always careful about what we say or to whom.
We have to suppress the urge to gossip or share more than we should.

Our tongue can encourage or our tongue can crush someone’s spirit.
Our tongue can slander, or lie, or manipulate to further our agenda or ourselves.
Our tongue can reveal things we should not reveal under the guise of a prayer request.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
This should not be.

Poison tongues have no place in the life of a Christian.
Restless tongues do not belong in someone who loves and serves the Lord Jesus.

What if we had the urge to tell a juicy bit of news?
We can’t wait to pick up the phone and begin.
We look up and there stands Jesus in front of us.

His nail scarred Hands bearing the wounds of our sin.
This sin.
The sin of our tongues.

Looking at Jesus, we will suppress our tongue.
It is possible when He is in view.

Every person is made in the image of God.
If we look, really look at the person before us, we will see God’s imprint.
God’s image changes things.

The tongue can be tamed if we look at the cross.
The sins of the tongue were paid for on that tree.
Paid for in blood.
Not ours, though we deserve it, but in Jesus’ Blood, our Sinless Substitute.

I cringe when I think that every unkind word intentional or unintentional held Him there.
The urge to sin with our tongue can be suppressed with Jesus in view.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
Suppressing the tongue is difficult but necessary.
Suppressing the tongue is possible, in Christ alone.

Tongue suppressor, anyone?
Keep Jesus in view!